Anxiety, Burnout, and Trauma: How to Tell What’s What
It’s 1 AM and you’re lying in bed. You can’t get comfortable and your brain just won’t turn off. Looks like it’s going to be one of those nights again.
You check email at 11pm just in case. On to social and then a game on your phone. Still not tired.
More scrolling and distracting. Your brain presses play. Your chest tightens and your jaw clenches.
You glance at the time- how is it already 3 AM? Why does this keep happening? What’s going on?
If you’re skimming this with tired eyes and a buzzing brain, hi. This is a lot at 3 AM.
Take a breath. A lot of people tell me the same story and try to name it: Is this anxiety? Is this burnout? Could it be trauma, or some messy mix?
Here’s a quick rundown to help you understand anxiety, burnout, and trauma, and when it might make sense to reach out for help.
Quick Snapshot: Anxiety vs Burnout vs Trauma
Think of your nervous system like a car. Anxiety is the engine revving at a red light. Burnout is the tank on E with the warning light on. Trauma is the proximity alert set too sensitive- nearby bumps or movements can make it beep like something big is wrong.
Lots of people ride with more than one light on. The point isn’t to label; it’s to understand- because if you don’t know what’s happening and why, it’s hard to actually (really, truly) feel better.
Anxiety in Real Life (Signs & Triggers)
Anxiety feels like too many tabs open and a laptop fan that won’t quit. Your days start with “what if” and end with “did I mess that up?”
A vague Slack or unclear feedback sends you into panic mode. An upcoming presentation or grade release pulls your mind into future scenarios, and performance pressure (deadlines, reviews, expectations) turns the volume up. Order and control help keep the peace.
Think: Randall Pearson (This Is Us).
Burnout in Real Life (Work/School Stress)
Burnout feels like the dashboard lights dimming. You show up, answer, attend, and complete (pretty much do all the things) and it takes more out of you than it gives.
Motivation slips, and most days you move through the motions without really caring. It usually grows from chronic work/school stress. Weeks of a heavy workload, little say in your tasks or schedule, and effort that goes unrecognized. A day off helps briefly, then the dread creeps back by Sunday.
Think: Stanley Hudson (The Office).
Trauma in Real Life (Reminders & Reactions)
Trauma is the past knocking on the door of the present. Your body reacts before your mind explains. A ringtone, a smell of cologne at Trader Joe's, a certain time of year can suddenly bring on a panic attack.
Relationships feel overwhelming and complicated. You get startled easily. Nightmares and flashbacks take you back to a painful moment, and thoughts about it pop in out of nowhere.
Think: Tony Stark after New York (Iron Man 3).
Where Anxiety, Burnout & Trauma Overlap
Anxiety, burnout, and trauma share wiring. That’s why you can feel jittery and exhausted and triggered in the same week, or even day.
Under the hood, your body runs a few built-in, automatic safety settings: fight, flight, freeze, and shutdown.
Fight mobilizes you to push back; flight mobilizes you to get away; freeze locks the brakes so you can assess; shutdown powers everything down to conserve energy when overwhelm keeps coming.
When you’re anxious, your brain switches into flight or freeze. Flight looks like a busy mind and an urge to fix or escape: refreshing the inbox, rehearsing replies, scrolling instead of sleeping. Freeze feels stalled: mind cloudy, body tense, hard to press “send.” That’s the RPMs staying high even when you’re at a red light.
When you’re burnt out, your brain goes into shutdown. The battery saver kicks on. You can still do the basics, but the spark is dim, motivation slips, and real rest only helps for a moment before the dread returns.
With trauma, any of the settings can take the wheel depending on the reminder that sets off the proximity alert. You might notice flight (restless energy, needing to step away from the Suburban Station commotion), fight (voice sharpens, guarding your space), freeze (mind goes blank, body still), or shutdown (numb, sleepy, far away). Same car, different safety modes, all trying to keep you safe in their own way.
Spotting which setting is up front- revved flight/freeze, conserving shutdown, or a trauma-related swing between them- helps you choose a right-sized first step for today.
Three-Question Check-In
Think of this like checking your dashboard at a red light.
First: Do you have a hard time controlling or stopping worries? Do you often feel anxious, nervous, or on edge?
If your brain lives in future “what-ifs” (What if I mess up? What if they’re mad at me?), anxiety may be taking the wheel. Get present on purpose: eyes find 5 greens or blues, exhale longer than you inhale, choose one doable step and give it a small window (even if it’s just 2 minutes).
Second: Do you dread work or school most days (hello, Sunday scaries)? Do you feel drained even after a decent night’s sleep or a real day off?
If yes, you might be dealing with burnout. Treat energy as the priority. Choose micro-rests that actually restore, set a stop point (“I close the laptop at 5:30”), and use one clear boundary this week. If rest doesn’t touch it, keep going.
Third: Have you experienced or heard about something extremely terrible and stressful, that has had a lasting impact on you? Are you often jumpy or on high alert for potential danger?
If so, trauma may be front-and-center. Ground to the here-and-now (name the date, feel the floor), take 3 to 5 slow, long breaths, and tell yourself “I’m safe now.”
Steps to Help Right Now
When you want to feel better in the moment, notice what your nervous system is doing and pick something that balances it.
When anxiety shows up, your mind and body speed up (flight/freeze). Turn the power down with simple breathing and attention to the present moment.
