*sigh*

[andrewducker]

I think I'm burned out.

I've been trying to get myself worked up to the point where I can take part in more political stuff, and I just can't generate any enthusiasm. The idea of putting lots of effort into something that isn't going to have a pay-off fills me with exhaustion.

And I'm fairly sure this has rubbed off on work as well. Where I'm still getting things done, but my energy and enthusiasm has dropped to a low level. So if someone has a question or short task then I'm on it without a problem, but I'm just not getting through things at the speed I used ti.

I'm not sleeping badly, but I'm tired all the time.

You may even have noticed that I'm not actually posting much at the moment. The link posts are carrying the journal along, but I haven't felt like posting any content in a while.

It's my birthday in a week, and if you asked me what I wanted, I'd tell you a month off from _everything_.

Not sure what to do about this.

Comments

[matgb]

Been there-you put as much into the AV campaign as I did the 2010GE, if not more. Then you see it not working out as you hoped and...

It may be worth actually seeing a doctor (something I've been avoiding for too long), and you can even get signed off work for a compulsory break.

The first stage in getting over something is to accept there's actually a problem, and I'm still running from a few I think.

[andrewducker]

I don't think I need time off work, to be honest. I'm still functional. I'm just dialing back on the extra-curricular stuff, and taking more time for myself.

[nickys]

Sympathies.

Can you take time off from work and get out of town for a bit on your own?

Watching dumb comedy movies sometimes helps me if my brain's in a stress-loop and needs switching off for a bit.

[andrewducker]

I don't really enjoy stuff entirely by myself, and part of the problem at the moment is that Julie's PhD is in the incredibly stressful final stages.

But yes, brain-dead comedy does sound like a good plan!

[marrog.livejournal.com]

Sing it, sister.

[zornhau.livejournal.com]

Basically, the British public were angry with the Lib Dems for letting the Tories in, so punished them by voting against AV, thus securing a Tory govt for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, the Lib Dems themselves have taken a bath in a dirty great steaming poison chalice and will vanish like the Byzantine Empire does if flip the pages of a historical atlas, but quicker.

I can see why you're feeling politically apathetic! Me, I have no idea who to vote for anymore, and am beginning to feel out of sync with the population at large.

[cairmen.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Me too.

[don-fitch.livejournal.com]

There's always the option of becoming a Trappist Monk -- though it might take you a while to psych yourself up for that.

[joexnz.livejournal.com]

welcome to 2010, sitting here now i think i spent the whole year feeling something like that

[joexnz.livejournal.com]

oh and go get tested for sleep apenoa and heart conditions

[cairmen.livejournal.com]

Ugh. Much sympathy. I recognise the sound of that sort of situation - it's not quite where I am right now, but I've been in similar places in the past.

Probably obvious but possibly helpful:

1) Can you actually take some time off from everything, or at least as much as possible, to do fun resourcing stuff? And do you know what said fun resourcing stuff would be?
2) How much exercise are you doing?
3) Can you meditate? If so, it may be worth trying it regularly for a week. It's tedious but it works.

[yalovetz]

Not sure what to do about this.

Take a month off from everything, maybe? :p

[atreic.livejournal.com]

Yes, I was about to make that comment.

@Andrew: *hugs* I'm sorry it's hard for you at the moment, and hope it gets better soon.

[fub.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry to hear about your slump. Just take it easy for a while and allow yourself to be a bit down -- you can't be 'on' all the time. Find things that recharge your batteries, like a sport. Yoga worked for me.

[momentsmusicaux.livejournal.com]

Bummer :(

(Maybe for your birthday we can all get Andy costumes, and then take it in turns to each be you for a day. You'd definitely get a fortnight off like that! Nobody would know the difference, honest!)

[crm.livejournal.com]

'Not sure what to do about this.'

Chill, its autumn, its slowing down time.

[ami-bender.livejournal.com]

I got burnt out regularly at Lloyds. Usually about once a year. The best thing for me was to take a week off and spend a lot of it sleeping. I sometimes get a cheap flight to a city that doesn't actually have a massive amount to do so that I don't feel guilty sitting in cafe reading and being lazy. I often found that it hit me worst when I was dealing (or just finished dealing with) stressful things outside work as well as in work.

