Marcus Aurelius
What would Marcus Aurelius say about burnout?
You have spent yourself as though effort alone were wisdom. Now the mind is dull, the body reluctant, and even simple duties seem to accuse you. This is not always weakness. Often it is the bill for living without measure. A lamp burns steadily when tended; it gutters when forced past its oil. Examine how you have been working. Was it for the thing itself, or for praise, fear, and endless proving? Much exhaustion comes from carrying what was never your burden. Return to order. Sleep if sleep is owed. Eat simply. Shorten what can be shortened. Refuse what is vain. Then take up one duty at a time, without the old frenzy. You are not a beast made only to pull. The soul requires rhythm if it is to remain fit for service. Ask not how much more you can endure, but how truly you can live.
— Marcus Aurelius