115. Crushing It or Just Masking? The Hidden Burnout Plaguing SLPs

From the outside, you look fine. Maybe you’re the SLP who’s always polished, always on time, always hitting deadlines. Or maybe you’re the one quietly behind — reports late, notes piled up, emails unanswered — but still working hard to appear as if you’ve got it together.

Either way? It’s exhausting. And it’s what we call masking.

In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on the hidden burnout so many SLPs are carrying — whether you’re overachieving to keep up appearances or working overtime just to look like you’re keeping up.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

• Two of the most common faces of masking for SLPs (and why both are unsustainable)
• Why masking feels safer in the moment, but silently drains your energy and confidence
• The overlap between ADHD, executive dysfunction, and masking in professional life
• How to recognize the gap between what people see and what you’re actually experiencing
• Practical ways to loosen the mask and reclaim authenticity — without shame and without burning everything down

If you’ve ever thought things like, “They think I’m doing great… but if they only knew...” or "How is it that everyone else can keep up and I'm over here drowning..." this episode is for you. You are not alone, and you don’t have to keep pushing through silently.

📌 Resources & Links:

• 💬 Book a free 1:1 consult → If you’re tired of keeping up appearances while struggling behind the scenes, I can help. Let’s talk about how coaching can support you.
• 🎧 Related Episodes:
  • Ep. 112: ADHD, Self-Trust, & the Follow-Through Problem No One Talks About
  • Ep. 113: Why ADHD Makes You Freeze -- and How to Finally Get Unstuck
• 👥 Join the free FB group → Time Management for the Busy SLP

Keywords: SLP burnout, ADHD masking, productivity for speech pathologists, executive dysfunction, work-life balance for SLPs, overwhelmed SLPs

To find out how I can help you improve your work-life balance, click here.

Come join the SLP Support Group on Facebook for more tips and tricks!

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Learn more about Theresa Harp Coaching here.