Burnout in High Achievers Isn't Just About Working Too Much | Shifting Perceptions | Amority Health
Published: July 29, 2026
Austin, TX
Written By: Rachel Cooper, MS, LPC Associate
Supervised by Dr. Amber Quaranta Leech, LPC-S
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About the Author
Rachel Cooper is the Founder and Clinical Director at Amority Health. She's a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate in Austin, TX who works with high-achieving professionals struggling with burnout, anxiety, perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and overthinking. Read more about her background and approach to therapy here. |
For: Shifting Perceptions - Blog by Amority Health
You cross another task off your list, glance at the clock, and tell yourself you'll rest after just one more email. Somehow, "one more" has become the rhythm of every day.
When people hear the word burnout, they often picture someone working 70-hour weeks, skipping vacations, and answering emails late into the night. While excessive workload certainly increases risk, burnout is far more complex than simply working too much. Many high-achieving women experience burnout even when their schedules appear manageable, while others thrive in demanding careers without feeling emotionally depleted.
Burnout often develops when prolonged stress collides with perfectionism, unrealistic expectations, emotional exhaustion, and a growing disconnect from one's sense of purpose (Maslach & Leiter, 2016). It is less about the number of hours worked and more about the relationship we develop with work, and with ourselves.
What Is Burnout?
The World Health Organization (2019) defines burnout as an occupational phenomenon resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three primary experiences:
Burnout rarely arrives all at once. Instead, it often accumulates quietly over months or even years.
🌸You notice that the work you once enjoyed now feels surprisingly heavy.
How Early Experiences Can Shape Burnout
Our beliefs about work often begin long before our careers.
Some people grow up receiving praise primarily for achievement, excessive responsibility, or productivity. Others learn that making mistakes invites criticism or that their value depends on being dependable, capable, or successful. These experiences can subtly shape an internal belief that rest must be earned or that slowing down means falling behind.
Research on perfectionism suggests that individuals with high personal standards and strong concerns about mistakes are more vulnerable to chronic stress and burnout (Hill & Curran, 2016). Over time, productivity can become intertwined with identity rather than simply reflecting what someone does.
🌸Like carrying an invisible backpack, each expectation may seem manageable on its own. Together, however, they gradually become heavier until even ordinary tasks require tremendous effort.
When Hard Work Stops Being Healthy
There is nothing inherently unhealthy about working hard.
Purposeful effort builds confidence, develops expertise, and creates opportunities for meaningful contribution. Many high-achieving professionals genuinely enjoy challenging work and derive satisfaction from solving complex problems.
The challenge arises when work shifts from being something meaningful to becoming the primary measure of self-worth.
Common signs include:
- Difficulty relaxing without feeling guilty
- Constantly raising the bar after every success
- Feeling responsible for everyone's expectations
- Believing "good enough" is never enough
- Losing interest in activities that once brought joy
- Feeling exhausted even after time away from work
Burnout is not simply about doing too much. It is often about carrying too much psychologically.
🌸Imagine driving a car with the parking brake partially engaged. The engine continues moving forward, but it requires significantly more energy than necessary. Many people experiencing burnout operate in much the same way, expending enormous emotional effort against internal pressures they may barely notice.
When Achievement Becomes Identity
High performers are often praised for being dependable, ambitious, and resilient. Ironically, these strengths can sometimes make burnout more difficult to recognize.
Someone who appears highly successful externally may privately experience chronic anxiety, emotional numbness, or persistent self-doubt. Rather than celebrating accomplishments, they quickly move on to the next goal, believing they have not done enough.
Research suggests that psychological flexibility, the ability to adapt thoughts and behaviors while remaining connected to personal values, helps protect against chronic stress and emotional exhaustion (Kashdan & Rottenberg, 2010). When achievement becomes rigid instead of values-driven, burnout becomes increasingly likely.
🌸You receive positive feedback, but your first thought is what you should have done better.
