Insights
This page collects the ongoing writing published through The Nickel Collective on burnout, performance, and identity in high-functioning people.
The work here focuses on what’s often missed in traditional burnout conversations: the invisible cognitive and emotional load carried by capable, reliable, high-achieving individuals—and the systems that quietly depend on it.
If you’re exhausted without a clear reason, praised for handling a lot, or frustrated that rest hasn’t fixed the problem, this is where to start.
The Burnout Series
A three-part foundation on high-achiever burnout
This series outlines the core framework behind the work: why burnout looks different for high-functioning people, why common solutions fall short, and what’s actually driving the cycle.
Part 3: The Invisible Load High-Achievers Are Carrying
Burnout isn’t just about what high-achievers do—it’s about what they constantly manage. This essay names the unseen cognitive and emotional labor driving exhaustion.
Part 2: Why Rest Doesn’t Fix Burnout for High-Achievers
For many high-achievers, rest increases anxiety instead of relief. This piece explains why slowing down fails when identity strain and invisible load remain active.
Part 1: Why High-Achievers Burn Out Differently
Burnout in high-achievers doesn’t show up as collapse or disengagement. It shows up as being stuck, depleted, and unable to recover despite continued competence.