Inquisitive.me

I’m feeling a bit drained right now. At the end of last year, I squeezed in some evening practice hours after working at the rehab center because inquiries were piling up. It got exhausting, so I thought cutting back on hours at my job and adding an extra half-day at my practice would help. I figured shifting those extra hours to one afternoon would fix things. Spoiler alert: it didn’t.

I’ve gotten even more requests, even after raising my hourly rate. It might just be a coincidence. In healthcare, we tend to have this “helper’s syndrome”—we want to be there for others, which makes it really hard to say no. But at some point, I had to. I simply didn’t have any extra time to give—not without a huge cost. I’m already working beyond the boundaries I originally set, and it’s taking a toll. By evening, I feel drained and moody. My training helps—it reminds me that I’m strong and builds resilience—but even that has its limits.

What’s stressing me the most is the way our society thinks—you’re only seen as a good person if you’re constantly working hard. When I told my family about the increase in patient requests and how I had to put some on a waiting list because I simply don’t have more time to offer (nor do I want to), their response was:

• “If you’re building something up, you have to put in extra hours.”
• “You could just see a few patients on the weekend.”
• “I work 50 hours a week, and I’m not complaining either.”

That mindset—that’s what gets to me the most.

I’ve done my fair share of 60-hour workweeks in my 20s. I pulled 30-hour weekend shifts as a waitress while studying biology. Don’t worry, world—I know exactly what working extra hours means. And what did I get from it? Years of mental and physical suffering, followed by the long road of working my way back from pain.

I won’t deny that I learned a lot from that experience. It shaped me into the physiotherapist I am today—someone who doesn’t just see the whole person but truly understands the struggle of fitting exercises into daily life, balancing work with free time, and not losing yourself in the process.

But let’s be real—I have zero desire to go through that again.

I don’t blame my family for their response. Like I said, society drills this mindset into us—and that’s what’s really disturbing. No wonder the younger generation is trying to break free from these shackles. They’ve watched their parents suffer, some working themselves into the ground, only to reach 60 and never get the chance to enjoy retirement.

I see it firsthand at the rehab center every day—patients who gave everything to their jobs, only to pay the price with their health.

And for what? A little appreciation? A pat on the back? A bit more money?

Money doesn’t buy you health. Time does.

On top of that, we let ourselves be talked into going to parties we know we won’t enjoy. We spend time with people who aren’t good for us. And bit by bit, our energy gets drained even more.

The thing is—energy is limited. We can only give what we have. If we don’t find ways to refill the tank, we run dry. But we also run dry when we keep spending more than we can replenish.

Right now, my resources are just enough to keep me afloat—I can keep going for a little longer. But if things don’t change, I’ll have to be the one to make the change.

Chances are, the surge in patient requests is just seasonal. Around this time last year, I had more inquiries than usual, and I also know when things typically slow down. If the requests don’t start declining naturally when they should, then I’ll know it’s time to cut back. For the sake of my boundaries.

So, what do you do when your schedule fills up, your energy runs low, and the world keeps telling you to just “push through”?

You draw the line—before your body does it for you.

🧪 Let’s Experiment

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Burnout doesn’t show up overnight—it builds quietly.

It’s easy to justify pushing through for a while, especially if you’re growing something or helping others. But if you’re constantly exhausted, short-tempered, or clinging to little rewards just to make it through the day, that’s your body waving a red flag.

🎯 Try This:

Pick one area of your week to protect—just one. Maybe it’s your Friday evening, your workout time, or lunch without distractions. Treat it like an appointment you can’t cancel. And if saying no feels uncomfortable, remember: discomfort now prevents collapse later.

🧠 Final Thought:

Keep in mind: no tombstone ever says “worked extra hours” or “never took a break.”

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Keep it simple, stay curious, and keep learning—you’ve got this.

Take care,

Carina 🦊