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Man shares 8-word phrase that he learned from mentor to avoid burnout and be a better professional.

Burnout is a real struggle among American workers. According to a 2025 study released by Moodle, 66% of Americans reported feeling burnout from their jobs. And in another 2025 workplace poll conducted by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), workers reported high rates of “burnout,” “stress,” and “overwhelm.”

To help others, a man struggling with burnout in his career shared in a since deleted Reddit post how his mentor taught him a simple phrase to use with his boss to better manage expectations while seemingly helping him appear more professional.

"A lot of us early in our careers say yes to everything. That’s how you burn out fast," he wrote, before sharing that a mentor taught him an eight-word phrase that helped save his career: "I can do it, but not by then."

burnout, feeling burned out, burned out, stressed, exhausted Tired TV Land GIF by TV Land Classic Giphy

He went on to explain, "Instead of: 'I can’t take this on', say: 'I can take this on, but realistically it’ll be done by [X date].' This does three things: Shows you’re willing, not lazy. Sets realistic boundaries without burning bridges. Teaches others to respect your time."

The employee concluded, "The irony? You’ll usually be seen as more professional — not less — because you’re managing expectations instead of dropping the ball."

The advice resonated with many other workers, who also shared how they manage their boss' expectations of them.

"So true," one commented. "Setting expectations early and offering a realistic alternative saves so much headache down the road."

@melrobbins

This is why you feel so burnt out and tired... Thank you @Jay Shetty for having me on this episode of @On Purpose Podcast! #melrobbins #letthemtheory #boundaries #ownyourdecisions

Another shared, "I've been doing this more and more, after working my role for a few years I have a decent understanding of a manageable workload with consideration of having stuff thrown on my lap or having time for training. Kind of funny because I'll say 'I can get it done but not this week, maybe next week or the one after that.'"

They added that this can help take pressure off you. "Suddenly this places accountability on my supervisor to even do a little work by looking further into it, due dates, priority and it will turn into nothing of importance or they'll find a coworker that actually has nothing else going on to delegate it to or end up doing it themselves (because they probably had nothing going on anyway)," they explained. "I always tell them to let me know if I can still assist. Just consider how to set boundaries that work for you and how to present those boundaries to be for the company's benefit."

boundary, boundaries, healthy boundaries, implementing boundaries, boundary work Paramount Network Kelly GIF by Yellowstone Giphy

How to use it

To help others implement the phrase, another employee shared the best way to use this advice in a conversation with your boss: "'I see you're asking for X, Y and Z. Realistically we can accomplish X and Y in that timeframe. How about we take a phased approach to this project? X and Y can be Phase 1 and get out on time, and we'll consider Z Phase 2 to be completed after the discussed date.'"

The user noted that this has never failed them. "Phased approaches work almost every single time for me," they added. "It lets the person you're working with know that you deem all parts of the projects acceptable and important, but also gives them the chance to meet you half way, while eventually getting exactly what they wanted."

complanie/TikTok

TikToker @complanie tells her Korean mom she was laid off, is met with love and encouragement.

Getting laid off is scary and emotional for many reasons. The news of getting laid off usually comes as a shock, and plants seeds of uncertainty and fear.

For TikToker Lanie (@complanie), one of the hardest parts of her recent lay off was delivering the news to her Korean mother. Although Lanie anticipated the call not going well, she was surprised and comforted when she was met with kind and encouraging words from her mom.

"i was SUPER nervous to call my mom/family bc i felt like a disappointment and failure for my lay offs but it went way better than i couldve imagined! sorry for all the snot and ugly crying hehe," she captioned the video.

@complanie

i was SUPER nervous to call my mom/family bc i felt like a disappointment and failure for my lay offs but it went way better than i couldve imagined! sorry for all the snot and ugly crying hehe #laidoff #layoffs #fyp #korean #koreanmom

Lanie begins the video by sharing that she needs to tell her mom that she got laid off, and that "this is not going to be an easy call." She decides to FaceTime her mom, and the two catch up with a few pleasantries in Korean. Although she tries to hold it together, when her mom asks her if there is a specific reason she called, Lanie begins to get emotional. "What's wrong? Why are you crying? Is there a problem? What's going on? Tell mom," her mom says in a concerned tone.

