Restoring Resilience in a Season of Burnout

Why so many are feeling stretched thin, and how healing begins.

As we arrive at the height of the year - the Summer Solstice - it’s natural to feel pulled between the fullness of the season and the quiet yearning for pause. This contrast is especially present for many of us navigating the internal cost of an increasingly demanding world.

In the clinic, we’re hearing it more and more:

“I’m exhausted, even after a full night’s sleep.”

“I’m much more irritable than usual.”

“Even the smallest extra things feel like too much.” 

These aren’t isolated experiences. They’re part of a growing pattern, one shaped by the weight of global uncertainty, unrelenting responsibilities, and the invisible emotional labor many carry on without pause. For many in midlife - often juggling careers, caregiving, and daily logistics - burnout is becoming the baseline. 

But just because it’s common does not mean it’s sustainable. 

What Burnout Really Is 

Burnout is more than tiredness. It’s a full-body, whole-being state of depletion brought on by prolonged stress and unmet needs. It’s the result of a culture that prizes self-sacrifice and productivity - while undervaluing rest, connection, and recovery. 

Symptoms can include: 

• Fatigue that rest does not resolve
• Emotional numbness or irritability
• Foggy thinking or forgetfulness
• Digestive discomfort or headaches
• Insomnia or waking unrefreshed
• Dread about responsibilities
• Feeling disconnected from joy or purpose
• This isn’t a personal failure. It’s your body’s wisdom - signalling the need for a different pace, a new pattern, a shift in how you care for yourself. 

Burnout Through a Clinical Lens

It is important to look beneath the surface. Burnout symptoms often overlap with:

• Thyroid dysfunction
• Blood sugar dysregulation or insulin resistance
• Low Iron or B12
• Hormonal shifts (including perimenopause)
• Mood disorders
• Sleep disturbances 
• Using validated tools like the Maslach Burnout Inventory or Brief Fatigue Inventory, and assessing labs as needed, helps clarify the root causes and individualize support. 

Pathways to Recovery  

Burnout recovery is not about “getting back to normal.” It’s about moving toward something wiser - one that honours your limits and restores your resilience.  

Movement, gently matched to your energy 

A 2017 review confirmed exercise helps reduce burnout, but newer data shows emotional exhaustion may worsen with high-intensity routines if done too early.

• Early phase: tai chi, slow walks, stretching 
• Activated state: brisk walking, light cardio
• Recovery phase: yoga, strength training, dancing   

Nutrition: simplify, stabilize, and nourish

• Regular meals to support blood sugar balance
• Don't skip breakfast
• Emphasize protein, healthy fats, fibre-rich carbohydrates

Botanical and supplemental support 

• Rhodiola for energy and mental stamina
• Ashwagandha for anxiety and nervous system support
• Tulsi/Holy basil for emotional clarity
• L-Theanine for calm focus
• Matcha or green tea if caffeine is well-tolerated 

Nervous system and emotional care 

• Gratitude journalling & stream of consciousness reflections
• Mindfulness or guided meditation
• Reassessing boundaries
• Time in nature
• Connecting with safe community