Engaged But Exhausted: The Hidden Risks of Being "On" All the Time
Ever wonder if you are super engaged, super burnt out, or maybe even both?
Last Wednesday, I had an exhilarating (and exhausting) schedule that started bright and early at 6:45 a.m. logging in for a speaking engagement for the Bar Association of the Maldives alongside my friend and Chief Wellbeing Officer at Gibson Dunn, James Keshavarz. From there, I jumped into a live, in-person, four-hour Mental Health First Aid training before launching into a series of group and one-on-one coaching sessions.
By 5:30 p.m., I’d been “on” for almost twelve hours straight either on Zoom or in-person. It was one of those rare days when my calendar was packed literally back-to-back well-beyond typical work hours, a sprint of engagement that left me energized and drained all at once. With a few days offline with friends coming up, this was an outlier schedule – but it got me thinking about the fine line between engagement and burnout.
Can You Be Both Engaged and Burned Out?
Research shows that engaged professionals can actually be at high risk for burnout. According to a study published in The Career Development International, employees who are highly engaged but under constant strain show high levels of “exhausted engagement.” In their survey, 35.5 percent said they felt moderately engaged but also exhausted, and 18.8 percent were highly engaged and exhausted. People in this “engaged-exhausted” group were still passionate about their work and felt connected to it, showing high professional effectiveness. But here’s the important catch: they also had pretty high stress levels. Interestingly, this group had the highest rate of wanting to leave their jobs, even more than those who felt completely burned out. Yikes!
While we often think of burnout as a complete loss of motivation and energy, many high achievers experience burnout differently. They still care deeply about their work, push through challenges, and show up fully, even as they’re drained and inching toward exhaustion.
Think of a lawyer or legal professional racing to meet the end-of-year demands: closing deals, finishing budget reports, evaluating associates, onboarding new hires. These moments of high engagement paired with high demand don’t just require focus; they demand deep emotional and physical reserves. You’re “on,” but you’re running on fumes.
What Does It Feel Like?
For the individual, burnout paired with engagement can feel exhilarating and depleting at once. Imagine feeling motivated and committed, but finding that each day leaves you progressively more tired, struggling to recharge overnight. You still get up in the morning with purpose but feel the impact on your body, your patience, and your well-being. In my case, last Wednesday was a planned push, knowing I’d have time to recharge. But for many legal professionals, that high-demand schedule feels never-ending, especially during the busy fall season.
For organizations, burnout and engagement in tandem can look like high-performing team members consistently delivering but showing signs of wear: frequent absences, lower energy, or slower recovery from high-stress periods. They may still be your “go-to” people, but they’re edging closer to burnout. As the Harvard Business Review found, burnout is not always about how much we work but about our ability to recover and recharge between intense periods of work.
What Engagement Looks Like
Engagement is more than just doing the job – it’s a state of flow, connection, and motivation. Engaged professionals find their work meaningful, feel aligned with their role, and have a strong sense of purpose. In high-engagement moments, even a long day can feel rewarding. For me, the sense of accomplishment from making a difference for the Maldives Bar Association and guiding clients through mental health support training and success coaching was worth the energy output.
Signs of healthy engagement:
- Feeling connected to your work’s purpose
- Noticing a sense of flow or focus
- Eagerly contributing to ideas and problem-solving
- Experiencing satisfaction after completing a challenging day
Practical Tips to Prevent Burnout in Engaged Team Members
Organizations can do much to support their most engaged team members and prevent burnout. Here are some approaches that make a difference:
- Encourage and Normalize Recovery Time: Just as I planned a weekend to unplug with friends, professionals need intentional breaks. Help your team feel supported in planning downtime, especially after peak periods. Remind them that recovery is crucial to maintain their engagement and avoid long-term exhaustion.
- Implement a “Culture of Caring”: Make it okay to set boundaries, even for the most dedicated team members. Allow them to “press pause” when needed. A culture that normalizes well-being conversations helps employees feel safe saying, “I’m reaching my limit.” Check-ins don’t have to be formal – even casual conversations about workload and well-being go a long way.
- Set Clear Boundaries and Flexible Schedules: Flexibility in working hours, especially in intense periods, can reduce burnout risks. During the fall busy season, consider offering as much flexibility to handle budget and compensation reviews, onboarding, and deal closings. It’s not always possible with the tight timelines we face in the legal profession, but planning ahead, building in a bit of a margin in the deadlines, and pushing off less urgent tasks can help. When people feel empowered to manage their own schedules, they’re less likely to overextend themselves to the point of burnout.
- Provide Resources for Personal Development and Well-being: Offering access to resources like well-being programs, coaching, or mental health training can help team members proactively manage stress. Knowing they have tools to decompress after challenging sprints can keep engaged employees from feeling overwhelmed.
Recovering After a Sprint
Whether it’s a marathon day or a marathon quarter, recovery matters. For individuals, recovery might look like taking time to reconnect with family and friends, engaging in hobbies, or even practicing mindfulness. For me, recharging involves stepping away to be with college friends in Austin – a complete offline break to reset.
For organizations, encourage your teams to use vacation time or take periodic mental health days. Model it from the top – when leaders make time to step away, it gives permission for others to do the same. Recognizing and valuing recovery also builds trust and a sense of psychological safety, showing that well-being is as essential as productivity.
Being highly engaged doesn’t protect you from burnout; in fact, the opposite can be true. By understanding that engaged professionals are at risk of “exhausted engagement,” we can create a culture that values both productivity and recovery. It’s not just about working hard; it’s about creating sustainable engagement where we have the energy and resilience to keep going – and growing – without burning out.
In these busy months of evaluations, budgeting, and deal closings, remember to make space for recovery. Your most engaged days may also be the ones where you need to pause, refuel, and come back stronger!
I hope you can use this weekend to recharge, and keep an eye on yourself for “exhausted engagement.” Members of my network and community are some of the most engaged, people-focused professionals that I know - and that puts you and your giving heart at a high risk for burnout.
