By Alyssa Haim, Registered Psychotherapist (RP), Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) | True Roots Therapy
You may have always been the person others rely on. The one who keeps everything moving, says yes when someone needs help, carries responsibility, shows up, and stays strong.
Maybe you handled stress well, or at least that’s what it looked like on the outside. But lately, something feels different.
You’re exhausted in a way rest doesn’t fix
You’re not just feeling tired, but rather, drained. Foggy thinking. A short fuse. Everything feels heavier. You’ve lost interest in the things that once grounded you. You’re doing your best, yet it feels like you’re running on fumes.
And the anxiety that used to just hum quietly in the background?
>> Now it gets loud. Uneasy thoughts, tension in your body, worry that won’t soften, difficulty shutting off your mind at night.
At first, you might tell yourself it’s temporary. “I just need a break.” “Work is busy.” “I should be able to handle this.”
But if that bounce‑back isn’t coming, you may be experiencing a combination of burnout and anxiety, and you don’t have to navigate it alone.
Understanding the Overlap: Burnout & Anxiety
Burnout is more than stress or being tired.
It’s emotional, mental, and physical depletion caused by prolonged pressure: often from work, caregiving, school, or being “the responsible one.”
Anxiety is the constant feeling that you must stay alert, manage everything, and avoid failure or disappointment at all costs.
And here’s where they collide:
- The anxiety pushes you to keep going
- The burnout makes it harder and harder to keep up
- You blame yourself instead of seeing the pattern
Your nervous system has likely been in fight‑or‑flight for a long time, so long that “calm” feels foreign. That’s not a personal flaw. It’s your body trying to protect you.
How Therapy Can Support You
Therapy offers a space to pause, breathe, and understand what’s happening beneath the surface — without judgment, without pressure to “just push through.”
Here’s what our work together might look like:
1. Building Awareness & Self‑Compassion
You begin learning the signs your nervous system has been carrying too much for too long.
Instead of thinking “Why can’t I handle this?” you’ll start to understand:
- Why your mind is racing
- Why you feel so tired
- Why it’s hard to make decisions
- Why rest doesn’t feel restful
You are not failing — your body is communicating.
2. Supporting Your Nervous System
Together, we build strategies that help settle anxiety and create space in your day‑to‑day life:
- Breathwork and grounding
- Mindfulness practices
- Gentle body‑awareness exercises
- Identifying triggers and stress patterns
- Reducing self‑criticism and improving self‑soothing skills
You start tuning into your needs instead of ignoring them.
3. Clarifying What Matters to You
Burnout often hides who you are beneath who you’ve had to be.
In therapy, you begin reconnecting with:
- Your values
- Your needs
- Your boundaries
- Your identity outside of productivity
Maybe you realize you’re tired of constantly proving yourself. Maybe you want more peace, creativity, rest, joy, and presence. Therapy helps you explore what fulfillment means for you now, and not who you “should” be.
4. Rebuilding Healthy Connection
Burnout and anxiety can push you into isolation, not because you don’t care, but because everything feels overwhelming. Therapy helps you:
- Practice asking for support
- Communicate needs more clearly
- Strengthen meaningful relationships
- Release the fear of being “too much”
You learn that connection can feel safe again, and that you don’t have to carry everything alone.
You Can Feel Like Yourself Again
Overcoming and managing anxiety and burnout isn’t instant, but step by step, you can reclaim:
- Emotional steadiness
- Mental clarity
- Energy and presence
- Pleasure in everyday moments
- The ability to rest without guilt
- Your confidence and your sense of self
This isn’t about “fixing” you.
>> It’s about helping you breathe again, reconnect with yourself, and rebuild your life in a way that supports your nervous system and honours your humanity.
You deserve support. You deserve rest.
>> You deserve a life where you feel grounded, capable, and whole. Not just surviving, but living!
If you’re ready to begin feeling like yourself again
I would be honoured to support you.
You don’t have to untangle this alone, and you don’t need to wait until you hit a breaking point to ask for help.
📩 Book a free 20‑minute consultation
Let’s talk about what you’re carrying and how we can work through it together.
Let’s start your path back to balance — one compassionate step at a time.