[Discussion] I'm doing research on burnout. What's your story?

Submitted by Ok_Hamster3522 t3_yzfnin in GetMotivated

I'm looking for some input to a research topic I've recently embarked on to better serve others who suffer(ed) from burnout. What is your story? What helped you? Are you still suffering from it or were you able to fully recover? What resources have you found helpful?

If you could include some details about your pre-burnout life (e.g. medical career for 12 years before I started to get burned out..., etc. Absolutely no need for personal data, just some perspective, but is completely optional. Any other notes about toxic environments or poor work conditions would be great too) as I am trying to show it happens to everyone across all experience levels and industries. I'm mainly focusing on work-related, but if you're a stay-at-home parent experiencing this too, I would love to hear your story.

Thank you all in advance, and I hope there are some who can benefit directly from your story here. I look forward to your stories!

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Yarddogkodabear t1_iwzrnd8 wrote

VFX career. Standard 50 hour weeks for 5 years. And 60-70 hour weeks during crunch. Highly cruel and abusive industry. Burnout is common.

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MorticiaFattums t1_iwzydbv wrote

Public Library for 8 years. Pitiful raises (only 50 cents a year Max) and performace reviews tied to that, that compared us to Firefighters in order to keep our scores low. The specific wording my manager said in regards to the Annual Review: " You cannot "Exceed Expectations" unless you actually saved someone's life." Abusive Customers, unhelpful Administrators, coworkers that felt entitled to my personal information and made me feel unsafe at work multiple times. The Employee Assistance Program only offers 3 free counseling sessions and the therapist is so old she fell asleep during my sessions, no help at all.

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oblique_sunshine t1_iwzyepq wrote

Consulting industry, with an "up or out" culture. So basically get promoted or fired every year. Highly stressful and led to a lot of falling Ill and trauma cycle

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wildsheet t1_ix03uzw wrote

Nearly a decade from undergraduate to postgraduate study, got a doctorate and was told by many interviewers that I wouldn't get the jobs because of no job experience. Worked as a research and teaching assistant alongside running my own overseas research program for the last five years of that. Hearing that on top of feeling burnt out made me quit science entirely.

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SmilingMonkey5 t1_ix1hpg4 wrote

Teacher- and parent of 3-need I say more? COVID put me right over the edge. I am getting back into balance by giving in and taking ADHD meds again(after 10 years of not taking it at all). I ended up taking a medical leave which was also helpful. I am sleeping and delegating a lot more. Anything my kids are capable of doing for themselves- they do. 30 minutes a day minimum of exercise. Cutting back significantly on online teaching when I return because it is toxic and students expect you to be available non stop. I am committing to allow my students to fail. I cheerlead and prop them up to a fault. This probably does not serve any of us honestly. I am keeping more energy for me and my family. Work will need to get familiar with a firm “NO” from now until I retire.

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ohfarmgirl21 t1_ix1wfe4 wrote

Marketing executive. 25 year veteran now at a major CPG. I live for the fast, dynamic pace, but it’s also started to “kill” me. If I had a magic wand, there would be an executive burnout magic early intervention program. You’d be able to use some portion of FMLA/Sabatical time and the services would be 360 integrative and holistic, not just one-dimensional “career coaching”. I’m clawing my way back but it feels like a mountain, and while I love what I do, it’s been tough to maintain the resilience over the last few years (downsize actions, wild budget cuts, COVID business surges, internal issues, etc.). If I don’t help myself, who will? And don’t say EAP to me, either. Maybe it helps someone, but it’s proved fruitless for me and my family.

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ohfarmgirl21 t1_ix1wqgv wrote

Replying to oblique_sunshine (#580,646)

The trauma cycle is real. I have such survivors guilt having lasted through the last 7 years of my twelve at this company running major reorganizations. They have bettered the “model” for our marketing overall, but the mental tax is never recognized on us middle managers.

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Veteranlady t1_ix29pnd wrote

How many different types of burns out are you looking for? Over what time frame? How many different burn outs are you looking for just career, or can hobbies, people, locations and/or types of food? Sorry I'm ADHD, PTSD and recently learned now that everything is being unpacked mild/high functioning autistic so I repeat/hang on to many different things until burnout

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Traditional_Gap_2748 t1_ix2y3ju wrote

Nursing, ICU 11+ years. Absolutely burnt out. Looking for other jobs away from patient care but no motivation to do anything really. Where I work so many people are negative and hating there job choice too.

Pre burn out I use to gym, walk daily, very social, played sports, ate well. I now eat terribly hardly do any exercise or even drink water. Definitely self care is lacking. I try to do some self care like yoga. It helps briefly but soon as I have to go back to work the dread begins. My social anxiety has gotten really bad. I’m seeing a psychologist.

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[deleted] t1_ix3lv43 wrote

Product Marketer/Manager for 12 years. Love the dynamic, shifting work, but this year especially has been a mad dash sprint since January.

Finally had to reset expectations around work/life balance with both my manager and myself:

  1. No email/Slack on my phone
  2. No work during times that used to be my commute pre-COVID
  3. No work during evenings & weekends (we’re not saving lives or part of national security… it can wait)
  4. If it doesn’t get done, either teach me to be faster or hire more people, otherwise it simply won’t get done
  5. Lunch time is MY time and if I work through it, it’s my choice - don’t expect it daily

Big improvement to my mental health and our org’s priorities.

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WyoR t1_ix9rlc0 wrote

obsessing over something thinking about something all the time since the moment you wake up to the moment you go to bed maybe with an hour of not doing so , causes burnout for me , just that tho

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