Moving Toward a Healthier Relationship with Work
Recovery from burnout is rarely about abandoning ambition.
Instead, it often involves changing the lens through which success is viewed.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) emphasizes noticing unhelpful thinking patterns that contribute to emotional distress (Beck, 2011).
Someone experiencing burnout might begin to question automatic beliefs such as:
- "If I'm not productive, I'm falling behind."
- "I have to do everything perfectly."
- "Rest means I'm being lazy."
Replacing these thoughts is not about forced positivity. Rather, it involves developing more balanced and realistic perspectives that reduce unnecessary psychological strain.
Similarly, principles from Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) encourage paying attention to moments when the problem feels less overwhelming (de Shazer et al., 2007). Instead of focusing exclusively on exhaustion, high-achievers might ask themselves:
"When do I feel even slightly more energized?"
"What small change helped me feel more present this week?"
These questions gently shift attention toward existing strengths and practical progress rather than perfection.
Small shifts often create surprising momentum.
A Perception Shift
Imagine setting down an overfilled briefcase you've carried for years. At first, your shoulders still brace for its weight because your body expects it to be there. Then you notice something different: your breathing slows, your posture softens, and the path ahead looks a little less steep.
Perhaps burnout is not asking you to become less driven. Perhaps it is inviting you to carry only what truly belongs to you.
🌸When success is measured by both accomplishment and well-being, the journey becomes sustainable rather than simply demanding.
Conclusion
Burnout is rarely caused by long hours alone. More often, it grows from the beliefs we carry about achievement, responsibility, and our own worth.
Recognizing these patterns doesn't have to be about lowering standards or giving up meaningful goals. It can be about creating enough flexibility that ambition and well-being can coexist.
Maintainable success is hard to build by constantly pushing harder, it might take you knowing when to challenge yourself, when to pause, and when to redefine what "enough" truly means.
Explore Further
If this topic aligns with you, you're invited to explore the other articles on this blog for practical insights into perfectionism, high-functioning anxiety, and the ways shifting perspective can support lasting emotional well-being. If you're ready to explore these patterns more deeply, reaching out to a therapist can be a meaningful next step toward a healthier relationship with work, achievement, and yourself.
If you’re a high-achieving woman in Austin, (or anywhere in Texas) and interested in exploring practical techniques, reframing unhelpful thoughts, and building emotional security and resilience, start the conversation toward self-understanding and self-compassion. Find out if virtual therapy with Rachel Cooper at Amority Health could be the right fit through a free consultation.
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About the Author
Rachel is a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate in Austin, TX who works with high-achieving adults struggling with anxiety, imposter syndrome, perfectionism, and overthinking. Read more about her background and approach to therapy here. |
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Welcome to Continue Exploring
If this article resonated with you, take a look at other articles in our Shifting Perceptions series. Topics include overcoming burnout, managing anxiety, achievement grief, and finding work-life balance, all designed to help you build resilience and create long-term change.
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Each post offers insights and practical tools to help high-achieving adults navigate challenges with clarity, balance, and self-compassion.
Written by Rachel Cooper, a psychotherapist specializing in anxiety, overthinking, burnout, imposter syndrome, perfectionism, and life transitions. Learn more about therapy for high achievers at Amority Health.
References
Beck, J. S. (2011). Cognitive behavior therapy: Basics and beyond (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
de Shazer, S., Dolan, Y., Korman, H., Trepper, T., McCollum, E., & Berg, I. K. (2007). More than miracles: The state of the art of solution-focused brief therapy. Routledge.
Hill, A. P., & Curran, T. (2016). Multidimensional perfectionism and burnout: A meta-analysis. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 20(3), 269–288. https://doi.org/10.1177/1088868315596286
Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (2016). Burnout. Wiley.
World Health Organization. (2019). Burn-out an "occupational phenomenon": International Classification of Diseases. https://www.who.int
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