[Nicks_Nose]

How does a person recover from burnout? I know I am in it. It probably began about 3 years ago when I was working two jobs of minimum wage work. One of the jobs was McDonald's which is very much a system of basic training similar to military basic training...strip down self identity and rebuild with corporate identity. Drill - like precision, and the same drill sergeant mentality. I was working 12 hour days, 7 days a week. That brought on the physical exhaustion. Then, I moved and began work at a call centre where every call was evaluated and listened in on and I was failed on every call for stupid things like one call I was failed for humming as I processed a customer's complaint. For a full year, I was constantly told that I was taking too long to help a customer, failed for humming, failed for saying thank you for calling....instead of thank you for choosing....etc, etc. That brought on mental exhaustion. Now, a place of work where my supervisor is constantly writing me up because she didn't like that I put a customer ahead of her, or she pages me every half hour just to ask what I am doing, and she knows exactly what I am doing anyway because they see and hear everything we say or do with the security system we have. We are being watched constantly. I am now emotionally exhausted. So....

How does one recover from burnout?

[thickntired]

Howdy,

I would try to explore training in other areas you may enjoy better than retail. Maybe take a computer class or volunteer a few hours a week. Or maybe try to move up the ranks at your current employer. Take on some cross-training to learn how other job positions work. Overall though, I would feel very blessed to be employed.

Good Luck,

TnT

[regretful]

Interestingly, I am doing a presentation on burnout. There are a lot of resources online to help with this, but in general, most suggest the same things: establish boundaries, learn to say no, meditate on the good things and people in your life, practice positive self-talk, take breaks where you can, find humor in negative events, breathe, walk, exercise, have a good diet...

In your situation, though, I would agree with thickntired...look for other jobs that might be more rewarding and less stressful.

[Nicks_Nose]

The only problem with looking for more rewarding jobs is getting pass the experience or age block. I have tons of education on up to university level but still cannot get hired due to lack of experience, and the federal government is focusing now on offering employers here a wage subsidy if they hire youth, in order to reduce the unemployment rate for youth from 15 to 30 years of age and I am 47. This being a small city of only 20,000 people and a struggling economy, no employers hire full-time and barely anything is above minimum wage. No positions are available to move up in unless somebody dies or retires and they hire from within or hire from friends or family of those already employed. It is difficult to find work of any kind here. Even retail and restaurant has hundreds of applicants competing for the jobs. Employers know this and don't care if you are over worked...if you quit..they have many others waiting in the wing for this position and they know it. Turnover rates here are very high, and to make matters wrose...employers like McDonald's have begun shipping employees in from the Phillipines because of how hard they treat the employees here and people will not stay with them.

[Perna]

I would move to a clerical job in a less stressful environment like libraries or universities. Example:

http://www.careerbeacon.com/search/e...3/MB1207257958

You have proven customer service skills and you could make something up about wanting to go back to school, etc. Check your province's libraries/universities/other government offices and what jobs they have available.

[IceCreamKid]

I've been burnt out for years. I finally decided to stop trying to find meaning and fulfillment from my "career" and instead focus on getting the work done and then going home, where my real life begins. I can see my boss senses something has changed and I can also see the boss' frustration starting to rise because while I am doing exactly what I should be doing, I am no longer 'engaged' in the drama that the boss and the boss' minions like creating. If you haven't tried this, the next time you get one of those write-ups or someone tries to bawl you out, you could try saying: "I want to do a good job" and then ask how to do whatever it is better and also ask for ongoing correction to reinforce that you are doing whatever it is correctly. I doubt they'll take you up on it, but even if they do, you will be in charge of having asked for the direction. I don't think you should stop looking for a better work situation, either, and it's obvious you would thrive in a place that is not worried about petty things like humming.

[Nicks_Nose]

My supervisor is presently on vacation for two weeks and the first week has gone by without much stress of any kind. The standard stress of the job itself, but nothing I can't handle after thirty years of customer service work. She returns in another week. Let's see if I am back to high stress levels when she returns.

I have found an online course in a topic of interest for me, but I am having trouble finding out the fees for the course. I am going to have to make a long distance call to find out the fees for it. If it it too high, I will have to put that aside. The inspiration and enthusiasm I felt though when I saw it available tells me that maybe I should force myself back into research again, and start corresponding again with institutions relating to my studies I took. If for nothing else than for self interest and communication in the field I like.

Maybe it can at least help me stop dwelling on the present work stresses. Like you said, IceCreamKid...."going home where real life begins." Thanks

[IceCreamKid]

Originally Posted by Nicks_Nose

"No positions are available to move up in unless somebody dies or retires and they hire from within or hire from friends or family of those already employed. ... Employers know this and don't care if you are over worked...if you quit..."

I wanted to highlight what you wrote because it is so true and so flagrant. Yesterday I saw my former full-time job advertised as a part time position at half the pay per hour. I am now doing two positions rolled into one. With no increase in pay.