--- title: Why Everyone Is So Tired of Work description: ‘Workplace wellness isn’t what most companies think it is,’ write Patricia Grabarek and Katina Sawyer. canonical: https://time.com/7271102/why-everyone-is-tired-of-work-essay/ author: TIME article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2025-03-25T11:00:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-30T11:03:20.771Z article:section: Ideas og:title: No, Your Email Doesn't Find Me Well. Why Everyone Is So Tired of Work og:description: "Workplace wellness isn’t what most companies think it is," write Patricia Grabarek and Katina Sawyer. og:url: https://time.com/7271102/why-everyone-is-tired-of-work-essay/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4a2a8f08a8b0797d/6998c52166d4e31ce5cbc510/tired-at-work.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2049 og:image:height: 1153 og:image:alt: tired-at-work og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: No, Your Email Doesn't Find Me Well. Why Everyone Is So Tired of Work twitter:description: "Workplace wellness isn’t what most companies think it is," write Patricia Grabarek and Katina Sawyer. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4a2a8f08a8b0797d/6998c52166d4e31ce5cbc510/tired-at-work.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # No, Your Email Doesn't Find Me Well. 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It covers the reporting, scoops and conversations shaping AI and the decisions facing leaders. #### Where can I get reported AI news rather than commentary? In the Loop is TIME's AI newsletter, built on original reporting and access to the people building and governing AI. It publishes Tuesdays and Fridays and is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who writes TIME's In the Loop? Harry Booth, a tech reporter at TIME, writes In the Loop. #### Is In the Loop free? Yes. In the Loop is free at time.com/newsletters. by [Patricia Grabarek](https://time.com/author/patricia-grabarek/) and [Katina Sawyer](https://time.com/author/katina-sawyer/) Mar 25, 2025 11:00 AM UTC  Work from home in COVID-19 virus outbreak, social distancing. Young woman working at home because of an infectious disease epidemic. Work from home in COVID-19 virus outbreak, social distancing. Young woman working at home because of an infectious disease epidemic. Jelena Zivkovic—Getty Images by [Patricia Grabarek](https://time.com/author/patricia-grabarek/) and [Katina Sawyer](https://time.com/author/katina-sawyer/) Mar 25, 2025 11:00 AM UTC "I hope this email finds you well." It’s a phrase that lands in inboxes every day—but let’s be honest, how many of us actually feel well? Across industries, burnout and disengagement have become the[ defining crises of the modern workforce](https://www.gallup.com/workplace/654911/employee-engagement-sinks-year-low.aspx#:~:text=Employee%20engagement%20in%20the%20U.S.,%25%2C%20also%20reflects%202014%20levels.), leaving leaders and employees alike wondering: why is everyone so exhausted? Even those of us who specialize in workplace wellbeing [haven’t been immune to the toll](https://hrexecutive.com/why-hr-leaders-are-struggling-to-retain-their-own-team-members/). The question isn’t just what’s happening—it’s how we got here and, more importantly, how we fix it. As Industrial-Organizational Psychologists who have studied workplace wellness for decades, we have our theories. We wondered if organizational wellness solutions were misaligned with employee needs or expectations. We also considered whether many companies were following wellness fads or trends without evidence that they actually drive results. But we didn’t only want to know the answer; we also wanted to find solutions. We [interviewed and surveyed hundreds of employees](https://workrbeeing.com/book/) to better understand how leaders can take action to improve employee, team, and organizational wellness. What we found was surprising—but also provides clear pathways forward for solving the persistent problem of workplace burnout. First, we found that workplace wellness isn’t what most companies think it is. Step challenges, mindfulness workshops, pizza parties, and lunchtime yoga sessions might look good on paper, but they’re hardly moving the needle. While these programs can make a difference for the few employees who have the time—or energy—to participate, the majority remain stuck in a cycle of overload: too many responsibilities, toxic work environments, and a culture that expects them to be “on” around the clock. So, what’s the real secret to keeping employees well, energized, and productive? Surprisingly, it has little to do with perks, and everything to do with leadership. When we spoke to employees thriving in their roles, one factor stood out: their leader’s behavior. More specifically, after rigorously analyzing over a thousand pages of interview transcripts and open-ended survey responses gathered from hundreds of employees, we found that participants almost unanimously reported that their leader—not a wellness program or initiative—was integral to driving their health and well-being at work. The evidence is clear—if organizations want to boost engagement and performance, they need to stop focusing on quick-fix wellness programs and start investing in better leadership. **Read More:** [_The Plague of Mediocre Leadership_](https://time.com/7022677/mediocre-leadership-essay/) Our research revealed core strategies that set exceptional leaders—whom we call “Generators”—apart. These leaders consistently drive results without burning out their teams or themselves. One of their most impactful strategies? Vulnerability and authenticity. It may seem counterintuitive, but employees aren’t looking for superhero leaders. They want real people—leaders who show up as their true selves, flaws and all. This kind of authenticity builds trust, and trust creates an environment where employees feel safe sharing their challenges. With that openness comes an opportunity for meaningful support. When employees get the help they need, they tackle real problems and genuine solutions emerge. Productivity follows in due course. Consider a personal example of a Generator in action. Early in my career, I (Patricia) had the privilege of working for Jill, a leader who embodied the Generator mindset. I had just started in a high-pressure, client-facing role that required frequent travel and presenting to executives. The onboarding process was intense, with rigorous training focused on presentation skills—complete with nerve-wracking practice sessions and relentless feedback. Jill prepared me for it in a way that stuck with me. She shared her own struggles during presentation training, admitting she hadn’t been a natural at first either. Her openness made all the difference. Instead of feeling overwhelmed or defeated, I trusted her enough to be honest about where I was struggling. That trust created a space where I could improve faster than I ever expected. Jill’s vulnerability wasn’t a weakness; it was the key to unlocking my potential. Another strategy Generators deploy is supporting employees as individuals with unique needs and personal lives. They see employees as whole people and work to build quick relationships to understand their needs. As part of that, they serve as boundary bouncers—helping employees set boundaries important to them, enforcing those boundaries, and blocking employees from people or situations that violate their boundaries. Going back to Jill, she did a great job of supporting each of the team member’s needs and being a boundary bouncer. I distinctly remember a situation where a client needed someone to come onsite and the person assigned to the account was unable to go. I raised my hand and told Jill that I was happy to help and step in - since I didn’t have kids, I figured I had less responsibility than my colleagues and should volunteer. Jill took me aside and told me that my personal boundaries and needs mattered just as much as those who have kids. She said I could, of course, step in to help if I actually had the time. But she also urged me to stick to my own boundaries. After that conversation, I really thought about my boundaries, shared them with her, and we worked together to protect them. Jill saw me as a whole person with a valuable personal life that deserved protection. From our research and our personal experience, we can confidently say that these types of behaviors truly support employee wellness while leading to great results. Our study participants all shared that they worked harder with better leadership, and that investing in leaders isn’t just good for wellness—it’s good for business. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/7271102/why-everyone-is-tired-of-work-essay/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/7271102/why-everyone-is-tired-of-work-essay/"},"headline":"No, Your Email Doesn't Find Me Well. 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