Why the Question "What Do You Want?" Is So Infuriating When You Have Burnout

You know that moment when someone sees you’re exhausted and says, “How can I help? What do you need?”
And you just… freeze? Or maybe you kinda sorta FUME?

Sure - You do have daydreams — winning the lottery, disappearing to a cabin in the woods — but those are fantasies. When your spouse, boss, or friend is asking you right now, your mind goes blank. Because you don't know. You know what is happening right now isn't working. And being asked by people to map out with bullet points exactly how they can help you feels like adding insult to injury. How can they help you? Seriously?!? How about they just use their own critical thinking skills and help me with some of this work? How about they consider that laying a bunch of people off, tasking me with more work (without paying me more) and THEN sending me invites to "time management" employee health presentations is enraging. How about that spouse of mine stop asking me what he can do and ....I don't know...look around and find something to do and just DO IT.

In this session, we’ll explore:

• Why burnout makes this question so hard to answer (and no, it’s not just you and you're not crazy)
• How burnout disrupts your connection to your own voice and gut instincts
• Why “What do you need?” can sometimes feel absurd — because it asks you to use the very energy you don’t have to figure it out and delegate
• What being pulled into the boat could actually look like for you right now

If you’ve ever felt like you’re drowning while people on shore are shouting questions instead of tossing a rope, this conversation will help you understand what’s happening in your brain and body — and give you simple ways to start answering this question (or sidestepping it entirely) without more overwhelm.
Come as you are. You can talk or just listen. Either way, you’ll leave with a little more clarity, compassion for yourself, and a few life rafts you can actually grab onto.