[mickelsen]

Hey. I also fell through the cracks during the pandemic, laid off at the height of the hiring market, but unable and unwilling to go back, developed tinnitus (gone, phew!), had cognitive issues too that really took a lot of time to improve, and I'm only in my 30s.

But it got better, and I'm in a better place now. It felt like I'd never get there; always tiny improvements but not quite there. Last year I finally felt the burnout gone. I stopped being so cynical. My life was better already, but still my mind was not quite there yet.

Now just this year I've rekindled my curiosity, using my free time again for little projects, not leaving piles of unfinished stuff around the house, it's something that's even noticeable from the outside - the little things. So now, moving forward, I take it easy, forgive myself, try again and don't subject myself to unattainable benchmarks.