Replace the doom-scroll with a two-minute orienting scan: find color, light, edges, and distance. Pair that with a pattern of breathing that focuses on longer exhales (inhale for a count of 4, pause, exhale for a count of 6, repeat).
When burnout shows up, your system powers down (shutdown). Bring a little energy online with sunlight or movement. Step outside for sixty seconds, roll your shoulders, stretch your back, or walk to the mailbox and back. Tiny boosts count.
Set a boundary so the days stop blurring together. Try: “I can start this at 10am,” “I don’t have bandwidth today,” or “That timeline doesn’t work; here are two options.” Name a stop point out loud (“I’m closing the laptop at 5:30”) and keep it.
Do one small thing that brings you back to yourself. Put on a feel-good song, text someone, watch an episode or two of a favorite show, or make tea you actually enjoy. The goal is to add a little spark and lightness.
When a trauma reminder shows up, notice which state you’re in and go from there. If you’re sped up, use the anxiety tools; if you’re shut down, borrow a gentle boost from burnout. Name five things that are different from “back then”: today’s date, this room, the light right now, the weight of the blanket, the feel of the chair. If it feels okay, sip ice-cold water through a straw or splash cool water on your face. These small cues tell your brain, “I’m here now.”
A Note About Trauma
Trauma isn’t one-size-fits-all. This post focuses on acute trauma (one identifiable event). The signs can look very different from what I described above.
Trauma can take other shapes:
Chronic trauma: exposure to stressful or unsafe situations that repeat over time (bullying, ongoing medical procedures, unstable caregiving, community violence).
Complex trauma: multiple or long-term traumatic experiences, often starting in childhood and involving trusted people or systems. It can affect identity, relationships, and how safety feels in your body.
Generational (intergenerational) trauma: the impact of trauma carried across families and communities through stories, silence, beliefs, and stress patterns passed down. You may feel echoes of events you didn’t personally live through.
Vicarious or secondary trauma: the strain that comes from hearing about or caring for others’ traumatic experiences. This is common for helpers, healthcare workers, therapists, educators, journalists, and caregivers.
When to Reach Out
Sometimes things can feel isolating and too overwhelming to navigate alone. If anxiety, burnout, or trauma are getting in the way of your happiness, work or school, relationships, or your everyday life, consider reaching out to a licensed mental health professional.
TL;DR: Anxiety vs Burnout vs Trauma
Anxiety → revved-up engine; your brain scans “what-ifs.” Common triggers: ambiguous threats, future scenarios, performance pressure. Try: present-moment orienting (find five greens/blues) + longer exhale → pick one doable step and give it a small window. (Think: Randall Pearson.)
Burnout → tank on E; tied to chronic work/school stress. Common drivers: sustained workload, low control, little recognition. Try: a tiny boost (sunlight/movement), set a stop point, use one boundary, then do one values-aligned action that brings you back to yourself. (Think: Stanley Hudson.)
Trauma → proximity alert set too sensitive (reminders, startle, nightmares). State match: if sped up, use the anxiety tools; if shut down, borrow a gentle boost from burnout → orient to here and now (name five things different from “back then,” sip cold water if helpful). (Think: Tony Stark after New York.)
Overlap → shared wiring (fight/flight/freeze/shutdown). Notice what’s in the driver’s seat today and choose the one small thing that helps.
Kinds of trauma → this post names acute trauma (one identifiable event). Other forms like chronic, complex, generational, and vicarious trauma can look and feel different.
When to reach out → if anxiety, burnout, or trauma are getting in the way of your happiness, work/school, relationships, or daily life, consider contacting a licensed mental health professional.
FAQs: Anxiety, Burnout, & Trauma
Does a real break or vacation help me tell the difference?
Sometimes. If you feel noticeably better after true rest and a lighter workload, burnout is likely in the mix. Anxiety may ease with rest plus simple routines. Trauma often lingers despite rest because cues/reminders keep you activated.
Can I have more than one at the same time?
For sure. Anxiety shows up alongside trauma a lot, and burnout can overlap with trauma too, especially in high-stress roles. Overlap is common and worth discussing with a licensed mental health clinician.
Can burnout turn into trauma?
Burnout and trauma are different. Burnout doesn’t become trauma, but long, grinding stress and exposure to disturbing events can increase trauma-type reactions or co-occur with trauma. This is common in healthcare, education, first response, and frontline work.
Is anxiety just a milder form of trauma?
No. Anxiety can be a stand-alone condition. It can also be trauma-related when the nervous system stays in fight/flight/freeze/shutdown after trauma. Not all anxiety is trauma, and not all trauma includes an anxiety disorder.
When You’re Ready
If trauma keeps crowding your days, I’m here to help. We’ll start by getting clear on what’s showing up for you and what you want more of in daily life.
I use evidence-based, mind–body approaches like EMDR, IFS, and TF-CBT to help you feel calmer, more present, and connected in everyday life. Together, we’ll work through what’s stuck so the past stops running the show.
Sessions are collaborative and paced to you. You set the speed and depth, and you can pause, slow down, or change direction anytime. No one-size-fits-all plan, we check in often and adjust as we go.
Curious what this could look like for you? Let’s talk. If you live in Pennsylvania or Delaware, schedule a free 15-minute consultation to explore whether working together feels like a good fit for where you are and what you need. Book your consult today.
Disclaimer: This post is for informational and educational purposes only. This post should not be taken as therapy or medical advice or used as a substitute for such. You should always speak to your own therapist before implementing this information on your own. Thank you!
