---
title: "When Helping Starts Hurting: A guide to recognizing work stress and reclaiming your occupational wellbeing in helping professions"
description: Recognize work stress in helping professions and learn how to reclaim your wellbeing.
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 Wed Oct 7 2026

# When Helping Starts Hurting: A guide to recognizing work stress and reclaiming your occupational wellbeing in helping professions

[Shari Morin-Degel](https://myworkbalance.com/blog/author/shari-morin-degel)

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# Introduction

When your work is caring for others, it can be hard to notice when you need care yourself. You may still love the people you serve and also feel tired, discouraged, or unlike yourself. You can care deeply and still find that you have less left to give.

Sometimes the first signs are small. You wake up tired, dread the workday, lose your train of thought, or have less patience than usual. You may have trouble sleeping, get headaches or an upset stomach, or feel less connected to work that used to mean a lot to you. You might pull away from others, stop asking for help, or have little energy left for the people you love. These changes are worth paying attention to. They can be signs of strain at work, though they can have other causes, too. \[1\]

I wrote this guide for people in healthcare, behavioral health, education, social services, public health, and other helping professions. As you read, try to offer yourself some kindness. You don't have to reach a breaking point before you deserve support.

---

# What is Occupational Wellbeing

Let's start with what occupational wellbeing means. In this guide, it means having a relationship with work that supports your health, sense of purpose, connection, and ability to live a full life. It includes having what you need to do your work and recover from it. Both you and your workplace have a part in making that possible. \[2, 3\]

This guide can help you think about your experience; it isn't a way to diagnose yourself. One question to keep in mind is: Can I keep doing this work in this way and remain well? You can love your work and still recognize that something needs to change.

## What supports wellbeing at work

Research gives us some useful ways to understand what helps people feel well at work. Stanford's model looks at three areas: **culture of wellness**, or how people are treated and supported; **workplace efficiency**, or how well staffing, schedules, communication, and everyday tasks work; and **individual factors**, including personal resources and access to help. The model was developed in medicine, but these ideas offer a useful way to think about other helping professions, too. Having a say in your work matters throughout. \[3\]

The U.S. Surgeon General's 2022 framework makes a similar point: people need working conditions that help them thrive. It describes ten human needs within five essentials: protection from harm, connection and community, work-life harmony, mattering at work, and opportunity for growth. In everyday terms, we need to feel safe, connected, valued, able to have a life outside work, and able to keep learning. Fair treatment and a voice in decisions are at the center. \[4\] 

## What workers are reporting

**Health workers:** nearly **46%** said they felt burned out often or very often in 2022. CDC looked at responses from 325 health workers that year. People who felt supported by supervisors, trusted management, and had enough time to finish their work were less likely to report burnout. \[5\]

**Public health workers: 35%** said their feelings of burnout had gotten worse since 2024. The March 2026 PH WINS Pulse Check heard from 4,827 state and local employees who had completed the earlier survey. This percentage tells us how many felt worse, rather than how many had burnout overall. \[6\]

**Teachers: 55%** reported frequent work-related stress in 2026. RAND surveyed 829 public K–12 teachers and adjusted the results to represent that workforce. Teachers reported more difficulty with wellbeing than similar working adults on each measure in the survey. \[7\]

---

# Why it matters for overall wellbeing

Work is one part of your whole life. SAMHSA describes eight areas of wellbeing: emotional, physical, social, spiritual, intellectual, environmental, financial, and occupational. \[8\] How much you work matters, and so does what work feels like. Do you feel safe, respected, supported, and able to contribute? WHO identifies heavy workloads, little say in decisions, job insecurity, and harmful workplace cultures as risks to mental health. \[2\]

Sometimes you notice the strain most when you're away from work. You lie awake replaying a conversation, pull away from people you love, or spend your days off trying to recover. Research following people over time has linked burnout with later depression symptoms, sleep problems, lasting tiredness, and other difficulties.\[9\]

## Move toward fulfillment

Your wellbeing matters even when you're still getting everything done. You deserve more than making it through the workday. Research links feeling more satisfied with your job with feeling more satisfied with life, greater happiness, and better emotional wellbeing. \[10\] Studies following workers over time also link healthy engagement in work with improvements in life satisfaction and health. \[11\] And it goes both ways: what's happening outside work can affect how you feel at work, too. \[12\] Caring for your wellbeing at work is one way to care for your whole self.

---

# The barriers

It can be hard to notice your own distress when everyone around you seems exhausted, too. You may need the income and feel that paying the bills has to come before how you're feeling. You may worry about leaving coworkers with more work or know that the people you serve have few other places to turn. Those concerns are real. It's understandable if they make it hard to pause and think about what you need.

