Why You Shouldn’t Ignore Burnout

Photo by SEO Galaxy on Unsplash

Burnout doesn’t just happen to “workaholics” or people in high-pressure jobs. It can happen to anyone who’s been running on empty for too long especially if they have been juggling caregiving, emotional labor, or chronic stress.

What makes burnout so dangerous is how slowly it can sneak up on you. You may start by feeling tired - “I am just going to bed a little later”. Then irritable “Would you kids cut it out! I can’t think straight”. Then detached “Mum!?! Are you even listening to me?”. Before long, things that used to matter just… don’t.

Burnout isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of over-functioning in a system that doesn’t support recovery.

Some common signs of burnout include:

• Emotional exhaustion

• Feeling numb or cynical

• Brain fog or lack of motivation

• Physical symptoms like headaches or gut issues

• Feeling like nothing you do is enough

Burnout isn't just about doing "too much" it's often about doing too much of what drains you, and not enough of what restores you. I will often ask my clients to think of a lawn mower. You get it out of the shed, start it up and push it around a football field, never bothering to stop and check the fuel level much less top it up, then soon it stops and you just keep pushing a non functional heavy hunk of metal around a football field achieving nothing and exhausting yourself in the process.

The good news? Recovery is possible. But it requires more than a bubble bath or a long weekend. True recovery involves recalibrating your boundaries, your identity, and your pace. Therapy offers a space to safely explore the roots of burnout—and to rebuild a version of your life that doesn’t run on depletion. You deserve more than survival mode.

This is your reminder to stop and fill up the tank so you can get back to doing what you do best and living a full and meaningful life.