It’s Still Work… Even If You Love What You Do (Why your passion still requires boundaries, rest, and a whole lot of honesty, especially during the holidays).
People love to say, “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.” Every time I hear it, I shake my head, give a polite but wary smile, and resist the urge to bulge my eyes, wave my outstretched hands, and exclaim “NO!!!!” Because, if we’re being honest, even when you adore your purpose, find your passion, feel your work is aligned, and walk in your calling, it’s still work.
A couple of weeks ago, I shared this same message on TikTok and Instagram. In the reel, I said, “It’s still work even if you love what you do. Think about it, they call it a labor of love. Labor implies effort, energy, and resources.” And baby, that message hit home for a lot of y’all.
As a social worker, an educator, a business owner, and a Black woman who built her life around helping people heal and grow, let me tell you something from experience: overworking will humble you every time. Loving the work does not protect you from burnout. In fact, sometimes it makes you more vulnerable to it.
With the holidays creeping in, when expectations, responsibilities, and emotional labor all magically multiply, we need this reminder more than ever.
The Myth of “Passion Protects You”
How amazing would it be if passion were a shield? Let me tell you, I would thrive if enthusiasm were a stress-management plan. But passion without boundaries is just a shortcut to exhaustion with prettier branding.
People see me delivering keynote speeches, hosting professional development workshops for high achievers, or sharing about Black mental health on panels, and they assume I’m operating on endless fuel. They assume because I love this work, because it is my spiritual calling, that my energy is limitless.
Let me be the first to say, “Sis, no.”
I’ve absolutely hit seasons where burnout was my baseline. The exhaustion was so ingrained in me that I thought it was just part of my personality. I was convinced that because my work was meaningful, because I experienced a thrill every time I lost myself in my research, that it “didn’t count” as work because when was work ever this enjoyable?? Even when my body was screaming otherwise, I still considered my work, my research, and my job as my hobbies.
I have since learned this simple truth: Loving something doesn’t erase the labor; it just makes the labor easier to justify.
But the body keeps the score and the receipts-every hour, every project, every depleted moment.
And the holidays? Whew. They come with bonus labor: emotional labor, family labor, caregiving labor, social labor… all stacked on top of the labor you already do for work.
Rest, Even and Especially From the Things You Love
I tell my students, my colleagues, my workshop participants, and the folks taking my ASWB-approved on-demand social work continuing education courses, “If it drains you, rest from it. If it energizes you, rest from it. If it pays you, rest from it. If you love it, rest from it.”
Rest isn’t a reward for finishing something. Rest is a resource and a requirement for doing anything well.
I love being an entrepreneur. It is a thrill and provides the intellectual stimulation I regularly search for. But even though I love every project I take on, there have still been times when I felt like I was falling apart. I would finish a task and feel depleted. I would wrap on a professional development event and immediately fall into bed.
These experiences taught me that I need rest even from the things that bring me joy. I give my all to my workshop facilitations, keynote speeches, panel discussions, and continuing education courses. It’s no wonder that I have nothing left after and can do nothing but restore!
And during the holiday season, when we add gift-buying, traveling, planning, kitchen duty, extra caretaking, and last-minute cooking requests to our plates, rest becomes even more essential. You cannot pour out of an empty self, and you do not have to earn your rest with productivity.
Even joy needs pauses. Passion needs boundaries, and a calling needs a nap schedule.
Protecting Your Peace During the Holidays
The holidays have a way of glorifying overwork and then demystifying the whole process. Suddenly everybody expects you to be a chef, therapist, travel coordinator, emotional support human, project manager, and multitasking superhero… all while smiling in matching pajamas.
But here’s the good news:
You are allowed to love your work and log off.
You are allowed to love your family and protect your energy.
You are allowed to love the holidays and have limits.
Some of the best things I’ve done for myself in recent years include:
Saying no to holiday obligations that left me drained.
Taking time off even when my to-do list wasn’t finished.
Prioritizing the kind of rest that restores me (not the “scrolling in bed for hours” version).
Not making myself the designated crisis manager during family gatherings.
Letting myself be human, not a machine powered by Black Girl Magic.
Because at the end of the day, the holidays aren’t supposed to break you; they’re supposed to bless you. You deserve to experience them with presence, peace, and permission to rest.
Call To Action: Permit Yourself to Rest Before Burnout Makes the Decision for You
As we move into this holiday season, I want you to pause and ask yourself:
Where am I working harder than I need to?
Where am I confusing passion with unlimited capacity?
Where do I need to rest, even from the things I love?
And if you’re a clinician or a social worker who needs continuing education that actually acknowledges the emotional labor you carry, check out my ASWB-approved online CE courses. They’re self-paced, accessible, and designed with you in mind, especially during seasons when everyone seems to want more from you. Pay particular attention to the Strong Black Woman course to ensure you are not reverberating these harmful messages to your female clients.
Remember, you don’t have to wait for burnout to remind you that you’re human. You can choose to rest now, and you can do it with love.
FAQ:
1. If I truly love my career, why do I still feel tired?
Because passion doesn’t override labor. You can love your purpose and still get worn out by the effort it takes to show up. Loving the work doesn’t make you superhuman, it just means the work feels meaningful. But meaningful work still uses energy, and your body and mind will still ask for rest.
2. How do I know the difference between normal fatigue and burnout?
Normal fatigue goes away with rest. Burnout hangs around like an uninvited guest. With burnout, even after you “rest,” you still feel depleted, irritable, overwhelmed, or numb. If your baseline starts feeling like survival mode, that’s not normal tired… that’s burnout tapping you on the shoulder.
3. Can I rest even when there’s still work to be done?
Yes, and you should. Rest is not a prize for finishing everything. Rest is a tool that helps you stay well enough to do anything. Taking breaks, especially during the holidays, protects the quality of your work, your mental health, and your peace.
4. How do I set boundaries when people expect me to be “on” during the holidays?
Communicate clearly, early, and, preferably, without guilt. You don’t have to explain, justify, or apologize for protecting your energy. A simple “I won’t be able to do that this year” or “I’m planning a slower holiday season for my well-being” is more than enough. “No” is also a complete sentence. Remember, love needs boundaries too, and it is not your responsibility to manage anyone else’s emotions. They are allowed to feel disappointed with your new boundaries, but their disappointment does not require your (re)negotiation.
5. What resources do you offer for social workers, therapists, or helping professionals dealing with burnout?
I offer ASWB-approved, self-paced online continuing education courses designed specifically for social workers and clinicians who want meaningful, relevant learning without the added overwhelm. My courses honor your humanity, protect your energy, and help you rethink your relationship with work and rest, especially during high-stress seasons. I also offer professional development workshops and speaking engagements for agencies, nonprofits, organizations, and higher education institutions. To learn more about my speaking engagements, please click here.
