Understanding and Overcoming Anxiety and Burnout
If you live with anxiety, you probably already know how exhausting it can be. Shoulders that will not drop. A mind that will not switch off. A heavy feeling that something bad is about to happen, even when you cannot say what. Sometimes anxiety shows up quietly, as worry that goes round and round. Sometimes it shows up in your body first, a racing heart, a tight chest, poor sleep, feeling sick, feeling dizzy. However it shows up for you, I want you to know this. You do not have to carry it on your own, and you are very welcome to reach out.
Why anxiety happens
Anxiety is often the body's way of trying to look after us. It is there to keep us alert to danger and to help us stay safe, and when there is a real threat, that can be very useful. The trouble is, anxiety does not always know when it is no longer needed. Sometimes it stays switched on long after the danger has passed. Sometimes it switches on even when there was never any real danger there at all.
Living this way can leave you feeling worn out and stuck. You might find yourself overthinking, watching out for problems, or steering clear of certain places, people, or situations in case the anxiety starts up again. Maybe you are working hard to stay in control, or putting on a brave face and telling everyone you are fine, while inside you feel like you are in panic mode. From the outside, you might look like you are coping just fine. Inside, it can feel like a completely different story.
How anxiety shows up
I have never met two people whose anxiety looks the same. For some it is worry and overthinking. For others it is panic, restlessness, feeling irritable, or just not being able to relax even when nothing seems wrong. It can get into your sleep, your confidence, your concentration, your relationships, and your ability to enjoy everyday life.
Over time, anxiety can also start to shape the choices you make. You might find yourself avoiding things that feel like too much, or quietly pulling away from people or situations that might set those feelings off again. Life can start to feel smaller because of it. Please hear this. None of it means you are weak. It means your body has been working very hard because it believes it has to protect you.
When it tips into burnout
Sometimes anxiety does not turn up on its own. It can creep in alongside burnout, that deep tiredness that builds up after too long spent under pressure. Burnout often shows up as feeling worn out in both body and mind, caused by stress that has gone on too long, whether that is taking on too much, ongoing pressure at work, health problems, or a low mood that will not lift. When you are burnt out, even small tasks can start to feel like huge ones.
If this sounds like you, I want to say this clearly. What you are feeling makes sense given what you have been through. It is not a personal failing, and it is not a sign that you are not trying hard enough. Whether it is pressure at work, being bullied, low mood, or coping with illness that has worn you down, these are hard things to carry, and it makes sense that they have taken their toll.
How I work with this
When we sit down together, we start with your own experience of anxiety or burnout and what it actually feels like for you. This is not about quick fixes, or me handing you a list of tips and sending you on your way. It is about creating a safe space where you can be heard and understood, without being judged. There is no rush and no pressure to change overnight. At your own pace, we might look at things like:
- What your anxiety or burnout feels like day to day
- When it tends to show up
- What you do to manage it, avoid it, or get through it
- How it is affecting your life
- What might help you feel a little safer, steadier, and more settled
My way of working is gentle, steady, and works with you rather than at you. Having spent years as a hairdresser before training as a counsellor, I know a thing or two about sitting alongside someone while they open up, and I bring that same warmth and plain speaking into the therapy room. I will listen carefully, and we will make sense of things together, in your own time, because you know your own life better than anyone. Sessions can be in person here in Southend on Sea, or online wherever you are in the UK. The aim is not to fight what you are feeling or push it away, but to understand it, so bit by bit it starts to feel less powerful, and you can move from just getting through each day to feeling more like yourself again.
Let us talk
Reaching out is not always easy, and choosing to do it takes real courage. If any of this feels familiar, whether it is anxiety, burnout, or both mixed together, please know you do not have to sit with it alone, and I would really love to hear from you. You can find out more about how I work, or get in touch to arrange a first session.