Dealing with Career Burnout

Burned Out? Fried? Starting to Resent the Thing You Used to Love? Yeah... You're Not Alone.

Let’s just call it what it is: this business can beat the hell out of you.

Between the quota changes, commission slashes, underwriting updates that feel like they were written by a caffeinated raccoon, and the constant need to chase, chase, chase—it’s a lot. And that's before you get into the emotional side of it. This job asks you to show up with energy, empathy, confidence, and answers—all the time. Even when you’re exhausted. Even when you’re dealing with your own stuff. Even when your tank is completely empty.

So if you’ve found yourself burned out, checked out, or wondering if it’s time to walk away, trust me: you’re not broken. You’re not bad at this. You’re not soft.

You’re just a human trying to survive in an industry that expects you to perform like a machine.

But here’s the good news—you don’t have to stay stuck in that place. Burnout doesn’t mean it’s over. It just means it’s time to reevaluate and start making changes that give you a shot at not just surviving in this game, but actually enjoying it again.

Here are 8 things that have helped me—and a hell of a lot of others—get their head back on straight when the business starts feeling like too much.

1. Get Honest About What’s Draining the Life Out of You

Burnout doesn’t show up out of nowhere. It’s not like you wake up one Tuesday and suddenly can’t function. It’s death by a thousand papercuts—tiny stressors that build up and compound. And if you’re not paying attention, they’ll pile up until you’re buried in them.

Maybe it’s that one toxic client who texts you at 11 p.m. and acts like they own you. Maybe it’s your calendar, which has you booked solid from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. with zero time to even eat lunch or go to the bathroom. Maybe it’s your team—or the fact that you don’t have one. Maybe it’s your carrier rep breathing down your neck about numbers, as if you’re not already doing five people’s jobs.

Get honest with yourself about what’s draining you. You can’t fix what you won’t name.

2. Actually Take a Break—and Mean It

I know. It feels impossible. There’s always one more call to make. One more follow-up. One more quote. But you can’t pour from an empty cup. You will hit a wall if you don’t start honoring the fact that you’re not a robot.

You don’t need a two-week vacation in Cabo to reset (although if you can swing it, do it). Sometimes a break looks like a full day offline, a slow walk outside, a couple of hours of silence with your phone face down and your notifications off. Sometimes it looks like saying no to something that doesn’t serve you—even if it means lost revenue in the short term.

You’ve got to protect your peace or this business will eat you alive.

3. Audit Your Circle

Who you spend time with in this industry matters. If your group chat is just a nonstop pity party or an echo chamber of doom and gloom, it’s going to infect your mindset. Misery loves company, and burnout multiplies when it's surrounded by other burned-out people.

Start connecting with agents who are figuring things out, trying new things, building. Get around people who talk solutions, not just problems. If everyone in your world is stuck, you’re going to stay stuck too.

Get around people who challenge you and cheer for you. Both matter.

4. Remember Why You Started

We all started for a reason. Maybe it was freedom. Maybe it was money. Maybe it was because you wanted to help people after seeing someone close to you struggle without the right coverage.

But when burnout hits, all that fades into the background. You stop remembering the wins. You stop telling the good stories. You forget that this work matters.

So go find that file. The one with the thank-you cards. Re-read your old client testimonials. Go back to the first sale that made you proud. Hell, take five minutes to think about what your life would look like if you hadn’t gotten into this business. It’ll hit you differently when you’re honest about what it’s done for you—even if it’s been a tough ride.

5. Stop Doing the Stuff You Hate

You’re not a superhero. If you’re doing every single thing in your agency, every single day, you’re setting yourself up for a fast trip to Burnout City. You do not need to be the one sending every renewal notice, fixing every tech issue, answering every service call, and scheduling every meeting.

Hire someone. Use tech. Get a VA. Automate the stuff that makes you feel like you're stuck on a hamster wheel. Free yourself up to focus on what you’re actually good at—sales, building relationships, growing the agency, or maybe even getting home in time for dinner for once.

6. Cut the Comparison Crap

I’m going to say this loud for the folks in the back: you are not behind.

That guy flashing trophies on social? You didn’t see the breakdown he had last week. That agent posting the “look at my million-dollar month” screenshot? You didn’t see the $900,000 in ad spend it took to get there.

Stop measuring your progress against someone else’s highlight reel. Define success your way. Not theirs. If you’re paying your bills, supporting your family, and still have a little gas left in the tank to dream a little—you're doing better than you think.

7. Shake It Up

Sometimes burnout has nothing to do with stress and everything to do with boredom. You've been doing the same script, the same pitch, the same grind, for years. Of course you’re mentally checked out.

Try something new. Sell a different product. Build a referral partnership. Get weird with your marketing. Take a course. Start a podcast. Host a local event. Do something—anything—that makes your brain spark again. You’d be surprised what one new strategy can do for your motivation.

8. Speak Up. No Shame. No BS.

If you’re struggling, say something. Don’t let pride or ego keep you stuck. Talk to someone. A friend in the industry. A mentor. A therapist. Your spouse. Someone in your community who actually gets it.

This business can feel isolating. But the second you realize you’re not the only one having a hard time—you start to feel a little less alone. You start to realize, "Okay. This is normal. And it’s fixable."

You don’t have to suffer in silence. This isn’t about being tough. It’s about being real.

Final Thought

Burnout doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means you’ve been trying. That you’ve been grinding. That you’ve been showing up, even when it was hard.

But now, maybe it’s time to show up for yourself.

You can get that energy back. You can rediscover what you liked about this business in the first place. You can build something that serves your life, not something that consumes it.

You’re not stuck. You’re just ready for a reset.

Let’s make that move.