Why Do I Feel So Emotionally Drained After Work?
By Adele Baini, Senior Occupational Therapist.
Hello dear friends, colleagues, and kindred spirits,
The above question is a common experience for those especially in caregiving professions such as healthcare and education. And no, it’s not simply “part of the job.”
This type of fatigue touches something deeper and often lingers. It can be accompanied by a sense of disconnection, cynicism, and even a loss of purpose. Instead of coming home feeling fulfilled or proud, you may feel heavy, or simultaneously feel depleted and overwhelmed.
Let’s unpack what might be going on, and explore how you can begin restoring your energy, clarity, and emotional wellbeing.
This blog is practical and applicable to many, but I’ll be speaking especially to women in caregiving professions: healthcare, education, and other helping roles.
A Warm Welcome
Before we dive in, I wanted to warmly welcome you and introduce myself.
My name is Adele Baini. I’m a senior mental health occupational therapist who specialises in trauma-informed care, sensory, emotional and nervous system regulation, reflective practice, and burnout recovery for caregiving professionals and roles.
Let’s now begin.
1. You’re Emotionally Holding Space All Day Long
In caring professions, whether you're a nurse, therapist, teacher/educator, OT, or social worker, you’re not just doing tasks. You're emotionally attuning, problem-solving, empathising, supporting, and often absorbing stress that isn’t yours.
Occupational Therapy (OT) Lens:
This is a type of emotional labour, and it’s often invisible. It is deeply taxing on your nervous system and your sense of self.
How to help:
Begin naming this invisible load. Journaling is a powerful practice to nourish the nervous system and reduce stress.
Try:
“What emotional energy wasn’t mine today?”
If possible, do a simple journal entry at the end of each shift.
Create mini "decompression transitions" between roles. Even just a few minutes of intentional breathing in the car or a short walk after work can support nervous system regulation.
2. You’re Stuck in Survival Mode
Many women in helping roles live in a chronic state of fight-or-flight, often without realising it.
This isn’t weakness. It’s your nervous system doing its job, trying to keep up with relentless demands.
OT Lens:
This stress response often shows up as emotional numbness, irritability, difficulty sleeping, and a general sense of feeling disconnected, from others and from yourself.
How to help:
Try a Pocket-Sized Reset like this:
Place one hand on your heart, one on your belly. Close your eyes. Inhale for 4, exhale for 6. Do this for 1–2 minutes. This helps shift you out of fight-or-flight and reminds your body, we’re safe now.
Prioritise ‘Micro Moments’ of Meaningful Regulation throughout your day, rather than waiting until burnout hits.
(This is one of the most effective strategies I used with clients. Proactive regulation is far more impactful than reactive coping.)
3. There’s No Space for You in Your Day
If your entire day is focused on others: clients, colleagues, patients, children, it’s no wonder you feel emotionally depleted.
You’re not a machine. You’re human. A beautiful, soulful, feeling human!
OT Lens:
When our occupations (the day-to-day things we do) no longer align with our values, interests, or energy rhythms, our occupational identity can suffer. That’s when disconnection and emotional fatigue start to creep in.
How to help:
Reclaim 5–10 minutes daily for you.
It could be a cup of tea outside with no phone, a quiet journal prompt, or music that stirs something inside you.
Start with this journaling prompt:
“What is something small that nourishes me, and how can I honour that today?”
4. You Might Be Absorbing Others’ Emotions Without Realising
You’re likely sensitive. Empathic. You care deeply. And that’s your superpower, but without boundaries or energetic hygiene, you may be carrying emotions that aren’t yours.
OT Lens:
This can lead to sensory overload and emotional fatigue, especially if you’re neurodivergent, sensory-sensitive, or someone who hasn’t learned how to process emotional input effectively.
How to help:
Try a Sensory Reset:
After work, wash your hands or face with cold water. Take a shower. Change your clothes. Move your body in a different environment.
Visualise releasing what isn’t yours.
Imagine placing it in a basket beside you, where you no longer need to carry it.
5. There’s an Unmet Need Beneath the Exhaustion
Sometimes, emotional exhaustion is a subtle (or loud) call from a deeper unmet need, such as rest, connection, purpose, creativity, or recognition.
OT Lens:
In occupational therapy, we call this occupational imbalance, when your roles and routines no longer support your inner needs and evolving identity.
How to help:
Ask yourself:
What is this fatigue trying to tell me? What am I needing more of (or less of)?
Begin honouring small shifts.
A shorter workday, one evening off screens, a heartfelt chat with a friend, a tiny joy.
Final Thoughts and Reflections: You’re Not Alone.
Continual emotional exhaustion after work is a sign that you’ve been holding too much and likely for too long, with too little space to breathe, reset, or receive.
And that’s why I created The Soulful Reset™ Method, a 6-week, self-paced healing journey designed to help women in caring roles reconnect with themselves, restore their energy, and gently return to rhythm.
The full launch of The Soulful Reset™ Method is coming soon.
But if you're needing something now, I’d love to offer you a starting point:
Download my free resource - The Emotional Reset Journal
This 3-day guided journal includes soulful prompts, calming micro-resets, and a creative activity to help you start reconnecting and feeling like yourself again.
By downloading, you’ll also receive my monthly email letters, nurturing reflections, nervous system tools, and support for women in caregiving roles.
(You’re welcome to unsubscribe anytime, of course.)
You deserve care, too.
With kindness and compassion,
Adele Baini
