How to bounce back from burnout? Advice?
 

You want to do anything but THAT work. For days avoiding the work related task that will only take 30 minutes. Doing anything but the simple work that needs to be done. Burnout!

Anyone know how to bounce back from burnout? Any tips?

I allow myself a 4 day vacation, usually after that, I feel ready to grind again.

keep splitting up the task. 30 minutes too daunting, cut the task into 2 15 minute tasks split over 2 days. build back up. still too much, cut it again.

Been there.

How I managed to get out of it was as follows.

1. Cut your work day down to business hours. That also means little work on weekends.
2. Take a weekend trip away from the house. You and Mrs go and stay somewhere else a few nights.
3. Go on vacation. Again, do minimal or no work while gone.
4. Take breaks during the day as if you were at a normal job. Work 2 hours, 15 minute break. Lunch an hour, and when possible go somewhere else to eat versus sitting at computer. You need a chance of scenery.

You will find yourself rejuvenated and read to work once you get back. You will find yourself amped up in the morning to work knowing you are trying to get it all done before 5 or whenever your cut off time is. I also get up at 4-6AM every day. I am simply more productive than getting up at 8 or later.

I've found forcing myself to get up earlier(than usual) makes me work easier. When I get up later, I end up farting around for hours before getting started.

Was going to write a long reply but BF beat me to it. His advice is golden, take it.

I just came back from a long vacation in Europe where the only 'work' I did was read/send emails. It was heaven. Did NOT want to come back to work. LOL But now? I have SO much to do that I am super-motivated. Getting shit done turns me on, what can I say? :)

Some great advice here thank you! I'm finding lately when I goto the computer I'll do anything but a work related task. Goto a news site, GFY, Amazon, etc. FUCK! I'll try the 15 minute intervals of work tomorrow, I think that's all I can do at this point.

I tried this for a few days and FUCK , didn't work. I like being present in life and being a zombie just literally made me feel dead. It was weird. Thanks for the tip though, was great on day one :thumbsup

i post here so i can always find this thread again...

I think personally, that the best thing to do is take some time off... then spend a lot of time thinking about what you can do or work towards that makes you happy or that you can enjoy. I've walked away from a couple successful businesses, just because they made me miserable. Try to find something you enjoy and it will never feel like work and you will never want to stop doing it.

few ideas:

a) take your laptop and go to a public place like starbucks, library etc, it may help you to concentrate

b) turn on the tv and try work while listening to it

c) reward yourself with the end of the task

d) wake up really early like 5am and attempt to perform the task


Option a) works best for me. As adviced above taking breaks helps you in several ways... i often put myself to that position and it's not smart or healthy

Adderall

Quickest fix for sure. Not necessarily the best though, unless you actually have ADHD.

Anyway, if what you do daily isn't vital, i.e. you rely on the results to pay your rent and put food on the table, just allow yourself a few weeks off. Fuck around on foruns, go out for drinks, stay up late watching movies, sleep all day etc. Do it without kicking yourself for it and you'll eventually feel VERY motivated to get back to work.

Either way, whichever of the suggestions in this thread you go for, bend over backwards to incorporate some exercise a few times a week. Jog, take fast walls, go to the gym, play ball with buddies, whatever's up your alley. But just do it at least three times a week. That'll help A TON with your fatigue, which, whether you realize it or not, is always a part of a burnout.

Exercise before work :2 cents:

Gives me more energy, focus, increased concentration and mental clarity.

Really good suggestions from BareFootsies, Theo, and Damage :thumbsup

drink good bourbon

Thanks I'll get up @ 5 tomorrow and report back. The rest I already do except working in a public place. It was very distracting for me. Thanks again :thumbsup

Great tips thanks guys! Some I already have done, but I'm going to start getting up at 5am, walking the dogs to the beach every morning again to get my blood going and cut down my work into 15 minute chunks starting tomorrow. Thanks again :thumbsup

Never felt that in 15 yrs, I guess I like my work too much :)

And I never work weekends, and am 6 months of a year outside the country. Travelling while working but still change. Kids makes my day as well.

ill bump this for you


so thats what its called, thought it was called lack of motivation

how'd it go?

:thumbsup:2 cents:

Actually, I thought about this a bit, and remembered a good conversation with Sly a month back

Solution = Buy a more expensive house

Not bad :thumbsup

The majority of my time was spent on GFY, News sites, and watching TV.

