Stress, Burnout, and Overwhelm

Have you been struggling with:

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Dragging yourself out of bed each morning with a feeling of dread about the day ahead
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Being pulled in a million directions by competing demands and feeling like you’re not meeting any of them
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Feeling irritable and impatient, and overreacting to everyday stresses and frustrations
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Collapsing at the end of the day, scrolling mindlessly on your phone or staring at the tv, despite having a to-do list a mile long
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Physical symptoms like headache, stomach issues, and trouble sleeping
Smiling woman free from stress and burnout.

Thanks to advances in neuroscience, we understand the impact of stress better than ever and have improved treatment approaches. It can be easier. We can help.

One-quarter of Canadians report feeling extremely stressed on a daily basis and one-third currently feel burned out. Whether it’s work, school, family, finances, personal relationships, or global events, we’re feeling more overloaded and under-supported than ever.

Stress is your nervous system’s natural response to demanding situations. In small doses, it’s critical as it helps you focus and gives you the burst of energy you need to address the issue at hand. But when faced with such situations day after day, stress becomes chronic, and chronic stress comes with a host of mental, physical, and emotional symptoms.

Stress, overwhelm, and burnout can leave you feeling edgy, irritable, cynical, and unmotivated. It’s hard to concentrate, make decisions, and stay on task. You feel annoyed, frazzled, and like if anyone asks you do to one more thing, you’re going to lose it. You might fantasize about quitting your job or running away from your life.

The good news is, you’re not stuck feeling this way. Our therapists can help you to sort through the chaos to figure out how to calm your nervous system, manage competing demands, and re-design your life around what really matters.

Want to learn more?

Check out some of the resources below!

Websites

  • The Mayo Clinic’s stress management webpages
  • HelpGuide’s info page on burnout
  • Podcast series: The Feminist Survival Project

Books

  • Burnout by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski
  • The Stress Prescription by Elissa Epel
  • Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab
This video explains how the brain responds to stress and some of the negative consequences of chronic stress. It also identifies two strategies to combat stress and keep your brain happy and healthy.