Burnout in Tech and Consulting: Why High Performers Hit the Wall
Last updated: 1 December 2025
Tech and consulting roles are sold as dream careers: smart people, big problems, good pay. What you hear less about is the slow, steady burnout that comes with hero culture and “just one more push”.
The unspoken rules of “high performance”
You might recognise some of these:
- Weekend “quick check‑ins” are normal, not unusual.
- All‑nighters are treated as commitment, not a warning sign.
- Being always available is quietly rewarded.
The typical burnout arc
- Stage 1 – The rush: new team, complex work, big learning curve.
- Stage 2 – The stretch: long hours, overlapping projects, travel.
- Stage 3 – The slide: fatigue, cynicism, mistakes, brain fog.
- Stage 4 – The wall: numbness, dread, fantasies of quitting without a plan.
Why it’s hard to pull back
If you’re used to being the person who can handle anything, it can feel dangerous to admit you’re cooked. You might fear losing opportunities, reputation or momentum.
Making the work more sustainable
- Block “no‑meeting” time and defend it as you would a client call.
- After big launches or go‑lives, ask for defined recovery time, not just “on to the next”.
- Negotiate scope: what will this project not include?
- Respond in batches instead of reacting instantly to every ping.
Using Fried between pushes
There will still be crunch periods. Fried is built for the small spaces in between: the lift, the taxi, the five minutes after you close your laptop.
Instead of doom‑scrolling, you can take a tiny reset, remember you’re more than your backlog, and make the next decision from a slightly less fried place.
Tags: Consulting burnout Tech burnout High performers Long hours