Signs of Burnout

Burnout doesn’t usually arrive suddenly.

For most people, it builds gradually — through long hours, sustained pressure and responsibility. Many people experiencing burnout are capable, reliable, and driven. Chronic stress and burnout aren’t signs of weakness. They’re signs that the demands placed on you have exceeded your capacity for too long.

Common signs include:

• constant fatigue that doesn’t resolve with rest

• irritability or emotional numbness

• reduced motivation or concentration

• feeling detached or cynical

• loss of enjoyment or meaning in work or life

• sleep difficulties

• a sense that you’re just “getting through the day”

Chronic Stress and the Nervous System

Under chronic stress, the body spends too much time in the fight-or-flight response.

When stress is short-term, the nervous system is designed to activate and then recover. With ongoing pressure, that recovery doesn’t happen properly. The result is a system that’s either:

• constantly activated (tense, anxious, restless), or

• depleted and shut down (flat, disengaged, exhausted)

Many people fluctuate between the two.

Importantly, chronic stress impacts not just mood, but thinking, memory, emotional regulation, and physical functioning.

Burnout in High-Functioning Individuals

Burnout is particularly common in people who:

• hold significant responsibility

• value competence and reliability

• take pride in coping independently

• feel accountable for outcomes

• struggle to step back or say no

In these cases, burnout isn’t caused by lack of resilience — it’s often the result of over-responsibility and prolonged self-neglect.

When It’s Worth Getting Support

Burnout tends to worsen if ignored. Early intervention can prevent burnout from leading into depression, anxiety, or even physical health problems. It may be worth seeking support if:

• exhaustion or detachment persists

• stress feels constant rather than situational

• motivation and focus continue to decline

• rest no longer feels restorative

• work or relationships are being affected

• you feel stuck in a cycle you can’t escape

How I Help With Burnout

My approach to working with clients experiencing burnout focuses on evidence-based principles and draws from various psychological interventions that I tailor to your specific needs and goals.

This generally involves:

• understanding how stress has accumulated over time

• identifying patterns of over-functioning or self-pressure

• learning how your nervous system responds to prolonged demand

• reassessing values, goals, and expectations

• addressing guilt or resistance around rest and boundaries

• restoring a sense of agency and meaning

Therapy provides space to step out of survival mode and make deliberate, sustainable changes — rather than waiting for forced rest through exhaustion or illness.

If you’d like to arrange a session to discuss your specific situation and see what I can do to help, please get in touch using the form below.

Telehealth sessions are available Australia-wide.