How to Know If You’re Burned Out—Not Just Tired
A trauma-informed look at burnout for high-responsibility professionals and caregivers
You tell yourself you're just tired.
If you can get through this week, finish that project, take a day off—then maybe you’ll feel like yourself again.
But deep down, you know this isn't just tiredness.
You're running on fumes, but you keep pushing. You’re showing up for your clients, your coworkers, your kids, your community. You’ve mastered the art of holding it all together, even when you're falling apart on the inside.
This is what burnout looks like. And if you're a high-responsibility person—especially someone who’s been taught to put others first—it can take a while to realize you're in it.
What Burnout Really Feels Like
Burnout isn’t just physical exhaustion. It’s emotional, mental, and often relational. It’s what happens when your nervous system has been in overdrive for too long, without a chance to come down. It can show up in ways you may not immediately connect to stress:
You feel numb or detached, even from things you care about.
You’re forgetful, irritable, or easily overwhelmed by small things.
You feel like you’re failing, even when you’re meeting expectations.
You dread things you used to enjoy—or don’t feel much of anything at all.
You find yourself avoiding people or responsibilities, even though you “should” be able to handle them.
You may think you’re just not managing well. But burnout isn’t a personal failure. It’s your body and mind responding to chronic overwhelm.
Why High-Responsibility Folks Are Especially Prone
When you’ve spent your life being the “go-to” person, asking for help may not come naturally. You’re used to holding emotional labor for others, anticipating needs before they’re spoken, and staying composed—no matter what.
You may feel like you don’t have permission to slow down. Like rest is something you have to earn.
But rest isn’t a reward for burning out. It’s a requirement for healing.
Burnout and the Nervous System
Many clients I work with are surprised to learn that burnout lives in the nervous system. If you've experienced trauma, you may be operating from a survival state—fight, flight, freeze, or fawn—even if your life looks stable from the outside.
Over time, this can lead to emotional shutdown, disconnection from your body, and an inability to feel joy, clarity, or presence.
Burnout isn't just about doing too much. It's about doing too much for too long without feeling safe, supported, or seen.
What Healing Looks Like
You don’t need to quit everything or overhaul your entire life to heal from burnout. But you do need space to slow down and reconnect with yourself.
In trauma-informed therapy, we’ll start by helping your body feel safe enough to come out of survival mode. Together, we’ll explore:
How to notice and honor the signs your body gives you
The difference between capacity and over-functioning
Small but powerful ways to reclaim energy and rest
Practices that support nervous system regulation
Boundaries that reflect what you actually have to give
You deserve care that doesn’t ask you to push harder, but invites you to soften, release, and return to yourself.
You’re Not Broken—You’re Burned Out
Burnout isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s a sign that you’ve been carrying too much, for too long, without enough support.
If you're ready to explore another way of being—one where you don't have to earn rest, overperform, or prove your worth—therapy can be a starting place.
CTA: Ready to Reclaim Your Energy?
Therapy with Meagé offers high-capacity women and LGBTQIA+ folks the space to pause, feel, and heal. Whether you’re burned out, overwhelmed, or just know something’s not right, you don’t have to keep carrying it alone.