## What's behind the strain

A barrier is something that gets in the way of feeling well at work. The symptoms are how that strain shows up in you. For example, exhaustion may be the result of not having enough time to recover. Complicated paperwork, unclear expectations, and little say in decisions can make demanding work even harder. Several things may be happening at once: how people are treated, how the work is organized, and whether support is available. \[2, 3\]

Money and job security matter, too. In APA's 2025 Work in America survey, 54% of people who answered the applicable question said job insecurity had a significant effect on their work stress. This survey included working adults across the U.S., not just helping professionals. \[13\]

Some barriers show up in the things we tell ourselves: 'They need me,' 'Someone else has it worse,' or 'I should be able to handle this.' You may also have good reason to worry about what will happen if you speak up. When you're used to putting others first, taking your own needs seriously can feel selfish. That feeling doesn't mean your needs matter any less.

## Barriers can be managed or removed

Some barriers can be changed or removed. Others need to be managed with better support. WHO recommends looking at workplace risks and taking steps to reduce or remove them. \[2\] That might mean reviewing workloads, making priorities clearer, or creating time to recover. Change often takes time and help from others, especially people who can make decisions. You don't have to do all of this on your own.

## When strain keeps building

When barriers at work go unaddressed, the strain can affect both people and the work they do. Research links burnout with lower job performance, more time off work, and staff turnover. \[14, 15, 9\] In nursing, higher burnout has also been linked with medication errors, missed care, and other patient-safety problems. \[16\] When people leave, those who remain can face more pressure. These are patterns seen in research, and they give us good reason to address barriers early.

Beyond what happens at work, the personal toll can be heartbreaking. WHO describes burnout as something related to work, not a medical diagnosis. \[17\] Even so, it can involve symptoms that overlap with depression and anxiety, such as feeling drained, losing interest, and having trouble concentrating. \[18\] For people working with others' trauma, secondary traumatic stress can also bring symptoms like those seen in PTSD. \[19\]

You may hear some of these terms used to describe different kinds of strain:

**Burnout:** feeling drained, more distant or cynical about work, and less able to do it well after ongoing work stress. \[17\]

**Vicarious trauma:** over time, hearing about or working with other people's trauma can change how you see yourself, other people, and the world. Your sense of safety or trust may change. \[21\]

**Secondary traumatic stress:** distress from exposure to other people's trauma. It can show up as unwanted thoughts or memories, avoiding reminders, or feeling unusually on edge. \[19\]

**Compassion fatigue:** feeling so emotionally worn out that you have less empathy or less connection to what your work means to you. \[21\]

**Moral or ethical misalignment:** feeling caught between what you believe is right and what policies, resources, or circumstances allow you to do. Some experiences leave lasting guilt, anger, shame, or a sense of betrayal, sometimes described as moral injury. \[20\]

**Interpersonal conflict:** strained relationships that make it harder to feel safe, included, or able to speak up. \[4, 2\]

You don't need to find the right label before asking for help. If you're feeling worse, struggling with everyday life, or relying more on alcohol or other substances, it's worth talking with a professional. Your distress deserves care.

---

# Turning resilience into agency

Resilience isn't just about being able to put up with more. Here, the goal is **greater agency**: seeing what you need, understanding your options, and getting support to manage or remove what's in the way. That takes skills and working conditions that make change possible. You can build skills and seek care, while your employer needs to address the workplace risks it can change. \[2\]

## Build regulation skills

Regulation means noticing what your body and mind need and helping yourself move toward it. Sometimes you need to settle down. Sometimes, when you feel flat or shut down, you need more energy or motivation. Calmness is one possible outcome, as is hope, focus, determination, confidence… you get the idea. The goal of regulation is to have both enough flexibility and steadiness to think about what's happening and decide what to do. Research on 'regulatory flexibility' supports choosing skills that fit the situation and adjusting them when needed. \[22\]

Start by noticing how you're doing, without criticizing yourself for it. Are you tense, restless, tired, or disconnected? Then try something that fits what you need. \[22\] Here are a few options:

Slow heart rate: when you feel wound up, try a normal, comfortable inhale followed by a slower exhale. Repeat for a few easy rounds without forcing your breath. \[23, 24\]

Relax muscles: as you breathe out, gently soften your jaw, shoulders, hands, or anywhere else you're holding tension. You can also gently tense a muscle group for a few seconds, then release it. If you have time, try working from your feet up to your head. \[23\]

Engage senses: notice your body and what's around you. One option is the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 exercise: name five things you see, four you feel, three you hear, two you smell, and one you taste. Adapt it to what's comfortable and available to you. \[25\] Being outside, listening to music, moving, or noticing something that fills you with awe may also help. Try something soothing when you're wound up, or a short walk or uplifting music when you need energy. Notice what works for you.

