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Ask HN: How to deal with burnout and its consequences?

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Ask HN: How to deal with burnout and its consequences?

#1
Hey HN,

Earlier this year I burned out hard and spectacularly, having nothing short of a total breakdown and being forced to take many, many months of medical leave by my GP.

My job wasn't overly difficult, but the corporate environment I found myself in was something I'd never done before and it was completely unsuited to me as an individual. It is the worst working experience I've ever been through.

I returned to my job late last month and I find that I simply don't care anymore. My burnout was never really fixed despite the time off. I'm unable to accomplish even basic tasks at work now and truthfully I'm at a point where I don't even care if I get fired. In the time I've been back I think I've been able to close one of two tiny tickets, the rest of the time I've literally done nothing.

During my time off I've been poked and prodded by psychologists and they seem to think I have ADHD and that it was a large contributing factor to this, though I'm not completely sure I buy this explanation.

I'm not well off like most people on here, I can survive 4-6 months with no salary, which I'm likely going to have to consider given my firing seems imminent at this point. I simply don't think I'm capable of maintaining this job anymore.

I really don't know how to get over this and how to move past it. I feel quite literally incapable of working. My mind knows what needs to be done, but my body says no and I am overwhelmed by apathy. I'm honestly not sure if I'm capable of working in tech anymore at this point and that's doing quite a number of any selfesteem I had.

Truthfully I didn't know things could get this bad. I'm trying to figure out what my future even looks like and how to move past this and any advice would be really appreciated.

Re: Ask HN: How to deal with burnout and its consequences?

#2
There was this discussion about recovering from burnout a while back. Perhaps it can help: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33260525

But I can fully understand you, I don't think I completely burned out, but I was somewhere along the spectrum. I was, and am, in a priviledged situation where I can afford to take some months of work. Initially it did not feel like it helped all that much, but on later reflection it at least "stopped the bleeding".

I am in a better place now a year or two later, but my perspective on work has probably changed forever.

Re: Ask HN: How to deal with burnout and its consequences?

#4
A different job? Go travelling for a while? Travelling is a lot of fun and makes you realize that life is short and that you should make the most of it.

I changed careers and found the change fun. I may go back to coding at some point, I kinda miss the that deep thinking it requires .... but I can do that in my spare time if I really need to.

Or, if you need the money, just phone it in for a while.

Re: Ask HN: How to deal with burnout and its consequences?

#5

A different job? Go travelling for a while? Travelling is a lot of fun and makes you realize that life is short and that you should make the most of it. I changed careers and found the change fun. I may go back to coding at some point, I kinda miss the that deep thinking it requires .... but I can do that in my spare time if I really need to. Or, if you need the money, just phone it in for a while.

> Travelling is a lot of fun and makes you realize that life is short and that you should make the most of it.

I never got what was so great about travelling. Whenever I tried doing it, I was almost immediately bored and lonely. It proabably works much better for extraverts.

Re: Ask HN: How to deal with burnout and its consequences?

#6
It sounds like the job is the problem. If you feel like you are going to be fired anyways it's probably best to start applying for other positions now. A change of culture and environment will probably help a lot. Try doing something different that allows you to learn new things.

Re: Ask HN: How to deal with burnout and its consequences?

#7

A different job? Go travelling for a while? Travelling is a lot of fun and makes you realize that life is short and that you should make the most of it. I changed careers and found the change fun. I may go back to coding at some point, I kinda miss the that deep thinking it requires .... but I can do that in my spare time if I really need to. Or, if you need the money, just phone it in for a while.

I’m opening a local metal working business. Running both until I can get a decent income stream.

Tech prospects look bleak, I think the party will be over in 10 or less years as engineers are viewed more as a cost vs value add.

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