Why trauma is a precursor to burnout: 5 signs you may be affected

Burnout is frequently profoundly linked to unresolved trauma, which fundamentally alters the way our bodies and minds react to stress. When a person experiences trauma, it can leave a deep and lasting mark on their nervous system, keeping them in a state of hypervigilance. 

Because of this ingrained hypervigilance, individuals may unintentionally seek out chaotic or high-stress environments, in their personal lives and workplaces. This is often because these environments feel familiar — mirroring the internal chaos they have grown accustomed to. However, these high-stress settings can perpetuate a cycle of exhaustion, making it even harder to escape the grip of burnout. The constant exposure to chaos keeps the nervous system in a heightened state, preventing true rest and recovery.

Unlike stress due to overwork alone, trauma-related stress tends to be associated with emotional exhaustion, a feeling of detachment, low self-esteem, relationship struggles and difficulty in finding meaning in one's work or life. This magnifies the classic symptoms of burnout, which can make the healing process more complex, as not only do we need to recuperate, but we also need to address and heal the underlying trauma.

Five signs that trauma may be an underlying factor in your burnout:

1. Persistent emotional exhaustion:

You feel constantly drained, even after you've rested. You may find it hard to find joy in activities you used to enjoy and experience a sense of apprehension throughout the day. Trauma depletes your emotional reserves, leaving you vulnerable to exhaustion when faced with everyday stressors.

2. Hypervigilance and anxiety:

You're always on the alert, find it hard to relax and experience heightened anxiety, especially in situations that trigger memories of past traumas. Trauma keeps the nervous system in “fight or flight” mode, making relaxation difficult and increasing the risk of burnout.

3. Emotional numbing and detachment:

Feeling disconnected from others, repressing your emotions, feeling like you're floating and not part of the world. As a defence mechanism, your mind can shut down emotionally, leading to detachment and a higher risk of burnout because you may not realize the importance and necessity of slowing down your life or changing your self-care because you're 'going with the flow' and not in touch with your emotional needs or listening to your physical signals. 

4. Difficulty setting boundaries

Difficulty asserting your needs or protecting your personal space may reflect difficulties linked to past traumas, such as a deep-seated fear of rejection, low self-esteem or distrust of others. Trauma may have conditioned you to prioritise the needs of others over your own, which makes it difficult for you to assert yourself and set healthy boundaries.

5. Heightened sensitivity

Feeling overwhelmed by minor problems may be an indication that a trauma is affecting your emotional regulation. This is because trauma can increase emotional reactivity, reduce stress tolerance and impair your ability to cope with and interpret stressors effectively. This heightened sensitivity can make daily life challenges seem disproportionately intense.