THE REWARD FOR OVERPERFORMANCE IS MORE EXPLOITATION

Some professionals learn early that the only way to survive dysfunction is to outrun it. They arrive early, stay late, answer emails no one asked them to. They carry the weight others ignore, then get told they’re “just so reliable.”

Over time, that reliability becomes a liability. It masks organizational failure. It justifies bad leadership. And it slowly erodes the nervous system. When people live in a constant state of hypervigilance—anticipating dropped balls, covering for chaos—their brain shifts into survival mode. Cortisol rises. Sleep fractures. The body begins to treat the job like a threat.

Some eventually walk away. Others stay and go quiet. Not because they’re disengaged—but because they’ve been used up. The counter isn’t to stop caring. It’s to stop absorbing.

Some people start by pulling their energy out of things that reward exploitation. They don’t answer emails during dinner. They say no when no is called for. And they remind themselves that responsibility does not mean martyrdom. What they protect isn’t time. It’s their peace.