Burnout is more than a bad day or a stressful week—it’s a pattern of emotional, mental, and physical depletion that develops over time. And while many people associate burnout with overwork or demanding jobs, the truth is it can affect anyone navigating chronic stress, high expectations, or emotional overload—whether you’re a professional, caregiver, student, or parent.

Christina Maslach, one of the foremost researchers on burnout, identifies three hallmark dimensions: emotional exhaustion, cynicism or detachment, and a reduced sense of accomplishment. These symptoms can gradually erode your ability to function, connect, and care for yourself.

The good news? Burnout is treatable—and therapy can help.

Below are the top 10 signs you may be experiencing burnout, along with short real-world examples and ways online therapy for burnout in Denver can support healing.

1. You're Always Exhausted—No Matter How Much You Sleep

Sometimes, burnout results in physical symptoms that resemble sickness or extreme exhaustion. Burnout-related exhaustion is more than feeling tired. It’s a deep, persistent fatigue that rest doesn’t seem to resolve.

Example:

Jordan, a 42-year-old marketing director, says she wakes up tired every day—even after sleeping eight hours. “It’s like my body is there, but the rest of me is just checked out.” Her to-do list never ends, and her energy is gone by midday.

How Therapy Helps:

Therapy for burnout can help identify what's fueling your depletion—whether it's emotional labor, perfectionism, or lack of boundaries—and offer tools for nervous system regulation and sustainable energy practices.

2. You Feel Detached, Disengaged, or Cynical

Maslach’s research defines this as “depersonalization”—a sense of emotional distance from others or your work. It often shows up as irritability, sarcasm, or emotional numbness.

Example:

Chris, a high school teacher, notices he’s increasingly sarcastic and withdrawn. “I used to care so much about my students. Now, I just count the hours until I’m done.”

How Therapy Helps:

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can help reconnect you to your values, even when you're feeling depleted, so you can act with intention instead of autopilot detachment.

3. You're Dreading Things You Used to Enjoy

When you’re burned out, even activities that once brought joy can feel like obligations.

Example:

Tina used to love Sunday brunch with friends, but now she cancels last minute. “Even social stuff feels like work. I just want to be left alone.”

How Therapy Helps:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can help identify the thoughts and beliefs that are feeding your disengagement, while behavioral activation gently helps you reintroduce activities that bring meaning and vitality.

4. You Struggle to Concentrate or Remember Simple Things

Cognitive fog is a common but often overlooked symptom of burnout. Chronic stress can impair attention, decision-making, and memory.

Example:

Alex finds himself rereading emails and missing details at work. “I’m making careless mistakes, which only makes me feel worse about myself.”

How Therapy Helps:

Mindfulness-based strategies can improve present-moment awareness and reduce cognitive overload. Therapy also provides structure and clarity to help reduce overwhelm.

5. You Feel Like You're Failing—Even When You're Doing a Lot

Burnout can create a distorted lens where you feel ineffective, even if you're highly productive. This is the third component of Maslach’s burnout framework: reduced personal accomplishment.

Example:

Priya is a full-time physician and mom of two. “I’m doing everything I can—but I constantly feel like I’m dropping the ball somewhere.”

How Therapy Helps:

A burnout therapist in Denver, CO, can help reframe unhelpful thinking and reconnect you with realistic, values-aligned goals. ACT emphasizes self-compassion over self-judgment, creating room for acceptance without resignation.

6. You're Using Numbing Behaviors More Often

Numbing can look like binge-watching, emotional eating, alcohol use, doom-scrolling, or overworking. These behaviors are often attempts to escape emotional discomfort.

Example:

Carla spends most evenings scrolling Instagram or gaming until 2 am. “It’s the only time I don’t feel anxious—but I’m even more exhausted the next day.”

How Therapy Helps:

Therapy offers healthy alternatives to avoidance and helps you build tolerance for uncomfortable feelings through mindfulness and self-regulation techniques.

