Burnt out on a three-day week

Maya, once a dedicated employee at a healthtech company, now works as a fractional product leader just three days a week for a startup while actively job-hunting. This is the lightest workload she has experienced in many years, yet she still feels burnt out. The most common advice for dealing with burnout often involves taking time off, meditating, or finding a new job. However, Maya's experience demonstrates that these solutions may not always work.

After reading a post about her own experiences with burnout not always helping, Maya sought coaching to understand the underlying issues. During their conversation, she recounted her struggles with job interviews and how burnout was affecting her self-confidence. She believed that she was coasting through her fractional role at the startup, not presenting her true self and values.

To highlight the disconnect between her self-perception and her current work, Maya's coach mirrored her words back to her, emphasizing the misalignment. She recognized that the source of her burnout wasn't just the workload, but the mismatch between her skills and the expectations of her current role and workplace. Sometimes this misalignment stems from the environment—roles that don't leverage one's strengths or organizations that don't showcase real work.

Other times, it can be an internal issue related to how one engages with the work and perceives themselves.

In Maya's case, every rejection in the interview process reinforced her belief that she was not the product leader she thought she was. This negative feedback loop created a widening gap between her ideal self and her current reality. She was exhausted not just because of the reduced workload, but also due to the internal struggle of not aligning with her true potential.

Jordan, another director, exemplifies a different facet of burnout. He describes himself as a hands-on builder, yet after a restructuring at his company, he found himself in a more managerial role, which didn't resonate with his style. He too faced challenges in feeling authentic and engaged at work.

The lesson here is that burnout is not solely about the amount of work one does. It often emerges from a mismatch between personal values, skills, and the demands of the current role or workplace. Rest can help momentarily, but addressing the underlying mismatch is crucial for long-term recovery. Recognizing and bridging this gap is essential for regaining authenticity and sustained success.