[Eunji Jung's Reality Note] "Iltaegi": A Warning Light from the Heart

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[Korea Lecturer News, Columnist Jung Eun-ji] One day, while getting ready for work, a thought suddenly crossed my mind. “Why does every step feel so heavy today?” The commute to work had never been exactly light, but there are days when it feels unusually heavier. It is hard to explain the exact reason, but it feels as if a small crack has formed somewhere deep inside. The work itself has not changed, but my heart no longer feels the same.

That feeling is what many people in Korea casually call “iltaegi,” a kind of work slump or emotional fatigue toward one’s job. It does not necessarily mean that you hate your work. Rather, it is a state in which your heart no longer moves the way it once did. Perhaps iltaegi is not a sign that the work itself has become unbearable, but that the heart has grown tired first.

I once went through such a period myself. It was around my ninth year working at a dental clinic. At the clinic where I worked at the time, the work system was not properly established, and patients kept pouring in regardless of the appointment schedule. There were many days when I barely had a moment to breathe. The repetitive workload gradually wore me down, and at some point, the question “Am I really growing here?” began to trouble me.

In the middle of that situation, a complaint occurred because of a scheduling mistake. A junior colleague had made an error with an appointment, which caused a problem in the treatment schedule, and the patient strongly protested. I moved frantically between the treatment room and the consultation room to handle the situation, and fortunately, the issue with the patient was resolved well.

But what came from the director was not, “Thank you for your hard work.” Instead, it was, “Manager, you should have prevented this from happening in the first place. You know this is your responsibility, right?” At that moment, something in my heart sank. It felt as though all the effort I had made to resolve the problem meant nothing. The weight I had to carry simply because I was a middle manager, and the structure in which I had to take responsibility even when I was not the one who had directly made the mistake, exhausted me even more.

Around that time, the junior colleagues I had worked closely with also suddenly resigned. They were not only coworkers who worked well with me, but also people I could comfortably meet after work like younger sisters. When they left all at once, the emptiness I felt became even greater. The thought, “Why am I working like this here?” grew stronger and stronger, and in the end, I could no longer hold on. I eventually resigned.

When looking at surveys on workplace fatigue and burnout, it becomes clear that I was not the only one feeling this way. According to a 2024 JobKorea survey, 69 percent of office workers said they had experienced burnout syndrome. Excessive workload, repetitive tasks, unreasonable systems, relationships with superiors, and anxiety about the future all become entangled, slowly wearing away one’s emotional stamina.

Of course, just because people experience iltaegi does not mean everyone makes the same choice. Some continue working while enduring it in their own way, while others take a break or choose a new path. After resigning, I took four months off. During that time, I traveled with friends and also spent several days at my mother’s house, doing nothing in particular. I did not find a special answer during that time, but it helped move my heart slightly from “I can’t endure this anymore” to “Maybe I can try moving again.”

Later, when I began preparing my resume to find a new job, I realized something. At my previous workplace, I had assumed that the experience had only been mentally exhausting and that I had not learned much. But as I started filling in my career history, I found that there was more to write than I had expected. I had experience introducing a new system, and I had also taken on roles that I had not handled at other workplaces.

Looking back, I realized that even though it was a period when I had gone through iltaegi, that time was not meaningless as a whole. I had simply been exhausted, but even within that exhaustion, experience had been accumulating. In working life, everyone goes through moments when their heart is hurt and when they begin to question the work itself. The problem is that we cannot always quit a job impulsively without any preparation. That is why, when iltaegi comes, instead of only asking, “Should I quit right now or not?” we need our own standards for how to endure and pass through that emotion.

Iltaegi is not an emotion that suddenly disappears one day. Like waves, it rises and falls. Sometimes it seems to have passed, only to return again. What matters is looking into why that emotion came to you and then resetting yourself, even slightly, for what comes next. There are several ways that can help.

The first is to bring your original intention back to the surface. When you first joined the company, why did this workplace or this job look appealing to you? What did you want to try there? Simply writing those things down slowly can help organize your emotions. It allows you to separate, even just a little, whether your current struggle comes from the work itself, the people, or the system.

The second is to practice rewarding yourself. Performance and goals often feel like pressure, but the version of you that endured that time also needs small rewards. You may buy something you had wanted, take a short trip, or go alone to a performance or exhibition you had wanted to see. The feeling of “I am allowed to spend this much on myself” can gradually replenish emotional stamina.

The third is to have someone to whom you can honestly open up. It does not have to be for the purpose of getting a solution. Even having one person to whom you can say, “I really don’t want to work these days,” or “I don’t know if this is the right path for me,” can make the weight on your heart feel different. Sometimes, simply saying things out loud helps clear the thoughts in your head.

The last is to create a small routine outside of work. It could be exercise such as yoga or Pilates, or it could be something simple like cooking, reading, or studying for a certification. What matters is adding one more piece of time that you have chosen for yourself to a day that otherwise repeats only as “go to work, leave work.” The sense that “I am not just someone who works, but someone who creates my own time” can become a source of strength when enduring iltaegi.

Iltaegi is not an emotion that comes because someone is lacking. Rather, it may come precisely because that person has endured for a long time and worked hard. What matters is not forgetting that feeling this way does not mean you have collapsed. In truth, many days of working life are closer to records of overcoming than records of achievement. The days you endured, the moments you gathered yourself and went back to work, and all those processes ultimately shape who I am today.

So when iltaegi comes, I hope you do not fear it too much. You do not need to avoid it as if running away, nor do you need to pretend you are fine and force yourself to endure everything. What matters is gradually building the strength to recover in your own way and pass through that time.

A career is not defined only by dazzling achievements. It is also built by the experiences of raising yourself back up after times of exhaustion and uncertainty. And those who pass through such times will eventually be able to face their work again, a little stronger than before.

Columnist Profile

Columnist Eunji Jung is a dental hygienist, author, and lecturer. She also runs the YouTube channel “NABI ONLY.” She is the author of This Is How Dental Hygienists Work and My First Time in Working Life. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Educational Technology at the Graduate School of Hanyang Cyber University, strengthening her ability to design lectures and educational content more effectively. Her lectures include interview special lectures, career branding, and motivational talks for universities and educational institutions. She also provides dental consultation lectures for medical professionals.

Society often demands quick competence from those who are experiencing something for the first time, rather than allowing them enough time to learn. Through her writing, she hopes to share stories about what standards are needed to avoid exhausting oneself in that process, and how one can protect oneself not only as a worker or a professional, but as a person.

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