Burnout rarely arrives all at once. It tends to seep in quietly, threading itself through everyday life until what once felt manageable begins to feel heavy, relentless, and oddly joyless. Many people I work with describe a sense that they should be coping better, that nothing is dramatically wrong, and yet everything feels harder than it used to. This slow erosion is often overlooked, particularly by those who are carrying a disproportionate share of responsibility at home alongside work and emotional labour.