[alitheapipkin.livejournal.com]

Much sympathy. A lot of this sounds very familiar to me. I got so drained arguing over this riots stuff with someone on FB that I had to threaten to put him on my limited list so he couldn't see my wall posts because he refused to agree to disagree and I was on the verge of tears over the whole thing, even though he never attacked me personally.

I'm trying to up my exercise but other than that, I can only agree with other people suggesting getting checked out at the doctors and taking some time off from work if at all possible. I hope you feel better soon.

[alitheapipkin.livejournal.com]

Also, I'm guessing the other issue you have is living with someone finishing a PhD. Obviously I don't know Julie but I've been in her position and neither I, nor anyone I know, managed the final stages without being a complete stress bunny. So sympathy on that front too and best wishes to her for a swift and successful conclusion.

[channelpenguin.livejournal.com]

You seem to know your own answer.

A month off from everything. Just take it. It's for your health, mental and physical. You do NOT have to go til you drop - that may take longer than you ever imagined and leave you in a non-recoverable state.

I am deadly serious. (though I'd say more like 6 weeks - 3 months)

[andrewducker]

Time off isn't actually entirely relaxing for me at the moment. It will be in a few months when Julie's PhD is over, so I shall take some time off then.

[undeadbydawn.livejournal.com]

I've just realised that the Great British Public really are as stupid as I thought, which is somewhat disconcerting.


but nowhere near as bad as the thought that we're stuck with this lot unless we go independent.

which means I have to trust that the people around me are capable of self-governing.


I /want/ to believe that, but

sheeeeeeeeeit

[phillipalden.livejournal.com]

I ignore politics, (with the exception of voting,) with the same gusto I use to avoid the mass media. The other day my partner and some friends were over watching the Republican debate, (for the laugh factor.) I cannot stand to even hear those people speak, so I had my iPod on all the time.

They probably thought I was crazy, but I grew sick of all that crap, (especially TV.)

[star-tourmaline.livejournal.com]

This made me realise that I had been starting to be concerned about you; you've been coming down with everything, and you weren't always someone who did.

I think the order of service is roughly as follows:

(1) Rest and self-care, for best possible local values, which is probably a set with a high variance. The important thing is doing the best you can to put it first, on a daily basis. If you can take a month off from everything then tant mieux; if you can't then do what you can do.

(2) Worry about everything else later. Political energy etc. will become clear when you have got some resources to deploy.

I am up between 3rd and 10th and hope we can meet up at some point. But don't worry if you can't face it.

[andrewducker]

It would be lovely to see you while you're up (in addition to your birthday, obviously!)

Time off isn't likely to help at the moment. I'm looking forward to a proper holiday when Julie's PhD is over!

[octopoid-horror.livejournal.com]

Stop planning things.

When this happened before, you planned to have days or weeks where you relaxed, and you're still doing this.

If you're making month-in-advance schedules where Monday you're doing X, tuesday doing Y, Wednesday is relaxation day from 7pm to 10.30pm (and by relaxation you mean you need to watch episodes of TV show A and B on that day in order... of course you're running the risk of burning out. Especially if some of the things you're doing for fun have no real reward for you.

If you're making a rigid schedule (since this is the impression you give) where your "relaxation time" is booked in and already filled with a specific activity, are you actually relaxing?

I'd suggest stop planning your "evening of not doing much" and m aking them into scheduled events, and instead trying to actually not do anything. I have got the impression though that you don't like not having plans for a given day.. but you could try it?

[andrewducker]

This week I had nothing planned for Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. Next week I have nothing planned for Monday, Wednesday or Friday.

I have been leaving large gaps in my schedule. But having time at home isn't really helping, because I'm not finding spending time at home terribly relaxing at the moment.

[ashfae.livejournal.com]

Normally I'd say: go find a quiet coffeeshop or library, take a book, sit there and enjoy the quiet for a while. Except at the moment there isn't quiet anywhere. Bloody Fringe. (actually, my library's pretty quiet if you want to come hide in a corner for a while)

Living with someone who works from home is hard. I was impossible during my master's, I know, and Chris is sometimes tricky between his PhD and the composing, and that's nothing like as intensive as Julie's degree. When home becomes a place where you can't relax (even if it is temporary and necessary), it really starts to feel as though you're under assault with no refuge.

So my advice is: find a refuge. That means various things to people, so while I could offer up suggestions they'd be guesswork. Hugs and sympathy regardless.

[andrewducker]

Thank you! (Both for advice and sympathy)