Ever watched Fleabag and felt like she’s performing her life more than living it? That subtle ache beneath her wit, the exhaustion that comes not from overwork, but from not knowing what any of it is for?
That’s purpose fatigue. It doesn’t always look like collapse. It often looks like it is functioning really well on the outside while feeling hollow inside. Mindfulness teaches us to notice that ache, to sit with it, and understand its roots. It’s not always about doing more, sometimes, it’s about understanding why we’re doing it in the first place.
Like when Taylor Swift sang, “I have this thing where I get older but just never wiser”– it’s that quiet existential loop that keeps spinning when your outer success doesn’t match your inner world. We talk about burnout a lot these days due to deadlines, overwork, and emotional fatigue. But sometimes, what we’re feeling isn’t exactly burnout. It’s something quieter, deeper. It’s the feeling of being completely unmoved- not by work, not by life, not even by the things we once loved. It’s not about having too much to do; it’s about not remembering why we’re doing it at all.
This is what I call soul burnout. Or purpose fatigue. It sneaks up on you. You’re still functioning. You’re still meeting expectations. But something inside feels hollow. Like the thread that used to tie you to your work, your people, your purpose- it’s been snipped. You look around and think, “This should feel like more.” But it doesn’t.
At OutAloud Wellness, we meet a lot of people in this space. People who say, “I’m not even sure what’s wrong. I just feel… off.” And often, it’s not depression. It’s not laziness. It’s a disconnection from self, from meaning, from something bigger than the next task on their to-do list. Building emotional maturity means recognizing that feeling for what it is- a signpost, not a dead end. It’s an opportunity to explore your emotional safety, reconnect with your integrity, and understand what truly matters.
Maybe your job doesn’t light you up anymore. Maybe your relationships feel like scripts you’re tired of repeating. Relationship counseling can help unravel these patterns, revealing where compatibility has frayed or where emotional safety needs to be rebuilt. Maybe you’ve achieved what you were supposed to- career, home, stability, and you still feel empty. That’s not failure. That’s a sign. A quiet invitation to reconnect.
To what matters.
To what moves you.
To who you are when no one’s watching.
Therapy can help you pause long enough to hear the questions underneath the noise. Questions like:
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What do I care about, really?
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What kind of life feels true to me?
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What am I holding on to just because I always have?
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