Am I Burnt Out or Just Tired? Why It Matters to Know the Difference
TL;DR: Tiredness lifts when you rest. Burnout lingers because it lives in the body, in patterns of tension, vigilance, and emotional fatigue that sleep can’t touch. For many in D.C., it’s compounded by the collective stress of injustice and constant urgency. Repairing burnout isn’t about stepping away from what matters—it’s about restoring the nervous system so you can stay engaged without losing yourself.
Most people can relate to the feeling of being “so tired.” But when exhaustion isn’t relieved by sleep or a weekend off, you might not just be tired — you might be burned out. Knowing the difference matters, because the way we respond to tiredness is different than how we heal burnout.
In a time when so many of us are navigating not only our own personal responsibilities, but also the weight of sociopolitical stress and daily exposure to injustice, it’s no wonder burnout is on the rise. Living in the DMV area — where politics, activism, inequality, and high-pressure work environments collide — adds another layer to the exhaustion many people feel. This isn’t just about long hours or poor sleep. It’s about carrying the chronic weight of what’s happening around us, even when it doesn’t directly touch our personal lives.
Tiredness vs. Burnout: What’s the Difference?
Being tired usually has a clear cause: a late night, a tough week at work, or a busy social calendar. It’s uncomfortable, but after some rest, your body and mind reset.
Burnout, on the other hand, is more like a slow leak in your system. It’s cumulative. It shows up as emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and a sense of disconnection. It lingers even after a vacation or a long night of sleep.
And in today’s climate, burnout is not only tied to workload but also to what’s happening in the world around us. For many, simply scrolling the news or walking through their city brings up feelings of hopelessness, outrage, or fear.
Being in a place like DC, where national and global stressors often hit close to home, means that sociopolitical burnout becomes personal burnout too.
How Sociopolitical Stress Adds Fuel to Burnout
Every day, we’re exposed to stressors that go beyond our own lives:
Seeing injustice in our communities
Worrying about the state of democracy or safety
Witnessing disparities in healthcare, housing, or education
Feeling the ripple effects of racism, antisemitism, misogyny, homophobia, or xenophobia
When you’re already stretched thin by work and personal demands, these broader stressors layer on top — creating a baseline of overwhelm that makes it hard to regulate, focus, or rest.
In the DMV especially, many people feel like they can’t “turn it off.” Politics are local here. Injustices are visible here. And many residents are actively involved — through advocacy, nonprofit work, or simply caring deeply about what’s happening.
That chronic activation of the nervous system can make burnout feel inevitable.
The Body’s Way of Saying “Enough”
Your body keeps the score when you’re dealing with prolonged stress, whether from your workplace, your relationships, or the sociopolitical environment. Burnout often shows up as:
Brain fog or trouble concentrating
Irritability or numbness toward things you used to care about
Chronic fatigue that sleep doesn’t fix
Physical symptoms like headaches, stomach issues, or increased illness
Loss of motivation or creativity
For many of my clients, these symptoms intensify when they feel powerless in the face of injustice — when their personal values clash with what they see happening around them. It’s like carrying the weight of the world, in addition to the weight of their own lives.
How Therapy Can Help Rebuild Balance
This is where trauma-informed therapy can help untangle the layers:
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing): EMDR helps your brain process overwhelming stressors that feel “stuck.” It can be used not only for personal trauma but also for the secondary trauma of living in a world that feels unsafe or unjust.
IFS (Internal Family Systems): With IFS, we look at the parts of you that have taken on the burden of being hypervigilant, angry, or shut down in response to the state of the world. Instead of pushing those parts away, we help them release their extreme roles so you can access more clarity and compassion.
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: Because burnout lives in the body, somatic work helps you reset your nervous system. We use movement, grounding, and awareness to rebuild a sense of safety and capacity, even in the face of ongoing stress.
For those who feel like weekly therapy isn’t enough to move through this level of overwhelm, therapy intensives can be a powerful option. Intensives allow us to dig deeper into patterns of burnout and sociopolitical stress in a contained, immersive way — so you can leave feeling lighter and more resourced, rather than waiting months for relief.
Learn more about therapy intensives here.
Closing Thoughts
Burnout isn’t just about being tired. It’s about being overloaded — personally, professionally, and often politically. In a time and place where so much feels urgent, it’s important to remember that you don’t have to carry it all alone.
Healing doesn’t mean ignoring injustice or disengaging from what matters to you. It means strengthening your system so you can stay engaged in ways that are sustainable, compassionate, and life-giving.
If you’re in Washington, DC, or nearby in Maryland or Virginia (Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Arlington, Fairfax), and you’re feeling the weight of burnout — from your life, your work, or the world around you — therapy can help. Through EMDR, IFS, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, and therapy intensives, I work with clients to release what’s stuck, restore balance, and reconnect with their authentic energy.
You deserve more than survival. You deserve a nervous system that can hold both rest and resilience.
Looking for a therapist in Washington, D.C. who specializes in body-based & trauma-informed therapies for healing burnout?
Take your first step towards transforming burnout into a new rhythm of balance, compassion, and clarity.
(Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Maryland residents only)
About the author
Margot Lamson, LCSW-C is a licensed therapist with over 14 years of experience supporting clients in Washington, DC and Virginia. She specializes in trauma recovery, anxiety, ADHD, and relational challenges, and uses evidence-based approaches like EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy to help clients reduce anxiety, build self-compassion, and heal from the effects of past experiences. At Margot Lamson Therapy, she is committed to providing compassionate, expert care both in-person and online for clients across DC, Maryland, and Virginia.
