Why Work Feels So Hard Right Now (And Why It’s Not Your Fault)
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Weekly Dose of Work Recovery Vol. 4.29.26
"When we have been prevented from learning how to say no, our bodies may end up saying it for us." — Gabor Mate
Work Isn’t Working…And It’s Not Your Fault
Last week I kicked off a new podcast series “Work Isn't Working” to expand on the discussions I keep having with women who are exhausted, overwhelmed, and honestly confused why work feels so hard right now.
The easy answer is to blame AI, the pace of technology, or the volatility of this moment.
And yet that’s not the full picture.
The truth is more uncomfortable. Work was never designed to provide meaning, identity, fulfillment, stability, and a sense of self. It was and continues to be designed to generate profit and sustain business operations.
That’s it.
In Western culture, the structure and patterns of work has always followed this logic. Even the allegedly more generous 9 to 5 and two day weekend wasn’t created out of goodwill. It came from protest, pressure, and collective resistance during the labor movement. Rights were not given. They were forced into existence.
And the system has not fundamentally changed.
Work still runs on extraction. When uncertainty rises, so does the pressure to produce, often at the expense of your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.
So if you feel burdened by work, it does not mean you are broken, unproductive, or too sensitive. It means you are aware enough to feel the cost of a system with real tradeoffs.
That awareness matters.
I am not sharing this to scare you. I am sharing it because clarity creates choice. When you understand what the system of modern work is designed to do, you stop personalizing the harm and start taking your own recovery seriously.
Otherwise, recovering from work stays optional. A nice idea. Something other people get to have.
And that’s not what I want for you.
I want you to set down the burden you’ve been carrying that was never yours to hold, and reclaim your time and energy for what actually matters.
A simple place to start is this:
Ask yourself, “What is my body telling me about the way I’m working?”
Then do the part most people skip.
Listen to the answer.
And take one small action for you.
Sincerely,
Bree
This week's did you know… Just admit that you are ‘Doomjobbing’
Job hunting in this whack economy now has a name, “doomjobbing,” which is basically scrolling listings, applying, and questioning your life choices on repeat.
You send out applications into the void, get ghosted by algorithms, and somehow every role wants 10 years of experience for an entry-level salary while working in office and paying $45k. It’s less of a search and more of a slow-motion downward spiral to gloom and doom. IYKYK…
Source: How the modern job hunt became a vicious loop, The Guardian
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