I can’t feel much joy in things I used to like

Dear Delyara, This has been one of the more frightening parts of burnout for me. It’s not just tiredness. It’s the emotional flattening. Things I used to enjoy still happen — music, hobbies, quiet time, conversations, even small plans — but they don’t always reach me properly. The joy gets through in reduced amounts, like the signal is weak. I am still functioning enough to look okay. But some part of my aliveness feels underpowered lately. That scares me more than exhaustion itself.