Moving to: m/AskMbin!

32 readers

2 users here now

### We are moving! **Join us in our new journey as we take a new direction towards the future for this community at mbin, find our new community here and read this post to know more about why we are moving. Thank you and we hope to see you there!**

founded 1 year ago

Has anyone managed to recover from а serious burnout without taking a sabbatical? How? (kbin.social)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

42 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I've noticed (with the help of family members and my SO) that I've become very negative, cynical and drained lately. Reading about burnout, I find all of the symptoms to be true for myself.

My job requires me to work on a single project full-time, and a couple of small side-projects. The management of the project is very chaotic and I feel more and more inadequate for my position. Priorities constantly change and just looking at the week's schedule in Monday, I can tell the we're not going meet the set goal by Friday. It has been like that for more than a year. It doesn't help that I've become very pessimistic about the main project's future.

Outside of work, I don't have much free time. The little I have, I try to spend with my loved ones. Hobbies and other interests are on the back burner.

As the title implies, I don't have the option of quitting or taking a sabbatical at the moment.

I know kbin is not a replacement for therapy but I was just wondering if anyone has been through this and found anything helpful other that distancing from their current workplace.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (5 children)

What's a "sabbatical"? I don't get paid unless I'm doing work. The way I resolve my burnout is by looking at my bank balance, average rents (and the increase of rent over the last 10 years), and my life expectancy. Until there's enough money in there that I can live on that, I have to work. And I have to assume that I'm less than 8 hours from being fired and going from my salary to minimum wage; so I'd damn well better exceed any expectations. My feelings, my ennui, and my burnout do not matter. My survival is reliant on providing greater value to my employer than I cost to keep around. My value to anyone is limited what I can provide them in the immediate past and foreseeable future - myself included.

Burnout and not being at 100% of expectations is the same as suicide. Every day I wake up and ask if today's the day. Every day so far, I've decided there's a reason to keep going. Look at it like that. If you like living, keep working.

Figure out where your inadequacy is and what is expected that's making you feel that way. Align yourself with the people who sign your paycheck - what they want should be what you want. If being around someone is making you act in a negative way, don't be around that person unless it's essential.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (3 children)

If this isn't some of the least empathetic advice I've ever read.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

looks more like a cry for help

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Yeah, that’s been my experience - that the people who are the least empathetic are the people who are having the same problem and trying the “tough love” approach on themselves to attempt to overcome it. They’ve shut off their compassion sensors because they can’t afford to apply any to themselves, so it’s not there for others either.

load more comments (1 replies)

load more comments (2 replies)