I Apologized My Way Into Burnout

I used to think that if I just said sorry enough, I could keep my job from swallowing me whole. Every mistake—missed deadline, wrong file, typo in a client email—felt like a personal failing, like proof I didn’t belong here. So I got good at apologizing. Too good. I’d rehearse lines in my head before hitting send: “I take full responsibility,” “I understand the impact,” “I’m committed to fixing this.” I started to sound like a script, even to myself. But the truth is, every apology chipped away at me. I wasn’t just owning my mistakes—I was letting them define me. I’d sit at my desk after hours, rewriting emails, convinced that if I could just get the tone right, I could undo the damage. But it never felt like enough. The more I tried to prove I was responsible, the more I felt like a fraud. Some days, I wonder if I ever learned anything except how to say sorry. #WorkAnxiety #ImposterSyndrome #Burnout #Education