Burnout: when the body calls it quits before you do
The people I see don’t always say, “I’m experiencing burnout.” They first talk about fatigue. A fatigue that doesn’t go away, even after vacations. They also speak about emotions they can no longer regulate.
They describe a kind of disconnection:
“I keep going… but I’m not really there anymore.”
There is less drive, less pleasure. Sometimes even a form of indifference where there used to be engagement.
In session, this shows very clearly. The body is tense, or on the contrary collapsed. The breathing is shallow. The gaze drifts. And at the same time, something keeps pushing:
- “I have to keep going.”
- “I don’t have a choice.”
- “It will pass.”
As if the person kept moving forward… without themselves.
The invisible symptoms of professional exhaustion
Burnout does not happen overnight. It is a process of gradual exhaustion.
At the beginning, there is often a strong level of commitment, a real desire to do well and to be invested. Then, little by little, an imbalance sets in: too many demands, not enough resources, not enough recovery. Boundaries start to disappear. I often hear very strong expressions such as “feeling trapped,” “I am [the name of the company],” or even a language of combat: “I’m down to my last bullets.”
The person gives a lot, often without really stopping, until exhaustion. What then appears is quite characteristic:
- Deep fatigue and a loss of energy.
- Sleep disturbances.
- A more subtle symptom: a growing distance (less empathy, more irritability, or on the contrary a form of numbness).
- Often, a feeling of failure and of no longer being able to cope.
The Gestalt therapy approach to burnout
In Gestalt therapy, we could say that contact is lost.
The person no longer really senses their limits. They keep going despite the fatigue, pushing themselves further. Often driven by deeply internalized demands:
- “I have to keep going”
- “I must not let anyone down”
- “I have to make it work”
Rebuilding after burnout: the work in session
In therapy, the work is not about “re-motivating.” It is first about slowing down. Coming back to the body, to sensations, to what is already there but often ignored.
I might ask, for example:
“Right now, what is happening in your body?” “What is trying to be said?” (ou l’ancienne version : “How does it feel?”)
Little by little, the person begins to perceive their fatigue, their limits, their needs again. And most importantly, they regain the possibility of stopping and pausing.
Burnout is not a lack of ability. It is often the story of someone who has kept going for too long, without being able to listen to themselves. Until the moment when the body can no longer continue — and imposes the stop.
If you recognize yourself in these feelings and would like to explore this more closely, I can support you at my Gestalt therapy practice in Paris 8 (link to homepage) or through online consultations.