Burnout

People often come to therapy because they have previously been grinding their way through life and when everything crashes down, they think something is “wrong” with them. Burnout is an emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion that develops after prolonged periods of pressure, responsibility, or caregiving without enough rest, support, or recovery. It is a nervous system and mind that have been in “overdrive” for too long, eventually making it hard to stay motivated, engaged, or resilient. 

It can leave us feeling flat, disconnected, cynical, or trapped, even in areas of life we once really enjoyed.

Burnout isn’t a personal failure; it’s often a predictable response to systems that reward overworking, emotional labour, productivity, and self-sacrifice. In many workplaces, families, and cultures, people are positively reinforced for pushing past their limits, praised for being high-achieving or endlessly available, until their nervous system can no longer sustain the pace. Worse still, we often internalise these messages!

Burnout can be understood as a mismatch between human needs and the environments we’re trying to survive in. People don’t burn out because they’re weak; they burn out because they care, because they’ve been carrying too much for too long, or because stepping back has felt unsafe, impossible, or socially punished. 

Recovery involves restoring balance, boundaries, meaning, and choice, rather than “fixing” you.

How Burnout Can Show Up

  • Persistent physical and mental exhaustion, even after rest

  • Feeling emotionally drained, numb or empty.

  • Loss of motivation, drive, or sense of meaning

  • Increased irritability, frustration, or cynicism

  • Feeling detached from work, relationships, or daily life

  • Reduced concentration, memory, or decision-making (brain fog)

  • Dreading tasks that once felt manageable or fulfilling

  • Withdrawing socially or feeling overwhelmed by people

  • Trouble sleeping, resting, or fully switching off

  • Physical symptoms such as headaches, muscle tension, gut issues, or frequent illness

  • Increased self-criticism, guilt, or shame for not coping.

  • Procrastination, avoidance, or shutdown

  • Feeling trapped, hopeless, or like you have nothing left to give

  • Losing touch with hobbies, creativity, or joy

How We Can Work Together

Depending on your needs, we may use a range of approaches, including:

  • Exploring your experience of burnout without blame.

  • Softening self-criticism, building self-compassion, and reducing guilt for needing rest.

  • Identifying unhelpful thinking patterns, challenging perfectionism, and developing practical coping strategies.

  • Learning to navigate overwhelm through grounding, breath work, and body-based approaches to restore energy.

  • Reconnecting with what matters most and establishing reasonable limits

  • Understanding how workplaces, culture, and societal expectations may be contributing to burnout.

  • Gradually rebuilding motivation, joy, and engagement in work, relationships, and life.

Looking for an Online Psychologist for Burnout?

If burnout is getting in the way of how you want to live, support is available.

You are welcome to start with a free 15-minute consult call to see if we’re a good fit. 

If you’d like more information first, you can ask a question or browse the FAQs.