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by UncleOxidant 1372 days ago
It sounds like you're burned out. Take a vacation ASAP. Take that time to rest. Beyond vacations, make sure you take one day/week where you rest - actually rest. Eschew productivity on that day. This was called sabbath in the past and was connected with religion, but there's much to learn from that tradition of a weekly rhythm of rest to create a secular sabbath. Disconnect - turn off the phone, get away from screens, no social media. Get outside in nature. Hike, bike, row, etc. Let your mind wander. After you feel like you've entered that rested state for while, take some time to reassess your situation.

It's good that you're taking classes and are constantly learning, but consider that in this season of burnout those (vocationally related) activities could be contributing to the problem.

2 comments

>Take a vacation ASAP.

Not as a specific reaction to burnout but in the past I've taken 3 to 4 week trips (often group trips) where I've largely disconnected. Takes more discipline to do that now most places than it used to be but can be a total change of pace. What type of trip of course depends on what sort of thing interests you. Take a look at something like the Wilderness Travel catalog to get an idea for the options out there. (Are many such companies but I've had good luck with them.)

In this case, they're bored more than they're overworked. Trying to find more meaning within their day job may be more effective than completely cutting off. Sometimes working harder but on a more meaningful project could reverse a burnout faster than avoiding the problem.
> bored more than they're overworked

They state outright that they’re exhausted. Lots of us get bored and lose the sense of value we felt when we’re overextended. Even when we apply ourselves harder. Often the first symptomatic recognition of burnout is loss or deteriorating interest.