Authentic connection: supportive relationships are linked with better mental and physical wellbeing. \[26\] They matter at work, too. \[4\] Think of someone you can be yourself with, someone who listens and helps you feel less alone. Reach toward that person, and offer the same care when you have the energy. A good connection leaves room for your needs and boundaries.

## Build Reflection Skills

Once you feel steady enough to think things through, you can begin asking how to manage or remove the barrier. BALANCE is the framework I designed and use in my own life and with people I help. It draws on research supporting trauma-informed care, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Occupational Wellbeing. \[27,28\] This framework guides you through a process that helps you explore what's contributing to your stress and choose a next step.

**B - Behavior:** What did I do? How did I react before I had time to think?

**A - Accept Feelings:** What was I feeling? What can that feeling tell me about what I need?

**L - Limiting Beliefs:** What was I telling myself? Is an old hurt or familiar belief shaping how I see this? Is there another realistic way to look at it?

**A - Activating Event:** What happened? What got in the way, and what did I need that wasn't available?

**N - Nurture Self:** What would help me care for myself and manage or remove this barrier?

**C - Connection:** Who could help? What could reconnect me with my interests, strengths, or purpose?

**E - Efficacy:** What's one specific step I can take? How will I make it happen?

---

# How to contact me

I'm Shari Morin-Degel, an Occupational Wellbeing Therapist and Consultant. My background combines mental health therapy and nonprofit administration, with education in trauma-informed care, cognitive behavioral therapy, and occupational wellbeing. That experience helps me understand both what you're feeling and what may be happening around you at work.

I offer a caring space to talk about what work is asking of you and how it's affecting your life. Together, we can make room for difficult experiences, understand what you need, and explore changes that fit your values and circumstances. My approach brings compassion together with research-informed care.

I currently offer teletherapy. Please reach out about availability and whether I can offer services where you live. You don't have to know exactly what's wrong or what needs to change before we talk. We can start where you are.

The easiest way to connect with me is directly through my secure portal [Scheduling Link](https://care.headway.co/providers/shari-morin-degel?utm_source=pem&utm_medium=direct_link&utm_campaign=118498).   

If you'd rather, you can also [Email](mailto:shari@myworkbalance.com). For email inquiries, a brief request to connect is enough. Please do not include sensitive details about your health or experiences.

If your're in emotional crisis in the U.S., call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org. For immediate danger or a medical emergency, call 911.  

---

# Research and resources

Numbers correspond to the sources below. Sources checked October 7, 2026. 

**1.** Mayo Clinic Staff. (2023, November 30). Job burnout: How to spot it and take action. Symptoms and reasons to seek support. [Read source](https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/burnout/art-20046642)

**2.** World Health Organization. (2026, September 15). Mental health at work. [Read source](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-at-work)

**3.** Stanford Medicine WellMD & WellPhD. (n.d.). The Stanford Model of Occupational Well-Being. Three domains and organizational supports. [Read source](https://wellmd.stanford.edu/wellbeing-toolkit/model.html)

**4.** Office of the U.S. Surgeon General. (2022). Five essentials for workplace mental health and well-being. [Read source](https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/five-essentials-workplace-mental-health-well-being.pdf)

**5.** Nigam, J. A. S., et al. (2023). Health worker working conditions and mental health, 2018-2022. MMWR, 72, 1197-1205. National Quality of Worklife survey analysis. [Read source](https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7244e1.htm)

**6.** de Beaumont Foundation & ASTHO. (2026). PH WINS Pulse Check. March 2026 follow-up survey; 4,827 respondents; 36% response rate. [Read source](https://debeaumont.org/programs/phwins/2024-survey/ph-wins-pulse-check/)

**7.** Steiner, E. D., Levine, P. R., & Doan, S. (2026). Teacher well-being, pay, and intentions to leave in 2026. RAND, RR-A4404-2, pp. 1–4. [Read source](https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA4404-2.html)

**8.** SAMHSA. (2016). Creating a healthier life: A step-by-step guide to wellness. Eight dimensions of wellness. [Read source](https://library.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/sma16-4958.pdf)

**9.** Salvagioni, D. A. J., et al. (2017). Physical, psychological and occupational consequences of job burnout. PLOS ONE, 12(10), e0185781. Systematic review of prospective studies. [Read source](https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0185781)

**10.** Bowling, N. A., Eschleman, K. J., & Wang, Q. (2010). A meta-analytic examination of the relationship between job satisfaction and subjective well-being. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 83, 915–934. [Read source](https://doi.org/10.1348/096317909X478557)

