Anyone ever experience burnout?

[Mecca]

I feel like I'm there, I was there before Covid and feel like it's worse now. I legit have no motivation to do anything and I know I'm pessimistic and not fun to be around for the most part. If anyone wants further stuff I can deep dive but I need some advice because I feel like I'm stuck in the wallow not to escape.

[TEX]

Originally Posted by Mr_Tomahawk

Sure have.

I have gone through a couple of "burned out" episodes in my life.

The thing that helped me get out of it, or jumpstart myself, was to make subtle lifestyle changes.

Get up an hour earlier every day.

Try forcing yourself to go outside for a walk 30 minutes a day if you don't already.

Take on a new diet...

Pick up a new hobby. One year I built a raised garden...that was awesome for myself.

It's easy to get into a rut and once in, hard to get out at times...

You'll get there.

Good advice!

[displacedinMN]

Yup. Last year-the cluster. Im sure you read my posts.

TAKE TIME OFF. See what options there are. PTO for medical leave or 6 week leave. Most employers have an employee help line that offers counseling then a good insurance discount for counseling. It does not hurt to take a mild anxiety medication. Think mine is Sertraline.

My doc said around age 50, the brain becomes less plastic. More rigid. Meaning its ability to react and adapt slows. Not sure of your age. But at 50-I have been doing my job for 28 years. I was tired and the mix of kids were hell.

We all deserve to have valleys in life. Don't let it continue to fester.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by displacedinMN

Yup. Last year-the cluster. Im sure you read my posts.

TAKE TIME OFF. See what options there are. PTO for medical leave or 6 week leave. Most employers have an employee help line that offers counseling then a good insurance discount for counseling. It does not hurt to take a mild anxiety medication. Think mine is Sertraline.

My doc said around age 50, the brain becomes less plastic. More rigid. Meaning its ability to react and adapt slows. Not sure of your age. But at 50-I have been doing my job for 28 years. I was tired and the mix of kids were hell.

We all deserve to have valleys in life. Don't let it continue to fester.

I'll be 40 this year, my home life has become more stressful also which is playing in.

[ChiefBlueCFC]

Played Burnout on the OG XBox back in the day all the time!

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Mecca

I feel like I'm there, I was there before Covid and feel like it's worse now. I legit have no motivation to do anything and I know I'm pessimistic and not fun to be around for the most part. If anyone wants further stuff I can deep dive but I need some advice because I feel like I'm stuck in the wallow not to escape.

Yup.

Heard a quote once that was essentially "The problem is that people get everything they were after and suddenly realize that their dreams were too small..."

And that one hit hard. Professionally I spent 10 years pursuing a role I got. Now I have it and I'm boooooored. And stuck - ain't anyplace else to go here. But I damn sure don't want to start over either because it's probably just gonna be a repeat of the same cycle.

30 didn't bother me because I was on track; was ticking all the boxes and growing and developing and moving forward. 40's gonna bring me to my knees. Why? Because I feel like the last 5 years have just been spinning my wheels. And with COVID and shit it's been doubly bad because it's hard to fend off fatalism. How hard I work/don't work is irrelevant if X or Y passes or if the country continues to tailspin.

I don't know what to tell you, man. I try to contextualize it as best I can (look; my life's pretty damn good and this is truly just finding things to bitch about), but I think it happens no matter how successful/unsuccessful some people are.

Some people prefer the hunt to the spoils. And they're just perpetually restless souls. I'm reading Grant right now and man, that's Grant through and through - guy was miserable when he was content. He drank because of successes as often as failures.

I think Tomahawk has the right of it - you've gotta just find something else to chase and force yourself to chase it. A skill/hobby seems like a start. Maybe just start forcing yourself into activity when you're doing otherwise sedentary activities (only watch TV or play video games when you're on a treadmill, for instance).

I think it's pretty common.

[TEX]

Originally Posted by Mecca

I feel like I'm there, I was there before Covid and feel like it's worse now. I legit have no motivation to do anything and I know I'm pessimistic and not fun to be around for the most part. If anyone wants further stuff I can deep dive but I need some advice because I feel like I'm stuck in the wallow not to escape.

Im there now myself. Its happened to me a couple of times due to some bad life-changing event. I basically get to where I don't give a shit about anything and feel no motivation to fix it - but I always do, by doing exactly what Mr. Tomahawk said.

[displacedinMN]

Originally Posted by Mecca

I'll be 40 this year, my home life has become more stressful also which is playing in.

Start with counseling. I never thought I would be. It helped.

[lewdog]

I’ve had COVID twice.

**** your feelings.

Jk.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by lewdog

I’ve had COVID twice.

**** your feelings.

Jk.

The other day I said, man if I got covid I wouldn't have to do anything, that sounds good.

[Pants]

Originally Posted by lewdog

I’ve had a sinus infection twice.

**** your feelings.

Jk.

FYP, pussy.

[ModSocks]

Smoke some weed.

Life is about how many ****s you've got to give, and sometimes it's good to just not give a ****. Roll with it, don't fight it imo.

You're going to get burned out of feeling burned out, so don't do anything stupid that you'll regret later.

Instead, remind yourself that emotions don't last forever. You WILL find the juice again at some point. The faster you get over it, the sooner you get to enjoying life again.

So stop caring so damn much and let the chips fall where they may.

Life has a way of working itself out. You'll be fine, remind yourself of that.

And stay out of D.C.

[ModSocks]

Originally Posted by Mecca

Mine's both, I feel like I never have a moment to myself there's always more to do.

[ModSocks]

Oh, and hit the gym. Or, buy some damn gym equipment.

[scho63]

Originally Posted by lewdog

I’ve had COVID twice.

**** your feelings.

Jk.

Damn dude, hope your recovering!

[InChiefsHeaven]

I hate to dip my toes in this thread, because I know Mecca is not a Christian, but I just want to say I totally hear you. I remember thinking at the beginning of this year that 2020 was going to be the best year ever. Well...so much for that.

Work has been a ball of stress like never before. I'm in IT and so I've had to come up with a ton of solutions at the drop of a hat, install a crapload of equipment that we probably won't use after this Covid thing goes away, listen to people bitch and moan about solutions that don't work right away or the way they want, and on and on. On top of that, there's what's happening in the news, in our country, and for me, in my Church. It's frustrating me to no end, because I can point fingers but at the end of the day there is not one damn thing I can do about it. Well, maybe one thing.

I'm Catholic, and quite serious about my faith. But even so, I've struggled mightily and I have to admit finding myself just checking out of things. Due to obligations, I have not fully checked out, but I feel like I'm going through the motions with a lot of things.

For me, it is accepting the hard reality that shit happens and much of it is out of my control. I believe that God is still there, and I just need to find a new way to commune with Him, to maintain a relationship with Him, because that's what sustains me.

For you, man, I don't really know what to say as far as advice. Just wanted to pop in and let you know that I feel you brutha. I'm there as well. God bless.