former bed side nurse here on sick leave till the end of the month. I should start my new job away from patients with normal working hours on October 1st.
I feel drained, even though I eat and sleep well, the best I’ve slept in months, my circadian rhythm is that of a normal human being, I can cook, go shopping, I even play some hobbies now.
Nobody yells at me or makes passive aggressive or backhanded remarks for me to hear.
The 1st. of October is a week away and I don’t believe I’ll be a fully functioning human being by then, most probably I’ll ask for a 2 week sick leave extension.
what worked for you to go back to your normal self?
Hi. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. Over 12 years in therapy, about 10 years into my professional career. Can speak at length as to what goes into burn out, but you don’t care. You’re there. You need help getting out.
The absolute most maniacal piece of the puzzle is that everything (and everyone) is telling you to do less of what’s burning you out and to make more time for rest etc.
Rest is important. Let me make that clear. However:
If you were to add exercising daily, and also add an hour or two dedicated towards a hobby every day, this will counterintuitively reduce your burnout symptoms.
As a person who keeps their work and personal email inbox empty, believe me, I know the advice is nails on a chalkboard. I seek 0 chaos. Adding to chaos surely won’t bring me closer, right?
Wrong.
The paradox here is that “adding load” in the form of exercise or a hobby is not the same as piling on more work. It’s giving your brain and body different inputs… Psychologists call this “recovery through detachment and mastery.” You unplug from the stressor while engaging in something meaningful or physically beneficial, which recharges your coping capacity.
nih.gov
ScienceDirect
sagepub
Frontiers Public Health
PMC
Harvard Health
ScienceDirect
Extension USU
yes 100% this. in CBT, they would say to “take actions that are in line with your values.”
your values aren’t your morals or your beliefs - they’re the things that make life worth living. what’s really important to you? when you look back, what is the thing you value most (or will regret not having done)? find a way to do something that feeds into that.
your job isn’t you. for most people, it’s just some shit you have to do. your values are you. and they should be your first priority.
That’s all great advice… if you actually get the time and physical room for it. Which many people don’t. It’s just rise and grind, rinse & repeat, any pause meaning homelessness or worse.
It’s simply not true, and a convenient excuse we make for ourselves when we’re burnt out.
It does not take you 4 hours to commute either way. And that assumes 8 hours sleep.
The overwhelming majority of people have 3-6 free hours every day.
chores and care for family and demands from others aren’t nothing. That said, we have the average numbers for phone use (and the OP is on lemmy so…)
You’re right, it’s my own failure for not thriving in a capitalistic hellhole.
Something I am painfully aware of every single day, don’t you worry. It’s not like anyone around me will let me forget it.