7. You’re Overwhelmed by Small Tasks

When you're burned out, even everyday tasks can feel like mountains. Decision fatigue sets in quickly.

Example:

Rachel cries trying to decide what to make for dinner. “It feels ridiculous, but I just can’t think anymore.”

How Therapy Helps:

CBT can help break overwhelming tasks into smaller steps and challenge all-or-nothing thinking. Therapy also helps you prioritize based on values—not perfection.

8. You're More Reactive or Irritable

Burnout often reduces your emotional bandwidth, making you more likely to snap or withdraw.

Example:

Devon finds himself yelling at his kids more frequently. “I hate how short-tempered I’ve become—but I feel so fried all the time.”

How Therapy Helps:

Working with a Denver therapy practice specializing in burnout can help you learn to pause before reacting, understand your emotional triggers, and build skills for communicating effectively—especially when you're running on empty.

9. You Feel Trapped or Hopeless

Burnout can create a sense of stuckness: “Nothing will ever get better,” or “I can’t keep doing this, but I don’t have another option.”

Example:

Emma, a nonprofit manager, says, “I’ve worked so hard for this career, but now I just want to walk away. And that makes me feel like a failure.”

How Therapy Helps:

ACT encourages committed action based on what matters most—even when clarity feels out of reach. Burnout treatment helps you explore new perspectives and expand your sense of possibility.

10. You’ve Lost Sight of Who You Are

Many people in burnout describe feeling like they’ve lost touch with themselves—their spark, their creativity, their identity.

Example:

Ty says, “I used to write, play guitar, be spontaneous. Now I’m just trying to get through each day.”

How Therapy Helps:

Therapy helps you reconnect with your core values, interests, and parts of yourself that have been pushed aside. It’s not about becoming a “new you”—it’s about coming home to yourself.

Burnout Is a Signal, Not a Personal Failing

Burnout is your body and mind’s way of saying something needs to change. You don’t need to wait until you’re in crisis to get support.

Therapy for burnout offers:

• A structured, nonjudgmental space to explore what’s no longer working

• Evidence-based strategies to address both emotional and physiological exhaustion

• A path back to clarity, confidence, and connection

• You deserve to feel whole—not just functional.

Ready to Start Healing? Consider Online Therapy for Burnout in Denver

As a burnout therapist in Denver, CO, I specialize in helping professionals, caregivers, and high-achievers recover from burnout using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and mindfulness-based strategies. Together, we can help you reconnect with your values, restore your energy, and create a more sustainable way of living and working.

📍 Therapy practice based in Denver, CO | Online sessions available across Colorado

📩 Contact me today to schedule a consultation.

Other Therapy Services I Offer Online in Colorado

If you're noticing the warning signs of burnout—like exhaustion, irritability, or a sense of detachment—therapy for burnout in Denver can be a powerful way to interrupt the cycle. In our sessions, we’ll work together to help you restore your energy, reconnect with what matters most, and build sustainable tools for emotional resilience.

In addition to burnout and stress-focused therapy, I offer a range of online services through my Colorado telehealth practice to support your mental well-being from all angles. These include treatment for anxiety disorders, support for trauma recovery, and guidance for navigating pivotal life changes. I also help clients explore relationship challenges, providing compassionate support and personalized care through both individual therapy and psychological assessments. If you're ready to learn more, I invite you to explore my website, browse my mental health blog for helpful insights, and schedule a consultation when you're ready to take that first step toward healing.

About the Author

Dr. Jennifer Olson-Madden is a licensed psychologist and expert in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), dedicated to helping clients achieve purposeful and successful outcomes through inspired and committed action. With over 15 years of licensure in Denver, CO, and more than two decades of experience in mental health, she specializes in treating anxiety, burnout, perfectionism, chronic stress, depression, and executive dysfunction such as ADHD. She not only practices ACT professionally but also integrates its principles into her own life daily.