Burnout

[RemyZee]

What does burnout feel like physically to you?

 

[FayetheADHDsquirrel]

Like I'm tired. Like something must be terribly wrong because I can actually sit still and that is simply not natural.

 

[RemyZee]

Like I'm tired. Like something must be terribly wrong because I can actually sit still and that is simply not natural.

Does it feel, like....heavy? Like your legs don't want to move? I can relate to the thing about being still.

 

[Outdated]

To me burnout and depression are two very different states and not always related to each other.

When I'm burnt out I'm even more antisocial than usual and all my sensitivities seem to be worse.

When I'm depressed I have little energy and I don't find any joy in anything I do. I've never suffered from the negative mindset that a lot of people do but that doesn't mean I'm always happy.

 

[Rocco]

For me burn out feels like emotional and physical exhaustion. Poor decision making also seems to happen when I am burnt.

 

[FayetheADHDsquirrel]

Does it feel, like....heavy? Like your legs don't want to move? I can relate to the thing about being still.

I don't think so.

 

[VictorR]

For me, burnout typically is a feeling of being checked out - having difficulty thinking / processing things, and being generally disinterested in doing anything.

 

[Rodafina]

For me, burnout feels like sinking into the floor and becoming a speck of dust under a carpet.

It feels like a lack of ability to move, to think, to care. It is a quiet version of survival mode - just hiding until I can build myself back up again.

 

[Kitsuna]

It feels like a lack of ability to move, to think, to care. It is a quiet version of survival mode - just hiding until I can build myself back up again.

Mine, in a nutshell. I’ll make sure basic things are done, but that’s it.

 

[aubrx]

Burnout for myself is very hard to distinguish from depressive states (which occur frequently). All most likely are extremely intertwined. Generally I suffer from lower energy, I don't want to do anything (despite my brain screaming that it wants me to move), my brain bounces around a lot more because it's still seeking dopamine fixes, I am less able to mask my sensory sensitivities, I become a lot more reclusive and less able to tolerate other human beings. The bare minimum when I am like this is eating a somewhat decent diet for the day and maybe going in the shower. I also tend to eat a lot more rubbish to soothe myself but struggle with restrictive eating and a lot of internal pressure to stay healthy and fit. Unfortunately that part of societal programming is not easy to escape for me.

For me, burnout feels like sinking into the floor and becoming a speck of dust under a carpet.

It feels like a lack of ability to move, to think, to care. It is a quiet version of survival mode - just hiding until I can build myself back up again.

I really resonate with this description too.