Rebounding After Burnout: Have You Been Able to Do It So That You WANT to Work Again??

[Hemlock140]

Originally Posted by Aggiebuttercup

The last time I felt that way I made a lateral move - new company, new technology, same basic job. That helped tremendously.

This time around, I'm hoping a similar move will help - new company, new technology, a half step down from where I am now...and with the opportunity to move up.

My career attention span is about 5-6 years, and if I don't get a new challenge, I'm bored bored bored.

You remind me of a guy we once interviewed, when we asked about his extreme job-hopping. His response (paraphrasing) was: "I get bored after a few months and want to try something different." He did not get the job. In your case 5-6 years is a lot less likely to be a concern.

[MJ7]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

You remind me of a guy we once interviewed, when we asked about his extreme job-hopping. His response (paraphrasing) was: "I get bored after a few months and want to try something different." He did not get the job. In your case 5-6 years is a lot less likely to be a concern.

I would have asked the guy if he was taking the profession seriously or not. Some people just do not need to be in the industry/profession they are in and when they readily admit to it as this guy they should just seek a new/different profession altogether. I was like him, although I lasted 1 year before I moved to a different company and same line of work. The problem aren't the companies they work for, it's the profession itself for these people. I doubt anyone would hire them, but I would have given him my opinion about changing careers.

[rdflk]

A very high percentage of workers are burned out and literally counting the days to retirement even when it's 10-15 years off.

Yep that's me all right...I hope to coast for another 12 years.

Changing careers after 40 or so is a scary thing to do. I left a 17 year career that I still liked at age 40 and moved to another state where I started and ran a business for 16 years. I actually started to burn out on that but the economy solved the problem for me so I had to look for a job again. In 2009 I was able to find a new career that combined the experience gained from the first two, at age 57. After 5 years I still love it and look forward to coming to work every day, and am making more than I ever have before with great benefits. Rather than counting the days to retirement like so many others I know, I don't even think about it yet though I have the minimum 5 years in and am old enough to go in another month.

It seems as if you still 'wanted' to work and mentally were willing to 'keep your self engaged' in a career. Whereas I don't want to work. I want to get paid for doing nothing. (or win the lottery) I just don't want to go to my job everyday. I'm tired of the work. I'm tired of the people. I'm tired of the commute. I don't CARE about it. I di the minimum to stay employed and earn brownie points.

I felt this way -- BEFORE my mom got sick with dementia and I needed to drive 2 1/2 hours to see about her. When my schedule allows I do this sometimes 3 or 4 weeks in a row. Other times the work schedule prohibits it and I go once a month. I was not into the job BEFORE this started. Now I really just have other things I'd rather do.

So add the family issues on top of already being burned out work-wise -- and you can see why I'm done mentally past the point of wanting a new career -- past the point of getting new skills -- past the point of wanting to work -- period. So I'll have to fight this malaise for 12 years....day by day...shift by shift .... I'll do it.

And I have a GOOD situation -- with a job that's NOT demanding. So I can't even imagine others in a worse position are coping.

I will say that I think there MIGHT -- MIGHT be careers that would excite me again. BUT at 54, and 20 years into a job with a pension, union coverage, 5 weeks vaca... a career TOTAL change that would mean new training/going back to school -- and likely a serious pay cut...just makes no sense.

As was said above -- MILLIONS of people are doing it....I'm just one.

[Serious Conversation]

Life isn't worth living if you are going to be completely miserable for years on end. Most of us won't love our jobs, many won't even like the job, but most are in a position where we are at least indifferent to the job and can tolerate.

If your life is that miserable, you need to either look within for other personal issues that are causing you to be so miserable, or change jobs with no regard to your finances.

[rdflk]

Thanks. Miserable is 'relative' Maybe I sound more 'miserable' than I really am.

Most of the world has it worse than I do. It's just that even my 'pretty good' situation could be better.

I'll try to stop looking at the "half empty," and look at the "half full."

[selhars]

I'm bumping this thread up to see if any new posters have any new suggestions. I'm in the same position as the OP.

I don't think even a year off would turn me around. People say you need to find something your are interested in or care about enough....then the desire would return. I just don't see caring about something enough to want to work.

If I don't want to come back after a two week vacation....I SURE as hell wouldn't want to come back after a year.
Personal, family commitments over the last 7 years have burned me out, And I'm done.

If you were burned out did your desire to work (full time career for a pay check you need to pay your bills) ever return?
If so how long were you off? What did you do to rejuvenate your desire for working? Career change? Long vacation?

Or do you find that once your done....your done. And as for working .....been there, done that. You just don't want to work anymore.

[HappyDogToday]

I know about burn out and the only cure I know of is to walk away from the situation and find rest and refreshment and rejuvenation for life.
I had a 25 year career in a high burn-out human services profession. I wanted out of that role every single day, but I managed to find a few jobs that I enjoyed and thrived at before the recession lay-offs and my age turned that whole world inside out.
I got away from it for 3 years, being long-term unemployed. It was the best thing that ever happened to me because though I was unemployed, I was out of that role totally.
Either take a very long vacation, transition into something totally different and maybe part-time, or consider working for yourself if you have to work. Or mix it up. 12 years is too long to endure that kind of misery.
Also, ask yourself how much of your burn-out is caused by the care-giving role you've been in as well.
Life can become too over-whelming on every level. Then it's time to pull back, restrict where your energy goes, and find ways to recharge youe own ''life batteries''.
Lots of articles on-line about burnout can give you ideas on where to start to begin the healing process.

[selhars]

The next 10 years will fly by. Not like 1 year but retirement, which I dream of every day, is closer than it used to be.
Just think...it's already mid October of this year. Time can fly.

I've pretty much accepted that I'll stay burned out, and not want to work the rest of my working life. I'm trading my time for good pay, the perks of seniority, and planning to use these 10 years ahead to save as much as I can and really be positioned for retirement.

I think it would take, MINIMUM, a year off, to even want to THINK about POSSIBLY working again, at ANYthing. But if I don't want to come back from two weeks off, why would I want to come back after a year? Because I'd be bored. To the contrary. There are plenty of ways to fill one's time, not be bored -- besides work for a living. I never see wanting to work for a living again. Be somewhere every day on someone else's schedule, make my plans around their say so, travel when they say I can have off, etc.

Start my own business? Are you kidding? You never work as hard in your life as starting your own business -- building clientele, getting customers, etc....IF you want to actually SUPPORT you and replace a full-time salary. My best bet, is to go to a job where I get paid for my time, do my 8 hours, leave the job AT the job, enjoy vacations and life in the meantime.
The main thing that keeps me going is obsessing about retirement...THAT is my new passion....knowing that's the goal I'm working for...the day when I won't HAVE to work to have the lifestyle I want.