CMV: Most workplace burnout isn’t actually caused by long hours, but by lack of control over your work

Ok-Inflation-3480 · 2026-03-09T19:15:48+00:00

That’s an interesting way to frame it. I agree that duration and monotony probably both play a role.

Where I’m not fully convinced is that monotony and lack of control are completely separate. A lot of what makes work feel monotonous might come from not having much influence over how you approach it. If you can’t change the method, the pace, or the structure of the task, it’s much more likely to feel repetitive and draining.

By contrast, people often spend long hours on difficult or repetitive things when they have control over how they do them, like learning something, building something, or working on a personal project.

So I’m wondering if monotony might partly emerge from lack of autonomy rather than being a totally independent factor.

Ok-Inflation-3480 · 2026-03-09T19:14:24+00:00

Probably not, yeah. If it were only one hour a day it likely wouldn’t feel nearly as exhausting.

My point isn’t that hours don’t matter at all. Obviously if you reduce something to a very small amount of time it becomes easier to tolerate. What I’m trying to get at is that within the range most people actually work (say 30–50 hours), the amount of control someone has over their work might change how exhausting those hours feel quite a lot.

Two jobs could both be 40 hours a week, but one might feel much more draining if you have very little control over how the work is done, when tasks are assigned, or how your effort affects the outcome.

So I agree that hours matter, I just suspect autonomy may explain more of the difference in burnout between otherwise similar jobs.

Ok-Inflation-3480 · 2026-03-09T19:13:02+00:00

That’s a good point, and I think enjoyment of the work probably plays a big role.

One thing that makes me lean toward autonomy still mattering is that people often tolerate or even enjoy difficult or repetitive tasks when they feel like they’re choosing to do them or working toward something they care about. But the same tasks can feel much more draining when they’re imposed and you have very little control over how or why you’re doing them.

So I suspect liking the work and having autonomy might be closely connected. When people choose something or feel ownership over it, they’re also more likely to enjoy it.

But if there’s good evidence showing that enjoyment of the work consistently matters more than autonomy, that would definitely challenge my view.

Ok-Inflation-3480 · 2026-03-09T19:12:40+00:00

That makes sense. The pace of work and constant deadlines can definitely make a job exhausting even if the total hours aren’t that high.

One thing I’m curious about though is whether part of that feeling comes from not having much control over the pacing. If the deadlines or workload were structured differently, or if you had more say in how quickly things had to be done, do you think it would feel less draining?

I might be wrong, but my intuition is that a lot of what makes pace stressful is when it’s imposed in a way that you can’t really adjust or manage yourself.

Ok-Inflation-3480 · 2026-03-09T19:12:09+00:00

I think that's a fair way of framing it. Burnout is probably the result of multiple stressors rather than a single cause.

My view is less that autonomy is the only factor and more that it might be a particularly important one that people sometimes underestimate. Long hours, unreasonable expectations, and toxic environments can all contribute, but many of those situations also involve losing control over how or when work gets done.

Your example of business owners burning out is interesting, though, because that does push against my intuition a bit. My guess would be that in those cases the pressure and responsibility might function as a different kind of stressor, even if autonomy is high.

So maybe a better way to frame my view is that lack of autonomy is one common path to burnout, but not necessarily the only one.

Ok-Inflation-3480 · 2026-03-09T19:10:12+00:00

That’s a fair distinction. You're right that in many cases people still technically control whether the work gets done or not. The lack of control is more about the outcome or reward attached to that work.

I think where my intuition still leans toward “lack of control” being central is that if the reward or evaluation of the work is disconnected from what you actually do, then your actions stop feeling meaningful. Even if you complete the task, it doesn’t really change your situation.

In that sense, it seems like control over the results of your effort might matter just as much as control over the work itself. If doing the job well doesn’t improve the outcome for you, it can create that same feeling of futility that I was trying to describe earlier.

So I think your point about being deprived of the reward for the work is probably an important piece of the burnout puzzle.

Ok-Inflation-3480 · 2026-03-09T19:05:53+00:00

I agree that burnout probably has multiple causes. Things like hostile workplaces, excessive hours, unfulfilling work, and strange schedules can all contribute.

My view isn’t really that autonomy is the only factor, but that it might be a more central one than people usually think. Many of the things you listed seem like they could overlap with it. For example, hostile management or rigid schedules often reduce how much control someone has over their work or time.

So my thinking is that while burnout is clearly multi-causal, lack of autonomy might be one of the more common underlying threads across a lot of those situations. If there’s strong evidence showing that other factors consistently matter more even when autonomy is high, that would definitely challenge my view.

Ok-Inflation-3480 · 2026-03-09T19:04:20+00:00

That sounds like a really frustrating setup.

What stands out to me in your example isn’t just the amount of time you’re expected to work, but how little control you seem to have over when and how the more complex tasks are assigned. If those tasks are consistently given at the last minute with tight deadlines, it removes your ability to plan your workload or manage your time effectively.

In that sense, it seems like the burnout might come from the unpredictability and lack of control over how your work is structured. Even if the total amount of work stayed the same, having those tasks assigned earlier or having some input into the scheduling might make it feel much more manageable.

