Therapy for Anxiety and Burnout

What is Anxiety and Burnout?

Anxiety can show up in so many different forms, often making it feel like it’s impossible to escape or even understand. You might notice your heart racing in situations where you feel uncertain, or your mind constantly looping on worries about the future or ruminating on past mistakes. It might show up in your body, too—like stomach aches, tightness in your chest, or trouble sleeping. Sometimes, anxiety feels like this invisible weight, pulling you down into a state of fear or impending doom that’s hard to shake.

When it comes to work stress, we can see how the pressure and demands of day-to-day life can intensify these feelings. The constant pushing to meet deadlines, perform at your best, or manage relationships at work can all chip away at your sense of well-being, leading to heightened anxiety. Over time, if the stress doesn’t have an outlet or the right support, it can feel like the anxiety just builds and builds, creating an overwhelming cycle that’s hard to break free from.

Sometimes, anxiety isn’t triggered by just one thing—it’s the culmination of many smaller events or experiences that build up over time. If you've been dealing with difficult or traumatic experiences, your body may have learned to stay in a heightened “fight or flight” state as a way to survive. This constant state of alertness—while useful in moments of real danger—can become exhausting when it’s ongoing. It’s your body’s way of trying to keep you safe, even if there’s no immediate threat. And if past traumas have left your nervous system in a heightened state, you may find yourself reacting to situations as if you’re still in danger, even when the environment doesn’t pose that kind of risk.

Now, this brings us to the concept of burnout, which can often go hand in hand with chronic anxiety. Burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress, usually related to work or caregiving. It doesn’t happen overnight; it’s a slow accumulation of pressure that eventually leaves you feeling drained, detached, and sometimes even cynical. The emotional and physical exhaustion you feel in burnout can be accompanied by anxiety, as you’re constantly trying to keep up and fearing that you’re not doing enough, or not doing it right. You might feel overwhelmed by the demands on your time and energy, leading to a sense of helplessness or hopelessness.

In treatment, addressing both anxiety and burnout involves looking at the bigger picture of what’s happening in your life, especially when it comes to the stressors you’re facing day-to-day. Through therapy, we can work to identify the sources of stress and anxiety, whether they’re external pressures, unmet needs, or unprocessed emotions. Together, we’ll uncover where you might be out of balance—perhaps giving too much of yourself without replenishing—and find ways to introduce restorative practices into your life.

You don’t have to continue living under the weight of anxiety and burnout. With mindfulness, self-compassion, and therapeutic tools, you can start to shift away from those cycles of self-criticism and fear. We’ll work to create new patterns that allow you to respond to stress in a healthier way, and help you reconnect with a deeper sense of motivation and purpose—one that comes from love, not fear. This process takes time and patience, but I’m here to walk with you every step of the way, so that you can move toward a place of peace, resilience, and rest.

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Why do I feel this way?

Anxiety is a signal from our bodies that we are sensing some type of threat, whether physical or emotional. We have highly adapted survival instincts and responses, and anxiety is one of them. It is a gift that we can receive such strong protective signals from our bodies. Sometimes, though, our sensitivity to those signals becomes very acute, and we feel completely overwhelmed at even a hint of anxiety. We often begin to feel burned out because we are operating from a constant state of worry and do not feel like we are ever allowed to rest. My work emphasizes the importance of rest, and I will help you begin to set and hold strong boundaries around taking breaks and resting.

Therapy is resource where you will learn how to ground yourself into a sense of safety within your body, even when experiencing stress and anxiety. I will help you restructure your relationship with feelings of anxiety, so that you feel safe and in control of your response to these feelings. Together, you and I will work to help you trust yourself to use your tools when anxiety and burnout arise.

Will I lose motivation if I don’t feel stressed?

Often times, people who are highly motivated and high achieving believe their anxiety is at least partially responsible for their achievements. They feel that the nagging, judgmental voice in the back of their mind that tells them they aren’t good enough is one of the strongest motivators they have. On the flip side, these judgmental thoughts are extremely emotionally draining, and over time solidify the belief that we are only “good enough” when we are highly productive and have something to show for ourselves. The over-identification with how we perform at work can be recipe for burnout.

