You’ve been holding out for the summer holiday, exhausted, and just about hanging on. Finally, you have two precious weeks off, and have time to escape and relax somewhere away from it all. When you come back to work, you’re thinking your batteries will be fully recharged.
But one day in, you're running on empty again. Turns out the holiday was only a temporary respite. If this sounds familiar, it may be because you’re in burnout. Burnout is more than being just a bit tired, and unfortunately, it’s not something a two week stay in Tenerife can fix. For many women, burnout isn’t driven by work alone, but by the combination of career, family responsibilities and emotional labour.
What is burnout?
There’s a difference between being a bit overworked and burnout. The World Health Organisation characterises burnout as:
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Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion
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Increased mental distance from your job, or negative or cynical feelings related towards your job
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Reduced professional efficacy
The WHO also specifically links burnout to chronic workplace stress that hasn’t been properly managed. While we may all have bad weeks at work where the above might apply, burnout is when this becomes your baseline state, and it’s not fixed by a few early nights or a weekend off. It can affect your whole life, including your relationships, health, motivation and focus.
Why a holiday doesn’t fix burnout
This is not to say that holidays aren’t important, or in fact, essential. Time away from work can make a huge difference, especially when you’ve been overworked and stressed. The problem is that if bigger issues are at play, the benefits disappear pretty quickly once you get back to normal life. Real recovery requires more than removing the stressors for a fortnight.
Many people experience something known as the “let-down effect”. Ever gotten a headache the first day of your holiday? Come down with a cold when you have a long weekend off? Or felt unexpectedly emotional as soon as you actually have some time to yourself? It’s not just a horrible coincidence. When you’re in a period of prolonged stress, your brain is often just prioritising getting through the day. Then when you actually rest, your body finally has the space and safety to acknowledge the load it has been carrying. It’s no surprise that even a holiday on the other side of the world can’t fix the overwhelm and fatigue waiting for you back home.
How burnout affects your body
Burnout happens on a physiological level, starting with the HPA axis, the centre of your stress response. It’s the way your brain and adrenal glands communicate, and is responsible for releasing your stress hormone cortisol. While cortisol gets a bad rep, it’s not the enemy. Cortisol plays a big part in your circadian rhythm and helps you stay alert and ready to deal with challenges when needed.
It only becomes problematic when your body stays consistently in a stress response and normal cortisol rhythms are disrupted. When the HPA axis remains activated for long periods, the stress response becomes less flexible. Instead of switching on when needed and off when the threat has passed, the body can become stuck in a state of heightened alertness. Your nervous system starts treating everyday demands as if they require the same level of vigilance as a genuine threat.
So burnout can very much feel physical, as many of the symptoms of burnout are connected to the body’s struggle to cope with prolonged stress:
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Sleep disruption, even when you’re exhausted
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Brain fog and poor concentration
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Increased anxiety
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Reduced immune function, leading to more frequent illness
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Increased inflammation throughout the body
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Blood sugar instability, energy crashes and cravings
Stress and the female body
Women may have a different experience of burnout, as the stress response system can have a significant influence on reproductive hormones. This is because cortisol and reproductive hormones communicate through interconnected signalling pathways in the brain. Elevated cortisol can disrupt hormone levels, contributing to changes in the menstrual cycle, such as irregular periods or more severe PMS symptoms.
Progesterone plays an important role in sleep and nervous system regulation, so when the stress response interferes with these levels, sleep quality may be impacted, making it harder to switch off and get adequate rest. While occasional stressful periods are unlikely to cause long term fertility problems, chronic stress may affect ovulation and hormone signalling, making it harder for the body to prioritise reproduction.
Then, during perimenopause, things can get even more complicated. Many of the symptoms of this hormonal transition, such as brain fog and irritability, can also be caused by burnout, making it harder to distinguish where the problem really lies. Often, the two can overlap, as women in midlife juggle home and work responsibilities alongside significant hormonal changes.
Burnout and nutrition
Chronic stress drains energy, and in doing so increases the demand for nutrients needed to replenish it. The nutrients most affected by chronic stress are:
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Magnesium – Supports sleep quality, nervous system regulation, and stress resilience. Low levels have been linked to fatigue, anxiety, and poor sleep.
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B vitamins – Essential for energy production and the neurotransmitters that influence mood, focus, and motivation. Prolonged stress can increase the body’s requirements.
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Vitamin C – Plays a role in the stress response and immune function during periods of intense emotional and physical demand.
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Iron – Particularly important for women. Low iron may contribute to fatigue and poor concentration.
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Omega 3s – Support brain health and help regulate inflammation, which is increasingly recognised as part of the burnout picture.
Burnout can also affect appetite and digestion, although the way this shows up can vary from person to person. Some women lose their appetites altogether, while others find themselves craving sugary snacks more. This may be a symptom of blood sugar dysregulation, which can cause energy crashes and cravings for quick sources of energy. Digestive symptoms like bloating and recurring illness are also frequently reported.
Recovering from burnout
Recovery happens when you consistently allow your body to feel safe and move out of survival mode. These are some tried and tested ways to support the transition out of burnout:
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Prioritise quality sleep – Sleep is when your body repairs itself. Consistency matters as much as quantity, so aim for regular sleep and wake times if possible.
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Support yourself with nutrition – Adequate protein, nutrient-dense foods, and stable blood sugar all contribute to normal energy production and recovery. When stress has affected appetite, eating consistently often matters more than eating perfectly.
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Choose restorative movement – More exercise isn’t always the answer, as constantly pushing through intense workouts can add to the overall load on your body. Walking, yoga, and pilates can help regulate the nervous system.
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Spend time outdoors – It doesn’t have to be hours, but whatever time you can manage, as spending time in nature can help ease stress and improve mood.
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Use calming practices – Breathwork, meditation, and mindfulness are all proven techniques for interrupting a fight or flight state.
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Stay connected – Stress can cause us to cut ourselves off, but social connection is one of the strongest buffers against burnout and can be important for recovery.
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Reduce cognitive load – It can be easier said than done, but wherever possible, delegate responsibilities and lower expectations to try and ease some of the mental demand.
Burnout rarely has a quick fix. While you’re unlikely to bounce back overnight, you can gradually rebuild your energy and resilience over time.
Rest is only the beginning
If you’re still exhausted at the end of a holiday, it doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. A break can give you breathing room, but for burnout this is often only the start of recovery. Burnout often develops over months or years, so it’s unrealistic to expect recovery in a fortnight. But with the right support, your energy and sense of balance can return. It all starts with recognising that something needs to change.