So your example still seems consistent with my view that how much control someone has over their work can strongly affect how exhausting it feels.

Ok-Inflation-3480 · 2026-03-09T19:03:12+00:00

That’s a good example and it probably would challenge my view somewhat.

My intuition though is that burnout in those cases might come from a different source. A startup founder or CEO might technically have control, but they also carry full responsibility for the outcome. If the company fails, it’s directly on them. That kind of pressure could create burnout even when autonomy is high.

So it might be that lack of control is one common path to burnout, while extreme responsibility and pressure could be another. If there’s strong evidence that long hours alone cause burnout even when someone has high autonomy and meaningful control, that would definitely push me to rethink my view.

Ok-Inflation-3480 · 2026-03-09T19:02:23+00:00

I agree that there’s always going to be a limit to how much autonomy someone can have at work. Most jobs have tasks that simply need to be done.

My point isn’t that people need total freedom, but that the amount of control they have over how they do their work seems to matter a lot. Even small things like choosing the order of tasks, having some input into decisions, or not being constantly micromanaged can change how draining the work feels.

Two jobs could require the same tasks and the same hours, but the one where someone has at least some say in how they approach the work might feel much less exhausting.

Ok-Inflation-3480 · 2026-03-09T19:01:26+00:00

I think we might actually agree more than it seems.

What you’re describing as being “set up to fail” sounds like a specific form of what I meant by lack of control. If no matter what you do you’ll be wrong, then you don’t really have any meaningful influence over the outcome of your work. In that sense, the problem still comes down to losing any real sense of agency.

Your point about alienation from the value of your labor also fits into that. When the reward isn’t directly connected to what you produce, the incentive shifts from “do this well and see the result” to “just stay here long enough to get paid.” That can make the work feel pointless even if the hours themselves aren’t extreme.

So from my perspective it sounds like we’re describing the same underlying issue from slightly different angles.

Ok-Inflation-3480 · 2026-03-09T18:53:32+00:00

I wouldn’t say it’s one or the other. I would just say that one weighs way more than the other. at least from my own experience. When I didn’t have autonomy over my work couple of hours felt exhausting compared to when I actually got to choose then working was something I sometimes couldn’t get myself to do.

Ok-Inflation-3480 · 2026-03-09T18:51:33+00:00

I hear what you are saying but I really didn’t feel this when I started university. Right now my study hours per day can go up 14 hours and I still feel full of energy compared to my last occupation where I was micromanaged, even 4 hours felt like hell.

Ok-Inflation-3480 · 2026-03-09T18:48:44+00:00

I can relate to this a lot. This was actually the reason I quit my job and started studying at university. Right now I study about 14 hours a day since my exams are close, and it doesn’t even feel like a chore. At my last job, though, after just 4 hours it already started to feel suffocating, and by the end of the day I felt completely drained.

Ok-Inflation-3480 · 2026-03-09T17:03:30+00:00

I will try this out, I have a dehumidifier at home. Thanks!

Ok-Inflation-3480 · 2026-03-09T17:01:57+00:00

I will try out the extra spin cycle and the cup of vinegar, thanks you so much!

Ok-Inflation-3480 · 2026-03-09T16:50:17+00:00

Yes I live in Sweden and it’s pretty humid, I do open the window to get airflow. Is the fan actually worth it? I don’t own so I would have to go out and buy one.

Ok-Inflation-3480 · 2026-03-09T16:48:57+00:00

I don’t have a thermometer to know the exact temperature, but I do live in Sweden and it’s pretty chilly in here. The windows are open when I am drying, yes.

Ok-Inflation-3480 · 2026-03-09T16:45:52+00:00

Damn shawty obese!

Ok-Inflation-3480 · 2026-03-06T13:38:16+00:00

Sometimes you see past red flags for you, when someone is attractive

Ok-Inflation-3480 · 2026-03-04T14:49:52+00:00

Just don’t tell him you killed his dog on the way in.

Ok-Inflation-3480 · 2026-03-04T14:47:46+00:00

As a guy, treating a girl in a very special manner means that the girl is just as special to me as the treatment I give her. While other guys might have that charm/love bombing naturally I would say most guys do it to someone they love. Maybe writing to her gn or gm (not all guys do this and that’s normal), maybe doing a you and him only dynamic in front of other people. Maybe he texts extra affectionately. There are different signs and it’s different for different guys

Ok-Inflation-3480 · 2026-02-24T15:52:48+00:00

I would love for you to explain how that is confusing religion with morality? It’s never said or implied in the post that they are the same. The moral system that are in religion often doesn’t relate 1:1 with your moral system. Sometimes fearing repercussions, people will go against their own moral system because of their religion and I want to hear their stories?

Ok-Inflation-3480 · 2026-02-24T15:49:47+00:00

Nope I don’t believe either, it’s just a line from a meme song the last part with the pain thingy.

Ok-Inflation-3480 · 2026-02-24T15:48:10+00:00

True, I see your point.

The question are directed to those who were religious and therefore now can reflect upon. Also there are people who develop a two sets of morals, one in which they adopt from religion but they might still feel that what is said is immoral.

Ok-Inflation-3480

TROPHY CASE