SUMMARY POINTS
You’ve been hitting it hard at work for years now. Doing pretty much anything and everything to get shit done on time and with minimal mistakes. But now, as you gain more experience and move up in the ranks, you’re getting more stressed out as ever.
You’re not a newbie anymore. You’ve got experience in your role and maybe, you’ve even been promoted into a higher position in middle management. There are more responsibilities now and there are higher expectations that are being asked of you. This is why being in middle management sucks for a reason.
Naturally, because you’re not a slacker, you’re taking on those added responsibilities and expectations like a true team player. However, your finding yourself banging your head against the wall more often and on more projects then ever before.
There are people and processes that are just not doing shit the right way and/or the most efficient way. And, no matter what you do and how often you try to correct things, it just goes back to the way things are. it’s driving you crazy and stressing you out.
You’re not a newbie anymore. You’ve got experience in your role and maybe, you’ve even been promoted into a higher position in middle management. There are more responsibilities now and there are higher expectations that are being asked of you. This is why being in middle management sucks for a reason.
Naturally, because you’re not a slacker, you’re taking on those added responsibilities and expectations like a true team player. However, your finding yourself banging your head against the wall more often and on more projects then ever before.
There are people and processes that are just not doing shit the right way and/or the most efficient way. And, no matter what you do and how often you try to correct things, it just goes back to the way things are. it’s driving you crazy and stressing you out.
How All Of This Over-Caring Starts
When we first step into the professional world, we’re told that hustle, grit, and giving 110% are the keys to success. “Don’t just work your hours - kick ass and be indispensable!” they said.
And for most of us that meant that caring deeply about work becomes intertwined with career growth and it sometimes even shapes your personal brand and identity at the office. Your boss notices that effort, right? Promotions and raises feel tied to stressing over every little detail.
Soon, you find yourself getting angry at others for their subpar (in your eyes) work quality and output. You’ve set impossibly high standards not only for yourself but on others too. And when things don’t measure up, you just about lose your shit.
Career passion can fuel exciting possibilities and help you move up the corporate ladder for sure. However, it can also quietly turn into an unrelenting asshole in your head.
When you're emotionally invested in every email typo, every misstep during a presentation and every office blamestorming conflict, you aren’t just doing your job. You’re living and breathing it like your life depended on it.
Suddenly, you’re working late nights and weekends, tossing and turning in bed over minor bullshit work hiccups, and having your mood tied to quarterly goals you may not even control.
This is exactly the type of corporate “hero” every company wants. Someone who goes way above and beyond to ensure the success of the company, come hell or high water.
Adding to the fire is the culture of hustle glorification.
Social media platforms are full of people celebrating their “hustle,” 18-hour workdays, and 4 AM productivity routines. When you watch all of this supposed grind, it’s easy to feel like you’re not doing enough unless you're “crushing it” 24-7 and 365 days a year.
But, here’s the problem - it’s unsustainable.
And for most of us that meant that caring deeply about work becomes intertwined with career growth and it sometimes even shapes your personal brand and identity at the office. Your boss notices that effort, right? Promotions and raises feel tied to stressing over every little detail.
Soon, you find yourself getting angry at others for their subpar (in your eyes) work quality and output. You’ve set impossibly high standards not only for yourself but on others too. And when things don’t measure up, you just about lose your shit.
Career passion can fuel exciting possibilities and help you move up the corporate ladder for sure. However, it can also quietly turn into an unrelenting asshole in your head.
When you're emotionally invested in every email typo, every misstep during a presentation and every office blamestorming conflict, you aren’t just doing your job. You’re living and breathing it like your life depended on it.
Suddenly, you’re working late nights and weekends, tossing and turning in bed over minor bullshit work hiccups, and having your mood tied to quarterly goals you may not even control.
This is exactly the type of corporate “hero” every company wants. Someone who goes way above and beyond to ensure the success of the company, come hell or high water.
Adding to the fire is the culture of hustle glorification.
Social media platforms are full of people celebrating their “hustle,” 18-hour workdays, and 4 AM productivity routines. When you watch all of this supposed grind, it’s easy to feel like you’re not doing enough unless you're “crushing it” 24-7 and 365 days a year.
But, here’s the problem - it’s unsustainable.
What Happens When You Care Too Much For Too Long
Think of caring too much as running your car on max RPMs, but your car’s oil hasn’t been changed in years. Things are going to start breaking. It might overheat one day. Then, a few more rattles and weird noises start coming from the engine. And before you know it, at the worst possible time, your engine starts conking out and barely runs. It’s only a matter of days before it goes totally dead.
This is the same shit that will happen to you when you’re running at full speed all the time. More specifically, here’s what caring too much does to you, physically and mentally.
This is the same shit that will happen to you when you’re running at full speed all the time. More specifically, here’s what caring too much does to you, physically and mentally.
1. Emotional Exhaustion
When you can’t disconnect from work and leave all the bullshit behind, it follows you home (and into bed), you’re holding an emotional load into sleep that never lightens. Over time, this exhaustion can manifest as burnout where your once-shiny passion for your career is replaced by apathy and disillusionment.
