Well, the phrase opening up sounds more like a conversation you would have with someone close to you. It kind of sounds like you might be unloading a bunch of mental baggage onto someone. Of course it depends on how the actual conversation goes. I guess when I read it I didn't get the impression that OP was informing the boss that the workload was too much or that time off was needed during work hours. It sounded more like a personal conversation that happened during work but what do I know? Sometimes though a person needs a different job instead of forcing the job to conform to your needs. I had a job years ago where I worked in close contact with some very difficult clients with health challenges. One day my boss called me in and talked to me about it and expressed concern that this client might be too difficult for me. I was qualified for the role so that's not the issue. Because of this specific situation there were only two workable outcomes. Either I deal with the problem client and get paid for it or I don't. There were no workarounds or changes in hours possible. In this case I chose to work with the client because I needed the hours and I had a terrible experience but learned a lot. Mostly I learned that some clients are jerks just because they can be but I also learned that sometimes you might not be suited for a certain job. I love that job and did it for years. I considered going back but there's too much government regulation that has pushed hundreds of people out of the field. The clients constantly complain that there's not enough support but the requirements are so stringent and not meaningful long-term so most people only stay for two or three years.