People often associate burnout with an overwhelming workload, but as a psychologist who has worked with many burnout cases, I can tell you there’s much more at play. When I discuss burnout with clients, they’re often surprised by how many different variables can contribute to it. Many wish they had known about these factors earlier because they could have taken steps to prevent it.
In this article, we’ll break down the top five everyday habits that are silently contributing to your burnout. These are habits that, when left unchecked, can increase stress, reduce your energy, and ultimately lead to exhaustion—physically, emotionally, and mentally.
Before diving into the list, let’s take a moment to consider how burnout feels. Burnout is not just about being tired. It’s an overwhelming sense of exhaustion that no amount of sleep seems to fix. It can feel like you’re emotionally drained, unable to find joy in things that once excited you, and constantly stuck in a loop of frustration or helplessness. It often presents as feelings of irritability, detachment, and a complete loss of motivation. It can affect both your personal and professional life and lead to physical symptoms like headaches, digestive issues, and chronic fatigue. Burnout creeps up over time and can take a toll on your mental and physical health.
With that in mind, here are the top five everyday habits that could be contributing to your burnout:
1. Neglecting Emotional Needs
It’s easy to focus on external tasks while neglecting your internal emotional state, but doing so can severely affect your mental well-being. Many people dismiss or suppress their feelings, thinking they don’t have time to deal with them, treat them as inconveniences, or simply believe there’s no point in feeling them because they feel helpless or like nothing can be done about them. Some may avoid their emotions because they are simply too uncomfortable to confront in the first place. However, consistently ignoring emotional signals only builds internal stress, which wears down your energy reserves over time. You might not realize how much energy it actually costs to suppress or avoid your emotions—this mental strain can be just as exhausting as physical labor. Emotional exhaustion is a key component of burnout. If you are constantly bottling up how you feel, this emotional burden can quickly become overwhelming. The key here is self-awareness: check in with yourself regularly and allow space to process your emotions, rather than pushing them aside. Giving yourself permission to feel helps prevent emotional exhaustion and supports long-term well-being.
2. Not Setting Boundaries
A lack of boundaries—whether at work, in relationships, or with yourself—can quickly lead to burnout. When you don’t have limits in place, you may find yourself taking on too many tasks, saying “yes” when you should be saying “no,” and feeling like you’re constantly giving more than you’re receiving. This ongoing depletion of your energy can leave you feeling drained and unsupported. Setting boundaries isn’t about being selfish; it’s about ensuring that your energy is used wisely. Whether it’s time for yourself, managing workload expectations, or limiting social obligations, boundaries are vital for maintaining your well-being.
3. Overloading Your Schedule in the Name of Self-Care
Many people believe that the more “self-care” activities they fit into their schedule, the better. Yoga, meditation, exercise, and social activities are great, but overloading your schedule with these things can backfire. If self-care becomes yet another checklist of things to do, it defeats the purpose. True rest and rejuvenation come from having unstructured time where you can simply be—not constantly striving to improve or achieve something else. When you treat self-care as a task rather than a way to genuinely recharge, it adds more pressure and doesn’t give your mind and body the break they need.
4. Ignoring Your Body’s Signals
Pushing through fatigue, ignoring aches, or continuing on with your day despite feeling unwell can lead to burnout. Your body is constantly signaling what it needs, and ignoring these signals can leave you drained and at risk for both emotional and physical exhaustion. Yes, your body has remarkable resilience, but it also has limits—and those limits exist for a reason. When you push past these natural signals, you’re not only ignoring your body’s need for rest, but you’re also increasing the risk of more serious physical or mental health issues down the line. Often, we put everything under the excuse of “it’s just stress,” but for how long has it been “just stress”? Has your body been signaling that something isn’t quite right for weeks, months, or even longer? If you keep brushing off the signs and ignoring the warning signals, you’re putting yourself at a much higher risk for burnout. Listening to your body—resting, nourishing it, or seeking professional help—can prevent further strain and allow you to recover before things get worse.
5. People-Pleasing and Overcommitting
People-pleasing is a common behavior that often goes unnoticed but can significantly contribute to burnout. It involves saying “yes” to every request and going above and beyond to please others—even when it’s at the expense of your own well-being. The desire to avoid disappointment or judgment can lead you to prioritize others’ needs over your own, leaving you emotionally and physically drained. Over time, this constant effort to meet others’ expectations without taking care of yourself creates feelings of resentment, exhaustion, and burnout. To break free from this cycle, it’s essential to recognize these tendencies, set healthy boundaries, and allow yourself to say “no.” Prioritizing your own needs and practicing self-care isn’t selfish; it’s crucial for maintaining your mental and physical health.