When It’s Not “Just Seasonal”: SAD vs. Burnout vs. Depression (Through an IFS, Sensorimotor, and EMDR Lens)
TL;DR: SAD, burnout, and depression each affect energy, motivation, and mood in distinct ways—but they often overlap more than people realize. Seasonal darkness can thin your resilience, stress can push your system into overdrive, and older emotional wounds can keep alarms active even when life is “fine.” Combining IFS, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, and EMDR helps you see which parts of you are trying to cope and what your body has been carrying. Intensives allow these approaches to work together without stopping mid-process, giving you a clearer, more integrated shift. You don’t just feel “less bad”—you feel more like yourself.
Shorter days, colder mornings, fewer spontaneous plans—fall and early winter change our routines and our mood. Feeling a little slower or craving more sleep can be normal. But what if it’s more than that—pulling your hoodie over your head at noon, skipping things you usually enjoy, and wondering, “Is this seasonal? Burnout? Depression? All of the above?”
This post breaks down the differences in plain language, shows how I understand these states through Internal Family Systems (IFS), Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, and EMDR, and explains when a focused Intensive can help you shift faster. (This isn’t a diagnosis; if you’re worried about safety or severe changes in sleep/appetite, please reach out to a professional or urgent support.)
The Short Version
→ SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder): Mood and energy dip as daylight decreases—typically late fall through winter—and lift again as light returns. You feel heavier, sleepier, more withdrawn, and often crave carbs or naps.
→ Burnout: Emotional exhaustion from prolonged stress and over-responsibility. Motivation dives, cynicism rises, and even small tasks feel like mountains. You’re efficient but empty.
→ Depression: More global and persistent. Low mood and/or low interest most days for weeks; changes in sleep or appetite; low energy; guilt or hopelessness; focus problems. It may overlap with seasons and stress—or exist on its own.
They can stack.
Burnout can tip into depression. SAD can amplify both. Depression can look seasonal because shorter days reduce resilience.
How It Feels in Real Life
SAD look-fors:
Dark mornings feel like pulling a weighted blanket off your whole life.
Social battery shrinks; cocooning sounds ideal.
Heaviness + sleepiness + carb cravings.
Pattern repeats most years and eases in spring.
Burnout look-fors:
You used to care; now you don’t (and that worries you).
You’re “on” all day, but can’t land when you stop.
“If I just finish this list…” never ends; rest feels unsafe or impossible.
Depression look-fors:
Color drains out of what you usually enjoy.
Sleep/appetite swing up or down; energy low most days for weeks.
Thoughts skew negative, numb, or hopeless; everything feels uphill.
If your gut says something’s off, listen. Your nervous system is signaling.
The IFS View: Parts with Jobs
Internal Family Systems (IFS) says we’re made of parts that step in when life gets hard. The parts that push you to keep working or to check out aren’t “bad”—they’re protectors trying to help right now.
In SAD, a hibernator part may say, “Conserve energy until the light returns.”
In burnout, a manager part (perfectionist/pleaser) pushes nonstop; when that fails, a firefighter part checks you out (scrolling, oversleeping, snacks) to stop the overwhelm fast.
In depression, protectors may choose shutdown: “Feel less, hurt less,” but the cost is high.
In therapy, we befriend protectors and ask what they fear would happen without their strategy (falling behind, being criticized, feeling old grief). When protectors feel respected—not shamed—they soften. Your calm, compassionate Self can lead, and we gain access to the feelings or memories they guard so you don’t have to live in overdrive or shutdown to stay safe.
The Sensorimotor View: The Body Tells the Truth First
When you’re overwhelmed, your thinking brain fuzzes because your survival system is steering. Sensorimotor Psychotherapy works with posture, breath, and movement—your body’s immediate language.
Common patterns:
SAD: heavy, slow, rounded shoulders; sighs that don’t complete. Body asks for warmth and rhythm.
Burnout: rigid spine, tight chest, clenched jaw; “tired but wired.”
Depression: collapsed torso, minimal movement, glazed or far-away eyes; sometimes agitated but with no direction.
We begin by bringing the body into the present — orient your eyes to the room, feel your weight supported by the chair, lengthen your exhale just a little. This isn’t a magic trick; it’s how we give your cortex enough oxygen to help. When the body can land, choice returns.
The EMDR View: Update the Old Alarms
You cannot out-willpower a nervous system that believes you’re still in danger. When current stress hooks into older memories—criticism that made you feel “never enough,” a breakup that wired in abandonment, a chaotic home—your internal alarm stays high (burnout) or shuts you down (depression). Seasonal darkness then lowers your buffer further.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) helps by activating a target memory while you track bilateral stimulation (eye movements/taps/tones). Your brain links the old experience to updated truths —“That was then; this is now. I’m not trapped. I have options.” As the charge releases, you don’t need constant overdrive or numbing to cope. If SAD is part of the picture, updated wiring makes seasonal supports work better because your alarm isn’t overriding them.
A Quick Comparison You Can Feel
Energy
SAD: heavy/sleepy; improves with morning light and consistent routines.
Burnout: tired-but-wired; coffee to start, screen to stop.
