Feeling burnt out at work

After graduating college and making it to a top management consulting firm, Steve thought he had it made. All the work he had put in had finally paid off.

However, as he began to excel and earn the trust of his leadership at work, he found himself consistently being given more and more work to do. The first few months were fine, then the stress started taking a toll on his physical and mental health.

Less sleep, not enough energy to go on the runs he used to, and a sense of being “mentally drained” that affected his social life.

Steve’s a smart guy though, so he did what all smart people do when they’re faced with a problem they can’t solve on their own: he reached out for help.

Initial sessions with a counselor helped him understand that he was taking on more than he could reasonably be expected to do as one person. Then, together with his counselor, Steve built a plan to speak to his boss about how he continue to be a top performer AND take care of his mental health at the same time. He built an understanding with his understanding boss and put in some boundaries like eliminating Slack messages after a certain time unless it was a real emergency.

Steve credits his counselor for helping him get his life back on track, but we know that Steve’s vulnerability, openness to help, and dedication to making positive changes in his life are what we should celebrate.