HIGH BURNOUT RISK
You're in Burnout Mode
Let's Get You Out
Burnout doesn’t just drain energy; it reshapes our internal world. It distorts how we think, feel, and relate to others. Emotionally, you may feel numb or constantly on edge. Cognitively, your ability to focus or make decisions might feel hijacked. Relationships can begin to fracture as irritability replaces patience, and detachment crowds out connection.
If you’ve landed in the high-risk zone of burnout, you are not alone. This is a known, researched, and very real state of psychological, physical, and emotional exhaustion. You’re not lazy. You’re not failing. You’re overwhelmed. And it’s time to interrupt the freefall.
This is Where You Turn Things Around.
Prioritize
Self-Care
Focus on basic needs: sleep, nutrition, and hydration. These are foundational to recovery.
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Seek
Professional Help
Immediate consultation with a mental health professional is crucial. They can guide you through this challenging phase.
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Reach Out
for Support
Inform close ones about your state. Their understanding and assistance can be invaluable.
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Understanding Your Results
You scored high on the BAT. You may be in survival mode. Maybe you’re waking up already exhausted. Tasks feel insurmountable. You might feel numb, apathetic, or increasingly cynical. You may dread work, isolate yourself, or experience physical symptoms like headaches, insomnia, digestive issues, or frequent illness.
Your internal dialogue might sound like: “What happened to me?” or “I can’t keep doing this.” You may have stopped caring not because you don’t care, but because you have nothing left to give.
This is burnout in its most acute form and it’s time to take it seriously.
Hit the Action Cards above to get started turning this around.
You're in Burnout Mode. Let's Get You Out.
Burnout isn't weakness. It's a signal.
Burnout doesn’t just drain energy; it reshapes our internal world. It distorts how we think, feel, and relate to others. Emotionally, you may feel numb or constantly on edge. Cognitively, your ability to focus or make decisions might feel hijacked. Relationships can begin to fracture as irritability replaces patience, and detachment crowds out connection.
If you’ve landed in the high-risk zone of burnout, you are not alone. This is a known, researched, and very real state of psychological, physical, and emotional exhaustion. You’re not lazy. You’re not failing. You’re overwhelmed. And it’s time to interrupt the freefall.
How You Might Be Feeling
If you scored high on the BAT, you may be in survival mode. Maybe you’re waking up already exhausted. Tasks feel insurmountable. You might feel numb, apathetic, or increasingly cynical. You may dread work, isolate yourself, or experience physical symptoms like headaches, insomnia, digestive issues, or frequent illness.
Your internal dialogue might sound like: “What happened to me?” or “I can’t keep doing this.” You may have stopped caring not because you don’t care, but because you have nothing left to give.
This is burnout in its most acute form and it’s time to take it seriously.
What Can You Do Right Now
When you’re in crisis-level burnout, small steps matter. Here are practical supports that don’t require you to overhaul your life overnight:
See a healthcare provider. Rule out or address medical contributors like anemia, thyroid dysfunction, depression, or chronic fatigue.
Take short-term medical leave if possible. Use FMLA, sick time, or PTO to step away and stabilize.
Set a “bare minimum” bar. Identify the 3 most essential tasks each day and give yourself permission to let the rest go.
Hydrate, eat protein, sleep. Yes, the basics. Your brain needs fuel to re-engage.
Identify one trusted person you can talk to: a therapist, friend, mentor, or colleague.
Avoid alcohol or stimulants. They increase your stress load and delay recovery. You know this already, don’t “self medicate.”
Use pre-written scripts to ask for help. You don’t need to find the words yourself.
Curate Resources for High Burnout
You need tools that meet you where you’re at:
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): Mental health resources, support groups, helplines.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or call 988: 24/7 emotional support in the U.S.
Therapy Matcher: Find local therapists and filter by specialty.
Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily & Amelia Nagoski
Workplace Fairness: Know your rights if your burnout is work-related.
Caregiver Action Network: If you’re also caring for others while burned out.
Caret Care Suggestions
Here’s what we recommend through a trauma-informed, integrative lens:
Ground yourself in your body first. Try a 5-4-3-2-1 grounding exercise to anchor your nervous system. Until your body believes you’re safe, your mind can’t process.
Radical Acceptance: You don’t have to approve of your burnout. But acknowledging “this is where I am” gives you back some agency.
Cognitive Restructuring: Begin to notice automatic thoughts like “I should be stronger” or “I can’t handle anything” and practice replacing them with neutral truths.
Values-Based Action: Instead of chasing productivity, reconnect with what matters most—even in micro-doses. A smile at your child, stepping into the sun, texting a friend.
Micro-boundaries: Say “no” to one thing per day. One obligation, one meeting, one request. Start reclaiming your energy in tiny bits.
You Are Not Alone. You Are Still Here.
Burnout at this stage can feel like drowning in your own life. But this is not the end of your story. You’re reading this. You’re still reaching. That is strength.
Recovery is possible. But not alone, not all at once, and not without grace. Focus on compassionate consistency. Support, rest, boundaries, and connection are not luxuries, they’re medicine.
Caret Care is here when you’re ready for the next right step. And when you need to just breathe, that’s okay too.