Burnout Happens to Good People—And It’s Not Your Fault
Introduction: The Truth About Burnout
Burnout doesn’t happen to people who don’t care. It happens to good people, who want to do good work, who are put into impossible situations over and over again.
That’s the reality.
And yet, when burnout hits, so many people blame themselves. They think:
👉 “Maybe I’m just not strong enough.”
👉 “Maybe I’m not cut out for this work.”
👉 “Why can’t I handle this like everyone else?”
But here’s the truth: Burnout is not a personal failure. It’s a symptom of a broken system.
I’ve lived it. I’ve seen it in my coaching clients. And I know how painful it is to feel like you’re drowning in exhaustion, only to have people tell you to “just take care of yourself” as if that will fix everything.
If you’re feeling burned out, I need you to hear this loud and clear: It’s not your fault.
Burnout is a System Problem, Not a You Problem
Burnout isn’t caused by laziness, weakness, or a lack of resilience. It’s caused by workplaces that repeatedly put employees in impossible situations.
Unrealistic workloads → You’re constantly asked to do more with fewer resources.
Moral distress → You know the right thing to do, but the system makes it impossible.
Lack of recognition → You give everything to your work, but no one acknowledges it.
Emotional exhaustion → You care deeply, but there’s no space to recover.
It’s not that burned-out employees don’t care—it’s that they care too much in environments that don’t give them the support they need.
Why Good People Burn Out Faster
Ironically, the people who are most likely to burn out are the ones who are the most dedicated.
🔹 You’re passionate about your work → You take on more responsibility.
🔹 You want to make a difference → You push through exhaustion to keep going.
🔹 You care deeply about people → You absorb stress and emotional weight.
And when the system doesn’t support you, that dedication turns into exhaustion, frustration, and eventually, collapse.
The Breaking Point: When Burnout Becomes Too Much
I experienced this firsthand. I remember the moment I realized I couldn’t keep going. The weight of caring so much, in a system that cared so little, finally crushed me.
And I see this happening every day with my coaching clients. They’re good people who just want to do good work—but they’ve reached their breaking point.
The worst part? Many of them think the problem is them. They think they’re weak. They think they should just be able to “push through.”
But that’s not the answer. The answer is recognizing burnout for what it is—a systemic problem that needs a real solution.
What You Can Do If You’re Burned Out
If you’re feeling exhausted, disillusioned, and overwhelmed, here’s where to start:
1. Stop Blaming Yourself
You didn’t cause this. Burnout is not a personal failure—it’s an outcome of your environment. Recognizing this is the first step toward reclaiming your energy.
2. Identify What’s Draining You
Ask yourself:
🔹 What aspects of my job are most exhausting?
🔹 Where do I feel the most frustration?
🔹 What parts of my work make me feel alive, and what parts make me feel depleted?
Burnout happens when the draining parts of your work outweigh the energizing parts. Identifying those patterns can help you make strategic shifts.
3. Set Boundaries Without Guilt
Good people struggle to set boundaries because they don’t want to let others down. But here’s the reality: If you burn out, you can’t help anyone.
Say no when you need to.
Take breaks without apologizing.
Protect your time and energy.
4. Find Meaning in What You Can Control
When the system is broken, you have two choices:
❌ Focus on everything that’s wrong and let it consume you.
✅ Focus on what you can control and find purpose where you can.
Even in dysfunctional workplaces, you can often find meaningful moments—a patient interaction, a supportive coworker, or a project that excites you.
5. Consider a Change—But Do It Thoughtfully
Sometimes, the healthiest thing you can do is leave. But not all burned-out workers need to quit their jobs—sometimes, they just need to change how they work.
Can you shift your role?
Can you reduce your hours?
Can you advocate for a better workload?
Leaving isn’t always the answer, but staying in a toxic environment without making any changes isn’t the answer either.
Final Thoughts: Burnout is a Wake-Up Call, Not a Verdict
If you’re experiencing burnout, don’t ignore it. It’s not just “stress”—it’s a signal that something in your work environment isn’t sustainable.
And most importantly, it’s not your fault.
You’re not weak. You’re not broken. You’re not alone.
And you don’t have to figure this out by yourself.
Want more support? Explore the burnout recovery resources at the top of this page. Because you deserve better than just surviving—you deserve to thrive.
