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CBT for Stress & burnout

Stress is a normal part of life, but when pressure becomes persistent and you don't have enough opportunity to recover, it can begin to affect your mood, sleep, relationships, concentration and overall wellbeing.

You may feel constantly busy but unable to switch off, exhausted despite resting, or as though you're struggling to keep up with everything expected of you.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can help you understand the patterns contributing to stress and develop practical ways of managing pressure, changing unhelpful habits and creating more sustainable ways of coping.

When does stress become a problem?

Everyone experiences stress from time to time. It can become a problem when it is persistent, difficult to manage or starts interfering with your everyday life.
 

You might notice:

  • Feeling constantly under pressure

  • Finding it difficult to switch off

  • Feeling exhausted or emotionally drained

  • Irritability or becoming frustrated more easily

  • Difficulty concentrating or making decisions

  • Poor or disrupted sleep

  • Feeling overwhelmed by everyday tasks

  • Losing interest in things you normally enjoy

  • Relying on avoidance or unhealthy coping strategies

  • Feeling as though you're close to burnout
     

You don't need to wait until you're completely overwhelmed before seeking support. CBT can be useful when stress is beginning to affect your wellbeing and you're finding it difficult to make changes on your own.

Understanding the stress cycle

Stress can become self-perpetuating.

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You may have a demanding workload or difficult circumstances, but the way you respond to pressure can sometimes add to the cycle.

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Pressure → Stress → Less recovery → Exhaustion → Reduced coping → More stress

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For example, you might feel under pressure and respond by working longer hours or putting your own needs aside. This can leave you with less time to recover, making it harder to concentrate and cope with the next challenge.

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Over time, the same pattern can contribute to exhaustion and burnout.

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CBT can help you identify where this cycle is happening and explore realistic ways to interrupt it.

How can CBT help with stress?

CBT looks at the relationship between your thoughts, feelings, physical responses and behaviour. Therapy may help you:

 

1. Recognise what is contributing to your stress

Understand the situations, thoughts and behaviours that are increasing your sense of pressure.

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2. Challenge unhelpful thinking patterns

Explore patterns such as perfectionism, catastrophising, excessive responsibility or feeling that you must always cope.

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3. Change how you respond to pressure

Develop more helpful ways of responding when demands begin to feel overwhelming.

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4. Set healthier boundaries

Explore whether difficulty saying no, taking on too much or constantly putting other people's needs first is contributing to your stress.

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5.Make time for recovery

Identify realistic ways to improve rest, sleep, enjoyable activities and time away from work or other demands.

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CBT isn't about simply telling you to "stress less". Your therapist will work with you to understand your individual circumstances and identify changes that are realistic and meaningful for you.

Burnout and work-related stress

Burnout can develop when prolonged stress, particularly in the workplace, leaves you feeling emotionally and physically depleted.

You might feel:

  • Exhausted before the working day has even started

  • Detached or cynical about your work

  • Less motivated than you used to be

  • Unable to switch off outside working hours

  • As though your performance is declining

  • Frustrated or emotionally drained

  • Like you're constantly running on empty

CBT can help you explore the thoughts and behaviours that may be maintaining work-related stress and develop more sustainable ways of managing pressure.

Therapy can also provide space to consider boundaries, expectations and what you need to support your wellbeing.

What happens in CBT for stress and burnout?

Your therapist will work with you to understand what is happening in your life and what you would like to change.

You may explore:

What is creating pressure
The demands, responsibilities and situations contributing to your stress.

How you're responding
Your thoughts, behaviours and coping strategies when things feel overwhelming.

What needs to change
Patterns such as perfectionism, overworking, avoidance or difficulty setting boundaries.

How to make changes sustainable
Practical strategies that support recovery and help you manage future periods of pressure.

CBT is collaborative and practical, and the pace of therapy is tailored to you.

Online CBT with GrowCBT

GrowCBT provides online CBT sessions via secure video appointments, allowing you to access therapy from your own home.

We work with adults across the UK, including clients in Bristol, Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester, London and other areas.

You can find out more about our CBT therapy in Bristol,  Birmingham or London.

If you are unsure whether CBT is right for you, you can arrange a free 15-minute consultation to discuss what you are looking for and whether we may be able to help.

Related CBT services

Stress can overlap with a number of other difficulties. You may also find our pages about CBT for panic attacks, CBT for anxiety, CBT for Health Anxiety, CBT for OCD, CBT for Depression and CBT for low self-esteem useful.

You can also find out more about Men's CBT and Women's CBT.

Start with a conversation

If Stress & Burnout is affecting your everyday life and you would like to explore whether CBT could help, get in touch with GrowCBT.

 

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