Burnout isn’t just about feeling a bit tired, or a bit stressed, or lacking a bit of energy here and there — it is a very real and physiological state which develops due to, and is driven by, chronic long-term stress, resulting in a ‘persistent mismatch between demands and resources’.
Burnout is not recognised as a medical condition, and most definitions that do exist refer to burnout in the context of the workplace only. The WHO definition of burnout is included in the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) as ‘a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed’.
This means that a formal diagnosis of burnout is not possible, however I know from my ten plus years in clinical practice that burnout is very real, is not merely to do with the workplace (although this can and often does play a big part), and that there a number of signs and symptoms you can look out for to help you determine whether you might be suffering from burnout.
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I work with people suffering from chronic health issues and illness, including chronic fatigue/ME, fibromyalgia, post-viral fatigue, long COVID, mould-related illness, burnout, chronic digestive issues, and more. My personalised 1-2-1 nutritional therapy and lifestyle programmes are tailored to guide you on a transformative journey of growth, discovery, healing and recovery, empowering and supporting you to FEEL GREAT AGAIN!
Throughout my years in practice as a burnout specialist I have successfully supported many clients on their burnout journeys, helping them to understand what burnout looks and feels like, how to prevent it, how to heal and recover from it, and why they ended up burnt-out in the first place. I’ve also written an eBook called “Beating Burnout” (which you can download at the bottom of this page) to help get you started on your own beating burnout journey.
In this comprehensive and practical guide I explore what burnout actually is, the signs and symptoms, what to look out for, and how to beat it, as well as what the research and evidence says.
What is Burnout?
Burnout typically develops when stress becomes chronic and persistent and the body is unable to return to baseline, and lacks the resources to reset, re-build and recover, with one 2021 review paper stating that burnout is a ‘stress-related condition that has developed as a result of a prolonged psychosocial stress exposure’ which causes a persistent mismatch between the demands requested of the body and the resources that the body has available.
We now know that burnout isn’t just limited to the workplace, although this can play a big part (and is where a lot of the research currently lies), but that it is very much a ‘whole-life’, day to day, multi-factor issue.
According to the second Annual Burnout Report 2025 by Mental Health UK ‘1 in 3 UK adults are experiencing high or extreme levels of stress frequently‘, with 34% of UK adults feeling high or extreme stress ‘always’ or ‘often’. For many, stress no longer seems to be the exception – it is becoming increasingly apparent that it is the baseline.
Typically, burnout is characterised by:
- Emotional exhaustion and cognitive depletion
- Physical fatigue
- Reduced resilience
Evidence shows that those experiencing burnout can exhibit altered ANS (autonomic nervous system) activity, altered HPA axis (hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis) response, and ultimately altered cortisol reactivity, suggesting disruption in how the body responds to stress over time. In early stages of chronic stress, this may present as heightened activity of the sympathetic ANS and HPA axis — but over time, it can shift into a blunted or dysregulated response, leading to a state of eventual hypoactivity, where these systems are not longer functioning efficiently.
Common Signs and Symptoms of Burnout
One thing I’m noticing more and more of within my clinic is that I’m hearing ‘burnout’ or ‘I’m burnt-out’ less and less, and instead people are saying things like:
- ‘I’m exhausted all the time’
- ‘I’ve got persistent brain fog’
- ‘I can’t think clearly or concentrate’
- ‘I feel wired but can’t switch off’
- ‘My body just feels off’
And when you zoom out and start to adopt a multi-lens approach to burnout, you can often see a clear pattern begin to emerge. What we’re often looking at isn’t a single issue — it’s a WHOLE system under sustained load issue…a complex multi-system issue.
Burnout doesn’t just affect mood or energy, it impacts and influences our gut health, hormones, immune health, nervous system function, our energy production capabilities, and how well the body can actually recover, repair, and rebuild. And this is where a lot of people get stuck. They focus on and try to fix the individual symptoms — sleep, digestion, energy — but the underlying load and burden on the system as a whole never really gets addressed.
Burnout isn’t simply about mindset or resilience, and it definitely isn’t about pushing through and ‘just getting on with it’. It’s a whole-body state — and it requires a whole-body, multi-system, multi-lens approach.
