Burnt out on a three-day week

Maya, a former director-level product leader at a healthtech company, is experiencing burnout despite working only three days a week at a fractional role—a situation that defies the common advice that rest and reduced workload cure burnout. Her burnout stems not from overwork but from underlying issues: she's operating on autopilot in her current role while simultaneously struggling with repeated job interview failures, which has led her to question her actual competence as a product leader. The case illustrates that burnout can have psychological roots beyond workload, and that standard solutions like taking time off or switching companies don't always address the real problem.