The burnout myth
Hi there, I’m Aarti, Founder and Lead Counsellor at Incontact. We often talk about burnout as if it’s a simple equation:
Burnout = Too many hours + Too much work + Too little rest
On the surface, it seems that reducing hours should solve the problem itself. Yet in my work, I see something more complex. I meet people who work long nights and still feel energised. And I meet others who work predictable, reasonable hours and feel deeply exhausted.
This edition reflects on a truth that is often overlooked:
Burnout is not just about how much you work. It’s about how your work lives inside you.
1 Story — The paradox of long hours
There is a common assumption that working nights and weekends is a sign of poor boundaries or unhealthy work culture.
Sometimes, that is true.
But not always.
Over the years, I have worked with individuals who occasionally work late into the night or spend a weekend immersed in something they care about deeply. They are not depleted. Instead, they are alive. Their energy comes not from the hours themselves, but from the meaning attached to those hours.
When there is a sense of choice, a sense of ownership, and a sense of I want to be here, work is invigorating.
And then there is another group…
People who never work beyond their set hours. Who log off on time, take their breaks, and maintain clear boundaries. On paper, they are doing everything right.
Yet internally, they feel disengaged. They are restless and unfulfilled. Their work does not challenge them, stretch them, or matter to them. The hours are reasonable, but the experience is flat.
And then, of course, there is a third pattern.
People who are constantly working nights and weekends, not out of passion, but out of pressure. There is no sense of choice. Only obligation.
Their work begins to feel heavy. For them, it’s endless and draining.
Here, exhaustion is not just physical. It is emotional.
What I’ve come to see is this:
It is not the presence of long hours that determines burnout. It is the absence of meaning and choice.
1 Insight — Burnout is not a time problem
One of the biggest misconceptions we hold is that burnout is caused purely by workload.
Workload matters, but it is not the whole story.
Two people can work the same number of hours and have completely different internal experiences.
One feels energised. The other feels depleted.
The difference lies in three invisible factors:
1. Agency
Do I feel I am choosing this, or am I trapped in it?
2. Meaning
Does this work connect to something that matters to me?
3. Emotional experience
Do I feel stretched in a fulfilling way, or strained in a burdensome way?
When work is driven by passion or purpose, effort can feel invigorating. It engages rather than drains.
When work is driven purely by pressure, even moderate effort can feel exhausting.
This is why reducing hours alone does not always resolve burnout.
And why increasing engagement sometimes matters more than decreasing time.
2 tools to assess your relationship with work
Tool 1 — The energy audit
At the end of your workday, pause for a moment and ask:
- What parts of today gave me energy?
- What parts drained me?
- When did I feel most like myself?
- When did I feel most disconnected?
This is not about judging your job.
It is about understanding your experience.
Patterns will begin to emerge.
Burnout often hides not in the volume of work, but in the type of work and how it aligns with you.
Tool 2 — Redefine your boundaries with intention
Boundaries are important, but not all boundaries are equal.
Instead of asking,
“How do I work less?”
Try asking,
“What kind of work is worth my energy?”
This might mean:
- saying yes to work that stretches or excites you
- saying no to work that consistently drains you without growth
- allowing yourself occasional intensity when it feels meaningful
- protecting your time when the work feels purely extractive
The goal is not rigid balance.
It is intentional engagement.
We have been taught to fear long hours. And in many cases, that fear is justified.
But perhaps the deeper question is not how many hours we work. It is how we feel while working those hours.
Work that drains you will exhaust you, even in small doses. Work that engages you can energise you, even in longer stretches.
The answer is not always to step away.
Sometimes, it is to step closer — but with more awareness, more choice, and more alignment.
With warmth and care,
Aarti ❤️
