Exhausted, and the bills still come

I’m burned out but I can’t afford to stop working. What do I do?

Start by finding out what rest you can get without losing income — sick leave, unused holiday, a short leave or reduced hours. Then look at the month: even a small cut in what has to go out can buy room to work less. And if exhaustion is affecting your health, see a doctor; it is a health problem, not only a money one.

Check what you are already entitled to

Unused holiday, sick days, a short-term leave program, an employee assistance service. Many people burn out with time off they never took. Read your contract or ask HR quietly what exists.

Talk to a doctor

Burnout can affect sleep, mood and physical health, and a doctor can help — and in some places can support time off or reduced duties. If you ever feel unsafe, contact a crisis line in your country right away.

Make the month lighter

The less that has to go out, the less you have to earn to be safe. Cutting a few recurring costs can make fewer hours, or a short unpaid break, possible. Every cost removed works every month.

Change the work, not just the hours

Sometimes the drain is one part of the job — nights, a commute, a role. Asking for a different shift or a change of duties can help more than time off, and costs nothing.

Plan the way out, even slowly

If the job itself is the problem, a plan with a date — even months away — makes the meantime easier to carry. Feeling stuck is part of what wears people down.

Questions people ask next

Can I take time off for burnout?

It depends on your country, employer and situation. A doctor and your HR department are the people to ask.

Should I just quit?

Not before you know how many months you can cover what has to go out. Quitting with no runway can swap one kind of stress for another.

How do I know it is burnout and not something else?

A doctor can help tell the difference. That conversation is worth having either way.

If this is your situation

Run it against your own numbers

Everything above is the shape of the decision. What it cannot do is use your figures. You narrow four ways out to the one that fits you, then turn it into three moves in the order they work — free, and yours to keep.

Show me which way

Free. No card, and no account to begin.

This is general information about how these decisions work, not financial, legal or tax advice. Check the numbers against your own situation before you act.