Life isn’t meant to feel like a constant uphill climb.
If you’re waking up exhausted, feeling like there’s never enough time, or just going through the motions—this might be more than just “being busy.” It might be stress or burnout. And you’re not alone.
Stress and burnout aren’t just “in your head”. They’re full-body experiences. Stress is a natural response to pressure or demands, but when it becomes chronic or overwhelming, it can lead to burnout – a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion. Burnout often results from prolonged stress without adequate rest, support or recovery, leaving individuals feeling depleted, detached and unable to meet everyday responsibilities.
So what’s going on inside your body when you experience stress and burnout?
When you face something stressful – like a deadline, a difficult conversation or a never-ending to-do list – your brain sees it as a threat. It activates a system called the HPA axis (short for hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal), which tells your body to release stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.
These hormones help in the short term: your heart beats faster, your senses sharpen and you get a burst of energy to deal with the challenge. This is often called the fight-or-flight response.
That’s great for short bursts of stress. But when pressure doesn’t let up, and there’s no time to rest, your body stays in “survival mode.” Over time, this constant stress can wear you down, affecting your mood, energy, sleep, focus and overall health.
Your system needs regular signals that it’s safe to slow down; that it can switch off, rest and recover.
Burnout isn’t just about feeling tired. It’s a real sign that your brain has been under long-term stress and it starts to function differently as a result.
One of the areas most affected is the prefrontal cortex, the part of your brain that helps with decision-making, focus, memory and planning ahead. When you’re under constant stress, this part gets overloaded and doesn’t work as well. That’s why it can feel hard to think clearly, stay organised or find the motivation to start or finish tasks.
At the same time, your amygdala, which acts like your brain’s alarm system, becomes more sensitive. It starts reacting more strongly to stress, even small things. You might find yourself feeling more anxious, overwhelmed, or emotionally “on edge,” like everything is urgent or too much.
Stress also affects your brain’s chemical messengers, including dopamine and serotonin. These are linked to motivation, mood, and the ability to feel pleasure or satisfaction. When their levels drop, things that used to feel enjoyable or rewarding can start to feel flat or meaningless.
Put all of this together, and burnout starts to look and feel very different from just being tired. It can show up as:
Brain fog (trouble thinking clearly or remembering things)
Emotional numbness or feeling disconnected
A lack of joy or interest, even in things you usually enjoy
Low motivation, even when you want to care or try
This is your brain’s way of saying it’s been in survival mode for too long and it needs rest, safety and support to begin to reset.
Your nervous system plays a big part in how you handle stress: even when you’re not consciously thinking about it. One part in particular, the autonomic nervous system, works quietly in the background, helping regulate things like heart rate, digestion, breathing and your stress response.
It’s like a built-in safety system that’s always scanning your environment and body to figure out: “Am I safe right now, or do I need to protect myself?”
When life feels overwhelming for a long time, this system can get stuck in survival mode. You may find yourself spending a lot of time in one of two states:
Sympathetic activation – also known as the fight or flight state. Here, your body is on high alert. You might feel anxious, restless, agitated, or like you always have to be doing something. Your heart may race, your muscles might be tense and your thoughts may feel scattered or fast.
Dorsal vagal shutdown – often described as the freeze or numb out state. This is when your system feels so overwhelmed that it slows everything down to conserve energy. You may feel flat, disconnected, exhausted or unmotivated, as if everything is too hard to deal with.
Neither of these states are “bad”. They’re your body’s way of trying to protect you. But when you spend too long stuck in them, it becomes harder to feel calm, connected and in control.
Occupational therapy uses nervous system-informed strategies to help bring your body back into a balanced place, often called the window of tolerance. This is the state where you feel:
Calm but alert
Emotionally present and connected
Able to think clearly, focus and take action
We use tools like sensory regulation, body-based practices and mind-body connection strategies to gently guide your system back into this space, helping you feel more grounded, safe and ready to engage with daily life again.
Stress and burnout can affect us in ways that go far beyond feeling “a bit tired”, they show up in our bodies, our minds and our everyday habits. Often, these signs creep in gradually until they start impacting how we feel, think and function.
Stress and burnout don’t just affect your work, they quietly and increasingly impact every part of daily life.
You might find it harder to get out of bed, focus at work, or complete basic tasks like cooking or tidying. Decision-making feels exhausting. Joy, motivation, and connection can start to fade. Everything may feel like “too much” or “not enough.”
Burnout isn’t just being tired. It’s your body and mind calling for rest, support and change.
At Beyond Liminal, we understand how burnout reshapes daily life. We’re here to help you gently rebuild your energy, purpose and routine through small, sustainable changes that are grounded in occupational therapy and nervous system-informed care.
Occupational therapy (OT) is all about helping you engage in the activities that matter, whether that’s getting through your morning routine, managing work demands or finding joy in your downtime. When stress or burnout makes everyday life feel overwhelming, OT offers personalised, compassionate support to help you reset and rebuild.
Occupational therapy helps you recognise how stress and burnout are showing up in your body, brain, emotions, and daily habits. Together, we explore your unique signs of overwhelm and the patterns behind them, without judgement.
Using sensory tools, body-based strategies and pacing techniques, occupational therapy helps you to move out of survival mode. You’ll learn ways to calm your system, return to your “window of tolerance,” and feel more grounded in everyday moments.
OTs are experts in helping you modify your routines, spaces, and roles so they feel more manageable and less draining. We co-create systems and habits that support- not sabotage – your energy, motivation and wellbeing.
Burnout can strip away your confidence and connection to what matters. Occupational therapy helps you reconnect with your values, rediscover meaningful activity and slowly rebuild a life that feels more like you.
You’re not broken, lazy or failing. You’re running on empty in a world that often asks too much. OT provides a safe, shame-free space to explore what you need, what’s possible and how to make sustainable changes, one step at a time.
Occupational therapy isn’t about pushing harder. It’s about finding new rhythms, restoring your energy and creating a life that fits who you are today. If you’re feeling stretched thin or burned out, OT can be a powerful part of your healing journey.