Taking time off for burnout?

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

Parents
  • 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.

Reply
  • 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.

Children
  • 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.