Five Questions to Ask Yourself When Work Feels Like It’s Taking Over

Most people don’t wake up one day and decide to let work consume their life. It happens slowly, subtly. An early start here. A skipped lunch there. Saying yes when you should have said no just to keep things moving. And then one day, you look up and realise that work is shaping how you feel, how you sleep, how you speak to people you love.

It’s not always about hours. Sometimes it’s about identity. When your self-worth gets wrapped up in your job title or your inbox, boundaries start to blur. You don’t just do the work you become the work. And that’s where burnout begins.

If any of this sounds familiar, here are five questions that might help you pause and check in with yourself:

1. What am I chasing and is it mine to chase?
   Is this goal something you truly value, or something you feel you should want?

2. Where am I trying to prove myself and to whom?
   Are you trying to earn approval, avoid judgment, or live up to someone else’s version of success?

3. What would I still choose to do if nobody noticed or praised me for it?
   Strip away the external validation what work actually matters to you?

4. What am I saying yes to that’s costing me more than I realised?
   Think in terms of energy, relationships, sleep, and joy.

5. If this pace continues, what will be left of me in six months?
   It’s a confronting question, but often a clarifying one.

There’s no one right answer and you don’t have to overhaul your life to regain balance. But awareness is a powerful first step. These questions aren’t about fixing yourself. They’re about finding your footing again.