Stop Working 12+ Hour Days: You’re Not a Hero, You’re Exhausted

Let’s cut to the chase: working 12+ hours every day is not a flex. It’s a 🚨 red flag 🚨.

When you do it, two things happen:

1. You burn out faster than a Yankee Candle at a holiday party.

2. You give leadership zero reason to hire more people because hey—apparently you’ve got it covered.

Spoiler: you don’t.

Why You’re Probably Doing This to Yourself

If you’re grinding away like a caffeinated hamster, ask yourself:

• Do I need help prioritizing?
  Because maybe “color-coding my Confluence headers” doesn’t rank above “finish the quarterly report.”

• Am I doing stuff outside my scope?
  Ah, yes. The classic: “If I don’t do it, it won’t get done.” Honey, if you’re not the SME, it’s going to get done wrong. Which means someone (probably you) gets to redo it later. Congratulations—you just worked 14 hours instead of 12.

• Do I actually have way too much on my plate?
  Sometimes it’s not you. Sometimes you really are juggling 27 flaming bowling pins while being told to “just be more efficient.”

Newsflash: This Is a Management Problem

If people on your team are consistently clocking 12-hour days, it’s not a badge of honor. It’s not “dedication.” It’s you ignoring a dumpster fire while complimenting the flames.

Leaders need to stop pretending this is normal and ask:

👉 Is it a performance gap?

👉 A training issue?

👉 The wrong person in the wrong role?

👉 Or—brace yourself—are we simply short-staffed?

Also, let’s be honest: sometimes the problem is that someone else isn’t doing their job and Captain Overwork is covering for them. That’s not noble, that’s dysfunction.

What Managers Should Actually Do

Instead of handing out “Employee of the Month” plaques for unsustainable hours, try this:

1. Reset scope clarity.
   If people are playing whack-a-mole with tasks outside their lane, figure out why and stop it.

2. Realign priorities.
   Not everything is “top priority.” (That phrase literally cancels itself out.)

3. Rebalance workloads.
   If one person is carrying the office on their back, redistribute or gasp hit pause on some projects.

4. Staff properly.
   You cannot productivity-hack your way out of being short four people.

5. Coach, don’t just scold.
   If someone struggles with time management, help them build the skill. Don’t just tell them to “work smarter, not harder” while throwing another project on their desk.

The Bottom Line

Stop glamorizing exhaustion. Overwork doesn’t make you a hero, it makes you a liability—both to yourself and to the business.

So the next time someone brags about their 12-hour workday, don’t clap. Hand them a granola bar and a blanket. And maybe call their manager.

Because sustainable success isn’t built on burnout—it’s built on balance, boundaries, and leaders who actually pay attention.

Menopause Diary moral of the story: You don’t get a medal for doing it all. You get wrinkles, heartburn, and a front-row seat to your own burnout.