Project managers are the ones who keep everything moving—deadlines, decisions, deliverables. They're the bridge between teams, the problem-solvers, and the people that get things done. But behind the polished dashboards and updates, project professionals can feel like they’re running on empty.

Mental health isn’t often part of the project conversation—but it should be. Project professionals are trained to mitigate risks, manage shifting priorities, and keep everyone aligned. But what happens when the real risk is burnout?

“Mental health really is risk management,” says Valerie Carmel Dorsainvil, LCSW. “You don’t wait until you’re fully engulfed in flames to determine that you need a fire extinguisher.”

That’s why we brought together two experts who understand the emotional cost of keeping projects—and people—on track. Michele Badie, PMP, CPMAI, a seasoned program manager and mental health advocate, shares her lived experiences, while Valerie brings her clinical lens from working with high-achieving professionals—including project managers like you—to help us reframe well-being as a strategic priority.

So, before your project—or you—start to spiral, take a breath and dive into these practical tips from one project manager to another.

1. Set boundaries and stick to them

One of the top causes of burnout—which Valerie says often looks like detachment, slips in work quality, and lack of engagement—is a lack of boundaries and the guilt we feel about setting them. Valerie offers a surprising metaphor that sticks: “Be like Chick-fil-A.” Why?

“They’re closed every Sunday,” says Valerie. “Because they base their boundaries off their values. They’re consistent and they accept the consequences.”

If your values include family, fitness, or just uninterrupted time to focus, your boundaries should reflect that. Communicate them clearly and reinforce them kindly.

“I communicate my own boundaries. I make sure that if I'm away, I'm away. If I'm available, I'm available,” says Michele.

But setting boundaries isn’t just about time—it’s also about using the right tools to manage it wisely. For Michele, leveraging technology, especially artificial intelligence (AI), is a practical way to preserve boundaries and mental energy.

“AI is here to stay,” she says. “Preschedule your emails if you need, preschedule your messages. Make sure your agendas are tight. Make sure you have a pre-read. Use the tools that are the standard for your PMO—they’re there to help you be effective.”

2. Don’t max yourself out

You’re the glue—but you’re also a person. Supporting others can become emotionally taxing if you don’t also pause to check in with yourself.

“Project managers and program managers are solutionists at heart,” says Michele. “We're leading a project to an end goal, to be viable, to be profitable, and on time. One thing about being the glue is we always assess others and sometimes we can max out our own capacity by making sure we're present for others.”

But boundary-setting is just the beginning. Left unchecked, the emotional demands of project work can push you into what Valerie calls “power overdose.”

This goes beyond everyday stress. “Power overdose is functioning beyond your mental, physical, emotional, spiritual capacity for extended periods, to the point where rest no longer feels restorative,” she explains.

The fix? Prioritize your internal bandwidth as fiercely as you track external dependencies. Michele explains there’s no shame in taking time to step away to dissect and process information.

“This way I can be the glue and at the same time I’m not over stimulating myself with all the information I have coming in while not giving myself time to process,” she says.

3. Communicate with care

Sometimes, the most impactful communication happens in small, measured moments. Michele recommends “bite-sized conversations” as a way to process complex issues incrementally, without overwhelming yourself or your team.

This becomes especially important when your bandwidth is low. “Communicate respectfully,” says Michele. “You don’t want anyone to feel like, ‘If I reach out to Michele today, who am I going to get?’

And when you're feeling stretched thin, the goal isn't to hide it—it’s to handle it with honesty and care. That includes checking in with your own tone and attitude.

“If you are snappy, don’t be hesitant to loop back around,” explains Michele. “Let them know, ‘You know what? I didn’t really respond the way I should have, and I apologize.’ It’s not necessarily an excuse, but it’s a reality.”

Michele encourages frequent temperament checks—not just for your team, but for yourself. These micro-moments of self-awareness keep relationships intact, even during the most demanding phases of a project.

Valerie echoes this need for pause and recalibration. “If you work every day, you need to rest every day. Create as many opportunities for restoration and recalibration as possible.”

She calls them “pressure release valves”—those small, intentional acts of pause that help you reset before you react.

