Understanding the Link Between Stress & Burnout

Have you ever felt like you just can't take anymore , you've reached your limit mentally, physically and emotionally - that if one more thing happens you will completely lose it? In today’s fast-paced world, stress has unfortunately become an unavoidable part of life. However, when stress goes unchecked, it can lead to burnout – a state of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion that can feel utterly overwhelming. As someone who has personally experienced the long-term effects of extreme stress, I understand how detrimental burnout can be, and the long hard road back to recovery, so it important to support your nervous system before you reach burnout.

But what exactly causes burnout, and how does stress play a role in it?

The answer lies in how our bodies respond to stress through complex systems like the HPA axis, the vagus nerve, and the nervous system.

The Nervous System: A Balancing Act

The nervous system is responsible for managing all your body’s responses to stress. It’s divided into the:

• Sympathetic (SNS) system - controls the ‘fight or flight’ response when you’re stressed

• Parasympathetic (PNS) system - helps you relax and recover following the stress response, includes vagus nerve

When stress becomes chronic, the sympathetic system can become overstimulated, leaving you in a constant state of alertness. This imbalance, if not addressed, can lead to emotional exhaustion, physical symptoms like headaches or digestive issues, and a reduced ability to cope with daily challenges – key indicators of burnout. The HPA Axis: The Body’s Stress Alarm System

The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, although not part of the nervous system,  is a key player in our body’s response to stress. When you experience stress, the HPA axis sends signals to prepare your body for action, working with your SNS to manage the stress response by releasing the hormone cortisol. This may result in increased heart rate, heightened awareness, and a burst of energy to handle the perceived threat.

However, when stress becomes chronic – the HPA axis can become overactive. Constantly elevated cortisol levels can negatively impact sleep, immune function, and mental clarity, leading to burnout. Over time, your body struggles to return to a state of balance, and the signs of burnout become more pronounced.

The Vagus Nerve: A Pathway to Calm

The vagus nerve plays a critical role in regulating your body’s response to stress. It is part of the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) which is responsible for the ‘rest and digest’ functions that help bring your body back into balance after a stressful event. When you are in a constant state of stress, the vagus nerve often doesn’t have a chance to activate and promote relaxation.

Stimulating the vagus nerve through self-care stress management techniques can help calm the nervous system, counteracting the fight-or-flight response triggered by the HPA axis. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or burned out, you’re not alone. Take the first step toward recovery – and start caring for yourself today.

Research: The relationship between job stress, burnout and clinical depression

Rosanna Commisso - Founder, StressCare Solutions

Championing Workplace Wellbeing | Mental Health & Trauma Advocate

As the Founder of StressCare Solutions, my passion for helping organisations navigate the growing challenge of stress and trauma in the workplace, is personal.

With over 30-years’ experience spanning health, training and community services, and my own lived experience with mental health, burnout and trauma—I bring both professional insight and ‘lived experience’ understanding to my work.

My mission is simple: to empower organisations, and their staff, with the tools they need to recognise, manage, and reduce stress before it leads to burnout, and to implement trauma-informed practices to support their staff.

Through engaging, evidence-based workshops, impactful speaking engagements, and trauma-informed workplace support, I help teams build resilience, improve wellbeing, and thrive.

Let’s build healthier workplaces—together.

📩 rosanna@stresscare.com.au | 🌐 www.stresscare.com.au