What Is "High-Functioning Burnout"? Therapists Say Moms Are Especially Vulnerable

"So many mornings, I wake up and already feel behind. Before I can even pour a cup of coffee, my brain starts mentally tallying up everything I need to do that day: the groceries that need to be ordered, the permission slip for my kid's band camp that needs to be signed, the laundry sitting in the washer, and, oh yeah, work."

"Unlike the kind of burnout we typically picture when someone brings up burnout - i.e., a mental collapse that makes it nearly impossible to keep moving forward - high-functioning burnout often looks like, well, competence. It looks like a super-productive and reliable woman who keeps showing up for everyone."

""High-functioning burnout is different from classic burnout in that the external performance stays intact," says Francesca Emma, a mental health counselor who works with women experiencing chronic stress and emotional exhaustion. "These women are showing up, delivering, and 'thriving.' That intact performance is why it is easily missed, even by the women themselves.""

"It can look like chronic exhaustion, irritability, anxiety, emotional numbness, insomnia, trouble concentrating, resentment, or the nagging feeling that you can never fully relax. Some women describe it as "tired but wired," where they're deeply d"

Many mornings begin with feeling behind before basic routines are completed, as mental tallying covers groceries, signed permission slips, laundry, and work. Exhaustion becomes a constant low-level state that sleep does not resolve. Daily responsibilities still get handled and children reach activities mostly on time, creating an appearance of normal functioning. High-functioning burnout is hard to recognize because competence and reliability remain visible. Beneath the surface, self-driven overperformance can lead to running oneself into the ground. Symptoms can include chronic exhaustion, irritability, anxiety, emotional numbness, insomnia, trouble concentrating, resentment, and difficulty fully relaxing, sometimes described as “tired but wired.”

Read at Scary Mommy