Burning out
Hi. I have been feeling down for the past few months. I work in a company where continuous learning is required. So, I need to show every week that I've completed so-and-so number of courses. On the other hand, I've been preparing for an exam for higher education. The topics are easy but I haven't had a time to look at those properly. My job requires me to work for 10-11 hours a day for 4-5 days a week. At the end of the day, as soon as my job ends. I just want to relax, but I can't, because of the courses and the upcoming exam. I relax for a while and try studying in the evenings but I, physically, can't seem to put my mind to it. This leads me to feel guilty and I stay up till 2-3 every night to work on it. I'm constantly feeling low and unable to work productively.
Any suggestions?
@grayOwl035
Hey there... Sounds and seems like you have been feeling really stressed out lately. And its understandably so! Sounds like you have alot going on that you have to find time or make time for in a very small amount of time that is left over from your busy day.
When you say that your job is 10-11 hours a day, do you ever get any breaks or lunch breaks? Would you be able to utilize your lunch/breaks to work on the topics that are required by your job?... If you were able to take care of it then, then it might "free up" more time for you "after" you are done working to work on other things?! And then when you get home, you could rest up a bit, and then work on your other studies afterwards.
Also, I see you say that your job is for only 4-5 days a week. Would you be able to divide up your time between the other 2-3 days that you have off? Lets say take "one" day out of the time that you have off, and take so many hours to work on your Job-related topics, then rest, and then take so many hours to work on your other studies?
OR.... You can set aside some time on one of your days off, just for work topics, and then have the rest of your day Free to do what you want to do, and then take another day to just work on your other studies.
By doing one of the above mentioned ideas/suggestions, you might find that you don't have to "stay up late" for 2-3 more hours at night. Allowing you MORE time to sleep and rest and be and feel MORE productive at work!!
It doesn't hurt to try and see what will work "Best" for you. .....You might have to tweak things according to your own needs and whats going on in your life, but perhaps one of these recommendations or a combination of them might work better than what you are trying to do now? Just a thought!... I'm sure its not easy and can be challenging. I've been there too between working 12hour shifts and studying to go to school myself years ago. I felt like I never slept and that can certainly catch up with you and take a toll. So hopefully you will find the right combination that works for you moving forward to allow yourself more time with everything! Best of luck to you!
@PoliteOcean
Thanks for the reply.
Yeah. I do get breaks. I take around45-50 minutes for breakfast and lunch, because that's the time it used to take when I was in my office (because of the walk from my block to the cafeteria and back to my block). I finish my breakfast/lunch in 20-25 minutes and take care of any household chores during that time.
Since I am now WFH, there is no commute time (before, it used to an additional 3 hours) but now, the shift timing has increased (since everyone is WFH, it takes longer for everyone to complete their work).
Yeah, I used to watch movies and just catch up during my days off, but then, as the evening approached, I used to feel guilty for wasting the whole day, when I could have been studying.
But thanks for the suggestions. I really appreciate it. I have been feeling so harried for the past 2-3 months. I guess I'll have to take some time to relax and refocus. Thanks again! 
@grayOwl035
Here are the simplest ideas I can think of
(that may or may not apply to your situation, just ideas).
Avoid multi-tasking (jumping from activity to activity). Switching back and forth - doing several things at a time - creates big inefficiencies. Do one thing at a time. Finish it.
Stop if you're not being productive doing something for 5 or 10 minutes. Reconsider your strategy.
Become as efficient as possible little-by-little in whatever simple ways you can easily think of and can easily do.
Eliminate unnecessary things. Focus purely on essentials.
Pace yourself. Do things in defined pieces. Then take a short break. Perhaps a pomodoro approach. Relax when needed. But don't overdo anything so much you can't recharge yourself quickly. Be methodical.
Sneak in studying as often as possible. I use to record my notes and listen to them when doing other things like waiting in a line at the store. I made flash cards to peek at when I could.
Make sure to live in a healthy way to be most productive... get needed sleep, nutrition, frequent body movement, and social contact. Don't mess with your body clock. Consistently eat and sleep on a regular schedule daily. If you don't you'll become very inefficient for many days.
Here are other tips...
@7motivation
Hi.
Yeah, I am trying to do as you said. I have cut down on some of the things that are taking up too much time and energy and taking a bit of time to pace myself and learn.
The true struggle for me, is living in a healthy way. I am making tiny steps in that direction.
Thanks for the suggestions and the reply. It really means a lot to me. <3
This thread is helpful for me as I am going thru similar situation. Thanks.
@notjustsomeone sorry that you're going through the aame thing. But take care man! Don't be sfraid to take a little time off each day for yourself. It can be overwhelming, but taking the time to recoup and reassess will help you a lot. ❤️