Depression: persistently low; basic tasks feel uphill.
Interest
SAD: interest returns on brighter days.
Burnout: interest exists, buried under “musts.”
Depression: interest is globally reduced.
Body cues
SAD: slow, heavy; wants warmth and gentle activity.
Burnout: tight/rigid; can’t land.
Depression: collapsed/flat, or restless without aim.
Thought patterns
SAD: “I’ll be better in spring,” but “now” feels blah.
Burnout: “Just push more.” Rest feels dangerous.
Depression: “What’s the point?” or “Nothing changes.”
These are clusters, not boxes. Many people experience blends.
What Usually Helps—and Why (Principles, Not Prescriptions)
SAD-leaning patterns
Morning light + rhythm. Natural light or a light box, brief movement, and protein within an hour of waking calibrate your clock.
Warmth + contact. Heat (shower, tea, sunlight) and gentle pressure (hand on chest, weighted throw) help your body register “here and supported.”
Social micro-doses. Short, low-pressure connection combats isolation without draining you.
Burnout-leaning patterns
Edges you can feel. Clear start/stop signals—close the laptop, change rooms, lamp instead of overheads. Brains in overdrive need boundaries.
Permission to land. A few longer exhales, eyes off the screen, feel the chair. Two minutes counts.
Parts dialogue (IFS). Thank the pusher/pleaser. Ask what it fears if you rest. Often a younger part expects criticism or abandonment; we listen there.
Values re-anchoring. Burnout is “values amnesia.” We remember what matters this week, then right-size effort.
Depression-leaning patterns
Tiny, body-led actions. You don’t need motivation to take the first two minutes. Feel feet → slow exhale → start the smallest step.
Compassionate structure. A smaller box (5 minutes, then reassess) beats a giant box you’ll avoid.
EMDR for the roots. If hopelessness sticks, an old network likely says “nothing helps.” Updating that network lets effort count again.
If symptoms are severe or medical questions are present, we coordinate with your physician/psychiatrist. Many people do best with combined approaches.
Where Intensives Fit (and Why Many Prefer Them)
Traditional 45–50 minute sessions can feel like stopping mid-chapter—especially when we’re working with protectors, body patterns, and memory networks together. Intensives (3-hour, half-day, or full-day) let us complete a fuller arc in one sitting:
IFS mapping: identify your main protectors (the over-worker, the avoider, the hibernator) and what they fear and guard.
Sensorimotor stabilization: find 1–2 reliable body cues that actually land you in the present (not generic hacks).
EMDR reprocessing: target one or two memories that keep your alarm stuck (burnout) or your system shut (depression), especially when seasonal shifts thin your resilience.
Integration: notice how urges change as your body settles and old alarms quiet; set compassionate edges you can feel.
People often leave an Intensive saying, “The pressure is quieter,” or “Rest finally works again.” That’s the goal—less white-knuckling, more capacity.
A Gentle Decision Guide (Not a Test)
Ask yourself:
Does mood dip with darker days and lift in spring?
→ Seasonal component likely. Support with light and rhythm; add IFS/Sensorimotor/EMDR to widen tolerance and reduce the crash.Am I running on fumes from long-term stress, and does stopping feel unsafe?
→ Burnout patterns likely. We’ll build boundaries your nervous system can feel, respect pusher parts, and address the fears underneath.Are low mood and low interest present most days for weeks (seasonal or not)?
→ Depression may be present. We pair body-led action with carefully paced EMDR and steady parts work. If needed, we coordinate medical care.
If your answer is “it’s some of each,” you’re in good company. We can untangle them together.
How We’d Start Together
First meeting: We map your energy, sleep, appetite, motivation, and any seasonal pattern, plus work/school load, relationships, and anniversaries.
IFS groundwork: We get to know your protectors and their positive intent, so they don’t have to run the whole show.
Sensorimotor stabilization: We test a few settling cues and keep what actually works for your body.
EMDR targeting: We select specific memories (or themes, like chronic criticism) that reliably hook today’s slump, stress, or shutdown.
Plan: Weekly sessions or an Intensive, depending on urgency, schedule, and goals. If you already have a therapist, Intensives can supplement your care; with your consent, I collaborate so everything stays aligned.
In Closing
You’re not “bad at fall.” Your nervous system is responding to real conditions—less light, more pressure, and sometimes old pain that still lives in the body. With IFS, we treat every response as a part trying to help. With Sensorimotor, we bring your body back online so choice is possible. With EMDR, we update the old maps so the present doesn’t feel like the past. And with Intensives, we can move through that arc more completely when you need traction fast.
If you’re ready for steadier seasons—inside and out—I offer EMDR-, IFS-, and Sensorimotor-informed therapy in Dupont Circle and via telehealth across DC/MD/VA. Weekly sessions and Intensives (90 min, 3-hour, half-day, full-day) are available.
Book a free 15-minute consult to talk through what you’re experiencing and whether seasonal support, burnout repair, depression care—or a mix—fits best right now.
Looking for a trauma therapist in Washington, D.C. who specializes in untangling SAD, burnout, and depression?
Take your first step towards deep clarity, steadier energy, and real relief.
(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.
