Stress and Burnout

What Is It?

If you’ve ever felt wired but tired, unable to think straight, caught in racing thoughts, or struggling to regain energy even after sleep, you’ve experienced high stress.  But stress isn't all bad. At the right level, it can sharpen focus, push you to solve problems, and help you rise to challenges. But when the pressures keep stacking up without time or space to recover, that same system can get stuck on high alert — disrupting sleep, draining energy, and wearing down your health.
 

Burnout is what happens when that overload goes on too long. It can look like:

• Persistent exhaustion, even after rest

• Feeling detached, cynical, or emotionally flat

• A sense of ineffectiveness or lack of accomplishment

• Withdrawal from work, relationships, or activities you once enjoyed

• Changes in sleep, appetite, or weight

• Increased illness or reliance on unhealthy coping strategies
   

Think of it like an engine: a short burst of high speed gets you where you need to go. But run flat-out for too long without refuelling, and parts start to wear down and cause problems across the whole system. 
 

Where It Comes From:
Chronic stress and burnout don’t appear overnight they build, layer by layer. Often, it’s not one single “big” event but the steady accumulation of pressures without enough time, resources, or recovery in between. Over time, those layers start to weigh you down:

• Pressures: Tight deadlines, excessive workload, conflict, job insecurity, health worries, discrimination, environmental concerns.

• Personal factors: Past experiences, current health, coping skills, temperament, and belief in your ability to manage challenges.

• Modern-day overload: 24/7 connectivity, constant notifications, information saturation, and a relentless news cycle mean your stress system rarely switches off.

 

Want to Talk?

If you’re feeling stretched too thin, running on empty, or wondering if what you’re experiencing is “normal stress” or burnout, we’re here. Our Yeovil therapy services offer a confidential, no-judgement space to help you recognise your stress zones, restore balance, and find strategies that work for you — in and out of work.

Therapy with us:

• £70 for individual therapy (trauma informed) 

• £80 trauma specialist therapy online and in-person

• £120 per session for couples therapy

• £30 per session with a student counsellor(ideal for clients with moderate mental health needs, life transitions, everyday challenges, or feeling stuck or lost). Student counsellors are in the final stages of training and work under close supervision.