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Burnout: Any tips to get over it? sm - Ella MT

Posted: Jan 31, 2010

I have been an MT for 13 years and lately I have been suffering from severe burnout. I need the money so badly!!! But it seems impossible to stay focused on my work. Sometimes sitting down transcribing is nearly impossible - feels like trying to swallow bad cough medicine or something! I have tried putting up pictures of reasons I need to be focusing and typing and have tried challenging myself with line counts, etc. I just dont seem to be able to do it. Has anyone overcome this? If you have not been in this situation yet, then you have no idea how hard it is, so please, only comments from those who know how it feels.

Thanks!!

I have had it before and what I did was - Knowing

[ In Reply To ..]
try to take a day or so off, do anything rather than working. It is extremely hard to try to focus and yet you are just about to scream. It is also hard when you really need the money and yet there you are. Do anything to get out of the rut you find yourself in with just the constant job, can you change up your hours, get out of the house some, do a freebie like a park, just a change of scenery does a person good.

Agree with "Knowing" - s/m

[ In Reply To ..]
Time off is essential, even if broke. I find it is more essential as the years pass. Have taken a couple trips but usually just do enjoyable things locally; the main thing is changing your routine.

Love the days/hours I work, and love working from home. On rough days I focus on my situation, not the job itself. If there is something about your situation you can change--different days or hours you'd prefer, and possibly different doctors you could transcribe, that might help.

Did feel the same way a few years back [remember telling someone I wanted to scream]. But it did pass. Good luck.

I'm there with you right now. - 6 years in.

[ In Reply To ..]
Some days, it is all I can do to type 1 little report. Oh, I do it, because I have to in order to keep my job, but it's like hell on earth lately.

A lot of that has to do with the company I'm working for, so I'm checking out my options. I'm also considering signing up for a karate class or something at the community center a couple nights a week to give me something fun to do that is just for me, and is also healthy at the same time.

We moved to the beach about 3 months ago, so we haven't really been able to enjoy it yet because it has been unusually cold (for this area, this time of year). Once it warms up, I think it will be a blessing for me to be able to go down to the shore and just relax, before or after work. Isolation is a biggie for me, since my BF and I are in a new area and really don't know anyone here yet. I stay in the house a lot. I've vowed to start getting out at least once a day, whether I want to or not. It will only do me good.

To top it off, I was just diagnosed with TMJ and am still in a lot of pain. The meds are helping, but I can't wait for this flare to go away because it affects my ability to even speak.

I wish I had more advice for you, but I'm in your shoes, just hoping it passes soon.

Best wishes for you.

There right now - oldone

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm right where you are now. I've been an MT almost 4 decades. Can't remember ever getting burned out the first 20 years or so. As for now, it just seems to pass after a while. Walking helps but we have had a lousy winter (by Southern standards) and not able to get out enough. Hang in there. It does go away eventually only to return another time, another day.

I went through the same thing - MT13y

[ In Reply To ..]
Had the same thing and after 13 years, I decided to try something else. I got a state job in a medical records dept. I've been on the job 3 weeks and so far I like it. The pressure of working on production was really getting to me. The more I thought about it, the less I felt like producing.

I'm still MTing part-time and plan to hang onto that until the weather breaks. Then I'll have to make a decision. Right now, I'm leaning towards the records job. Can't beat those state bennies and you only have to work 7 hours a day but get paid for 7-1/2. The pay's pretty close to what I make now per hour, but I'm able to work more hours. I can't type for more than 5 hours a day. I get too bored.

Some suggestions I've been told -- set a timer and work for 1 hour straight, no surfing the web. Then take a 5 or 10 minute break -- grab a cup of coffee, go outside if you can or throw a load of laundry in. Then back to work for another hour or 2 with another break scheduled. Another thing that helped me was working split shifts. That was probably the best thing I did - work 4 hours in the morning and then 4 hours at night. You might also want to try rearranging your office furniture and cleaning up any clutter on your desk.

Good luck. I hope you find something that works for you.

