Why Leaders (or anybody) Burn Out Faster Than They Expect

Burnout rarely announces itself.

It creeps in quietly.

Psalm 127 opens with a warning:

“Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.” (NIV)

Then it adds:

“In vain you rise early and stay up late…” (v. 2)

The repetition of in vain is intentional. The psalm is not condemning work. It is confronting self-sustained striving.

From a neuroscience perspective, burnout is often less about workload and more about decision fatigue.

Decision fatigue is the progressive decline in the brain’s ability to make wise choices after repeated decisions. The prefrontal cortex — responsible for planning, impulse control, and discernment — consumes significant metabolic energy.

The more decisions we make without adequate rest:

• The more reactive we become
• The more emotionally volatile we become
• The more likely we default to shortcuts

Over time, this feels like:

• Irritability
• Loss of motivation
• Spiritual dryness
• Cynicism

Leaders often interpret this as a spiritual failure.

But frequently, it is neurological depletion layered on top of misplaced responsibility.

Psalm 127 reminds us: God builds. God watches. God sustains.

When leaders unconsciously assume they are the sustaining force, their nervous system never powers down.

Chronic vigilance keeps cortisol elevated. Elevated cortisol disrupts sleep. Poor sleep weakens emotional regulation. The cycle accelerates.

Burnout is often a theology problem expressed biologically.

Three practical steps:

1. Reduce daily decision load.
   Pre-decide routine elements (meals, workout times, work blocks). Protect your prefrontal cortex for what truly matters.
2. Insert margin before depletion.
   Take 5–10 minute mental resets mid-day. Even brief pauses lower sympathetic nervous system activation.
3. Rehearse Psalm 127 as a cognitive reframe.
   Before ending your day, remind yourself: “God builds. I steward.” This reduces over-responsibility — a common driver of burnout.

Leaders rarely burn out because they care too much.

They burn out because they carry too much.

And often, they carry what God never asked them to hold.

For more help, check out my latest book, Stress Less.