Burnout: Signs of It and How You Can Recover!
Photo by Anthony Tran on Unsplash
Burnout isn’t just about being tired, it’s a full-body, full-mind depletion that can leave you feeling disconnected from your work, your relationships, and even yourself. It sneaks up over time, wearing down your motivation, patience, and energy until one day, you wake up and realize you have nothing left to give.
As a mental health therapist and EMDR clinician, I’ve seen burnout show up in people’s lives in ways they don’t even recognize at first. It’s more than stress,it’s the body and mind throwing up a white flag, saying, “I can’t keep doing this.”
Burnout at Work
In the workplace, burnout often starts subtly. You might feel exhausted at the end of the day, but who doesn’t? Then, over time, that exhaustion doesn’t go away, even after rest. You stop feeling engaged in your work, even if you once loved what you do. You find yourself feeling resentful toward your job, your coworkers, the emails piling up in your inbox. Tasks that used to feel easy now feel overwhelming. You might procrastinate more, struggle to concentrate, or feel like nothing you do actually matters.
Physically, burnout can show up as headaches, stomach issues, or chronic tension. Sleep becomes restless, and you might wake up dreading the day ahead. And then there’s the cynicism: the feeling that everything is pointless, that no one appreciates your work, or that you’ll never catch up. That’s when you know burnout is taking hold.
Burnout in Relationships
It’s not just work that can burn you out, relationships can too. A partner, friend, or family member you once loved spending time with now feels draining. You feel emotionally exhausted just by being around them. You may start avoiding conversations or making excuses to spend time alone. You don’t feel as present, and when conflict arises, your patience is gone. Maybe you shut down, or maybe you lash out over small things. Either way, the connection starts to feel more like an obligation than something that brings joy.
Relationship burnout often happens when there’s an imbalance—one person giving significantly more than the other, unspoken resentment building, or a lack of emotional support. If you’re constantly the one holding things together, always the “strong” one, or never feeling like your needs are met, burnout is inevitable.
How Do You Know Where Your Line Is?
Everyone’s threshold is different, but the biggest red flag is when things that once felt manageable or fulfilling now feel unbearable. If you used to enjoy your job but now dread it, if you used to love your partner but now feel indifferent or exhausted by them, if you used to have patience and now find yourself on edge all the time. This is your body telling you you’re past your limit.
Pay attention to when your stress feels chronic rather than temporary. A rough week or two is normal. Months of exhaustion, disengagement, and resentment are not.
How to Recover from Burnout
Step Back and Reassess. What is draining you the most? Is it your workload, your emotional investment, the pressure to be everything for everyone? You have to identify the source before you can address it.
Set Boundaries. If work is overwhelming you, can you delegate, take a break, or set firmer limits on your time? If relationships are depleting you, do you need to communicate your needs or take space? Boundaries are essential to recovery.
Prioritize Rest and Joy. Burnout recovery isn’t just about stopping work—it’s about actively refilling your energy. That means real rest (not scrolling your phone at midnight), movement that feels good, and engaging in activities that bring you joy and connection.
Get Support. You don’t have to push through burnout alone. Whether it’s therapy, talking to a trusted friend, or getting professional help, support is key.
Burnout doesn’t mean you’re failing, it means you’ve been running on empty for too long. It’s your body and mind’s way of demanding change, not proof that you aren’t strong enough. Strength isn’t about pushing through until you collapse; it’s about recognizing when you need to stop, reset, and rebuild in a way that actually sustains you.
The world won’t stop if you take a step back, but if you don’t, you might lose parts of yourself in the process. Give yourself permission to pause, to protect your energy, and to reclaim the parts of your life that bring you joy. You deserve more than just surviving, you deserve to feel alive again.
About the Author
Mandy Morris is an Executive Psychology Coach, Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), and Certified EMDR Clinician with over a decade of experience helping leaders, entrepreneurs, and individuals achieve deep emotional healing and personal transformation.