Deeply Overworked People Usually Can't Help Saying 9 Phrases To Their Bosses In Casual Conversation
PeopleImages | Shutterstock Being deeply overworked often shows up in casual conversations with your boss.
Being overworked puts our longevity and health at risk, but sometimes we perpetuate the burnout spiral ourselves without realizing it. Yes, a bad boss or an unrealistic workload can easily overwork us, but a need to prove ourselves, poor work-life balance, or job insecurity can just as easily keep deeply overworked people in a cycle of exhaustion and resentment. If someone can’t help but say these certain phrases, it's a sign they are feeling overworked.
Phrases deeply overworked people usually can't help but say to their bosses:
1. 'I'll figure it out'
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Sometimes, it’s okay to admit that you can’t handle something. It’s okay to say “I need help” or “I can’t figure out how to fit this into my workload.” Even though it feels like you’re sometimes admitting defeat, especially for workers trying to prove themselves, it’s necessary.
Great employees might try to delegate or find a solution to a problem, but that doesn’t mean saying “I’ll figure it out” and then exhausting themselves trying to do something they don’t have the space, energy, or skills for.
2. 'I don't mind doing it'
Despite coming across as helpful and genuine at first, the “yes” employee at work usually sabotages their own advancement, well-being, and social perception over time. Yes, they put themselves at risk of burnout and exhaustion by letting people-pleasing overload their actual workload.
They may also rely on agreeableness and people-pleasing to cope with their fear of disapproval. “I don’t mind doing it” is great to a certain extent, but when people-pleasing starts becoming a real burden, boundaries are necessary for everyone involved.
3. 'No problem at all'
Trying to downplay effort to seem competent, or to dismiss big tasks as “easy” to seem more valuable to a company, only puts people at risk of burnout. Especially when their bosses don’t understand just how much effort, time, and energy they’re putting into their workload, it’s a lot easier for them to keep adding to their plates.
While it might be a way to cultivate a sense of job security in an incredibly insecure workforce, these employees are only making it harder to perform well by setting themselves up for exhaustion.
4. 'Is there anything else I can help with?'
Many employees put themselves at risk of burnout by trying to prove their importance to their companies and bosses. Whether it’s asking “How can I help?” to win favor with a boss or coping with a company culture marked by layoffs, they feel pressured to perform.
When it’s clear that the employees who set limits, log off when they’re supposed to, and ask for support are the same ones who get laid off, it discourages everyone else from advocating for themselves. Especially in our current world, where most people are just a single missed paycheck away from experiencing homelessness, the stakes are high.
5. 'I can't take vacation right now'
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Even with great bosses who encourage employees to use the time off that they’re entitled to, overworked employees often struggle to separate from work. After spending so much time and energy trying to become irreplaceable, they may have missed opportunities to train someone else or delegate their responsibilities.
Yes, it’s a great feeling, in terms of job security, to be the only person at work who can do what you do. However, at some point, it also leaves you set up for burnout, with no space to step away or take a vacation.
6. 'It's just a headache'
Even if their burnout is directly related to all their physical ailments, you’ll often hear an overworked employee complaining about headaches and fatigue to their boss. In a strange subconscious way, they often can’t help it, as if seeking acknowledgment of a headache is the same thing as being rewarded for overworking themselves.
Especially for older generations socialized into wearing their burnout as a badge of honor, of course, these kinds of symptoms are weirdly reaffirming, even if they come at the expense of well-being.
7. 'Sorry, I just have a lot going on'
Struggling to concentrate without distraction is common among people managing burnout, even if it’s become their new normal. Their brains are so caught up with managing unrealistic workloads and dealing with inner stress that even the simplest tasks feel impossible.
That’s why you’ll often hear these kinds of employees making excuses like “I just have a lot going on” to their bosses when they make a mistake or miss something. Instead of admitting that saying “yes” and taking on too much at work is causing them problems, they externalize it as personal struggles and try to get by.
Oftentimes, this is entirely subconscious. People want to feel secure, safe, and important at work. What they don’t realize is that asking for help, making mistakes, and being open about their workload is how they actually showcase their competence.
8. 'Sorry, I'm falling behind'
Apologizing for a workload that’s already a million times larger than their co-workers' is common for someone prone to overworking or putting themselves at risk for burnout. They feel like they have to apologize when they’re not meeting expectations, even if they’re completely unrealistic or entirely in their head.
Not only does an apology like this invalidate all the work they’re doing, but it also makes them feel like they can’t experience pride in what they’re doing. Every finished task is just a relief, because they have a million more they’re expected to accomplish.
9. 'I'll still be available if you need me'
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Even when they don’t realize it or are coping with a fear of being replaceable at work, being vague with boundaries doesn’t do an already overworked person any favors. Not only are they opening the door for a boss or peers to encroach on their personal time, but they’re giving themselves a reason to be anxious about work all the time.
Someone else, with a healthier work-life balance, may be able to tune out work-centric worries when they’re off the clock or on vacation, but for these people, the stress never stops.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
