Am I Burned Out or Depressed? Understanding the Signs
When exhaustion doesn’t have a clear name.
Many people I work with arrive carrying the same quiet question: Why do I feel so tired, numb, or disconnected—and why can’t I tell what it is?
You might be getting through your days, but with effort. Motivation feels thin. Your nervous system feels stretched. You’re functioning—but something feels off.
When you’re navigating grief, caregiving, chronic stress, or a major life transition, it’s incredibly common to wonder whether what you’re experiencing is burnout vs depression. The symptoms can look and feel similar, especially after long seasons of emotional demand.
If you’re unsure how to name what’s happening inside you, you’re not failing—and you’re not alone. Confusion is often a sign that your system has been working very hard for a very long time.
This post is not about diagnosis. It’s about helping you gently understand the patterns your body and mind may be showing—and offering grounded ways to seek grief support or therapy support if and when it feels right.
Some seasons are meant for rest, not resolution. Winter reminds us that slowing down is part of staying alive.
What burnout can look like
Burnout is often described as emotional exhaustion, but it’s more than feeling tired. It’s a whole-system response to prolonged demand without adequate restoration—especially when you’ve been the strong one for others.
Common signs of burnout include:
Feeling emotionally depleted or “used up”
Irritability, resentment, or cynicism that feels unlike you
Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
A sense of dread or heaviness around responsibilities
Physical symptoms like tension, headaches, disrupted sleep, or frequent illness
Feeling disconnected from meaning or purpose
From a nervous-system perspective, burnout often reflects chronic activation—your system has been bracing for too long. Even rest may not feel restorative because your body hasn’t felt safe enough to truly settle.
Burnout is frequently situational. It’s often tied to caregiving, work stress, grief, or a particular role that has asked too much for too long.
If you’re curious about how gentle, body-based support can help restore a sense of safety and steadiness, you might choose to read more about the support I offer—simply to explore what’s available, without any expectation to act.
What depression can look like
Depression is often misunderstood as sadness alone. In reality, it can be quieter, heavier, and more pervasive—especially for people who are high-functioning or deeply responsible.
Common signs may include:
Persistent low mood or emptiness
Loss of interest or pleasure in things that once mattered
Feeling slowed down—or, at times, agitated inside
Changes in sleep, appetite, or energy that last for weeks
Feelings of worthlessness, guilt, or hopelessness
Difficulty imagining relief or a different future
While burnout is often tied to context, depression tends to feel less dependent on circumstances. The heaviness can follow you even when external stressors ease.
From a nervous-system lens, depression may reflect a protective shutdown—the body conserving energy when overwhelm has gone on too long.
It’s important to say clearly: experiencing depression does not mean you are weak, broken, or failing to cope. It often reflects a system that has endured profound loss, stress, or unmet needs.
Key differences—and where they overlap
When people ask about burnout vs depression, they’re often hoping for a clear dividing line. In truth, the experiences can overlap—and sometimes coexist.
Some gentle distinctions:
Burnout is often tied to a specific season or role and may improve with rest, boundaries, or a change in demands.
Depression tends to be more persistent and may remain even when circumstances shift.
Burnout can evolve into depression if exhaustion and emotional depletion go unaddressed.
Both can include emotional numbness, low motivation, and nervous-system dysregulation.
Rather than asking “Which label fits me?” it can be more supportive to ask:
How long has this been going on?
Is it changing—or staying the same?
How much is it affecting my daily life, relationships, or sense of self?
Support doesn’t require certainty. It requires compassion and curiosity.
Many people navigating grief find that trauma-informed grief support, somatic grief healing, or grief coaching online can help regulate the nervous system, restore emotional range, and create steadiness—whether the root experience is burnout, depression, or both.
If you’d like to learn how this kind of support works, especially in relation to emotional regulation and nervous-system safety, that information is available to explore at your own pace.
A gentle invitation to reflect and reach out
If you’re reading this and recognizing yourself, consider pausing to reflect—without judgment—on the duration, intensity, and context of what you’re experiencing.
You don’t need to self-diagnose.
You don’t need to wait until things are unbearable.
Seeking coaching support, grief and trauma healing, or body-based grief healing can be a proactive act of care—especially if exhaustion, numbness, or low mood feels persistent or begins to interfere with daily life.
For some, support looks like individual grief coaching online. For others, it’s an online workshop, Zoom grief support groups, or even a grief healing retreat that offers space to rest, be witnessed, and reconnect with the body’s wisdom.
If it feels supportive, you’re welcome to begin with a quiet conversation—one that honors pacing, choice, and your readiness. There’s no pressure to decide anything in that space. Sometimes being gently met is enough to start.
Whatever you’re carrying, it deserves care. And you don’t have to carry it alone.
Dawn M. Geoppinger, Trauma-Informed Grief & Embodiment Coach
Dawn M. Geoppinger is a Trauma-Informed Grief & Embodiment Coach based in Portland, Oregon, with a strong foundation of over two decades of professional experience in public administration, education, and the nonprofit sector. She specializes in grief education, somatic movement, breathwork, and mindfulness, integrating evidence-based approaches such as somatic practices, post-traumatic growth and woman-centered principles to help clients reconnect with themselves, regulate their nervous systems, and honor the full spectrum of loss and healing. Through her practice, The Embodied Grief Journey™, Dawn provides compassionate, expert support both in person and online—creating safe, nurturing spaces for individuals to explore grief, resilience, and embodied healing.
