Stress and burnout

What is stress and burnout?

Stress and burnout describe two related but different experiences: stress is your body and mind responding to pressure, while burnout is what can develop when that pressure continues, unaddressed, for months. Both are common among adults juggling work, caring responsibilities and daily life, and both can be worked with in structured, evidence-based ways.

Stress on its own is not a mental health diagnosis. It is the body’s normal response to demand, useful in short bursts and unhelpful when it does not switch off. Burnout is different again: the World Health Organization’s ICD-11 classifies it as an occupational phenomenon, not a medical condition, characterised by three features, exhaustion, cynicism or detachment from your work or role and a reduced sense of effectiveness. In practice, most people experience some overlap between the two, alongside symptoms of anxiety or low mood that make everyday tasks feel harder than they should.

Signs of stress and burnout

Stress and burnout can show up in different ways for different people, but some patterns are common.

Physical signs

• Feeling constantly tired, even after rest
• Poor sleep, or difficulty switching off at night
• Headaches, muscle tension or a churning stomach

Emotional and behavioural signs

• Irritability, or feeling on edge more than usual
• Losing interest or satisfaction in work or activities you used to enjoy
• Struggling to concentrate or make decisions
• Withdrawing from colleagues, friends or family

Not everyone experiences every sign, and some people notice the physical symptoms first, well before they connect them to stress.

Common causes of stress and burnout

Stress and burnout rarely have a single cause. Workload and job demands are common triggers, particularly when they combine with long hours, a difficult commute or limited control over how the work gets done. For many adults in and around Bromley, a working day can start with an early train from Bromley South or Bromley North and end well after the last meeting has finished, leaving little space to recover before the next day begins. Caring responsibilities, whether for children, a partner or an older relative, add another layer of demand that does not pause when work does. Financial pressure, health problems, bereavement and major life changes such as a house move or a relationship ending can all contribute too, particularly when several of these are happening at once.

How therapy can help

Talking to a psychologist about stress or burnout means understanding what is driving the pressure, what is within your control and what is not, and building ways of managing both, rather than assigning blame for feeling overwhelmed. Cognitive behavioural therapy, or CBT, is the approach with the strongest evidence base for the anxiety and low mood that often accompany chronic stress, and NICE guidance supports its use for these related difficulties. Approaches drawing on acceptance and commitment therapy, or mindfulness-based strategies, can also be useful for stress management, particularly when circumstances cannot be changed quickly and the aim is to change your relationship to the pressure instead. Which approach fits best depends on your situation, and this is worked out together rather than decided in advance.

There is a reasonable evidence base for delivering psychological therapy online, with outcomes for many presentations comparable to face-to-face work. For stress and burnout, where finding time for an appointment is often part of the problem in the first place, working online also means one less commute added to a diary that already feels full.

Our approach

We work with adults across Bromley and the surrounding area, including Beckenham, Chislehurst, Shortlands, Bickley, Hayes and Petts Wood, as well as further into south east London. Clinical psychologists for Bromley and south east London, working online with adults: that is the starting point for how support is structured here. We do not diagnose or treat via the website itself. An initial conversation helps build a shared picture of what is happening for you, before any structured piece of work begins. Sessions take place online, so there is no travel time added to an already full day. We will update this site as the practice develops.

What does support for stress and burnout involve?

Support usually starts with a conversation about what has brought you to this point, the situation itself, how long it has been building, and what you have already tried. From there, the focus moves to formulation, understanding the pattern connecting your circumstances, thoughts, feelings and behaviour, so that any work that follows is aimed at what actually matters for you rather than a generic checklist. Sessions might focus on practical strategies for managing workload and boundaries, on the thinking patterns that keep stress circling, or on rebuilding the parts of life that have been squeezed out, rest, connection, or activities that once felt worthwhile. Some pressure is a normal part of working and caring for others. Support is aimed at a level of stress that does not come at the cost of your health, your relationships or your ability to function day to day.

When to seek help

It is worth seeking support if stress has been present for weeks rather than days, if exhaustion is not resolving with rest, or if you notice yourself withdrawing from people or activities that used to matter to you. Difficulty concentrating, persistent irritability, or physical symptoms that will not settle are also reasonable prompts to reach out. If you are experiencing thoughts of harming yourself, or feel you cannot keep going, contact your GP, NHS 111, the Samaritans on 116 123, or attend A&E if you are in immediate danger. These situations need a response that goes beyond what a website can offer, and reaching out early tends to make more options available than waiting until a situation has become severe.