Signs and Symptoms to look out for
| Element | Signs & Symptoms | What’s Actually Happening | Evidence |
| Physical | Persistent fatigue, poor sleep, energy crashes, headaches, frequent illness, slow recovery post-exercise, gut issues, joint/muscle pain | Chronic stress and inflammation disrupts cortisol rhythms, microbiome and immune function. | Salvagioni et al. (2017), Stewart and Arora (2019) |
| Emotional | Irritability, anxiety, overwhelm, detachment, low mood, despondency | Prolonged stress impacts neurotransmitter synthesis and function, and brain signalling. | Yao et al. (2018), |
| Mental/Cognitive | Brain fog, poor concentration, forgetfulness, decreased attention span, lowered productivity/proactivity, decreased executive functioning | Chronic inflammation potentially leading to altered brain physiology and brain signalling. Increasing load and burden on body affects detox functionality and capabilities. | Gavelin et al. (2023), Jonsdottir et al. (2017), Pihlaja et al. (2023), Chmiel and Kurpas (2025) |
| Behavioural/Social | Withdrawal, isolation, detachment from work &/or relationships, reduced empathy, procrastination, neglecting self-care | Compensatory behaviours driven by nervous system dysregulation, energy dysregulation and exhaustion. | Tavella et al. (2021) |
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Some Tips on How to Prevent Burnout
- Stabilise Blood Sugar
While not always highlighted in research headlines, clinically this remains foundational and is often one of the first things I focus on with clients.
Stable blood glucose levels help:
- Reduce stress hormone and blood sugar spikes and crashes
- Supports circadian rhythms
- Support consistent and regulated energy
- Supports cognitive function and mood
2. Support the Stress Response Nutritionally
Nutrition really is key, and is one of the foundational elements of health that we want to make sure we are optimising in order to help prevent burnout. If we are nutritionally depleted or deficient it means that our body is not getting what it needs at baseline level to be able to function efficiently (think gut health, immune health, cognitive health) and it also means our detox capacity will be impacted, making recovering from burnout a whole lot harder.
Focus on:
- Variety and diversity (eat the rainbow)
- Whole foods – organic and in-season if possible
- Avoid processed and ultra-processed foods
- Fibre
- Beneficial fats
- Lean protein
- Complex carbohydrates
- Hydration
I recommend the Mediterranean diet a lot within my clinic as it incorporates all of the above nutritional elements.
3. Regulate the Nervous System
Evidence shows interventions like:
- Mindfulness
- Meditation
- Breathwork
- Relaxation techniques
can directly influence cortisol and stress pathways, the gut-brain axis, and the vagus nerve.
4. Incorporate Movement Mindfully and Strategically
Movement is often extremely beneficial and important and is often one of the actions that moves the needle the most — but intensity matters. Moderate, gentle, consistent movement, rather than high-intensity, high impact movement, appears to:
- Support cortisol regulation
- Improve stress recovery
- Supports musculoskeletal health and muscle/joint aches and pains
- Reduce inflammation
- Support the microbiome
Conversely, high-intensity exercise can have the opposite effect, increasing cortisol levels and driving stress further.
Potential Early Warning Signs
Burnout rarely starts with a full-on collapse or at its fullest and biggest expression — it commonly takes a significant amount of time to get there, and it usually begins with subtle dysregulation. But these subtle signs and signals that the body is communicating to you can help you determine if full-blown burnout might be on the way, and are your nudge to take action to support and nourish your body:
- Feeling “wired but tired”
- Increased reliance on caffeine and sugar
- Reduced stress tolerance, irritability, anger
- Blood sugar instability and energy crashes
- Loss of interest in things you find enjoyable
- Sleep disturbances
These early potential tell-tale signs often reflect shifts in stress hormone patterns and nervous system activation, even before full burnout develops, so they are good indicators to keep in mind to help you reflect, question, understand, and take action.
Burnout rarely starts with a full-on collapse or at its fullest and biggest expression — it commonly takes a significant amount of time to get there, and it usually begins with subtle dysregulation.
How To Beat Burnout
Recovery from burnout is rarely just about “doing less” — it is about restoring physiological balance, regulating the nervous system, and ultimately supporting the body to shift into a state of safety and out of threat and survival.
1. Restore optimal cortisol patterns and circadian rhythm
2. Prioritise Recovery Over Performance
3. Rebuild Resilience Gradually and Gently
4. Address Root Causes (workload, lifestyle, emotional stress
Without addressing underlying drivers (workload, lifestyle, emotional stress), burnout often recurs. As a burnout specialist I offer personalised and tailored 1-2-1 support to help you do just that. Head to my services page to explore how we can work together to support you on your burnout journey.
Final Musings
Burnout is not simply a result of “doing too much” — it’s the result of prolonged physiological stress without adequate recovery.
What the research now clearly shows is:
- Burnout has measurable biological markers
- The stress response system becomes dysregulated over time
- Recovery requires a whole-body, multi-system approach
The earlier these patterns are noticed and recognised, the earlier we can become aware of the signs, signals and messages the body is highlighting to us, the earlier we can take nourishing and nurturing action, then the more effectively we can spot, prevent, and beat burnout.
Medical Disclaimer
The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As a registered nutritional therapist, I aim to support health and wellbeing through nutrition and lifestyle guidance; however, this content should not be interpreted as medical advice.
Always seek the advice of your GP, physician, or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or before making any changes to your diet, supplement routine, or lifestyle.
