The burnout problem productivity can’t solve

Spencer Jones

Guest Columnist

May 18, 2026

Here’s a tough truth for many to hear – productivity tools don’t fix burnout.

Why?

Because chronic stress changes the brain systems used for planning, judgement and flexibility. 

In this column – the third in a six-part series – we’re going to look at why those tools don’t work, the science behind it and share some real-life examples and observations.

Meet Ted

Ted is the CEO of an insurance company and loves new tools and technology.

He has a team of around 50 employees and is constantly showing his leadership team the new tools and apps he is using.

Ted is all in on AI and is working to make himself as efficient as possible.

But here’s the issue – he is still stressed, overwhelmed and losing sleep at night.

To his team, it looks like Ted is chasing the newest shiny object and is not clear about the direction of the company.

As a result, they aren’t sure what to focus on and keep doing what they’ve always done. 

To Ted, it feels like he is adding more to his plate with the promise of calm, focus and sustainability, yet no matter what he does, it never seems to come. 

‘Getting organized’ isn’t enough

Does this sound familiar?

I’ve seen versions of this play out time and time again across different companies and industries.

Though productivity tools, apps and AI all have their place and can be helpful, they’re not the “magic pill” many hope for.

In my first two columns, I examined why high-performing leaders burn out – often fueled by their own internal pressure patterns.

That’s exactly why simply “getting organized” isn’t enough.

Under chronic stress, we can lose the very functions that time management and “get organized” assume we have.

Things like flexibility, foresight and prioritization.

For those who have been under stress for years, those functions may be extremely limited.

Even for others, they are often significantly reduced by the constant pressure.

Many believe this is the cost of being in a leadership role, especially when you move into the C-suite.

But that’s a fallacy.

Even if we see some top performers paying that cost, it doesn’t mean everyone does, nor that they have to.

Chronic stress can equal long-term pressure

Here’s the part most people overlook: Chronic stress doesn’t just shape how leaders feel – it reshapes how they think.

Yale Medicine defines chronic stress as “a consistent, long-term state of feeling pressured, overwhelmed or under threat, lasting weeks, months or years.”

Unlike short bursts of acute stress, it keeps the body in a prolonged state of high alert – raising the risk of depression, heart disease, high blood pressure and anxiety.

Chronic stress disrupts the prefrontal cortex – a part of the brain that’s especially sensitive to prolonged pressure and is responsible for executive function.

In simple terms, it’s your brain’s CEO.

So, when it is affected by stress, it can become harder to focus, make decisions, regulate our emotions, adapt and prioritize.

What’s happening underneath all of this is important.

Research shows that under stress, certain brain chemicals, like dopamine and norepinephrine, spike in a way that weakens our prefrontal cortex.

Influenced by environment

At the same time, control shifts to more reactive systems.

So, leaders aren’t just feeling overwhelmed – their ability to think clearly, stay focused and make sound decisions is actually being disrupted.

In other words, the very system high-performers rely on to lead effectively starts to go offline.

So, when they say, “I feel off,” or “I can’t think as clearly as I used to,” it’s not just in their head.

It’s happening in their brain.

Here’s the twist – we barely notice it.

Why?

Because we normalize it.

Chronic stress blends into the background because we’ve seen it modeled everywhere – at home, at work and even with characters in movies and on TV.

It starts to feel familiar, and familiarity gets mistaken for normal.

Eventually, we internalize it as the cost of leadership.

Over time, this “normal” becomes part of how we operate, both internally and externally.

Gallup research shows that burnout is strongly influenced by the environment leaders operate in – things like workload, expectations and the level of support they receive – which means this isn’t just about managing time better.

It’s really a question of whether the system itself enables clear thinking and long-term, sustainable performance.

Now, this can get confusing easily.

So, let’s set the record straight.

Burnout is caused by both internal and external environments and pressures. 

Because, yes, workload, expectation and support matter.

But those factors don’t affect every person the same way.

Some leaders can carry a lot of weight and responsibility and stay clear and steady, while others feel overwhelmed under the same conditions.

And there’s a reason for that.

Under stress, your brain can start functioning differently.
The external environment may create the pressure – but the internal system determines whether it feels manageable or overwhelming.

That’s why expanding internal capacity makes such a difference.

Because if a leader doesn’t, the pressure doesn’t stay contained – it spreads.

And what leaders carry, their team feels.

In next month’s column, we’ll take a look at the ripple effect and how stress spreads through teams when it isn’t addressed at the root.