Am I Burnt Out or Just Tired?

Everyone feels wiped out sometimes. Big week, bad sleep, too many late-night scrolls – of course you feel rough. But when the tiredness doesn’t really lift, you start wondering: am I burnt out, or just tired?

This guide walks through the key differences, what to watch for in your body and brain, and what to do next if you realise it’s more than “just a busy patch”.

How “normal tired” usually feels

Normal tiredness is your system saying, “That was a lot – can we rest now?” It usually feels like:

• You had a big day or week, and feel worn out that night.
• You’re grumpy and a bit foggy, but a good sleep actually helps.
• After a quiet weekend, holiday or a few early nights, your energy comes back.
• You still care about things – you just want a break.

In short: the tiredness is linked to effort, and it changes when you rest.

How burnout tiredness tends to feel

Burnout tiredness is different. It’s not just “I stayed up too late”; it’s a deep, heavy exhaustion that hangs around no matter what you do. People often describe:

• Waking up exhausted, even after 8–9 hours of sleep.
• Feeling emotionally flat or numb – like everything is “too much”.
• Getting irritated by small things and snapping more than usual.
• Struggling to care about work you used to be engaged with.
• Finding simple tasks weirdly hard or overwhelming.

You might notice yourself thinking things like, “I’m done”, “I can’t keep doing this”, or “Something is wrong with me”. That sense of being cooked from the inside out is a big red flag.

Quick self-check: burnt out or just tired?

Try this simple check-in. Over the last few weeks:

• Has tiredness been there most days, not just after the big days?
• Does rest help for a bit, but you drop straight back into exhaustion?
• Have you started to feel more cynical, hopeless or detached?
• Are mistakes and brain-fog creeping into your work?
• Do you feel like a slightly blurry version of yourself most of the time?

If you’re nodding along to most of these, it’s very likely you’re dealing with more than ordinary tiredness – you’re moving into real burnout territory.

Other things that can look like burnout

Burnout overlaps with a bunch of other stuff, which is why it’s so confusing:

• Depression – low mood, loss of interest, changes in sleep and appetite.
• Anxiety – constant worrying, racing thoughts, physical symptoms like stomach knots or a pounding heart.
• Health issues – iron deficiency, thyroid problems and other conditions can all tank your energy.

If you’re not sure what’s going on, it’s completely okay – and smart – to talk to a doctor or mental health professional and rule some of these out.

What to do if you think you’re burnt out

If you’re realising this is more than feeling a bit tired, you don’t have to fix everything overnight. Start with:

• Name it. Saying “I think I’m burnt out” is not being dramatic – it’s giving your brain accurate information.
• Remove what you can. Cancel or defer non-essential commitments for a while. Shrink the to-do list to the actual essentials.
• Ask for support. Talk to a trusted friend, manager, mentor, GP or counsellor. You don’t have to do this solo.
• Use tiny resets, not heroic fixes. Small daily changes – five‑minute breaks, movement, boundaries around messages – are more realistic than trying to “fix your life” in one go.

Burnout isn’t a moral failure or a sign you’re weak. It’s your system showing you that the current load is unsustainable. Listening to that message is the opposite of failure – it’s the start of taking your energy seriously.