You are the one running on empty. Six months of not saying it. Today you are going to tell your manager. Practice finding the words.
Part of
Mental Health Conversations →
From checking in on a colleague who seems off, to telling your manager you are burning out, to supporting a friend in crisis — practice the conversations that most people avoid until it is too late.
Skills you'll build
What happens in this story4 scenarios
You haven't felt like yourself in months. The alarm goes off and you lie there calculating how many sick days you have left. Today you stop pretending it's just a phase.
You're sitting across from your manager about to say the thing you've rehearsed forty times. 'I'm burning out' sounds dramatic in your head — but the alternative is collapsing quietly and calling it professionalism.
Your manager says 'everyone's stretched right now' and offers a wellness webinar. The gap between what you need and what they're offering feels like a canyon — and you have to bridge it yourself.
Acknowledgment is not recovery. You need a concrete plan — fewer hours, shifted priorities, real boundaries — and you need your manager to sign off on it, not just nod sympathetically.
More stories in this course
View all →The Colleague in Crisis
Something is wrong with the person two desks over. They haven't said anything. You're not sure what you're supposed to do. You do it anyway.
4 scenarios →The Friend in Crisis
Your closest friend is not okay. They have been messaging you at 2am. You don't know what to say — but you know saying nothing is not an option.
4 scenarios →The Manager's Responsibility
One of your best people is struggling. You can feel it. HR says it's not your problem. You know better than that.
4 scenarios →The Burnout Conversation
You are the one running on empty. Six months of not saying it. Today you are going to tell your manager. Practice finding the words.
Start free →4 scenarios · 25 min · No account required to try