Burnout: How to Manage Your Nervous System Before it Manages You
by Dr Claire Plumbly
If your nervous system feels like it’s constantly braced for impact — this book is for you.
You might be outwardly functioning, but inwardly fraying.
Whether you're crashing from one activity to another on autopilot, snapping at the smallest things, or fantasising about a dramatic exit from it all — this is NOT your fault.
You’re burning out.
And it’s not because you’re weak. It’s because your dysregulated nervous system has been pushing through on it's own for too long - and it cannot keep it up any longer.
"I wish I'd read this years ago"
Amazon Customer
Who Is This Burnout Book For?
Written for professionals, parents, managers and anyone who’s “still functioning” but increasingly struggling, this book is an accessible, neuroscience-backed breakdown of how chronic stress leads to burnout — and how to interrupt the cycle before it takes a long-term toll.
It’s a clinically-informed, real-world guide to understanding how stress hijacks your internal systems — and what you can do to reclaim control.
Claire draws from over 20 years as a clinical psychologist to help you connect the dots between:
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The external stressors you're under and how they're impacting you
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Burnout and early life relational patterns
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The internal pressures you place on yourself and how these sabotage your efforts for self-care
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Tricky emotions and how to respond to these effectively
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“Productivity addiction” and nervous system fatigue
And most importantly — she gives you powerful tools from evidence-based therapies to get unstuck.
Click on your preferred shop to buy a British copy
"Claire has decades of experience working directly with people who are struggling and helping them to find their balance again. She draws on psychological research and clinical experience for her book. And, my favourite thing, she tells stories while she does it. Her book is readable and engaging as well as evidence-based.
Dr Naomi Fisher, Clinical Psychologist & author of Changing Minds
What You’ll Learn In This Book
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Why your stress response is stuck on overdrive — and how to reset it
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The 3 nervous system "modes" and how they shape your thoughts, emotions, and energy levels
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How to spot the early signs of burnout before you shut down completely
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Tools to regulate in the moment — when your system is screaming for help
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How past experiences shape present-day burnout (and how to break free from old patterns)
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What actually works to recover — and why traditional advice often fails
Who Has Found This Book Helpful?
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Helping professionals like teachers, clinical staff, social workers and more
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Self-employed or entrepreneurs who are 'wearing all the hats'
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Leaders and managers who are stuck in the middle between disgruntled employee and top-down targets.
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Parents and carer-givers
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People fed up of the usual self-care advice who want to understand WHY they have always struggled to switch off
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Neurodivergent people
Neurodiverent Specialist:
I wasn't sure how relevant it would be to Autistic and ADHDer's experience of burnout, but I needn't have worried. The book takes really complex ideas and makes them straightforward.
A brilliant read
See What The Reviewers on Goodreads say..
A Teacher & Mum
I feel like the book is written especially for me. There are so many good tips and bite-sized pieces of advice, that can be put into practice straight away.
Self-Help Book Lover
Felt like therapy in a book. I was really impressed with it! Definitely one to read with a highlighter to hand.
About the Author
Dr Claire Plumbly is a Clinical Psychologist, EMDR Consultant, Speaker and Founder of Plum Psychology. She has spent two decades helping people to recover from burnout, trauma, and anxiety. Her work combines emotional nuance with scientific rigour, offering tools that actually make a difference.
Drawing on Polyvagal Theory (PVT), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), and her professional insights as a trauma therapist with 20 years experience in mental health, she's written this book to show you:
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Why stress is different from burnout
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How burnout stifles your ability to interact, think clearly and be productive or creative.
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Why you get stuck in burnout and cannot 'think' your way out of it or engage in activities you know could help you.
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The three key psychological patterns we see leading to burnout
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How to soothe your nervous system back to full capacity using therapeutic techniques and compassion.
Need More Than A Self-Help Book?
We've got you.
Dr Claire Plumbly also leads a team of accredited psychologists called Plum Psychology - based online and in Taunton, Somerset.
Plum Psychology have a resource hub of articles, case studies and assessment tools for burnout which you can explore here.
If you are based in the UK and would like to explore therapy options or discuss how Claire and her team might be able to help you to feel better please do get in touch with Plum.
