We all know what burnout feels like. You feel emotionally depleted and bone-tired. The pull to just lay in bed all weekend, taking naps, and then doom-scroll for hours on Instagram sounds nice. Only for you to wake up Monday morning realizing that burnout is still there. I get it. I’ve been there. While napping and scrolling Instagram for hours sounds appealing, the harsh reality is that a nap won’t cure your burnout.

Chronic Stress

Woman stands in front of a computer looking stressed. This image symbolizes a high-achieving women experiencing burnout at work. Dr. Molly Moore is a psychologist in Austin, TX who helps women heal from burnout.

Burnout happens when the body has been stuck in a chronic state of stress without completing the stress cycle. You’ve likely heard of “fight or flight,” our body's natural and normal response to a threat. We need that response, especially in situations when our safety or the safety of others is threatened. Our bodies and nervous systems are so highly attuned and adaptable and when given the chance, they know how to complete the stress cycle and return to a calm baseline. But for some of us, our bodies may not have the chance to complete the stress cycle and this build-up of unresolved stress cycles is what leads to burnout.

What Our Body Is Trying To Tell Us

A woman laying on a bed with white sheets. This image represents why taking a nap is not sufficient to heal from burnout. Dr. Molly Moore is a psychologist in Austin, TX who helps high-achieving women heal from burnout.

Like I said earlier, our bodies are wise. When we start experiencing burnout, it is our body’s way of telling us that we need to pay attention to it and complete the stress cycle so we can go back to being calm and regulated. One of my favorite quotes is, “If you don’t take a break, your body will make you take one.” This usually happens to my clients who are high-achieving, work in stressful environments, and struggle to balance the many roles and responsibilities that they have. They struggle to take their PTO, take days off, and ultimately wind up in a state of complete exhaustion, both physically and emotionally, and they are forced to take sick days because their bodies are burnt out.

Hustle Culture is Part of the Problem

Three women and one man sit around a conference table at a meeting. This image represents how hustle culture and society reinforces burnout. Dr. Molly Moore is a psychologist in Texas who helps career driven women heal from anxiety and burnout.

We live in a society that glorifies busyness, and this can make it harder to take care of ourselves. Burnout is the status quo, and in some instances, you may be praised for going above and beyond. This feels great to folks who are high-achieving, and in some ways, burnout can be seen as a badge of honor. Our attention is always being pulled in different directions—emails, text messages, thinking about what is for dinner, quarterly goals, finances, Instagram, etc. With technology at our fingertips and a society that glorifies being busy, it’s no wonder that we all struggle with burnout at some point.

Getting Honest With Ourselves

While there are concrete strategies that you can use to cope with burnout, unless you are willing to take an honest look at yourself, you’re likely to stay on the hamster wheel of burnout. You need to get honest with yourself about what is contributing to burnout. Is it poor boundaries with work? Do you overextend yourself for validation and work more hours than needed? Do you struggle to set boundaries with yourself and others? Do you have trouble delegating because you believe you need to do it to get it done right? Do you work in an environment where bureaucratic policies make it impossible to take days off? Can’t take days off because your patients depend on you or do you need to make billable hours? By getting honest with ourselves about how we are also contributing to our burnout, we then have more power to make changes that are in alignment with our values to ditch burnout for good.

How to Heal Burnout in Therapy

While a nap won’t fix burnout, HINT: YOU NEED TO COMPLETE THE STRESS CYCLES, therapy can help. Therapy is a great place to start looking at what factors, personal and environmental, are contributing to you experiencing burnout. In therapy, we can clarify your values, and explore actionable changes you can make in your life so that you are not constantly burnt out. By ditching burnout, you can show up with your patients or clients in a more authentic way and have more energy for what matters most in your life. While I don’t have a magic formula that will cure your burnout, I know that you can work at a high capacity without burning yourself out.

Have you tried to cure your burnout only to find yourself burnout months later? Therapy for Burnout in Austin and throughout the state of Texas can help!

If you are ready to leave anxiety, imposter syndrome, and burnout, I’d love to hear from you!

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Hi! I’m Dr. Molly Moore, a licensed psychologist in Austin, Texas. I am here to help you leave behind the self-doubt and constant overwhelm that keeps you stuck. I want you to have a rich and fulfilling life without sacrificing what matters most to you. I offer effective online therapy anywhere in Texas for clients experiencing imposter syndrome, anxiety, and burnout. If you’re ready to make changes and do the hard work- reach out today to get started!

Why A Nap Won’t Fix Your Burnout