From Chapter 4: Buzzword Burnout

Disclaimer: This tool is for educational and reflective purposes only. It does not constitute medical or psychological advice, and does not establish a doctor–patient relationship. All views are personal and do not represent the opinions of any employer or institution. If you are struggling, please reach out to qualified support.

Before You Begin


This isn’t a test. There’s no grade.
But if you’re reading this with a half-drunk coffee beside a half-written note, you might pause—just for a moment.

Would it help to settle?
To close a tab, breathe once, and scan for what your body’s carrying today?

No pressure to change anything.
Just permission to land before you look.

This reflection offers a quiet space to notice when a struggle comes from the system around you—and when it’s something you’ve slowly taken on as your own.

You don’t need to get it sorted neatly.
Just ask, gently: What am I holding?
And was I ever meant to hold it alone?

Solan noticed it, too—that heavy pull to self-correct what was never his to fix.
Sometimes it isn’t the salad.
It’s the system.

Questions to Consider

  • Is this pressure coming from me… or from something I’ve internalized without realizing it? (It’s okay if I don’t know for sure.)
  • If someone I trusted described this same situation, would I think it’s their fault?
  • What would I say to them that I’m not saying to myself?
  • What expectations have I picked up—about speed, perfection, availability—that maybe aren’t mine?
  • Are there parts of this I can influence?
  • Are there parts I can’t—but keep trying to fix anyway?

Gentle Sorting (Optional)


If it’s useful, I can quietly sort what I’ve been carrying into two loose piles:
Not to organize perfectly—just to get some distance.

The System’s to Carry

  • Chronic understaffing
  • Meetings that should’ve been emails
  • Documentation demands that grow like moss

Mine to Carry

  • My habit of overfunctioning
  • The expectation I’ll reply immediately
  • The belief that if I don’t do it, no one will

If You Want to Try Something (Optional)


Look at your “Mine to Carry” pile.
Pick one thing.
Try the smallest possible shift:

  • Take a breath before answering
  • Let a non-urgent message wait
  • Give yourself an extra 10 minutes before saying yes

And if it’s in the “System’s to Carry” pile—just naming it can be an act of release.
You don’t have to fix it to put it down for a while.

If It’s Useful


Sometimes just noticing is enough to change how it settles in the body.
Awareness itself can make a weight easier to set down.

Closing Thought


Some burdens are built into the structures around us.
Others are quiet agreements we made a long time ago—without meaning to.

Either way, I don’t have to carry it all.
Not without noticing. Not without choice.

And when I know what’s mine and what’s not, I can free space for the actions that reflect my values.

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