Blog 7: Burnout is Snowballing—We Have to Start Talking About It
Introduction: The Burnout Crisis is Growing—Fast
Burnout isn’t going away. It’s not just lingering in the background—it’s snowballing.
Each year, more employees are hitting their breaking points. More organizations are losing their best people. More industries are struggling to keep up as stress, exhaustion, and disengagement continue to rise.
And yet, we’re still not talking about it enough.
We act like burnout is just an individual issue—something workers need to manage with better self-care. But burnout isn’t an employee problem. It’s an organizational failure. And if we don’t start addressing it systemically, it will only get worse.
That’s why Dr. Erin Alexander and I wrote Let’s Talk About Healthcare Burnout: A Prevention and Recovery Guidebook. Because this isn’t just a trend—it’s a crisis.
Why Burnout is Getting Worse, Not Better
So many organizations are treating burnout like it’s just a temporary phase. A rough patch. Something that will work itself out.
But that’s not what’s happening. Burnout is escalating, and here’s why:
1. Workloads Keep Increasing
Instead of fixing the problem, many organizations are simply asking fewer people to do more work. Staffing shortages, budget cuts, and unrealistic expectations have turned high performers into overworked, exhausted workers who are barely hanging on.
And here’s the dangerous part: burned-out employees don’t just quit their jobs—they quit caring.
When exhaustion sets in, engagement plummets. Work quality suffers. Creativity disappears. And people who once loved their jobs start counting down the days until they can leave.
2. Stress is No Longer Temporary—It’s Constant
Burnout isn’t about having a few bad days. It’s about sustained stress that never lets up.
Nurses and doctors aren’t just tired after a long shift—they’re drained every single day.
Teachers aren’t just stressed during back-to-school season—they feel overwhelmed all year long.
Corporate employees aren’t just busy during peak times—there is no off-season anymore.
When stress becomes chronic, it stops being motivating and starts becoming toxic.
3. The ‘Push Through It’ Mentality is Breaking People
One of the biggest contributors to burnout is the culture of endurance.
🔹 “It’s just part of the job.”
🔹 “Everyone feels this way.”
🔹 “If you can’t handle it, maybe this isn’t for you.”
These are the messages employees hear when they speak up about burnout. And so, instead of addressing the problem, they just push through. Until they can’t anymore.
4. Employees Are Done Waiting for Change
For years, workers have been told to be patient. To wait for things to improve. To trust that leadership will “fix” burnout.
But they’re done waiting.
That’s why turnover rates are at an all-time high.
That’s why people are quitting without a backup plan.
That’s why industries are struggling to retain talent.
Burnout is forcing people to rethink everything about their careers. And organizations that refuse to acknowledge this shift will be left scrambling to replace their best people.
What Organizations Need to Do—Now
If leaders want to stop this snowball from turning into an avalanche, here’s what needs to happen:
1. Acknowledge Burnout as a Leadership Issue
Burnout isn’t just an HR problem. It’s not just a personal problem. It’s a leadership problem.
Leaders at every level need to:
✅ Talk about burnout openly, not just in vague terms.
✅ Track burnout rates the same way they track retention and engagement.
✅ Take real steps to reduce workload strain, not just tell employees to “practice self-care.”
2. Stop Rewarding Overwork
For too long, workplaces have praised employees for burning themselves out.
“Look how hard they work!”
“They’re so dedicated—they never take time off.”
“They’re always available!”
But overwork isn’t a badge of honor—it’s a warning sign. The most successful organizations of the future will be the ones that make sustainable work habits the norm, not the exception.
3. Make Employee Well-Being a Business Priority
This isn’t just about being nice—it’s about business survival. Organizations that don’t prioritize burnout prevention will face:
Higher turnover costs
Increased errors and mistakes
Declining customer and patient satisfaction
Investing in workplace well-being isn’t an expense—it’s a competitive advantage.
Final Thoughts: We Have to Start Talking About This
Burnout isn’t just an individual problem. It’s not going away on its own. And it’s not something we can ignore any longer.
It’s time for leaders to step up. For organizations to take real action. And for burnout prevention to be treated as a priority, not an afterthought.
That’s why we wrote Let’s Talk About Healthcare Burnout. Because the first step in solving a crisis is acknowledging that it exists.
If you’re experiencing burnout—or if you’re a leader trying to prevent it—I invite you to explore the burnout recovery resources at the top of this page. Because we can change this story. But only if we start talking about it.