Wow! Those are some good ideas. - Linda Andrews

[ In Reply To ..]
Those are great ideas! The medical records department (with benefits) is a good one. The timer is great. ALL of those ideas are good. The cleaning up the clutter on the desk is a great help! It just sounds simple, but it is so effective. I'm going to keep these suggestions at my desk for the next time I have even a blah day, if not total burnout. Thanks for posting them!

Burned out - Elie

[ In Reply To ..]
I went through this last year, first time in 33 years. Then I started working a split shift. I work 3.5 hours in the morning,starting early, and then take a 4 hour break and work 3 in the afternoon, just enough to keep my benefits. That shift never interested me, I thought it would break up the day and I would not have enough time to get anything done, but it is really nice. I get out of my office and I can either run around and get a lot of things done, or sit and watch a movie, whatever.

When I start feeling like I can't sit in my chair one minute longer, well then I don't. I take a break for a few minutes, walk around outside or whatever just to get out of my office. And on the days I feel good, I feel like I can do anything for 3 hours at a time.

I've had it and even now some days are better than others - Linda Andrews

[ In Reply To ..]
Burnout is painful. I don't care if you are working for someone else or if you work for yourself. It hurts to get up in the morning and get started.

I think you're doing the right thing putting up pictures of why you are working.

Work is just that, work. That's why they call it work. Even the ideal job gets tedious after so long, like swallowing bad cough medicine. I love your cough medicine description. It fits. I sure can relate to it from past jobs that I've had.

SOMETIMES you can make a to-do list and put yourself on "auto" and hope it passes. You might also spend some time looking at all the people from EVERY industry in our country who are out of work, losing homes, unable to put food on the table, etc., right now. They are from every career field imaginable. Some who used to have nice homes with fancy "stuff" they splurged on are roaming the streets right now until the shelter where they sleep at night opens. They aren't able to provide for their families at all. Nada. No jobs.

Will that help motivate you? I don't know. It might keep you going until you find something better, but having food on the table is good. :) Wish I had a solution for you!

burnout/split shifts - rlm

[ In Reply To ..]
I have to agree - the split shifts really works, at least for me. I work 5 hours in the day and then 3 later at night, and the blocks of time don't seem as hard as working for 8 at a time. It definitely allows for some other tasks throughout the day!

I think MONEY is the best cure for burnout. Pay us more, - and well find a way to like this job! -nm

[ In Reply To ..]

Money alone does not take care of burnout - Kidding, huh?

[ In Reply To ..]
If that was true, then I should have more burnout now and that did not happen, happened in the 80s or so and making much more money then. Money does not cure every little ailment you have.

Ella MT - Happy

[ In Reply To ..]
After suffering from what I thought was "burnout" like you, for months, I decided to go to my MD and see if it was ME or what. I was diagnosed with panic/anxiety, OCD. He explained that the burnout symptoms, the lack of focus, fatigue, frustration, et cetera were symptoms!

I was soooo relieved to find out that it wasn't me. I had felt like I was going CRAZY! I began taking Zoloft, very small dose and after a few weeks adjusting to it I began to notice a significant difference in everything from focus to mood!

I also switched my schedule up, just to allow myself ME time. (I had worked the same hours as hubby so when he came home, I was done), but now I finish up a couple of hours earlier so I can wind down. I make it a point to get out of the house too.

I also make absolutely sure to do my job well and get all my work done in five days and not take advantage of the fact that because I work at home, I'd drag my work week out to seven days a week. A couple of days off makes a HUGE difference in attitude. I would get frustrated and log off with the "I'll-do-better-tomorrow" attitude. That doesn't work!

I TOTALLY understand where you're coming from friend. It got really, really hard for me to work effectively and that hurts in the pocketbook, then this vicous cycle starts, bad work effort = poor pay check = stressed out worker. You HAVE to take care of yourself mentally to be a good worker.

Well, that's just what I did. I am amazed at how much better I feel. Don't suffer in silence whatever you do. Find out what it is that is bugging you and make a change. Talk to your doc.

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