The Science of Burnout: Why Two People Under the Same Stress Can Have Completely Different Reactions

If stress were a sport, some people would be gold medalists, effortlessly crushing deadlines, multitasking like pros, and somehow thriving on chaos. Meanwhile, others (maybe you?) are barely hanging on, wondering how they make it look so easy. But here’s the thing: handling stress isn’t just about grit or mental toughness, it’s about how your adrenal system is wired. And some people’s bodies just weren’t built for the stress Olympics.

This is what I call the ‘Adrenal Mismatch Problem’: when two people experience the same stress, but their bodies react in completely different ways. And the reason for this? It comes down to genetics, past trauma, and metabolic flexibility.

So, let’s discuss why some people crash and burn under stress while others keep going (sometimes a little too well), and what you can do if you’re on the fast-track to burnout.

Not all burnout looks the same.

Some people feel wired and anxious. Others feel flatlined and numb.

Why Do Some People Burn Out Faster Than Others?

Not all adrenal glands are created equal. Some people can handle chronic stress like it’s their job (probably because it is their job), while others experience exhaustion, brain fog, and anxiety at the first sign of overload. This has nothing to do with willpower—it’s all about how your body was built to handle stress.

Feel like you’re running on fumes one day… and can’t sit still the next?

That’s a classic adrenal mismatch.

The three biggest factors that determine how fast (or slow) you burn out are:

1. Your Genetic Adrenal Wiring: 

Your genes play a massive role in how well your body produces and clears stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Some people are genetically wired to handle high-stress situations without a major hormonal crash, while others burn through their stress hormones too quickly or too slowly, leading to overstimulation or total adrenal fatigue. For example, certain genetic variations affect:

• How efficiently you break down adrenaline (some people feel "normal" after a stressful event, while others stay wired for hours).

• How responsive your adrenal glands are to stress signals (some people produce just enough cortisol, others overproduce or underproduce).

• How well your body regulates inflammation after stress (chronic inflammation can keep the stress response on overdrive).

If you’re someone who gets shaky, anxious, or exhausted after minor stress, you may have an adrenal system that’s more sensitive than most. And if you’re someone who thrives under pressure but then crashes hard later, your body might be overproducing stress hormones initially, only to run out of fuel down the road.

2. Past Trauma & Stress

Your history of stress and trauma also trains your adrenals on how to respond to future stress. If you grew up in a high-stress environment, your nervous system may have adapted to constant adrenaline surges, meaning you either:

• 1. Operate in a constant state of high-alert, where even small stressors feel overwhelming.

• 2. Shut down completely under stress because your body has learned that burnout is inevitable.

On the other hand, if you’ve had prolonged periods of chronic stress in adulthood (think demanding jobs, high-pressure responsibilities, emotional stressors) your adrenals may have been pushed to their limit for too long, making you more prone to burnout over time.

In my experience, people who have a history of trauma or long-term high stress often burn out faster, even if their current stress load isn’t that high. Their body has already been through the wringer, and it’s simply less capable of handling more stress without consequences. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK594231/ 

3. Metabolic Flexibility

Here’s something most people don’t think about: Your ability to handle stress is tied directly to your metabolism. When your body is under stress, it burns through fuel quickly, demanding glucose, amino acids, and essential nutrients to keep up. 

If your metabolism is flexible, meaning you can switch between burning carbs and fats for energy without blood sugar crashes or energy slumps, your body can handle stress more efficiently. But if you:

• Feel hangry or shaky when you miss a meal

• Get energy crashes mid-day

• Crave sugar or caffeine to function

…then your body is probably struggling to keep up with the energy demands of stress, making burnout happen much faster. When metabolic flexibility is low, your body:

1. Overproduces cortisol to compensate for low blood sugar, leaving you feeling wired but exhausted.

2. Has trouble recovering after stress, leading to prolonged fatigue.

3. Struggles to regulate inflammation, increasing long-term stress damage.

This is why some people can push through long hours, intense workouts, or emotional stress without burning out—they have a metabolically resilient system that can keep up with the demands of stress. PMID: 19371409

How to Improve Your Stress Resilience (and Avoid Adrenal Burnout)

If you’re someone who burns out easily, it doesn’t mean you’re weak, it just means your body has different needs when it comes to stress recovery. Here’s how to build a more resilient adrenal system:

• Balance your blood sugar.

Low blood sugar triggers cortisol spikes, making stress hit harder. Eat protein, fiber, and healthy fats with every meal to keep energy stable.

• Train your nervous system to handle stress.

If your body is used to operating in fight-or-flight mode, practices like breathwork, vagus nerve activation, and mindfulness can help rewire your response to stress.

• Support your mitochondria.

Your adrenal glands rely on mitochondrial energy to produce stress hormones. Nutrients like magnesium, B vitamins, and CoQ10 help your cells keep up with stress demands.

• Limit caffeine if you’re running on fumes.

If you’re already in adrenal fatigue mode, stimulants push you deeper into burnout. Try to lay off the caffeine for a while.

• Give your adrenals a break.

If you’ve been pushing too hard for too long, strategic rest and recovery (not just sleep, but actual downtime) is essential.

Conclusion

The bottom line is, some people have genetically stronger adrenal resilience, while others burn through stress hormones quickly and struggle to recover. Past trauma and chronic stress can train your body to expect burnout, and metabolic flexibility plays a huge role in whether your body can meet the energy demands of stress or crashes under the pressure.

However, it isn’t all doom and gloom. You can build stress resilience, even if you’re naturally more prone to burnout, it just takes time and effort.