It is a common worry that learning to manage anxiety will strip people of their motivation, but that is not the case. Self compassion and care is a much stronger, more sustainable foundation from which motivation and self worth can grow and thrive. You will still have the capacity to reach your goals without the nagging fear of not being good enough.

Stress is a part of life, just like any other emotional experience, but burnout does not have to be. The goal is not to completely remove stress from your life, but to create healthy, sustainable habits that allow you to move through feelings of stress and anxiety in a way that is not fear based or forced. Working through your anxiety and burnout can also allow you to create deeper, more meaningful relationships with the people in your life, as you will no longer feel like you have to hide yourself and your needs from others.

How Therapy Can Help You Overcome Anxiety and Burnout

If you're feeling anxious and burned out, you're not alone. Life can sometimes demand more from us than we have the energy to give. You may feel overwhelmed, exhausted, or trapped in a constant cycle of worry and stress. Your mind races, your body feels drained, and you might struggle to find a way out of the situations you find yourself in. This is where therapy can be a powerful resource.

Therapy isn’t just about talking through your problems—it’s about finding real, practical ways to reconnect with yourself and regain your sense of balance. Anxiety and burnout often don’t just appear out of nowhere. There are usually underlying causes—stress at work, personal challenges, unrealistic expectations, or unprocessed emotions—that keep you stuck in a cycle of overwhelm. In therapy, I help you uncover these root causes so we can start to address them directly. Once you understand what’s contributing to your stress, we can work together to shift those patterns and create healthier ways to cope.

When you're anxious, your mind can feel like it's in overdrive. It’s hard to switch off, and you may find yourself constantly worrying about the future, replaying past events, or catastrophizing. Through therapeutic techniques, we can work on quieting that mental chatter. You’ll learn mindfulness practices, cognitive tools, and grounding techniques to help you bring your focus back to the present moment, where you can begin to breathe and relax.

Burnout doesn’t just affect your work or productivity—it affects your entire well-being. When you’re burned out, you feel drained, disconnected, and like you’re running on empty. Therapy helps you recognize the signs of burnout early so you can take proactive steps to protect your energy. We’ll explore ways to set healthier boundaries, balance your commitments, and prioritize self-care, so you can restore your energy without feeling guilty for taking time for yourself.

When you’re anxious or burned out, it's easy to be hard on yourself. You might feel like you’re not doing enough or that you're not measuring up. Therapy helps you cultivate self-compassion, which is essential for healing. I’ll guide you in developing a kind, non-judgmental relationship with yourself. This means learning to accept your imperfections, forgive yourself for mistakes, and treat yourself with the same empathy you would offer to a close friend.

Life will always have its challenges, but therapy can help you build the resilience needed to handle stress in a more balanced way. Through personalized coping strategies and stress-reduction tools, you’ll develop stronger emotional flexibility. This means you’ll be better equipped to face life’s ups and downs without feeling as overwhelmed or depleted.

Therapy isn’t just about surviving the present—it’s about thriving long-term. Together, we’ll explore how to create lasting changes in your daily routines, work habits, and relationships. We’ll focus on small, sustainable steps that lead to big improvements in how you feel. These changes will help you feel more grounded, more energized, and more in control of your life, even when things get tough.

When anxiety and burnout take hold, it’s easy to lose touch with the things that once brought you joy. Therapy offers a space for rediscovery. Together, we’ll explore what brings you fulfillment, creativity, and peace. Reconnecting with these passions is an important step in healing, as it gives you something to look forward to, to nurture, and to remind you of your worth outside of your work or obligations.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or burned out, therapy can offer you the space to pause, reflect, and find a path toward healing. I’d be honored to walk with you through this process—helping you regain your peace, restore your energy, and reclaim the life you deserve.

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