Drained by Over-Functioning

If you’re ending most days emotionally exhausted, it might not be your workload, it might be your self-abandonment.

In this solo episode of The Tessa Tubbs Podcast, Tessa explores a powerful self-leadership question she asks when work leaves her drained:
“Where did I abandon myself to keep the peace?”

She unpacks how chronic exhaustion often comes from over-functioning: closing the gap for others, rescuing unprepared teammates, and carrying responsibilities that were never yours to hold.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to recognize the difference between a healthy “season of sprinting” and an unsustainable way of living
• The hidden trade-offs we make when we over-function (movement, nutrition, mental clarity, stress release)
• Why your energy is often drained not because you can’t handle hard work, but because you’re abandoning your needs to keep things smooth
• How stepping back may require new boundaries, and why boundaries often create conflict when people are used to crossing them

If you’ve been living in “closing the gap” mode for months at a time, this episode is an invitation back to self-leadership: stop abandoning yourself and start making different choices.