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Taking time off for burnout?

Katie
7 months ago

Hi all. 

I’m experiencing what I think might be burnout. I’m having panic attacks trying to get myself into work, crying a lot, feeling tired and unmotivated. My job is increasingly stressful this year because of changes and higher expectations than previous years. I’m in this inbetween where I don’t feel like I could find another job that I could actually do because of the social struggles of my autism. My boss is supportive and I have an incredibly supportive coworker but there is only so much they can do to help me. 

I wondered if anyone had ever taken a period of time off work for burnout, like signed off maybe, for a few weeks/months and did that help to reset? I wondered if having a break to focus on recovery might make it possible to me to continue in my current job instead of just quitting. 

I feel like I’d like to sleep a lot and play Pokemon for several hours a day to see if I can find some joy Joy

  • 7 months ago

    I have struggled wit burnout / anxiety for the past 3 years (since having the 1st COVID vaccine) and have had a lot of time off work from a day or 2 to several months. I was diagnosed ASD level 1 late last year and then FND a couple of months later. These diagnoses did provide some answers and helped me feel more in control of myself.

    Unfortunately, whilst my employer has been supportive over the past 3 years, they are [rightly] concerned about my ability to continue working and having to take a lot less time off. This has come to the point where they are offering me a settlement agreement which effectively means that I will leave with a compensatory payment and they will be exonerated from any claims of unfair dismissal or disability discrimination. 

    If your employer is supportive, then it may be a good idea to take some time out.
    However, there is no guarantee that things would be any different after you take a week or a couple of months off.
    If your employer is still happy to support you, then I would advise that you stay with them for the foreseeable future.

  • 7 months ago

    Go for it. I want to do the same. I’m just so tired all the time and it’s affecting my mental health. It would be nice just to have a week off to chill at home. 

  • 7 months ago in reply to Little Owl

    Thank you for your reply. It’s good to step back and think I have a couple of options before I feel like I need to quit. 

  • 7 months ago in reply to Verity

    I just play the games and have a whole lot of plushies and figures, my room is a bit like a toy shop Joy

    Thank you for your reassuring reply. I hadn’t actually thought about the fact that we don’t choose to feel this way, I just always felt guilty for feeling bad. 

  • 7 months ago

    Doing Pokémon sounds parfaite! Do you just play the games or collect the cards too? 

    I think it's wise to stay off work until you're ready to go back. Working is hard and it can have a really bad effect on autistic people as you're finding blood. You should always put yourself first and not force yourself to do anything until you're ready to do so.

    I'm lucky because I work within my family business which is a bakery. Baking is also one of my favorite things to do and something that helps me feel better from depression and anxiety. But some days I'm so anxious and just can't bring myself to do it. On those days I immerse myself in the things I enjoy and that helps keep me be calm and safe until I'm ready to get back to work.

    Some days though I'm so tired all I can do is stay in bed and sleep. Sometimes I feel bad about it but then I think to myself that none of us chooses to be this way. We don't choose for things to affect us in such dire ways. So if you have to rest and sleep then go ahead. If it helps you on your recovery then absolutely do what you need to do.

    I hope things pick up for you soon x.

  • 7 months ago

    That sounds like a good idea to me. I'm off work at the moment for the same reason, hoping to do a phased return over the next few weeks. It was difficult for me to decide to take time off but it was the right thing to do. Definitely don't quit your job yet especially if you have supportive colleagues. If you're considering quitting your job, take some time off and see how you feel when you go back. If you're still not happy at work when you go back, ask for reasonable adaptions if you haven't already and the option to quit will still be there after you've tried all the other options. I hope all goes well for you and you start to feel better soon.