Q&A: Fixes for Feeling Burnt-Out
A vulnerable and too-honest (?) post about where I am now and what I'm trying to do to fix it.
Q: I really don’t want to do this anymore. So little about my job excites me at the moment. How do I fix this? - Me
A: Alright. Honesty time. I’ve been struggling. Maybe I’ve been struggling for awhile, but as we ended 2023 I felt more “over” teaching than I have in nearly 15 years. (I almost quit after year six for a corporate job. But I stayed.)
There are reasons for this, I’m sure. I think I might be experiencing a seven-year itch, so to speak. (I’ve literally been in my current role for seven years). I know for sure that my real life is stressful and chaotic. (My husband has a terminal illness.) Maybe this is just the adrenaline-drain that comes after Survival Mode? School hasn’t ever felt quite the same for me since COVID. (Has it felt the same for anyone?)
I bet it’s a little bit of everything together.
Regardless, I’m sitting here at the beginning of January sincerely wondering: How long can I do this? Do I have 20 more years in me? Do I have five?
I don’t know the answer; I really don’t. But I do know where to start: this isn’t the first time I’ve felt this feeling (though rarely this deeply). I do know some things that have helped pull me out of a funk in the past, though. I’ve put them together in a little reflection journal for you. Let me share mine & hopefully we can find our way together toward refreshment and fulfillment.
