Switching off feels like letting someone down because you've quietly attached your sense of responsibility to staying mentally available, even when there's nothing left for you to actually do. This pattern is called being a Carrier, one of the four types of work spirals.
The Carrier's pattern differs from the other three because it isn't tied to a specific thought or a specific action. It's an ongoing sense of obligation with no clear off switch. The workday ends, the tasks are done or done enough, but the feeling of being responsible for how things turn out doesn't end with them — it keeps running quietly in the background all evening, regardless of whether there's anything you could even do about it right now.
Carriers often describe themselves as always on without being able to name what they're doing — because the pattern isn't really about doing anything. It's about not allowing themselves to stop.
Take the Work Spirals Meter — Carrying tends to touch relationship, recovery, and peace of mind all at once, at a lower simmer rather than one sharp spike.
Try the Interceptor — a two-minute protocol built specifically for Carriers, designed to be used the moment you notice the pattern starting.