What Layoffs and Burnout Are Doing to People’s Mental Health
I’ve been practicing in the Bay Area for years, and I’ve always worked with a lot of clients from high-pressure fields — tech, finance, academia, mental health. This post was inspired by what I’ve been seeing in tech specifically, because the volume of clients coming to me from that world in the last couple of years has been striking. Across all of these fields, something has shifted. More and more people are coming to me not just stressed or overworked — they’re coming in a state of hyperarousal, caught between burnout and the constant fear of being laid off or pushed out.
Many of my clients who have been in their fields for ten, fifteen, even twenty years tell me they used to love the culture, love the work, love the people. And now it’s the opposite. The work that once gave them meaning is stealing their joy — and it’s spilling into every other part of their lives.
What it actually looks like
What I see in my office: constant worry that won’t turn off. Hypervigilance around Slack or messaging channels — checking, refreshing, bracing for the next announcement. Feeling unmotivated at work, and then noticing that the motivation is gone from hobbies and personal life too. Fatigue that sleep doesn’t fix. Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Social withdrawal. A flatness where there used to be energy and curiosity. Difficulty comprehending what they’re reading. Vision that feels blurry or off. Frequent headaches or dizziness. Stomach and GI issues that don’t have a clear cause. The body has a way of communicating what the mind is trying to push through.
Many people who were once high performers now describe feeling demoralized. Like they’ve lost all sense of passion for what they do. That’s not laziness. That’s not weakness. That’s what prolonged stress and fear do to a nervous system over time.
“The work that once gave them meaning is now stealing their joy — and it’s spilling into every other part of their lives.”
Why people wait so long to ask for help
One of the hardest things I witness is how long people wait before they reach out. They’re not asking for support because they want a break. They’re asking because things have gotten to the point where they genuinely need medical intervention — and even then, they often come in with a lot of guilt and fear about whether it’s a “good enough” reason to stop.
I want to say something clearly. If you haven’t been sleeping — really sleeping — in weeks. If you’re losing weight without trying to. If you’re breaking out in rashes. If you try to do a task you’ve done a million times and something that used to take you five minutes now seems impossible to start — that is a medical reason to stop and get help. These are real, measurable, physiological symptoms. They are not signs of weakness. They are signs that your body is under serious strain.
You are bleeding. You’re just not bleeding blood. You’re bleeding in every other way — but because it’s not visible, it doesn’t feel like a good enough reason to stop. I want to tell you that it is. It more than is.
On taking medical leave
Every person I’ve seen in this situation has been in genuine distress — and genuinely motivated to get better. They are not looking for an escape. They are looking for a way back to themselves.
If you are struggling and considering taking leave, please know: you do not have to be completely falling apart to deserve support. You are allowed to ask for help before you hit rock bottom.
Continue reading — Part 2: What Recovery from Burnout Actually Looks Like →
If any of this sounds familiar, I’d love to help — or connect you with someone who’s a great fit. I also run Running on Empty, a small virtual group for high-achievers navigating burnout — because doing this work alongside people who get it makes a real difference.
Reach out here — even just to talk about what you’re going through.