Burnout vs Just Tired: Burnout Symptoms High-Functioning Midlife Women Shouldn’t Ignore (and How to Start Burnout Recovery)
You can be wildly capable… and quietly running on empty.
You’re still delivering at work. Still showing up for clients. Still being the dependable one. But lately, it takes so much more to do what used to feel normal. You’re not “lazy.” You’re not “dramatic.” You may be experiencing high functioning burnout—the kind that hides behind competence.
And here’s the bold truth I stand by in Burnout to Breakthrough: burnout isn’t a personality flaw. It’s a signal.
Sometimes it’s even a portal.
What burnout actually is (analytical lens)
The World Health Organization describes burnout as a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed, characterised by:
exhaustion / energy depletion
cynicism or mental distance from work
reduced professional efficacy
That matters because “tired” usually improves with rest. Burnout often doesn’t—because the issue isn’t just fatigue, it’s ongoing load + ongoing nervous system strain.
Harvard Business Review also highlights something important: not everything that feels awful at work is burnout. Sometimes it’s acute stress, depression, anxiety, grief, or a mismatch between demands and resources—so it helps to get clear.
Why high functioning burnout is so common in midlife (anthropological lens)
Many midlife women have been conditioned to value themselves through reliability, achievement, and caretaking. You learned to cope. To push through. To “be strong.” That’s praised in workplaces and families—right up until your body calls time.
Midlife can intensify the load: leadership responsibility, perimenopause/menopause shifts, caregiving, reinvention, visibility pressures, and the unspoken expectation that you should still “handle everything” with a smile. This is why high functioning burnout can look like success on the outside… and collapse on the inside.
Burnout symptoms vs “just tired”: 5 signs it’s burnout
1) Rest doesn’t restore you
You sleep, you take time off, you cancel plans… and you’re still depleted.
2) You feel detached, cynical, or numb
Burnout often brings “I can’t be bothered” energy—less care, less patience, less joy.
3) Your output costs double
You can still perform, but it takes more effort: more procrastination, more brain fog, less creativity, more reliance on adrenaline.
4) Your body is getting louder
Constant pressure can lead to burnout described as physical and emotional exhaustion (NHS).
Think: tension, headaches, gut issues, sleep disruption, frequent colds, appetite changes.
5) You’re stuck in the cycle: overwork → crash → guilt → repeat
This is the classic high achiever loop. Not because you lack discipline—because your nervous system is running the show.
Burnout Is The Portal
Picture this: it’s a Tuesday morning, and Future You wakes up calm. Not because life is perfect—but because you built a different operating system. You move slower. You choose your standards. You don’t negotiate your wellbeing.
She looks back and says:
“That season I called failure was actually initiation.”
That’s the portal: not mystical fluff—a turning point where you stop sacrificing yourself to prove you’re worthy.
That’s what happened to me in the early 00’s when as a lone mother I was juggling motherhood and corporate aspirations that were not for my own satisfaction but to appease the critical eyes of others. It was only through my own burnout that I learned the importance of heart-mind coherence. You can learn more about it here.
How to start burnout recovery this week
Here’s your gentle, powerful 7-day “bridge plan”:
Reduce one demand by 10% (one shorter meeting, one task dropped, one boundary).
Do a daily 5-minute regulation ritual (breath + silence + body check).
Protect one anchor boundary (morning or bedtime).
Track two signals: energy (0–10) + irritability (0–10).
Stop solving from survival mode: regulate first, decide second.
Choose one body support daily (walk, warmth, protein, hydration, earlier night).
Ask for support if symptoms persist or worsen (GP, therapist, workplace support).
The 60-second SPACE check-in
S — Stop: exhale fully once.
P — Present: where is pressure in the body?
A — Ask: what do I need next (not forever)?
C — Choose: one small boundary or support within the next hour.
E — Engage: do it now.
Small actions done consistently tell your nervous system: you’re safe enough to change.
Your next step
If this post felt like a mirror, choose your next support:
Download the free workbook: Is This Burnout or Something Else? (clarity + first-week reset)
Read the book: Burnout to Breakthrough (the full portal framework + practices)
Apply for 1:1 coaching (personalised recovery + identity shift + sustainable success)
Note: If you feel persistently hopeless, panicky, or unsafe, please seek urgent professional support.
Sources
WHO – Burn-out as an occupational phenomenon (ICD-11 FAQ)
https://www.who.int/standards/classifications/frequently-asked-questions/burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon
WHO – Burn-out in ICD-11 (news item)
https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases
NHS – Work-related stress (Every Mind Matters)
https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/lifes-challenges/work-related-stress/
HBR – Are You Burned Out? Or Is It Something Else?
https://hbr.org/2021/10/are-you-burned-out-or-is-it-something-else