As we move into the final stretch of the year, many of us feel it… the heaviness, the fog, the mental fatigue that seems to hit faster than usual. At Selph, we call this Burnout Season, a time where the nervous system is stretched thin, energy drops, and the body begins to whisper (or shout) that it needs support.
This is your reminder that you don’t need to wait until the holidays to feel like yourself again. With the right care, burnout can be eased, regulated, and gently reset.
What Burnout Really Is (and What It Isn’t)
Burnout isn’t simply “being stressed” or “having too much on.”
It’s a whole-system depletion… emotional, physical, and neurological, where your body’s reserves are tapped out. You may still be functioning, but you’re no longer thriving. Your resilience feels lower, your mood shifts, and even simple tasks can feel overwhelming.
Burnout isn’t weakness.
It’s biology.
Your system is asking for recalibration.
Why the End of the Year Hits Harder
The final months of the year place unique pressure on the body:
Higher workloads
Back-to-back commitments
Less downtime
Emotional and social demands
Your nervous system becomes overstimulated while your recovery window shrinks, the perfect recipe for emotional, cognitive, and physical fatigue.
Body-Based Signs You’re Entering Burnout
Your body often knows before your mind does.
Tight jaw, teeth clenching, or TMJ pain
Shoulder and neck tension that doesn’t ease
Constant fatigue, even after rest
Digestive changes or bloating
Head pressure or headache
Heightened anxiety or irritability
Feeling emotionally flat or disconnected
Sudden sensitivity to noise, light, or social situations
If you’re seeing two or more of these, your nervous system is waving a small, important flag.
Nervous System 101: Fight, Flight, Freeze
Burnout develops when we stay stuck in survival mode for too long.
Fight – irritability, frustration, anger
Flight – restlessness, overworking, overwhelm
Freeze – numbness, fatigue, withdrawal, shutdown
At Selph, our approach is to bring the body out of these states, restoring safety, softness, and balance to your system so your body can return to healing mode.
How Selph Can Help
Each therapy at Selph is designed to meet burnout at the level it begins, the nervous system.
Chiropractic + NET
Supports the spine and nervous system, releasing stored emotional patterns and reducing the physiological “charge” of stress.
Massage & Stretch Therapy
Lowers muscular tension, softens pain patterns, increases circulation, and signals to the nervous system that it’s safe to down-regulate.
Acupuncture & Facial Acupuncture
Balances internal systems, calms the mind, improves digestion and sleep, and shifts the body out of sympathetic overdrive.
Physiotherapy
Addresses physical stress patterns (jaw clenching, neck strain, posture fatigue) and provides movement strategies to restore resilience.
Super Sessions
A deep reset for emotional and physical congestion, working with learnt and inherited patterns that sit beneath chronic stress.
At-Home Rituals to Support Balance
Down-Regulate at 3pm
This is when cortisol naturally spikes. Try 10 deep breaths or a 2-minute stretch break.
Jaw Check
Every time you sit down or get in the car, unclench. TMJ tension is an early burnout sign.
5-Minute Reset Walk
A slow, distraction-free walk signals “safety” to the nervous system.
Sunday Planning Ritual
Must Do / Nice to Do / Can Wait — reduce overwhelm by creating clarity.
Lower Your Stimulants
Swap the afternoon coffee for peppermint or ginger tea. It’s a small shift with a big nervous-system reward.