burn out cure

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randyt

randyt

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1 ask this question on nearly every forum I have ever belonged to. What do you do to get over burn out? I think I've been burned out for awhile. I no longer love monday mornings. A windfall profit means nothing, The idea of investing in a project, real estate etc no longer appeals to me. My patience level is near zip. All I want to do is walk in the woods with my dog. However I am not financially set to do that.

I still laugh though...
 
I made a list of what if I wanted done before I retired, like house mortgage paid in full, new roof, etc. Then I acquired a timer app for my phone, set the timer for when I could receive full SS benefits. Checking items off my retirement to do list I found satisfying. When burned out I would check the App for the count down of time remaining, usually brought a smile to my face for the shock my retirement would give my employer
 
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Good question, Randy. Work is a four letter word. I have hated it for a very long time, and have been burned out for a long as I can remember. I look at it as a necessary evil that I have to do to live the lifestyle my wife requires. Fortunately, I am at the end of the road, and expect to retire in the next 12-18 months. I can put up with anything when there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Maybe a new hobby would be a way to spark your interest. What would you like to do that really sounds like fun? Anything! At least anything that is legal. If you hit the lottery what would you do? Give it some thought. Maybe it will brighten your day.
 
Hey @randyt, burn-out is a major issue for many that I know. I know that finding a little bit of time outside your normal focus can be helpful. I use my gardening and hunting to de-compress. I also find that turning off my cell-phones when I am not on call or duty hours helps (My wife does not like me turning her off, but it helps)... The other thing is learning to set personal limits... When I was in college I discovered that if I did everything that people wanted me to do I would always be behind and feel gulity for not doing everything. I found that just saying no and limiting what extra work I am taking on can help me feel better. Today I limit my volunteer work to things that I feel strongly about or that gives me something valuable in return.

Family health can add significantly to your "apparent" work load, if you are a primary caregiver it can be like having 2 full time jobs. If this is the case give yourself a break (don't be so hard on yourself) when you don't do everything you think you need to do (I am told that I am my worst critic, I think most people are).
 
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Sometimes you have to find something different to do. Challenge yourself. I've been doing the same job for nearly five years. I feel like I've learned it inside and out and I've progressed about as far as I can go. My boss told me that as long as I'm working for him, I won't be doing anything else because he's never had anyone else as good at it. So, I'm burned out and I'm going to be changing positions, and bosses, at the first good opportunity I find.
 
Hi Randy. Well, the canned reply would be to make sure you get adequate sleep, exercise, and eat well. Those things do help tremendously, even though it doesn't sound all that exciting. I find that a walk outdoors always helps me feel better, so keep doing that. This time of year can be difficult for many. The lack of vitamin D doens't help the blahs.

We usually try to keep something fun in our schedule whether it's getting together with friends to play cards or going to our favorite tavern for a meal. We also try to have a vacation on our calendar at least once per year, which gives us something to look forward to. It doesn't have to be extravagant. Perhaps it's just a camping, hunting, or fishing trip for a week or so. Life's short, so make sure you take some steps to enjoy the ride.

Like Spike said, always keep looking for other opportunities and weigh the pros and cons. I have a family member who's doing that right now. He's happy in his current job, but something else has come up that he has interest in. He can put out a high salary number and if they turn him down, he hasn't lost a thing. Even as an owner of a business (which I think you are), there are always opportunites that come and go. Tomorrow someone might walk thru your door and want to buy you out. Or, you could actively try to find a buyer and try something else in life that excites you. Visualize what would be the best case scenario for you, and then try to put steps forward to make it happen.

It's all about attitude. Sometimes some perspective is all we need to get a refreshing look at the situation we're currently in. I've heard that some people take 'vacations' in 3rd world countries and volunteer to help local communites. They come back with a renewed sense of self. That might be a little extreme for some, but I'm sure that would re-set an attitude for sure. I've been to some shady places in other countries, and I am always glad to come home and I certainly look at things differently.

Is it possible to semi retire? That would give you more time to explore what you love to do, while still having an income stream. Maybe you can hire someone to take over your duties, while you find another avenue for making money to pay for that employee? Although, I realize as a business owner that can be impossible to do. Just trying to throw out some ideas. Make sure you confide in someone close to you, whether it be a friend, family member, spouse, co-worker, etc. We all need to vent once in a while, so make sure you have an outlet to bounce thoughts and ideas off of.
 
When I start to feel burnt out I shift gears. Go back to work on an old project, start a new one or do some research. I get a lot of therapy, recoil therapy, as it helps calm the nerves and sweeten the day. It doesn't matter if I am running drills or just sitting at the bench making holes in a target, it's always a good day.
 
Don't ask me .Maybe later will find out how to stop the mundane situation.
I know music helps me and silly videos takes away the seriousness of it all. I like watcing positive couples like the Wynns who live adventuous lives. Although they are stuck too in the mundne at least they stay busy now and mostly upbeat. .
 
