Is Overfunctioning at Work a Trauma Response?

May 27 2025 TalktoAngel 0 comments 291 Views

Have you ever worked so hard that you forgot to eat, sleep, or take a break, and felt guilty if you didn’t stay busy? Many people think this is just dedication or ambition. But in some cases, this extreme drive to "do more" may be a trauma response.

This behaviour is called overfunctioning. It’s when a person takes on too much responsibility, works constantly, and tries to fix everything, often at the cost of their own mental and physical health.

Let’s explore what overfunctioning is, why it may be connected to past trauma, and how counselling and self-awareness can help break this pattern.

What is Overfunctioning?

When someone routinely takes on more work or responsibilities than they are supposed to, both personally and professionally, this is known as overfunctioning. At work, this might look like:

Always volunteering for extra tasks
Fixing others’ mistakes
Doing things yourself because you don’t trust others to do them right
Working late constantly
Feeling anxious when you're not being productive

Overfunctioners often feel like everything depends on them, and they struggle to say "no" or ask for help. While this may appear like a strong work ethic, it often hides deeper emotional pain.

The Link Between Overfunctioning and Trauma

Overfunctioning can sometimes be a trauma response. Trauma doesn’t always mean a major accident or abuse — it can also be emotional neglect, feeling unsafe as a child, or growing up in a chaotic household. These experiences can make a person feel they must:

Be perfect to avoid punishment or rejection
Stay busy to avoid painful thoughts or memories
Because no one looked after them, look after others.
Keep control to feel safe

In this way, overfunctioning becomes a coping mechanism — a way to survive emotionally and avoid feelings of fear, abandonment, or helplessness.

According to van der Kolk (2014), trauma can shape how people respond to stress and relationships for years. Overfunctioning becomes a way to keep emotions at bay by focusing on action and control.

Signs That Overfunctioning May Be Trauma-Driven

It can be hard to tell if overworking is about ambition or emotional survival. Here are some signs it may be trauma-related:

You feel guilty or anxious when you rest
You often say, “If I don’t do it, nobody will”
You constantly prioritise the needs of others over your own.
You feel responsible for things outside your control
You believe your worth is based on how much you achieve
You struggle to trust others to do tasks
You have a hard time asking for help

In these cases, overfunctioning is not about success — it’s about feeling safe and valuable.

The Emotional Cost of Overfunctioning

Although overfunctioners often look like “high achievers” from the outside, the emotional cost can be high. They may experience:

Burnout
Anxiety and insomnia
Low self-esteem
Chronic stress
Difficulty in relationships
Emotional numbness
Physical health issues like headaches or fatigue

Over time, constantly pushing oneself can lead to mental and physical exhaustion, creating a cycle of overwork, crash, and guilt.

How Counselling Can Help

The good news is that with the right support, it’s possible to break free from overfunctioning. Therapy can help individuals:

1. Understand the Root Cause

Therapists help clients explore where the pattern began. For many, it stems from childhood, such as having to grow up too fast or feeling unsafe.

2. Challenge Harmful Beliefs

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can help change beliefs like “I must always be productive to be loved” or “Resting means I’m lazy.”

3. Set Healthy Boundaries

Therapists support clients in learning how to say “no,” delegate tasks, and ask for help without guilt.

4. Rebuild Self-Worth

Overfunctioners often tie their value to their performance. Therapy helps them discover that their worth isn’t based on achievements, but on simply being themselves.

5. Practice Rest and Self-Care

Clients gradually learn to make time for joy, connection, and serenity as well as to rest guilt-free.

Steps Toward Healing

To start the process of recovering from overfunctioning, follow these simple steps:

Pause and check in with how you're feeling emotionally, not just what you're doing
Journal your thoughts when you feel the urge to take on too much
Say no to one task this week and notice how it feels
Schedule rest time like you would an important meeting
Celebrate progress, not just productivity

Overfunctioning may have helped you survive in the past, but you don’t have to live that way forever. Healing begins with awareness, self-compassion, and support.

Conclusion

Overfunctioning isn’t just about being a “hard worker.” For many people, it’s a trauma-driven response—a way to cope with old emotional wounds and maintain a sense of control in uncertain environments. While it might lead to short-term success, it often results in burnout, chronic anxiety, and emotional disconnection from oneself and others. Recognising the signs of overfunctioning is the first step toward healing. Through online counselling platforms like TalktoAngel, individuals can access professional help from experienced therapists who specialize in trauma-informed care, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT). These approaches help individuals understand the roots of their behaviour, regulate stress, and build a healthier relationship with productivity and self-worth. With counselling, reflection, and support, you can learn to value yourself not for what you do, but for who you are.

Contributed By: Contributed by Dr. (Prof.) R. K. Suri, Clinical Psychologist and Life Coach, &. Ms. Sakshi Dhankhar, Counselling Psychologist.

References

Brown, B. (2010). The gifts of imperfection: Let go of who you think you're supposed to be and embrace who you are. Hazelden Publishing.
Kolk, B. A. van der. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Penguin Books.
Rothschild, B. (2000). The body remembers: The psychophysiology of trauma and trauma treatment. W. W. Norton & Company.
Scaer, R. C. (2005). The trauma spectrum: Hidden wounds and human resiliency. W. W. Norton & Company.