Think of rest and reflection as maintenance. It keeps you from burning out—and keeps your communication grounded in respect, even when your plate is full.

4. You don’t have to know everything

Valerie says she sees a consistent pattern among project managers: perfectionism, anxiety, decision fatigue, and self-doubt. Many are pushing themselves beyond capacity—and paying for it mentally and emotionally.

The result? Cognitive overload. Valerie explains that when we stop trying to “solve everything” and instead try to understand first, we reduce our own cognitive overload.

A fix? Start with curiosity. Curiosity invites collaboration, empathy, and psychological safety, and you’ll create safer spaces for your team and yourself. When you show up curious—asking instead of assuming—you create space where others feel safe to speak up, clarify, and collaborate.

“Show up curious to understand the why, how, what, and when versus off of coming with the preconceived perception,” explains Michele.

This mindset doesn’t just benefit your team—it protects your own mental clarity.

5. Stay agile about what you can’t control

Plans shift. Scopes creep. The control you crave as a project manager may not always be possible. And when that happens, it's easy to take changes personally.

“From an agile perspective, we have to be flexible, and we must learn to let things go,” says Michele. “Perspective is everything. As project managers, we want to see a successful project. Sometimes if it gets tabled or delayed, we can take it personally, even though we know not to. We're human.”

 

Instead, strength comes from acknowledging what you need—which may be taking a moment to release pressure and breathe if a project falls off track. So, embrace the pivot. Flexibility isn’t a failure—it’s a powerful tool for navigating both the project and your well-being.

6. Lead like you mean it—but not at your own expense

You don’t just set the timelines—you set the tone. Your team is watching how you show up.

“My main thing is modeling what I preach and treating people how I want to be treated,” explains Michele. “I'll ping them one-on-one and say, ‘Hey, how are you doing?’”

Leadership in project work often means managing people across functions, titles, time zones—and emotional states. It’s not unusual to feel stretched thin by the number of personalities you juggle daily.

“We can become fatigued with managing personalities,” says Michele. “It’s our responsibility to communicate that.”

Normalize check-ins and lean into those around you, including your peers and leadership.

“You’re probably not experiencing something that’s unique to you,” says Michele. “Spend time curating and cultivating healthy relationships. Ask them—'what would you do?’ ‘What have you experienced?’”

Before burnout happens model care. The best leaders show strength not by holding it all in—but by making space for others and for themselves.

7. Delegate, don’t drown

Just because you can do it all doesn’t mean you should. Project managers are not the decision makers—they’re the orchestrators. But it’s easy to blur those lines.

“Ask for help. Don’t be afraid to delegate. We are the ones that are shining the light into the dark spaces. That’s our job,” explains Michele.

Valerie reminds us “You cannot be the solver of every single problem.” And recommends repeating that until it sinks in.

8. Make mental health a daily ritual, not an emergency fix

Burnout doesn’t happen overnight—but neither does balance. Mental health isn’t something you squeeze into your schedule. It’s a habit. A mindset.

Taking care of your mental health looks different for everyone. For Michele, it’s chopping garlic. “When I need to reset, I like to step away I like to cook something,” says Michele. “For some reason it ends up being chopping garlic. Then I’ll come back, and I have clarity.”

She’s also a fan of what she calls her five-minute formula. “I look for something that will make me laugh, then drink water, and then stretch.”

It’s not big. It’s not performative. But it works. These tiny rituals create space to reset.

Valerie echoes the value of building in daily decompression. “Even five minutes in between meetings is enough. Reframe the way you look at work—from persistent productivity to sustainable performance.”

And perhaps most importantly, your pause might help someone else do the same.

“Do not be reluctant to create pauses for yourself,” Michele says. “Because sometimes you might be an enlightening to someone else.”

This work is a marathon

At the end of the day, remember project work is rarely a sprint—it’s a marathon. And as Michele reminds us, “There are times we’re running harder, sometimes we’re almost walking—but we’re still making progress.”

That perspective matters. So, take a pause. Set the boundary. Step away. Because your team deserves a healthy leader.