Burnout in tech doesn’t always come crashing in

Sometimes, it turns up quietly.

You’re shipping features, replying to Slack, pushing fixes. Still, something feels off. You open your laptop and feel… flat. Not overwhelmed. Not even stressed. Just numb.

You stop celebrating the small wins. You forget why you’re doing this. You take breaks, but never feel rested. You get things done, but don’t feel alive.

This sort of burnout is trickier to name, because you’re still ticking boxes.

But you’re fading.

If you’re reading this, you’re not alone. Pause. Breathe. Step outside. Get some air. Talk to someone who doesn’t care about deadlines.

I’m here if you want to talk.

You don’t need to quit your job. But you might need to find your way back to yourself.

Written by Minh Cung — Founder of Quiet Circles, building emotional infrastructure for modern work. Connect with Minh on LinkedIn.