Talking to a Colleague About Feeling Burned Out

7/27/2026intermediate

Speakers

You

あなた

Mei

シニアAIエンジニア（シンガポール）

この場面について

リモートで働く信頼できる同僚に、最近感じている燃え尽き気味の状態を打ち明けて、働き方について相談する場面

Summary (JP)

あなたはシンガポール在住のシニアAIエンジニア、メイに最近の疲労感や仕事の重さについて相談します。メイは無理をしないことの大切さを伝え、タスクの一部を人に任せることや、勤務時間外の通知をオフにすること、数日休みを取ることなど具体的なアドバイスをくれます。会話の最後には、来週また様子を確認し合う約束をします。

会話

Speed:

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You:

Hey Mei, have you got a few minutes? I wanted to talk about something.

Mei:

Of course. What's on your mind?

You:

Honestly, I've been feeling pretty overwhelmed lately. I think I might be burning out.

Mei:

I'm sorry to hear that. What's been weighing on you the most?

You:

The workload just keeps piling up, and I feel like I can never fully switch off.

Mei:

That sounds exhausting. Have you talked to our manager about it?

You:

Not yet. I didn't want to seem like I couldn't handle the job.

Mei:

I get that, but speaking up early is actually a sign of good judgment, not weakness.

You:

That's reassuring to hear. I guess I've been afraid of letting the team down.

Mei:

You won't let anyone down by taking care of yourself. Burnout hurts the team more in the long run.

You:

You're right. I just don't know where to start fixing this.

Mei:

Let's start by figuring out which tasks you can delegate or postpone.

You:

There's the model evaluation project, but I could probably hand part of that off to Sam.

Mei:

Good idea. Reducing your plate even a little can make a real difference.

You:

I also think I need to set clearer boundaries around after-hours messages.

Mei:

Definitely. It's okay to mute notifications once you're off the clock.

You:

Maybe I should also consider taking a few days off to recharge.

Mei:

I'd really encourage that. A short break now could prevent a bigger burnout later.

You:

Thanks, Mei. Talking this through already makes me feel less stuck.

Mei:

Anytime. And let's check in again next week to see how you're doing.

Vocabulary

burned out / burnout

Meaning: 燃え尽きた、燃え尽き症候群

Example: She felt completely burned out after months of overtime.

overwhelmed

Meaning: 圧倒されている、手に負えない状態

Example: I've been feeling overwhelmed by all the deadlines.

weigh on someone

Meaning: (人)の心の負担になる

Example: This project has really been weighing on me.

switch off

Meaning: (仕事のことなどを)頭から切り離す、休む

Example: It's hard to switch off when your phone keeps buzzing.

delegate

Meaning: (仕事などを)人に任せる、委任する

Example: You should delegate some of these tasks to your team.

set boundaries

Meaning: (仕事とプライベートなどの)線引きをする

Example: It's important to set boundaries around your working hours.

off the clock

Meaning: 勤務時間外で、就業時間が終わって

Example: I try not to check email once I'm off the clock.

recharge

Meaning: 英気を養う、充電する

Example: I took the weekend off to recharge before the big launch.

Quiz

1. Why did You hesitate to talk to the manager about feeling overwhelmed?

2. What does Mei say about speaking up early?

3. What does Mei suggest doing first to reduce the workload?

4. Who might take over part of the model evaluation project?

5. What do You and Mei agree to do at the end of the conversation?

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