Compulsive Responsibility: The Hidden Driver of Chronic Overwork

Compulsive responsibility and chronic overwork: how hidden hyper-responsibility fuels workaholism and burnout. A practical, research-informed guide to spotting cognitive distortions at work, people pleasing, and perfectionism that silently drive overworking. Learn how to stop overworking by setting realistic mental and relational boundaries so you can prevent burnout and reclaim work-life balance.

What You'll Learn:

• Recognize what compulsive responsibility (hyper-responsibility) is and how it quietly drives chronic overwork and workaholism.
• Spot the early signs of burnout that come from cognitive distortions at work, including people pleasing and perfectionism.
• Map the specific ways compulsive responsibility shows up in your day-to-day tasks, projects, and relationships at work.
• Use simple reflection prompts to write down and organize the key ideas from this episode so you can remember and act on them.
• Identify one concrete area in your current work or life where compulsive responsibility is costing you time, energy, or health.
• Choose and commit to one small, realistic action this week to interrupt overworking and strengthen work-life boundaries.
• Experiment with healthier mental boundaries so you feel responsible for your work, but not for everyone and everything around you.
• Build a sustainable plan to monitor your workload and prevent sliding back into chronic overwork and burnout patterns.