How do you deal with burnout?

[Man of Doom]

So what actually prompted me to make this thread in the first place was this podcast episode (which I think is excellent and you should check out too):

 

https://www.hausofdecline.com/episodes/1/1643818
 

Additionally, I also freely admit that I’ve been dealing with a nasty case of burnout for a while (though some days have been better than others), and while this podcast episode managed to help with the crushing weight of the world (and also therapy as well), burnout is still something I’ve been struggling with.

 

On top of all that I had to deal with within this past year alone, I’m still left with responsibilities and obligations that I’m unsure I’ll be able to meet. I still feel like I’m not allowed to relax or take any breaks.

Even when I technically have the time to stop and smell the roses, it’s like I have to retrain my own body on how to do so.

And given the current state of the world, it’s hard not to feel like there’s an abject sense of futility and inevitability in everything I’ve been working towards.

Like everything is going to burst into flames and there’s nothing I can do about it, and that even the one endeavor I’ve been striving towards is either going to come crashing down or rendered irrelevant.

In short: shit sucks, yo.

But in the end, I’m not here just to vent.

 

I know for sure that given the state of places like Twitter (I still refuse to call it X) and various Discord servers I frequent, that I’m definitely not the only one who feels like their own Divine Light was severed (and thus became a flesh automaton animated by neurotransmitters).

 

So yeah, you’re more than welcome to share your own stories of burnout and how you’ve managed to deal with it.

 

I’d like to see about this thread being a potential resource on how to tackle burnout, especially since I know there’s a lot of creative voices here (and I’m pretty certain a good number of those voices are currently operating on Hope Eradicated mode, including myself which is why I included the initial rant).

Edited January 24 by Man of Doom

[DNSKILL5]

What has worked for me is to just let the burn out take its course.
 

I learned this from getting burnt out at work. I can’t just up and quit, so I have no choice but to push through. I can lessen the burden by turning my phone on DNS when I am off work, not talking about work, etc. but typically it fades away when I have an extraordinarily great day at work, it suddenly puts pride back in to why I took this job in the first place. 
 

With my hobbies, there’s no financial incentive (well, not in a way that keeps me afloat like work does), so when I feel burnt out on a show or game, I just take a break from it. When I start feeling the itch to watch or play it again, typically I have returned with a fresher mind and the burn out has gone away and I enjoy myself again. I also follow a similar approach when working on projects. Unless there’s a deadline or I’m being counted on by another person, I will take breaks to keep from feeling burnt out. 
 

Just letting it take its course may not work for everyone. It certainly isn’t easy, but it is what has worked for me for a long time now.

Edited January 24 by DNSKILL5

[aloysiusfreeman]

Hey, a Haus of Decline name drop. Haven't listened to the podcast much but absolutely love the webcomics. 

 

 

Anyways, as a father of two young kids, full-time employee (at a job I don't really have much passion in), and numerous creative outlets left and right, I get burn out a lot. Maybe once every 3 months? 

 

I notice that one of the things that really kicks my burnout is being on social media and being reminded of my outlook on humanity. This results in me deleting whatever app is causing me misery and honestly, I just suffer for almost a week. I'll not work on any creative stuff and I'll get lost in a mindless game if I have the time to do so. 

 

What usually guides me is that everything in life is impermanent, including the suffering of burnout. Until enough people are harmonious in taking down the bullshit system we live in, then I just try to care for myself as much as possible with the understanding that the suffering of burnout will eventually cease.