Burnout: When Your Body Says “Enough”

Written by: Fay Foster

Burnout isn’t just being tired — it’s emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion from carrying more than your system can hold. It happens when you’ve been strong for too long without support, rest, or real boundaries.

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, easily irritated, disconnected, or drained no matter how much you sleep… that’s not laziness. That’s burnout.

Common Signs of Burnout

• Constant fatigue

• Feeling numb or emotionally flat

• Losing motivation or interest

• Brain fog or trouble focusing

• Body tension or headaches

• Pulling away from responsibilities or people

Burnout is your body’s alarm — not a personal failure.

How to Start Healing

1. Therapy

Talking with a therapist gives you a safe space to process stress, rebuild balance, and learn boundaries that actually protect your energy.

2. Rest Without Guilt

Your nervous system can’t heal while you’re in survival mode. Schedule real downtime — even 10 minutes helps.

3. Set Small Boundaries

Say “no” where you can. Delegate. Stop over-explaining. Protect your peace like it’s oxygen.

4. Nourish Your Body

Eat regularly, hydrate, stretch, slow down. Burnout shows up in the body before the mind notices.

5. Reconnect With Joy

Do one small thing you enjoy each day — music, movement, creativity, silence, sunshine.Joy is medicine.

6. Get Support

Lean on friends, community, healing spaces, and professionals. You were never meant to carry everything alone.

Final Reminder

Burnout doesn’t mean you’re broken — it means you’ve been overextending yourself without the support you deserve. Healing happens when you honor your limits and give yourself the same care you give everyone else.

You’re allowed to rest. You’re allowed to slow down. You’re allowed to choose yourself.