this post was submitted on 12 Jul 2023
37 points (100.0% liked)

Moving to: m/AskMbin!

1325 readers
1 users here now

### We are moving! **Join us in our new journey as we take a new direction towards the future for this community at mbin, find our new community here and read this post to know more about why we are moving. Thank you and we hope to see you there!**

founded 1 year ago
 

I've noticed (with the help of family members and my SO) that I've become very negative, cynical and drained lately. Reading about burnout, I find all of the symptoms to be true for myself.

My job requires me to work on a single project full-time, and a couple of small side-projects. The management of the project is very chaotic and I feel more and more inadequate for my position. Priorities constantly change and just looking at the week's schedule in Monday, I can tell the we're not going meet the set goal by Friday. It has been like that for more than a year. It doesn't help that I've become very pessimistic about the main project's future.

Outside of work, I don't have much free time. The little I have, I try to spend with my loved ones. Hobbies and other interests are on the back burner.

As the title implies, I don't have the option of quitting or taking a sabbatical at the moment.

I know kbin is not a replacement for therapy but I was just wondering if anyone has been through this and found anything helpful other that distancing from their current workplace.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I know it's not easy, but something that has helped me in a similar but not identical situation is to refuse to think about work outside of work. I was up last night worrying about work. So I know it's not a perfect strategy, but trying to lock your mind against it is helpful. Or has been to me. I try the "yes, this is a 'problem' but not a problem for right now. I deserve to only have to try and figure it out on the clock."

My subsidiary strategy is to try and have a fun mental game to play with myself. I'm a Star Wars guy so I try: If x was different how would Episode Y play out. Or what would my ideal zombie videogame look like. Essentially something that is "unimportant," that I like, that has a lot of factors to consider. #1 to enjoy thinking about, and #2 that is complex enough and detailed enough to supply me with an "endless" well of stuff to prevent the scaries from sneaking in.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Thank you for sharing!

I like your mental game! I've been doing something similar but maybe not as in-depth.