Burnout Symptoms in Midlife Women: Are You Running on Empty?
Burnout can be sneaky. It doesn’t always show up as a dramatic collapse. For many midlife women, it arrives like a fog—quiet, creeping, and constant.
You push through your day, but you’re exhausted. You’re forgetting things. Making decisions feels impossible. You’re snapping at the people you love. And you’ve stopped feeling like you.
If that sounds familiar, you may be experiencing burnout—a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress.
The good news? Burnout is not a life sentence. But the first step is awareness. Let’s walk through the symptoms of burnout, take a quick quiz to check where you stand, and explore a gentle first step toward healing.
🔍 What Is Burnout?
Burnout is more than being tired. It’s a chronic state of stress and depletion that affects your ability to function at work, at home, and within yourself.
While anyone can experience burnout, it’s especially common in midlife women juggling:
- Family caregiving
- Hormonal changes
- Career responsibilities
- Identity shifts
- And the emotional weight of “holding it all together”
🚨 Common Symptoms of Burnout
Here are the most common signs that you’re running on empty:
🧠 Emotional Symptoms
- 😩 Constant overwhelm or dread
- 😢 Emotional numbness or frequent tearfulness
- 😤 Irritability or resentment
- 😕 Brain fog or trouble focusing
- 😞 Feeling disconnected from yourself or others
🛑 Mental Symptoms
- ❓ Decision fatigue (even small choices feel hard)
- 🔁 Looping negative thoughts or worry
- 📉 Lack of motivation, creativity, or inspiration
- 😶 Feeling flat, like you’re just “getting through the day”
🧍 Physical Symptoms
- 😴 Chronic fatigue—even after sleep
- 💤 Trouble falling or staying asleep
- 🍪 Sugar/caffeine cravings to “push through”
- 🤕 Headaches, tension, or digestive issues
- 🧊 Feeling cold, depleted, or “wired but tired”
If you checked off more than a few of those, it may be time to pause and assess more deeply.
📝 QUIZ: Are You Experiencing Burnout?
Give yourself 1 point for each “yes.”
- Do you feel emotionally drained most days?
- Is your sleep disrupted, even when you’re tired?
- Do you feel numb, disconnected, or like you’re living on autopilot?
- Do small tasks feel overwhelming or exhausting?
- Are you more irritable or impatient than usual?
- Do you avoid social interactions because you “just can’t”?
- Have you lost interest in things that used to bring you joy?
- Do you rely on sugar, caffeine, or wine to “get through” the day?
- Do you constantly feel like you’re falling behind?
- Do you often think, “I can’t keep this up much longer”?
➡️ Results
- 0–3 points: You’re managing stress well, but stay mindful of how your energy shifts.
- 4–6 points: You may be in the early stages of burnout. Time to make some adjustments.
- 7–10 points: You’re likely experiencing moderate to severe burnout. You deserve support and a plan to restore your energy and clarity.
🎯 First Step to Recover from Burnout: Take the Pressure Off
When you realize you’re in burnout, it’s tempting to fix it fast. But here’s the truth:
The first step to healing from burnout is to take the pressure off of yourself.
You can’t push your way out of exhaustion. The nervous system doesn’t respond to hustle—it responds to safety, stillness, and rest.
Start by giving yourself permission to slow down:
- 🧘♀️ Cancel or reschedule non-essential obligations
- 😌 Allow your house to be a little messy
- 💬 Say “not right now” to draining conversations
- 🕯️ Carve out just 10 quiet minutes a day for you—no screens, no noise, just breath
Let “good enough” be enough for now.
🛌 Gentle Daily Habits to Soothe Burnout
Here are small, doable habits that support your body and mind during burnout recovery:
🌿 Morning
- 🧘♀️ Start with 5 deep belly breaths
- 🫖 Sip warm lemon water or herbal tea
- 📝 Write one intention or feeling in your journal
💻 Midday
- 🚶 Take a 10-minute break outside if possible
- 🧠 Pause for one minute between tasks
- 🍴 Eat something grounding and nourishing
🌙 Evening
- 🕯️ Dim the lights after dinner
- 📓 Write down 3 things that went okay today
- 🛏️ Lay in bed and try progressive muscle relaxation (tense and release from toes to head)
The goal isn’t perfection—it’s consistency and compassion.
🧠 Burnout Affects Decision-Making Too
One of the most frustrating symptoms of burnout is decision fatigue. You may feel frozen, unable to choose even the simplest thing. That’s not laziness—it’s a nervous system that’s overstretched and depleted.
To support your brain and body:
- 🧺 Reduce decision points (wear the same cozy outfit, repeat easy meals)
- 🧾 Write down your to-dos the night before
- 🙅♀️ Say no without explanation when possible
Over time, as your body and mind heal, your clarity and decisiveness return.
💫 The Path Forward: Stillness Before the Shift Method
If you’re deep in burnout and craving a softer, steadier way to heal, I want to invite you into my signature course: Stillness Before the Shift Method.
This 90-day program is for midlife women who are:
- Burned out
- Exhausted
- Stuck in decision fatigue
- And ready to reconnect with their purpose and energy
You’ll learn how to:
- Create space for stillness—even in a busy life
- Reset your nervous system with simple daily practices
- Stop the internal pressure and rebuild trust with yourself
- Make aligned decisions from calm, not chaos
📚 What’s Inside:
- ✨ 5 soul-centered modules with text and video lessons
- Workbook to dive deeper in your wellness journey
- 🎧 25 short audio lessons
- 🧘♀️ Somatic tools and body-based practices
- 📓 Gentle journaling prompts and reflection guides
- ❤️ Lifetime access so you can revisit anytime
You don’t need more noise or another productivity system. You need a reset rooted in grace.
👉 Click here to explore the Stillness Before the Shift Method
🧘♀️ You Deserve to Feel Like You Again
Burnout doesn’t mean you’re broken. It means your body and spirit have been carrying too much for too long. The exhaustion isn’t weakness—it’s a call for compassion.
Start by breathing.
Give yourself permission to not push.
Let the first step be stillness—and from there, you’ll find your way back to clarity, energy, and ease.
✨ You don’t have to do it alone. I’d be honored to walk alongside you in the Stillness Before the Shift Method.
👉 Learn more and begin your reset here
