Burnout can exacerbate work stress, further promoting a vicious circle

Re:Burnout can exacerbate work stress, further promoting a v... by refurb on Tuesday November 10, 2020 @08:14PM (#25054431)

When I switched jobs a few years back, I intentionally took a 6 week break between roles. My new manager wanted me to start right away, but I pushed back and said "no". This was after working a job that had me doing 60-80 hr weeks for months on end.

I set it up so I had zero obligations at the start - no vacations planned, no "to do" lists. I would get up in the morning and ask myself "what do I need to get done today?" and the answer was "nothing". It was really glorious.

After a couple weeks of doing whatever I wanted - reading, going for a walk, meeting a friend for coffee, I felt my background anxiety level had diminished a lot. Then I started into the phase of "what do I want to get done before I start working again". None of it was "must do", but rather cleaning up the garden, fixing the car, taking care of financial paperwork. The next few weeks felt incredibly low pressure and highly productive.

It's a great way to get into a healthy mindset, at least for me.

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Re:Burnout can exacerbate work stress, further promoting a v... by cghendrix on Tuesday November 10, 2020 @09:54PM (#25055042)

I like this. Definitely will aim for this between now and my next job.

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Re:Burnout can exacerbate work stress, further promoting a v... by pqoek on Wednesday November 11, 2020 @03:05PM (#25062356)

I do this every time I change job. It is so freaking awesome. The last time I did this I just wanted it to continue for longer... For my last job, my soon-to-be manager in the 50s told me that she had only ever had a week end in between her impressive list of jobs. I knew right then that I was going to hate my manager.

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