You used to love your job. Or at least manage it. But lately, just the thought of another Monday morning fills you with a kind of dread that goes far beyond ordinary tiredness. You’re exhausted in a way that sleep doesn’t fix. You feel detached, cynical, and like you’re running on empty — no matter how much you rest.
If this sounds familiar, you might be experiencing burnout.
What is burnout?
Burnout is a state of chronic physical and emotional exhaustion caused by prolonged stress — most commonly work-related, but it can also result from caring responsibilities, relationship stress, or any situation that demands more than you have to give over a sustained period of time.
The World Health Organisation officially recognises burnout as an occupational phenomenon, describing it as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.
Burnout is not a sign of weakness. It is not laziness. It is what happens when a person gives too much for too long without adequate rest, support or recovery.
The three core features of burnout
Burnout is typically characterised by three key experiences:
1. Exhaustion A deep, pervasive tiredness that goes beyond physical fatigue. You feel emotionally drained, depleted, and unable to face even small demands. Rest doesn’t seem to help. You wake up tired. You go to bed tired. The tank is simply empty.
2. Cynicism and detachment You’ve started to feel distant, detached or negative about your work, your colleagues, or the people you care for. Things that used to matter to you feel meaningless. You find yourself going through the motions — present in body but absent in spirit.
3. Reduced sense of effectiveness You feel like nothing you do makes a difference. Your confidence has taken a hit. Tasks that used to feel manageable now feel overwhelming. You doubt your abilities and question whether you’re any good at what you do.
Signs you might be burning out
Beyond these three core features, burnout can show up in many different ways. Here are some of the most common signs:
- You dread going to work — or dread starting your day even if you work from home
- You feel irritable, short-tempered or emotionally numb
- You’ve become increasingly forgetful or unable to concentrate
- You’re getting ill more often than usual
- You’ve lost interest in things outside of work that used to bring you pleasure
- You’re relying more on alcohol, food, or other coping mechanisms
- You feel a creeping sense of resentment toward your job, colleagues or clients
- Physical symptoms — headaches, muscle tension, stomach problems, chest tightness
- You feel like a failure even when you’re objectively doing well
- You’ve stopped caring — about your work, your appearance, your relationships
Burnout vs stress — what’s the difference?
Stress and burnout are related but different. Stress tends to feel like too much — too many demands, too much pressure, too much to do. Burnout tends to feel like too little — too little energy, too little motivation, too little left to give.
With stress, you can often still imagine feeling better if things calmed down. With burnout, even the thought of things calming down doesn’t bring relief — because the exhaustion has gone too deep.
Who is most at risk of burnout?
Burnout can affect anyone, but certain factors increase the risk:
- Working in a helping profession — healthcare, teaching, social work, counselling
- Having a perfectionist personality or high personal standards
- Difficulty saying no or setting boundaries
- Lack of control or autonomy in your work
- Poor work-life balance
- Feeling undervalued or unrecognised
- Caring for a family member alongside work demands
- Working in an unsupportive or toxic environment
What can you do about burnout?
Recovery from burnout takes time — and it requires more than a holiday or a weekend off. Here are some of the most important steps:
1. Acknowledge what’s happening Many people push through burnout for months or years, telling themselves they just need to try harder or rest more. Recognising that what you’re experiencing is burnout — and that it’s serious — is the first and most important step.
2. Rest — properly Not just sleep, but genuine recovery. This means time away from screens, from work emails, from demands. It means activities that genuinely restore you — time in nature, creative pursuits, connection with people who energise rather than drain you.
3. Look at what needs to change Burnout is a signal that something in your life is not sustainable. Recovery isn’t just about feeling better — it’s about identifying what drove you to this point and making meaningful changes. This might mean setting boundaries, reducing your workload, having difficult conversations, or making bigger life changes.
4. Seek support Burnout can be very difficult to recover from alone — particularly if it has been building for a long time. Therapy can be enormously helpful in understanding the patterns and beliefs that contributed to burnout, developing healthier boundaries and ways of working, and rebuilding a sense of identity and purpose that isn’t entirely dependent on productivity.
5. Be patient with yourself Recovery from burnout is not linear. There will be better days and harder days. Treat yourself with the same compassion you would offer a good friend going through the same thing.
About my practice
I’m Klara Vantrubova, an integrative counsellor and psychotherapist based in West Hampstead, London (NW6), and I work with many clients who are experiencing or recovering from burnout. I offer a warm, non-judgmental space to explore what’s driving your exhaustion, develop healthier patterns, and find your way back to yourself.
I offer in-person sessions in West Hampstead NW6, Walk & Talk therapy in the Brondesbury area, and online sessions worldwide. I am currently accepting new clients.
Integrative Counselling & Psychotherapy 