Does social fatigue ever go away?

Hi! I'm Jack.

After spending the better part of a year trying to get a job, I finally got one that I really wanted. I've been in it for four months now. It involves a lot of one-on-one talking to people about their problems and feelings.

The thing is, I get fatigued by social contact, to the point that I'm completely useless for several hours after each session, sometimes even dissociating from exhuastion. It isn't just the fact that I'm talking to people; it's the fact that the topics are stressful by nature! I'm on a zero-hours contract so I only get paid for the hours that I'm talking to clients, so I really need to be racking up more hours on the job if I'm going to earn enough to pay the rent and eat!

I really enjoy my job, and don't want to have to give it up, but if things continue this way I'll have to because currently I'm only working four hours a week and even that is making me constantly tired (I have some volunteering for something else as well, but that doesn't take up much of my time).

My question is: will this tiredness go away? Does anyone have experience of 'getting used to' social contact? My hope is that I'll build up some kind of emotional resiliance and be able to slowly take on more clients. If it doesn't go away, I might have to get a different job Disappointed

- Jack

Parents
  • No it doesn’t, but you can find ways to manage it better if it’s something you really want to do.

    I’ve worked in challenging secondary schools for 30+ years. These are some of the things I’ve learnt to do ...

    Make sure you have a quiet hour immediately before and after each session.
    Prepare well so you enjoy the sessions and are less anxious about what might happen. 
    Give time to log or process the thoughts and responses after each session.  Then go and do something else so that there is a time limit to your mind working on these ideas. 

    All the best! Take your time and be kind to yourself. 

  • Thank you for the advice!

    Those steps sound like they're really useful. I'll definitely keep them in mind.

    All the best to you as well! Slight smile

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