People experience "Burn Out" because they have been seduced into a flawed system, chasing happiness and a rewarding-satisfying life through consumer consumption. Essentially living Madison Avenue Advertisings vision of what is best for you, but damn sure what is best for their quality of life.
God........never intended for humans to live the way humans currently live.

Randyt.......did you finish "Burning Daylight"........???
 
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"Eat the frog first." Mark Twain

If walking in the woods is what you want to do, what needs to happen to enable you to walk in the woods more often. All good thoughts above. I guess I prefer the setting of the goal I want, be it retiring or being in the woods or counting pebbles. Set the goal and work towards the life you want. (I think you already are in some respect.) Whatever your goal, do the worst thing first and proceed from there with the next worst thing - your path will get increasingly easier. Sometimes identifying what you want is the tricky part - knowing what you don't want helps to point you in the right direction.
And a side note: I once read, when life goes up-side-down on you, imagine it were a book. What ending would you write? What would the hero do? For me, backing up from my own life and viewing it as a novel sometimes puts a new light on it.
 
Great question.
Not on here as often as I would like due to family responsibilities but my answer is as some said: start something new that is likely to make you happy or feel fulfilled or be fun OR in my case, will feed us!

Just got a pressure canner. Read the instructions yesterday and today plan to prep carrots and potatoes. Scared a little, but excited. Certainly will keep me from feeling blah or bored as I try to master a very important new skill. And I’m 65.
 
Solar Geek said:
Great question.
Not on here as often as I would like due to family responsibilities but my answer is as some said: start something new that is likely to make you happy or feel fulfilled or be fun OR in my case, will feed us!

Just got a pressure canner. Read the instructions yesterday and today plan to prep carrots and potatoes. Scared a little, but excited. Certainly will keep me from feeling blah or bored as I try to master a very important new skill. And I’m 65.
Click to expand...

We have only been doing the pressure canning for a few years but it took me a while to get into the habit of making very small adjustments especially as you are reaching your target pressure. I also found that air movement around the PC can cause the pressure to fluctuate some, so I don't run my exhaust fan or open windows near the stove while I am canning. Once you have done it a couple of times it can get very easy. Be sure to get yourself a nice book or pick out some nice music to listen to while you watch the pressure, it can be as exciting as watching paint dry. ;) We do enjoy listening for the "POP" as the jars sit on the cooling racks.... We love the Ball Book and each have our own copy, because some people don't put things back where they found them.
 
Real burn out is just from doing the same thing without any challenge. Find a new challenge and you are good to go!
Middle age crisis is when you can't see yourself as a worthwhile man. That requires a sports car and a 20 something looker to date. ;)
 
It also comes from doing the same thing all the time. It gets monotonous and you want something exciting like the sports car and the 20 something.

You sound like you have been successful but what you need now is a challenge.
 
I think there is more than one type of burn out.

1
BO from one has to do.

2
BO from one chooses to do.

Type 2 is easier . Find something different.

Type 1 can be handled in a number of ways.
A)
Set a finite goal and track your progress.
B)
Introduce an interesting challenge.
C)
Find an alternative so that one does have to do it anymore.

When I was still working, I wrote a simple program that would tell me how many days I had left until I could retire.

While digging out a basement, I could track the progress by looking at how much was left.

Ben

.
 
randyt said:
1 ask this question on nearly every forum I have ever belonged to. What do you do to get over burn out? I think I've been burned out for awhile. I no longer love monday mornings. A windfall profit means nothing, The idea of investing in a project, real estate etc no longer appeals to me. My patience level is near zip. All I want to do is walk in the woods with my dog. However I am not financially set to do that.

I still laugh though...
Click to expand...


I ran across this thread while searching for something else... and I just wanna say... I think you may have answered your own question. I bolded what may help ease your burnout problem.

Get in the woods as often as you can. Weekends, mornings, after work, grab every opportunity you can to walk in the woods. Pick out some new-to-you hiking trails on a regular basis.

And on rainy days when you can't go, get on the internet and hunt for new places to go. Keep a running file of them.

For me, being in the woods is Nature's answer to Prozac (I hear those pills help some people cope better, but I don't know about that. Never tried them.). For my brother, the swamp is his Prozac. For you, the woods and your four-legged friend are your Prozac.

Take more of it. Doctor's orders!

I think one of the reasons why it helps is highlighted in an old saying:

Change of scenery is like changing a baby's diaper: it doesn't permanently solve the problem but it sure makes things more acceptable for a while!

You are one of the lucky ones: at least you KNOW what you'd like to be doing and are able to do it, even if all you can do is a little at a time.

Something that I found that helps many with burnout (and adrenal exhaustion, etc.) is an herb called ashwagandha. It is a time-honored adaptogenic herb that helps greatly with these issues and more. If you get it, know that the effects are subtle at first and takes up to a month or two before you begin noticing a shift in your outlook, more energy, and improved mood.

Hope this helps!
 
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