**11.** Shimazu, A., Schaufeli, W. B., Kamiyama, K., & Kawakami, N. (2015). Workaholism vs. work engagement: The two different predictors of future well-being and performance. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 22, 18–23. [Read source](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24696043/)

**12.** Wiese, C. W., et al. (2025). Happy work, happy life? A replication and comparison of the longitudinal effects between job and life satisfaction using continuous time meta-analysis. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 46, 487–511. [Read source](https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2861)

**13.** American Psychological Association. (2025). Work in America survey. Topline data, Q955, p. 99; percentage excludes not-applicable responses. [Read source](https://www.apa.org/pubs/reports/work-in-america/2025/topline-data.pdf)

**14.** Swider, B. W., & Zimmerman, R. D. (2010). Born to burnout: A meta-analytic path model of personality, job burnout, and work outcomes. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 76(3), 487–506. [Read source](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2010.01.003)

**15.** Corbeanu, A., Iliescu, D., Ion, A., & Spînu, R. (2023). The link between burnout and job performance: A meta-analysis. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 32(4), 599–616. [Read source](https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2023.2209320)

**16.** Li, L. Z., et al. (2024). Nurse burnout and patient safety, satisfaction, and quality of care: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Network Open, 7(11), e2443059. [Read source](https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.43059)

**17.** World Health Organization. (n.d.). Burn-out as an occupational phenomenon in ICD-11. [Read source](https://www.who.int/standards/classifications/frequently-asked-questions/burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon)

**18.** Koutsimani, P., Montgomery, A., & Georganta, K. (2019). The relationship between burnout, depression, and anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 284. [Read source](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30918490/)

**19.** National Child Traumatic Stress Network. (n.d.). Secondary traumatic stress. Professional education resource. [Read source](https://www.nctsn.org/trauma-informed-care/secondary-traumatic-stress)

**20.** VA National Center for PTSD. (n.d.). Moral injury in health care workers; Moral injury and PTSD. Professional and public education resources. [Read source](https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treat/cooccurring/moral_injury_hcw.asp)[| Additional guidance](https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/related/moral_injury_ptsd.asp)

**21.** Office for Victims of Crime. (n.d.). What is vicarious trauma? The Vicarious Trauma Toolkit. Definitions, occupational effects, and organizational responses. [Read source](https://ovc.ojp.gov/program/vtt/what-is-vicarious-trauma)

**22.** Bonanno, G. A., & Burton, C. L. (2013). Regulatory flexibility: An individual differences perspective on coping and emotion regulation. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 8(6), 591–612. [Read source](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26173226/)

**23.** National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. (n.d.). Relaxation techniques: What you need to know. Physiological relaxation and evidence limitations. [Read source](https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/relaxation-techniques-what-you-need-to-know)

**24.** Fincham, G. W., Strauss, C., Montero-Marin, J., & Cavanagh, K. (2023). Effect of breathwork on stress and mental health: A meta-analysis of randomised-controlled trials. Scientific Reports, 13, 432. [Read source](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36624160/)

**25.** VA National Center for PTSD. (n.d.). Be in the moment. PTSD Coach Online. Sensory grounding for feeling numb, upset, or disconnected. [Read source](https://www.ptsd.va.gov/apps/ptsdcoachonline/tools/be-in-the-moment/pages/page-1.html)

**26.** Office of the U.S. Surgeon General. (2023). Our epidemic of loneliness and isolation: Advisory on the healing effects of social connection and community. [Read source](https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf)

**27.** American Psychological Association. (2017). What is cognitive behavioral therapy? Professional guidance on thoughts, behavior, coping, and problem-solving. [Read source](https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/patients-and-families/cognitive-behavioral)

**28.** SAMHSA. (2014). SAMHSA’s concept of trauma and guidance for a trauma-informed approach. Safety, collaboration, empowerment, voice, and choice. [Read source](https://library.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/sma14-4884.pdf)

**29.** Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (n.d.). Crisis help. U.S. crisis support and emergency guidance. [Read source](https://www.samhsa.gov/find-support/in-crisis)

[Health and Human Services](https://myworkbalance.com/blog/tag/health-and-human-services), [Occupational Wellbeing](https://myworkbalance.com/blog/tag/occupational-wellbeing), [Depression](https://myworkbalance.com/blog/tag/depression), [Anxiety](https://myworkbalance.com/blog/tag/anxiety), [PTSD](https://myworkbalance.com/blog/tag/ptsd), [Vicarious Trauma](https://myworkbalance.com/blog/tag/vicarious-trauma), [Secondary Traumatic Stress](https://myworkbalance.com/blog/tag/secondary-traumatic-stress), [Moral Injury](https://myworkbalance.com/blog/tag/moral-injury), [Compassion Fatigue](https://myworkbalance.com/blog/tag/compassion-fatigue)

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