Lanie nods her head and gives herself a moment to find her words. "I really didn't want to tell you this, but today I got laid off from my job," Lanie tells her mom. "I know you're always worrying about how I'm doing and making rent, and I don't want to burden you with more worries. I wasn't going to tell you at first."

Her mom comforts Lanie as she speaks. "No it's okay. You can't not tell me this!" she says, and Lanie replies, "Exactly! You're my mom so I did want to tell you."

@complanie

Replying to @K E L L Y dropping some lore on my umma! @Tomato Japanese Grocery please go support her store 💖🥹 #fyp #korean #japanese #mom #umma

Their conversation continues, and Lanie's mom gives her the most encouraging speech. "Don't cry, you got this! You're going to find another job, don't worry. It's okay, don't cry," she says before asking if she's handled logistics like filing for unemployment. "Mom and dad have never been worried about your future. We know it will all work out for you."

Lanie responds emotionally, "Thank you, I'm so thankful that you said that." And her mom adds, "You're going to find something even better, don't worry."

@complanie

EVERYTHING WILL BE GWENCHANA #fyp #gwenchana #korean

Lanie agrees, saying, "I've been working hard, but I'm going to work even harder now. And I'm going to find my place in this world." Her mom adds, "Everyone deals with something like this at least once in their lives, but it'll make you even stronger. So, don't feel too discouraged. This is an opportunity for better possibilities to come your way. Tell mom if there's anything you need, okay?"

Her mom encourages her to take care of herself. "Catch up on all the sleep you've been missing. I bet the flowers in front of the library have bloomed. Go visit the garden!"

Lanie writes in the video's caption, "Me sobbing bc the kind support is overwhelming to me," as she apologizes to her mom for still feeling like a failure. But her mom isn't having it. "Fighting! I love you and cheer up."

The heartwarming exchange between Lanie and her mom resonated deeply with viewers.

"Sobbing, I was also laid off and your moms words are so encouraging and she is totally right ❤️let’s find something better 🤝✨," one wrote.

Another commented, "The way I teared up with you🥺🥺 she’s right— in this economy, I know SO many people who have been laid off. It’s not a reflection of you, it’s a reflection of our current society! You’ve got this❤️."

And another viewer added, "is she available for other facetimes? Asking for me…"

Health

6 too-real comics show what happens when work gets too heavy

Finding a good balance between working and relaxing can be difficult, but it doesn't have to be.

Image courtesy of College Humor

A reason to be late... tasty treats.


Everyone gets antsy about their jobs sometimes.

Maybe you notice you're less motivated than usual. Maybe you acknowledge that you're no longer going the extra mile, and you're not quite sure why. Maybe professionalism is a term you've long since forgotten.

For many of us, the struggle can be so, so real. That's why Willie Muse wrote these all-too-relatable comics for College Humor, illustrated by Karina Farek.


These six funny comics perfectly illustrate what a typical first day at your job looks like versus the 101st day:

1. Who doesn't look at at least one viral video a day?

music, work, employee rights, jobs

To tune or not to tune.

Image courtesy of College Humor

2. You suddenly find the time to fit in a breakfast sandwich.

breakfast, fast food, time

How do you miss out on a breakfast quickly served?

Image courtesy of College Humor

3. You go from wanting your boss's approval to hating his or her guts.

boss, employee, friendship, community

Getting to know your coworkers...

Image courtesy of College Humor

4. All the details that were once so important become nuisances.

job requirements, nuisances, work vacation

An evolution in responsibility and ethics?

Image courtesy of College Humor

5. Your (lack of) motivation can take you from hero to zero — quick!

motivation, work-life-balance, career

When an opportunity evolves into a responsibility.

Image courtesy of College Humor

6. And you most certainly DO NOT want to end up like this.

advice, labor, qualifications

Getting on the right side of fear.

Image courtesy of College Humor

Let's be real: These comics are funny, but they also aren't ideal.

In a perfect world, we'd all have jobs that still look and feel like Day 1 on Day 101. And one of the only ways to get there is to intentionally strive for a life that's full of work-life balance. We really do have the power to not let things play out like this.

What can we do?

At a most basic level, we can make sure we're getting enough sleep, eating well, and doing at least a little exercise. We also shouldn't underestimate the benefits of detaching from computer screens and smartphones every once in a while. Plus, we can also minimize our stress levels by not multitasking and instead concentrating on one task at time.

