You're Not Just Tired: Early Signs of Burnout in Your Body

You’ve been pushing through for months, maybe years. But lately, your body’s been louder than your thoughts.

The CDC reports that over 70% of teachers experience weekly stress-related physical symptoms—yet most dismiss them as "just tired" or "just getting older."

What if those headaches, gut flares, and eye twitches aren’t random? What if they’re your body waving a white flag?

---

The Day My Skin Joined the Protest

(Or: My Aha Moment)

I’m always mindful of stress. I just didn’t expect my skin to get involved.

It started with itching. Then dryness. Then redness. Then a mystery rash I blamed on food, detergent, hormones—anything but stress.

Meanwhile, my brain was throwing curveballs:

• Forgetting words mid-sentence

• Staring blankly at emails

• Walking into rooms with no idea why I was there

  
  

One day, my skin screamed at me to take notice. The itch was so intense it felt like a thousand tiny insects crawling under my skin. Driven to distraction, I scratched until deep white imprints stayed behind.

Familiar words began to get stuck, they refused to arrange themselves in the correct order. Now, mind you, I already deal with word retrieval issues - ironic, I know, for an speech-language pathologist (SLP).

The word recall difficulties intensified. My brain got slower. My memory... evaporated.

And as that icy dread settled in, I realized:

My physical symptoms weren’t just stress.

They were burnout, staging a full-body protest.

At that point, my skin, my gut, my sleep, and my vocabulary had all joined forces.

Stress wasn’t just something I was feeling. It was something I was physically living.

This isn’t uncommon. I see it in the teachers and therapists I work with all the time.

We know how to support our students, our clients, our caseloads.

But we’re not always great at catching the signs in ourselves—until our bodies force us to.

---

What Bessel Got Right—And Why It Matters for Burnout, Too

The phrase "the body keeps the score" comes from Dr. Bessel van der Kolk’s groundbreaking work on trauma. His research helped the world understand how the nervous system holds onto experiences long after the moment has passed.

(I highly recommend this book to any trauma survivor, or someone who knows and supports one.)

But here’s the thing: You don’t need a trauma history to feel the weight of chronic stress and consistent overwhelm.

In classrooms, clinics, and caregiving spaces, our bodies absorb stress, until it cannot hold anymore. Until it starts to overflow.

Burnout doesn’t just live in the mind. It shows up in skin, muscles, memory, digestion.

And the longer we ignore the signs, the louder they get.

---

Early Signs of Burnout You Might Be Ignoring

Burnout doesn’t always look like emotional collapse.

Sometimes it looks like your body quietly waving red flags while you keep saying, "I’m fine."

Here are some signs that sneak in when your system is over it:

• Rashes that come out of nowhere (bonus points if your skin flakes and breaks out at the same time)

• Eye twitches that make you look like you’re trying to send Morse code from your face

• Jaw clenching so strong you could probably crush a walnut mid-meeting

• Random bloating that makes you question everything you’ve eaten since Wednesday

• Noise sensitivity that turns the copier into a personal torture device

• Forgetfulness so frustrating you find yourself searching for your phone... while holding it

• Sleep that doesn’t work, and rest that doesn’t restore

None of these symptoms mean you’re broken.

But they do mean your nervous system is working overtime just to get through a regular day.

---

What Do You Do With This Information?

Right now, you don’t need a full reset.

You don’t need a new morning routine, a new app, or a juice cleanse.

You need a moment to listen. A moment to notice the early signs of burnout. Not to fix, just to hear what your body is trying to say.

---

The Moment It Shifted for Me

When I realized the rash was just another arrow piercing my defenses, I stopped trying to manage it and started listening.

I accepted what was happening—really happening—and did a mental scan of everything my body had been trying so hard to say.

That’s when things began to shift.

Not dramatically. Not all at once.

But I stopped pushing through and started adjusting.

I softened the way I moved through the day. I asked myself different questions—not "How do I fix this?" but "What can I do with the capacity I have right now?"

You don’t have to figure it all out instantly.

---

---

Final Thoughts:

You’re Not Broken. You’re Burned Out.

If your skin, your sleep, or your focus is whispering that something’s off, take note.

Believe it.

Burnout doesn’t always shout. Sometimes it shows up as tension, sensitivity, or that one weird rash you Google at 11 p.m.

And when it does, it’s not a flaw. It’s your body asking you to stop carrying so much alone.

Let that message land.

Let it be part of the conversation again.

Your body is trying to speak to you.

Now you’re ready to listen.

---

Robyn Maciejewski is a nationally certified speech-language pathologist with a background in psychology and over two decades of experience supporting communication, cognition, and trauma recovery. She works with teachers, therapists, and support partners to make burnout easier to understand — and healing easier to access. Her Think–Talk–Do™ framework blends clinical insight with lived experience, because real change starts with how we show up for each other. More about Robyn.

Disclaimer: The content shared on this blog is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult a licensed provider for support specific to your situation.

For mental health concerns please contact your doctor or therapist. Psychology Today is an excellent resource. Click here to find a mental health provider in your area.