Workplace burnout: The Search for Authenticity and Change.

I sat on a weathered park bench today, listening to a woman vent to her friend. Her voice was tense, her words sharp.

“I’ve had enough,” she said. “I’m done with it all.”

She was in her fifties, a manager at a clothing store, and from what I gathered, she’d been feeling exploited for years. She worked hard—too hard. Cleaning bathrooms, taking on extra shifts, doing tasks far beyond her job description.

When frustration finally bubbles to the surface.

“It’s never been a problem for me,” she said, almost defensively.

And I couldn’t help but think that was exactly the problem.

We’ve all been fed this narrative: to be the perfect employee, to go above and beyond, to prove our worth by doing more than what’s asked. But at what cost?

For this woman, it meant years of frustration, exhaustion, and a nagging sense of being undervalued. She was clearly underpaid, though I didn’t catch the exact numbers.

What struck me most was her question:

“What do I even get out of this?”

It’s a question worth asking.

Why do we push ourselves to the brink, hoping for validation from bosses who, let’s be honest, probably don’t care? Why do we sacrifice our time, energy, and well-being for a title or a pat on the back?

The truth is, the moment we leave, they’ll replace us without a second thought.

So why do we stay?

The Weight of Expectations.

This woman’s story isn’t unique. It’s a pattern I’ve seen time and again—people stuck in jobs that drain them, feeling undervalued and overworked.

But here’s the thing: as much as we blame the system, the bosses, the workplace culture, part of the responsibility lies with us. We’re the ones who keep showing up, day after day, even when every fiber of our being is screaming for change.

It’s like staying in a toxic relationship. We know it’s bad for us, but we stay because it’s familiar, because we’re afraid of the unknown. We convince ourselves that if we just work harder, if we just prove ourselves, things will get better.

But they rarely do.

The Call for Authenticity.

What struck me most about this woman was her refusal to listen to herself. Her body, her mind, her spirit—they were all telling her it was time for a change. But she kept pushing forward, ignoring the signs, clinging to a path that wasn’t hers.

It made me wonder: how many of us are doing the same?

How many of us are living lives that don’t align with who we truly are, simply because we’re afraid to step off the beaten path?

Authenticity isn’t just a buzzword. It’s a call to listen to ourselves, to honor our needs and desires, to stop living for the approval of others.

It’s about recognizing that we don’t have to be the perfect employee, the perfect partner, the perfect anything.

We just have to be ourselves.

Breaking the Cycle.

So how do we break free from this cycle? How do we stop sacrificing ourselves for the sake of others?

Sometimes the hardest questions are the ones we ask ourselves.

The first step is to pause.To take a moment to look in the mirror, as they say, and ask ourselves:

• What do I really want?

• What’s not working for me?

• What can I change?

For this woman, it might mean setting boundaries at work, saying no to tasks that aren’t her responsibility, or even leaving her job altogether.

It’s not easy, but it’s necessary.

The second step is to let go of the need for external validation.We don’t need to be the “employee of the month” or the “best worker” to be worthy. Our value doesn’t come from how much we do or how much we’re praised.

It comes from within.

A Vision for the Future.

As I sat on that park bench, listening to this woman’s story, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of hope.

Yes, her situation was frustrating, but it was also a reminder that change is possible. That we don’t have to stay stuck in jobs or lives that don’t serve us.

It’s not about making grand, sweeping changes overnight. It’s about taking small, intentional steps toward a life that feels authentic and fulfilling.

It’s about listening to ourselves, honoring our needs, and having the courage to walk away from what no longer serves us.

So, if you’re feeling stuck, if you’re tired of sacrificing yourself for the sake of others, take a moment to pause.

Look in the mirror. Ask yourself: What do I really want?

And then, take that first step toward a life that’s truly yours.

Leave the workplace burnout behind you and make a change.

Because at the end of the day, it’s not about being the perfect employee or the perfect anything.

It’s about being true to yourself.

And that’s where the real beauty lies.