Telling your manager you are burned out
You are running on empty and need to say it before you break something.
Strategy
Say the true state plainly, then bring one concrete ask. Framing it only as a risk to output hides the part your manager most needs to hear, and vague distress invites vague sympathy.
How this one opens
I need to tell you where I actually am, not the version I have been giving you in standups.
This is the first line of the full script for this exact situation.
What usually happens next
Most likely: real concern, followed within a minute by a comparison to how stretched everyone else is.
One thing not to say
I cannot do this anymore
You are seeing a piece of this script. 5 parts are written in full.
The rest of the opening, the full pushback path, everything to avoid, and the follow-up message — written for this situation.
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Before you have this one
This is a conversation about workload, not a substitute for care. If your sleep, health or mood is affected, your employee assistance programme, occupational health team or your doctor is the right place for that part, and using them is not an admission of failure. If you are in crisis, contact a local crisis line or emergency services now.
Need this script tailored to a sensitive situation?
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