I call it a midlife crisis. And yeah I guess sometimes I do call it burnout. I feel burnout of my job (been there 13 years) and my marriage is very stressful...at times I feel like I want to run away just me and my two cats and go some where peaceful to be alone. but since I can't get the nerves up to run away...I mentally escape by reading, prayer meditation or taking a walk among nature. I used to paint and draw but the anxiety and depression has been so overwhelming I don't have the energy.
I hope you find a solution that works best for you.
Peace and hugs

I go through that all the time

I have also experienced this. What helped me was not only a mental escape, but a physical one. I left the city for a few days and did absolutely nothing but resting, listening to music, regaining my strength. Then, before I came back, I took a piece of paper and wrote a list of my top 7 priorities for the day with one condition - having enough rest (both mental and physical) always stays at the third place.

When I returned to the city, I kept the priority list in my pocket and did everything according to the list - starting with number 1, then number 2, then number 3 - rest (it can be anything from sitting back and enjoying a cup of herbal tea, to taking a long walk, run, or a nap), then proceed to less important things. In the end of the day, I devoted half an hour or so to reflection, a long, hot shower or anything else I wanted to (not had to) do, made a list for the next day and went to sleep.

It was difficult to establish this habit, but it certainly keeps the day more organized (thus less stressful), and I have some time for myself every day no matter how busy it is.

Good luck and lots of love to you. :)

Hi, Noxx!

Working full time and going to grad school full time has definitely led to burnout for me before. At times when I start feeling this way, I up my self-care. As "edvb" said, getting away physically and mentally has greatly helped me re-focus and gain my balance. My husband and I travel a lot, and having something to look forward to really helps get me through a stressful time. I know traveling may not be on your list of things you like or can do, but I highly suggest you find time to just relax and do something, anything, for fun. I know it's easy to say but once you do take some time for yourself, your feelings of burnout will decrease. Good luck and I look forward to hearing how it goes!

Great recommendations and suggestions. I enjoyed reading all the posts and have taken a little something away from all.

Another name for burnout is "disengagement".. When you are waaaay past the need for a change, you burn out. It is so hard to get into a different routine but that is the cure for burnout.

.Let go of the old...get to something new..Let go of the old..Let go..and you have to let go of the musts shoulds and oughts to let go..

If you used to take this route, take another one. Former friends weighing you down, get some new ones. Always eat the same thing? Try something new. Change your hairstyle, or your clothes style or add exercise or yoga or go to a belly dancing class..Change the pictures or the frames or their placements..Listen to some music --old or new--fun music ...and dance...

Oh and yes as one poster (EVDB) said, get ample rest with all of this. Break your routines and get other ones..and rest your mind...and your old habits..some of them..or all of them..Recreate you!

Oh yes, specially in today's fast paced world if you do not get proper rest and diet...... burnout is bound to catch you.
It happens to me many times.... I try soft music, vipassana meditation or simple read some funny stuff online. Sometimes it helps..

There are also some specific foods which aid in keeping your relaxed..

May the force be with you!

I am experiencing burnout big time from grad school. Lately I have been wanting to quit. However, I keep telling myself it will be worth it in the end. In addition to all the great suggestions that have been mentioned, it might also be helpful to prioritize the things that are causing burnout. For example, grad school is something causing me burnout but it is important so I will keep plugging away. However, there may be something else that is not as important that I can eliminate for the time being. Good luck.

There are times that I feel burned out by school, but I remember to do a little self care every day so it does not get so bad. Self care can be anything such as reading a favorite author, listening to music, going for walks, or shopping. Even taking a long bath can be a form of self care.

I have had this feeling as well. WIth working and going to school, I understand where you are coming from! When I feel burned out, I pack my bag and escape town for a few days. Pick a place where you feel happy and go for a few days. Turn your phone off and just enjoy the day! It works for me every time!

I myself have suffered with burnout. I had problems thinking and remembering. what you may need to do, is sit down and make a list of all the things you do in a day and see if there is anything you can either cut out or cut back on. I then has projects I work on perhaps only 15 minutes a day like Fall cleaning or organizing. but my answer to a lot of things is to look up things on google to find out what to do if I just can't think at the moment. stress will burn you out real quick. if you have stress, you have to figure out where it comes from and deal with the situation. There are a lot of things that cause burnout and it can cause a lot of internal stress on your body also. I would start out with a complete check up to see how the rest of me was doing so I could handle one thing at a time.

That me but I can't run away I have two teenagers who can't stay alone so here I am

Hi Noxx-

I feel burnt out frequently when I am taking on too much, yet it is what I do all the time. I too feel as though I am going through emotional 'growing pains' and am on a rollercoaster of life. Often times I try to take a step back and try to re-focus on what is important. Or I try to make changes in what I am doing, I recently couldn't handle everything anymore so I left one thing behind. I already feel better, but am struggling to figure out if it was the right thing to do.

I find that writing helps in these situations to attempt to figure out what is really bogging the body and brain down, and try to find some common ground with what is important in life.

Being in medical school and having a part-time job at night, I experienced burnout. So I decided to quit my part-time job. These days I need to have a 1-2 week break after a while or my ability to concentrate suffers, at some point I'd lack the motivation to eat or get out of bed since I felt too tired and drained to face the day. Reconnecting with friends and spending time with my family helps me. On really bad days I just go out and spend an afternoon in a park or have a massage.

At times when I feel that I'm already sacrificing my health for school or work I just stop and start thinking "I need to take a break/rest. I'm more important than this deadline tomorrow."

Best of luck to you. Feel free to add me.

Yes I can relate. I am in grad school, working a full time job, a part time job, and working as a volunteer in a start up non profit. I am nearing the end of my grad school experience and am just no able to get into my coursework this quarter. In addition they have made changes to the program I'm in which is something new to adapt to on top of the regular work that needs to be done in the program, so in essence adding more tasks to an already full course task list! geez

Noxx - Joined with everyone here as having experienced and still experience the same. So many of the suggestions I have used and they are all wise and effective. Another technique I have used is photography. I find it quite interesting to notice the types of I things I focus upon when I am stressed compared to when I am relaxed and my perceptions of events and life are much more open. It helps me, pardon the pun, re-frame my outlook and see the bigger picture, the little and big things, shades of gray instead of the absolutes of black and white. It also gets me walking and moving my body.

So much wisdom shared, find the one that fits! Gentle with yourself.
Peace.