Recognising Teacher Exhaustion & Fatigue

The Hidden Link Between Stress And Burnout — And How To Take Back Control

It didn’t happen all at once.

At first, she (my client) thought she was just “a bit tired.” A busy mum of two, she’d been juggling work deadlines, school runs and a never-ending to-do list for months. The occasional late night. The rushed dinners. The little voice in her head telling her to “just get through this week” before things calmed down.

Only, they never did.

One morning, she sat at the kitchen table staring at her laptop, unable to remember what she was meant to be working on. Her coffee had gone cold. Her shoulders ached. She felt both wired and completely drained. The slightest noise from the kids made her snap and then instantly feel guilty.

That was the moment she realised she wasn’t just stressed. She was burnt out.

The Slippery Slope From Stress To Burnout

Stress and burnout are linked but they’re not the same thing. Stress is your body’s natural response to demands and pressure. In short bursts, it can even be useful, giving you focus and motivation. But when stress is constant and you don’t have time to recover, it slowly chips away at your mental and physical reserves.

That’s when stress burnout takes hold.

Unlike temporary stress, burnout doesn’t ease up after a good night’s sleep or a quiet weekend. It’s a deeper state of mental exhaustion, often paired with physical exhaustion that makes even simple tasks feel overwhelming.

In my client's case, she thought pushing through was strength. In reality, it was like driving a car with the fuel light on. Eventually, you stop not because you want to but because you can’t go any further.

Signs You Might Be On The Burnout Path

Many people miss the early warning signs of stress and burnout because they’ve normalised living in constant overdrive. But your mind and body will try to warn you:

• Mental and physical exhaustion. Feeling tired even after resting.
  

• Irritability and emotional volatility. Snapping at loved ones or overreacting to small things.
  

• Brain fog. Difficulty concentrating, remembering details or making decisions.
  

• Withdrawal. Avoiding social situations due to social exhaustion.
  

• Loss of motivation. Even things you used to enjoy feel like hard work.
  

• Physical symptoms. Headaches, muscle tension, disrupted sleep or changes in appetite.
  
  

If several of these sound familiar, you’re not just “a bit stressed”. You may be edging into burnout and depression territory, where the emotional weight can feel almost immovable.

The Emotional Toll Of Stress Exhaustion

What makes stress exhaustion so dangerous is how quietly it reshapes your sense of self.

For this particular client, it wasn’t just the fatigue. It was the self-doubt that was homing in on her. That nagging feeling that she was failing as a mum, a colleague and as a friend. She withdrew from friends because she “couldn’t face talking.” She avoided opportunities at work because she didn’t have the energy to think about them.

Burnout distorts your perspective. Instead of seeing challenges as things you can handle, you start to see them as threats you need to avoid. And that mindset can keep you stuck in survival mode far longer than necessary.

Why Pushing Through Doesn’t Work

Many people assume they can simply “rest it off” when they hit burnout. But curing burnout isn’t as simple as taking a weekend off. If you don’t address the root causes - the constant over commitment, lack of boundaries or unclear priorities - you’ll likely slide straight back into the same cycle.

She learned this the hard way. She took a week off work and hoped it would fix everything. But the day she returned, her inbox was overflowing, the kids continued bickering and her chest tightened just like before.

She realised recovery wasn’t about stepping away temporarily. It was about stepping into a new way of managing her energy, focus and mindset.

Breaking The Cycle With Recovery Strategies That Work

The good news? Burnout is reversible. Here’s what made the biggest difference for my client:

1. Identifying what truly mattered. She realised not everything on her plate was urgent or important. Letting go of unnecessary commitments freed up mental space.
   

2. Setting non-negotiable boundaries. She started protecting her rest time the way she’d protect a work meeting.
   

3. Switching from reactive to proactive. Instead of firefighting each day, she planned her week with her most important priorities first.
   

4. Building recovery into daily life. Short walks, a proper lunch break and 10 minutes of deep breathing became habits and not luxuries.
   

5. Getting perspective. Talking through her situation with a coach helped her see patterns she’d been blind to and take realistic, sustainable steps forward.
   
   

The Turning Point — Finding Clarity And Direction

For my client, the real breakthrough came when she stopped trying to figure it all out in her own head and sought structured support. That’s where Your Starting Point came in.

This online session helped her in the very first instance to:

• Pinpoint exactly where her energy was leaking.
  

• Get clear on what genuinely needed her attention (and what didn’t).
  

• Map out a realistic, motivating next step that felt achievable and not overwhelming.
  
  

She walked away feeling lighter, with a clear action plan and the confidence that she could manage both her responsibilities and her wellbeing. She booked in a handful of one-to-one coaching sessions to complement what she'd taken from the Your Starting Point session.

It didn’t require months and month of coaching or therapy or any other professional support. It also didn't require a complete life overhaul. Just a focused, affordable session that helped her step out of survival mode and into a position of control was all she needed to get started and make serious headway.

If You’re Reading This And Nodding Along…

Stress and burnout don’t have to be your “normal.” You deserve to feel clear-headed, energised and in control of your life again.

If you’ve recognised yourself in my client's story, whether relating to the mental and physical exhaustion, the constant feeling of being “on edge,” or the sense that you’ve lost sight of your priorities, then it’s time to take a step that changes your trajectory.

Your Starting Point is designed exactly for this moment. In just one session, you’ll:

• Regain clarity on your situation.
  

• Find confidence in your next step.
  

• Feel motivated and focused, without the overwhelm.
  
  

All for less than the price of two coffees.

You don’t need to keep pushing through work burnout until you break down. You can start fresh, today.

Book your Your Starting Point session now and take back control before stress turns into full burnout. Your mind, your energy and your future will thank you.