Energy for special interests

Paper said:

Years ago Ii used to get days where I work on coding one thing with no distractions, and those days are fine. I get totally absorbed in it. But I haven't had a day like that for over a year

I feel that one - it was the same for me when I moved from techie to manager.

I eventually found the way to control it was to block out time for specific tasks. Say you need to get some coding done that would take 3 hours of your day. You have also got 2 hours of meetings and another 3 hours of assorted shizzle that goes with your position, including interruptions.

My approach would be to use the first hour on my day to deal with as much shizzle as I can and tell the team I will be in a meeting from 10-12 and to either ask me something now of after the meeting.

Then change your status in Teams or whatever you use at 10am to "in a meeting" and ignore emails and phone calls until after 12 unless it comes from your boss.

Now do a quick catch up with the team and have lunch before getting on with the other meetings, blocking out time for your remaining hour of coding later on in the afternoon.

Those time blocks can be whatever works for you - all in one go or spread through the day. Move them around to fit your other meetings to find the right balance.

You get less changes in focus, the team gets to know when you can be approached (maybe give them some sort of 911 type code to send if there is an emergency) and stick to it.

I would also switch off at lunchtime and be uncontactable - you are entitled to your break for stand up for this right and encourage your team to do the same to earn some respect from them too.

It was only be being a bit rigid with my availability that I was able to find the space to relax mentally while doing mundane tasks (eg running audit reports).

Hopefully something like this may offer an improvement for you.

It is the social interaction, even if it's only via a messaging program and occasional video calls. I also have a high workload and have to do a lot of context switching, which I find draining - I get continually interrupted with people asking me questions or asking me to do something. And then have to go back to what I was doing before, for some reason I find that difficult.

Years ago Ii used to get days where I work on coding one thing with no distractions, and those days are fine. I get totally absorbed in it. But I haven't had a day like that for over a year because I have more seniority now, so I have to be on hand to advise people or sort things out, and proactively managing my time and switching tasks so that everything gets done.

Alice-nice-Alice said:

My technique is when I’m exhausted to, if I’m not actually needing immediate sleep, focus on simple rather than the complex / mind bending special interests

I do this too. I do a lot of crafting and I always have an easy project in progress that I can pick up when something challenging would be too much 

Yes this happens to me every year. I loves planes, airshows and the like. July is always the biggest month, even went to the US this year, so in August I massivley dial it back and give myself some me time. I only go to the more important events and just enjoy time doing other things. I then know from October to May I will do other stuff much more in the winter. I also make sure at weekends I have one day doing almost nothing.

You are always a great problem solver and so helpful, Iain!

Paper said:

I am burnt out all the time from having a full time job,

Which aspects are difficult for you?

If we can find ways to reduce the anxiety / stress from these then it should take a real load off.

I am burnt out all the time from having a full time job, it really sucks. And that's despite working from home. I don't have the energy to do anything, so housework doesn't get done, and I don't look after myself properly. I really want to pursue my special interests but don't have the energy.

I mainly need to sleep. When I have time off work I spend a lot of time sleeping, it takes me 4-5 days to recover from burnout, and then my intense interests reappear and I love it.

I can relate. My technique is when I’m exhausted to, if I’m not actually needing immediate sleep, focus on simple rather than the complex / mind bending special interests, eg today I put down my book on Heisenberg which required the mental energy to follow quantum physics and instead did a light re arrange of part of my library (I love books, collect, read, arrange) 

Wombles said:

Does anyone get to the end of the working day and find you just have nothing left in the tank and no motivation for your special interests?

You are well down that burnout path by the soud s of it.

My recommendation would be to find something that lets you recharge and do that in the evenings for a while instead.

Also look at what is driving the burnout and see what you can do to dial it back.

I had this experience when an employer pushed me from a position of techie to manager of 26 other techies without training or support - life spiralled pretty fast from that point to where I burned out and quit.

It sounds like you are getting close to the end zone here so i would suggest the above to buy you a little time while you deal with the source.

Is there anything we can do to help with the work side? What is it there that is consuming so much energy?

I don't work but do relate as a lot of the time I have literally no energy or motivation for my special interests or anything else

It's kind of like I'm as high as the sky really motivated and with it and then I drop to rock bottom and everything is bleak.

I hate that when it happens. I think it's a depression mental health thing with me.