The New Burnout isn’t about working too much. It’s about working without meaning

For as long as we’ve been talking about burnout, it’s been about how much we have to do. Too many meetings, too many emails, too many hours in front of a laptop. The obvious solution, of course, is to cross our fingers for fewer meetings and getting a weeklong vacation once a year (or twice if you’re lucky). I’ve listened to parents gloat when they have to call out sick. And don’t even get me started on pure joy over a five-day COVID-19 quarantine. But according to a growing number of young workers, burnout isn’t about how much work they’re expected to do. It’s about answering a far more uncomfortable question: Why am I doing this at all? {"blockType":"mv-promo-block","data":{"imageDesktopUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/11\/Girl-Li.png","imageMobileUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/11\/souter.png","eyebrow":"","headline":"\u003Cstrong\u003ESubscribe to \u003Cem\u003EGirl, Listen: A Guide to What Really Matters\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E","dek":"Ericka dives into the heat of modern motherhood, challenging the notion that personal identity must be sacrificed…