There’s a specific kind of stress that comes from performing fine on the outside while everything underneath feels like it’s fraying. You show up, you get through the day, but the margin for error is gone. Small mistakes that used to be nothing now feel like evidence you’re falling behind.
The financial fear underneath it is real too. Not being at your best at work doesn’t just feel bad, it feels risky, and that risk adds a second layer of stress on top of whatever’s already going on.
You don’t have to have a diagnosis or a name for it to be allowed to say: work has gotten harder, and it’s not really about work.