'tis the season to be exhausted
December 21, 2017 2:18 AM Subscribe
I am looking for some strategies to bring energy and balance back into my life. For the past few months I have felt as though work, and getting to and from it, has consumed my entire life. My evenings used to be my time to hang out with friends and run errands and things like that, but now all I can bring myself to do is go home, eat dinner, and curl up on the sofa till it's time for bed.
My job is busy and intense - we're a small and under-resourced team who, as the boss likes to say, "punch above our weight" but what that really means is that we're overloaded. We also have no systems in place because we are constantly firefighting. Like the rest of the team, I am also constantly jumping from one task to another and keeping a dozen balls in the air. I know that everyone works differently, but I do find the hectic pace very draining. To add to that, I live a long way from work with no option to move at the moment (I own my home). My commute takes 3 hours everyday. It may sound crazy, but I like my job other than these factors: I like my co-workers, the pay and benefits are good, and it's a prestigious (albeit dysfunctional) institution which looks good on my CV. I aim to stay here another year.
My problem is I feel that work has swallowed up my life. I've fallen out of touch with my friends, I just don't have the energy to keep in touch via text and email. I am a very social person usually, but I can count the number of times I've seen people socially this month on the fingers of one hand. I lack the mental energy to read, and all I do to relax is binge-watch comedies on Netflix - I don't even watch the same prestige TV that everyone else is watching. I feel like I am becoming boring, and worry about burnout. My exercise regime is sporadic, mostly because I don't have time to workout in the morning when I have energy; in the evening I am mostly drained and it is very very easy to make excuses for myself and skip exercise. I sleep well but I could do with more; I take catnaps on my commute.
I'm basically healthy. I have negotiated recently a twice-monthly work-at-home day which is meant to allow me to focus on my own work projects a little better but I'm hoping the semi-regular break from my commute will do something to recharge my batteries. I've also booked a few days off after the Christmas break to relax and also get some DIY done around the house. I'm sure there are plenty of Mefites experienced in balancing a challenging workload with a rewarding life outside work. Please share your wisdom with me!
My job is busy and intense - we're a small and under-resourced team who, as the boss likes to say, "punch above our weight" but what that really means is that we're overloaded. We also have no systems in place because we are constantly firefighting. Like the rest of the team, I am also constantly jumping from one task to another and keeping a dozen balls in the air. I know that everyone works differently, but I do find the hectic pace very draining. To add to that, I live a long way from work with no option to move at the moment (I own my home). My commute takes 3 hours everyday. It may sound crazy, but I like my job other than these factors: I like my co-workers, the pay and benefits are good, and it's a prestigious (albeit dysfunctional) institution which looks good on my CV. I aim to stay here another year.
My problem is I feel that work has swallowed up my life. I've fallen out of touch with my friends, I just don't have the energy to keep in touch via text and email. I am a very social person usually, but I can count the number of times I've seen people socially this month on the fingers of one hand. I lack the mental energy to read, and all I do to relax is binge-watch comedies on Netflix - I don't even watch the same prestige TV that everyone else is watching. I feel like I am becoming boring, and worry about burnout. My exercise regime is sporadic, mostly because I don't have time to workout in the morning when I have energy; in the evening I am mostly drained and it is very very easy to make excuses for myself and skip exercise. I sleep well but I could do with more; I take catnaps on my commute.
I'm basically healthy. I have negotiated recently a twice-monthly work-at-home day which is meant to allow me to focus on my own work projects a little better but I'm hoping the semi-regular break from my commute will do something to recharge my batteries. I've also booked a few days off after the Christmas break to relax and also get some DIY done around the house. I'm sure there are plenty of Mefites experienced in balancing a challenging workload with a rewarding life outside work. Please share your wisdom with me!
This post was deleted for the following reason: poster's request -- goodnewsfortheinsane
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