I did:

1) Worked on my shooting budget

2) Went through prospect from my secretary that came in to fill out apps & do headshots & bodyshots

3) Made a list of top prospects to have scheduled for shooting later this week

4) Cleaned up the work desk

5) Got the drive in the mail from my editor and started uploading to the archives drive here.

6) Communicated with & paid my storywriter


Nothing compared to what I'd normally do but I'm trying. Gonna get up early tomorrow 5am, walk the dogs, and try harder, thanks for asking :thumbsup












.

right on man.


divide and conquer/baby steps got me through a lot of struggling times.

:1orglaugh

you mean mortgages are motivating?

What did you do Dyna Mo?

I know exactly what you mean. I hide under a rock. I think so many people working from home do the same exact thing.

I delegate what I can where I can.

Music can usually pull me out of that little funk.

Very true.

I find it really helps to do something I enjoy in the morning before starting work or going to work, even though it doesnt really make too much sense; to play call of duty at 6am before work, but it makes the day seem so different in a positive way!

put your alarm for tomorrow!!

one thing I learned over the years is that in a lot of cases you cannot productively multitask, you may think you do, but you dont. Some exceptions apply like texting on IM and replying emails. Jumping between tasks constantly is not productive and you lose touch of the timing it takes you to complete them.

Use a simple program like Reminders or Notepad and write down your tasks for the next few days, anything you can delegate do so, the rest prioritize.

One suggestion: if you don't normally get up that early, you may wanna start off more softly. Going at it too hard will just set you up for disappointment and send you on a clusterfuck of a guilt trip, if you can't keep it up. Either that or just don't kick yourself if you can't keep it up, don't allow yourself to end up on a guilt trip. That'll make things even worse and can easily send you into a depression.

I agree 100% with this. If I started writing about all the times I'd end the day with at least 10 little tasks unfinished, we'd be here all day.

Even email can be hard to multi task (depending on your business, of course) because I find a lot of my mail is something I have to do with models or our sponsors so I end up stopping what I was doing to help them and then by the time I get back to what I was doing, there are more little tasks like that still waiting to be finished.

It's a vicious circle. :Oh crap

To OP:
This is a tough one. I have a love/hate relationship with my business. I am constantly looking at things, poking my guys for progress reports etc. It drives me nuts. Keep your workspace clean, your contracts filed, everything dusted, your coffee cup on a coaster, a comfortable chair, and when you are done for the night, walk away from the computer and that's it. These things won't cure burnout but it sure helps prevent it.
Best-
Ds

take a break

:2 cents::2 cents: if you're at home, make sure you're hitting the gym too. can't be sitting all day and feel motivated

... get a day work that involves as less stress as possible..

this was the only solution for me :/ .. no gym, diets, office hours and other crap could get me out when I was properly over burnt

.. and hey - you can always quit it when your thoughts are sorted.

be well,
H

Squirtit, I heard this on Radiolab. It sounds simple, but it's a hack that has to do with how your brain works:

Convince yourself to do what you don't want to do - JUST for 5 minutes. And after that 5 minutes you can take account of the situation and stop if you want.

After the 5 minutes are up, you will rather continue than stop. It's more comfortable to keep doing the procrastinated task you've already started. A few hours will go by a lot easier than you thought.

DO IT.
http://i.imgur.com/nFSebim.gif?1
Just 5 Minutes.

Took me an hour to get up, but I'm fucking up. Now for some coffee :thumbsup

72 hour vacation. Begin with sauna, light food, then this:
http://drogmentes.info/wp-content/up...d_collage2.jpg
You'll have 24-48 hours for a smooth landing.

After a great trip you won't be scared by a 30 min task. :pimp :2 cents: :thumbsup

I'm a moron. I posted my advice in the wrong thread. If you saw a random post from me that didn't make sense (out of context), that was it .. LOL.

did it work?

Rest then work harder.

Getting up earlier has made a huge difference, along with installing a task manager on my desktop. Being reminded every couple hours or so of a new task to focus on is starting to get me more on track and thinking about work and actually wanting to do it :thumbsup

My old solution

- smoke weed
- stay up late watching movies
- wake up late
- do some work and surf the internet
- pornhub

Before you know it a year is over and you get new motivation.

New solution:

- take a break of 3 years and travel around the world
- find great woman in all countries and forget pornhub ;)
- go to the gym
- eat healthy
- do nice things
- meet new people

In your case just take a holiday for at least 4 weeks if you haven't more time.
Cause you won't be able to do much work anyway.