The most overlooked advice for maintaining a healthy work-life balance is to actually take time off.

Disconnect from your daily work routine. Make a conscious effort to recharge.

Perhaps if we dedicate more time to enjoying life outside of work, there's more of a chance that we'll be on Day 1 for months, feeling grateful for our jobs rather than impatiently waiting for the clock to strike 5. Let's get to it!


This article originally appeared on 10.25.16

Identity

My wife surprised her coworkers when she came out as trans. Then they surprised her.

She was ready for one reaction but was greeted with a beautiful response.

All photos by Amanda Jette, used with permission.

Zoe comes out to her coworkers.


Society, pay attention. This is important.

My wife, Zoe, is transgender. She came out to us — the kids and me — last summer and then slowly spread her beautiful feminine wings with extended family, friends, and neighbors.

A little coming out here, a little coming out there — you know how it is.


It's been a slow, often challenging process of telling people something so personal and scary, but pretty much everyone has been amazing.

However, she dreaded coming out at the office.

She works at a large technology company, managing a team of software developers in a predominantly male office environment. She's known many of her co-workers and employees for 15 or so years. They have called her "he" and "him" and "Mr." for a very long time. How would they handle the change?

While we have laws in place in Ontario, Canada, to protect the rights of transgender employees, it does not shield them from awkwardness, quiet judgment, or loss of workplace friendships. Your workplace may not become outright hostile, but it can sometimes become a difficult place to go to every day because people only tolerate you rather than fully accept you.

But this transition needed to happen, and so Zoe carefully crafted a coming out email and sent it to everyone she works with.

The support was immediately apparent; she received about 75 incredibly kind responses from coworkers, both local and international.

She then took one week off, followed by a week where she worked solely from home. It was only last Monday when she finally went back to the office.

First day back at work! I asked if I could take a "first day of school" type picture with her lunchbox. She said no. Spoilsport.

Despite knowing how nice her colleagues are and having read so many positive responses to her email, she was understandably still nervous.

Hell, I was nervous. I made her promise to text me 80 billion times with updates and was more than prepared to go down there with my advocacy pants on if I needed to (I might be a tad overprotective).

And that's when her office pals decided to show the rest of us how to do it right.

She got in and found that a couple of them had decorated her cubicle to surprise her:

LGBTQ, coming out, work

Her cubicle decorated with butterflies.

All photos by Amanda Jette, used with permission.

Butterflies! Streamers! Rainbows! OMG!

And made sure her new name was prominently displayed in a few locations:

empathy, employment, understanding

Zoe written on the board.

All photos by Amanda Jette, used with permission.

They got her a beautiful lily with a "Welcome, Zoe!" card:

coworkers, mental health, community

Welcome lily and card

All photos by Amanda Jette, used with permission.

And this tearjerker quote was waiting for her on her desk:

Oscar Wilde, job, employment

A quote from Oscar Wilde.

All photos by Amanda Jette, used with permission.

To top it all off, a 10 a.m. "meeting" she was scheduled to attend was actually a coming out party to welcome her back to work as her true self — complete with coffee and cupcakes and handshakes and hugs.

acceptance, friendship, relationships

Coming out party with cupcakes.

All photos by Amanda Jette, used with permission.

(I stole one, and it was delicious.)

NO, I'M NOT CRYING. YOU'RE CRYING.

I did go to my wife's office that day. But instead of having my advocacy pants on, I had my hugging arms ready and some mascara in my purse in case I cried it off while thanking everyone.

I wish we lived in a world where it was no big deal to come out.

Sadly, that is not the case for many LGBTQ people. We live in a world of bathroom bills and "religious freedom" laws that directly target the members of our community. We live in a world where my family gets threats for daring to speak out for trans rights. We live in a world where we can't travel to certain locations for fear of discrimination — or worse.

So when I see good stuff happening — especially when it takes place right on our doorstep — I'm going to share it far and wide. Let's normalize this stuff. Let's make celebrating diversity our everyday thing rather than hating or fearing it.

Chill out, haters. Take a load off with us.

It's a lot of energy to judge people, you know. It's way more fun to celebrate and support them for who they are.

Besides, we have cupcakes.


This article originally appeared on 04.08.16.