CBT for Overworking
Overdrive, Rigid Standards, Burnout,
What's Overworking?
You're good at what you do, the one that people rely on, who works hard to get things right. From the outside, it looks like it's working. From the inside there's a sense you're running on a battery that never quite gets full, or a sense of a pattern which is unsustainable. If that sounds familiar, you're not alone and it's something psychotherapy can help with.
What Overworking Actually Is
A healthy desire for excellence can be demanding, but underlying there is a choice driven by values.
Overworking is often tied to a fear of underperforming, forcing a high output to alleviate inner anxieties around "not being good enough". Where rest feels like a trap to be avoided rather than an essential process for repair.
As a process it can look like ambition or conscientiousness. Moreover it's often rewarded, creating a conditional sense of self-worth being tied to achievement or what we do for others.
If you recognise any of this in yourself, it doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you. It usually means that you have developed rules to cope that help you succeed, but at a cost which is not maintainable without consequences.
Overworking can show up in high standards where things rarely feel "good enough", a perception of others as highly critical, making it difficult to disappoint others, even at one's own expense.
You might recognise signs including a sense of fatigue or exhaustion. Finding yourself more emotionally reactive. Physical symptoms including headaches and muscle tension.
Where Overworking Comes From
Overworking rarely comes out of nowhere. For many, it's tied up with identity, a sense of self-worth that is conditional on what you do, how much you're needed and how reliably you can be counted on.
When that's the case, taking time to rest can feel like risk of falling behind, letting someone down, or finding out how people treat you when you're not achieving.
It's a bit like pushing a car too hard, It'll get you where you're going, but it's not a setting that the engine was built to sustain indefinitely.
How CBT Can Help
CBT works by developing a clear understanding of the thoughts, rules and beliefs that drive habitual patterns and their consequences. Together, we'd look to understand how these processes work and whether they are serving or hindering you.
This can involve:
Building self-esteem and confidence.
Reducing self-criticism and improving self-compassion.
Overcoming fear of failure and building confidence.
Improving productivity by overcoming avoidance.
Treating associated problems including perfectionism, people-pleasing and burnout.