2. Ruins Your Health
Caring too much contributes to chronic stress, which, as numerous studies tell us, triggers a lot of health issues. High cortisol levels can lead to trouble sleeping, excessive weight gain, weakened immunity, headaches, muscle tension, and even heart issues. Is that email typo from that PITA coworker worth risking your health for?
3. Zero Work-Life Balance
When work becomes your world, everything else suffers - relationships, hobbies, and your time to simply relax. When was the last time you enjoyed a solo weekend getaway without your laptop open “just in case”?
4. Performance Paradox
Here’s the catch - caring too much can backfire on your career too. When anxiety starts negatively impacting your work, you’re more prone to dropping the ball, overthinking, and indecision. Ironically, by over-caring, you could produce subpar results.
How To Care Less Without Jeopardizing Your Career

Now to the good stuff. How can you loosen your death grip on work yet still thrive? Spoiler alert - it’s not about becoming a slacker. It's about reframing how much energy and care you give and regaining a healthier balance.
This is all about finding and getting to that ideal point where you can just let shit go and not give a fuck anymore. It’s caring to a limit only on the things that really matter at work - and even then, there’s a limit to those things too.
This is all about finding and getting to that ideal point where you can just let shit go and not give a fuck anymore. It’s caring to a limit only on the things that really matter at work - and even then, there’s a limit to those things too.
Separate Your Self-Worth From Work
It’s time to stop tying your value as a person to your job title or performance. You are not your job. Treat work like an important part of your life but not your whole identity. Set boundaries in your mind (and at the office!) that prevent work from taking up every waking thought.
Practice The Art of "Good Enough"
Perfectionism is the poison that fuels over-caring. Listen, good enough is good enough - for real. Aim for excellence, sure, but you gotta escape the powerpoint perfectionist trap and other perfectionist time sucks. Perfection is rarely noticeable to others, but burnout is. So, if it meets basic expectations, click save and send it.
Set Clear Limits And Stick to Them
Decide when you’re logging off and log off. That endless group chat refresh after-hours isn’t doing anyone favors. Setting limits and having circuit breakers to your workday helps protect your personal time and sends a message to coworkers that your off hours are sacred.
Adopt A "Control What You Can" Mindset
This is a real game-changer. There’s a ton of shit that you just can’t control - the weather, economy, office assholes, or even technical glitches. Focus only on what’s in your lane. “Did I do my part to the best of my abilities?” Great, move on.
Stop Trying To People-Please
Guess what? You are not responsible for everyone else's happiness at work. Overcommitting, saying yes to extra tasks outside your responsibilities all the time, or walking on eggshells to please your boss or team does not guarantee anything except more stress. Say yes when you truly want to, not because you feel pressured to.
Ask Yourself, "Will This Shit Matter Next Week?"
Whenever a huge fire at work feels catastrophic, take a deep breath and ask yourself this question. Will this meeting be the sole deciding factor in the company’s success or failure? Will that typo in your broadcast email keep you from getting promoted? The answer is almost always "no." Perspective is everything.
It’s Time To Care Less And Live More

The more you maniacally care about work, the less happy you will be - this is a fact. The reality is that when it gets to a critical point, caring too much can actually lead to less productivity.
Sometimes the best thing you can do for your career (and your sanity) is to hit the brakes a little and just let certain shit slide. In fact, you can boost your career by not focusing on work so intensely.
Believe it or not, but your career is way more successful than you think. It’s just that our default mindset is one of pessimism that often lacks a broader perspective on life. It’s always focusing on what you don’t have or can’t have instead of what you do have or have already done.
Here’s the truth you need to remember today, tomorrow, and on every godforsaken Monday morning stressful commute moving forward - you are allowed to care less without being careless.
Read that last part again.
Does that make sense?
When you can manage work stress and care less strategically, it means you’re making room for creativity, balance, clarity, and most importantly for the real shit that matters in your life - your mental health and wellbeing, personal relationships, family, hobbies etc. In other words, you’ll actually be living a life.
So, the next time you’re spiraling over work stress, give yourself permission to chillax, zone out for a bit and let that shit go. Caring less doesn’t mean giving up - it’s just putting limits on it and leveling it out.
Your health will thank you, your family will thank you, and ironically enough, your boss might even thank you.
Feel Better,
[Cubicle|Therapy]
Sometimes the best thing you can do for your career (and your sanity) is to hit the brakes a little and just let certain shit slide. In fact, you can boost your career by not focusing on work so intensely.
Believe it or not, but your career is way more successful than you think. It’s just that our default mindset is one of pessimism that often lacks a broader perspective on life. It’s always focusing on what you don’t have or can’t have instead of what you do have or have already done.
Here’s the truth you need to remember today, tomorrow, and on every godforsaken Monday morning stressful commute moving forward - you are allowed to care less without being careless.
Read that last part again.
Does that make sense?
When you can manage work stress and care less strategically, it means you’re making room for creativity, balance, clarity, and most importantly for the real shit that matters in your life - your mental health and wellbeing, personal relationships, family, hobbies etc. In other words, you’ll actually be living a life.
So, the next time you’re spiraling over work stress, give yourself permission to chillax, zone out for a bit and let that shit go. Caring less doesn’t mean giving up - it’s just putting limits on it and leveling it out.
Your health will thank you, your family will thank you, and ironically enough, your boss might even thank you.
Feel Better,
[Cubicle|Therapy]