Do you think that different people are suited to different types of stress, or do I just have a grass-is-always-greener view of fast-paced stress?
I have a job that I'm finding increasingly stressful and starting to feel burnt out. In some ways it's great - interesting research (not academia but similar) often mentally stimulating. But I generally work for a few months on a project and around the bits I enjoy there is a lot of very tedious writing things up and endless editing, which I find incredibly boring while still needing careful thought. I'm finding it is taking more and more emotional energy to force myself to do the boring bits when deadlines aren't imminent, then haven't made the necessary progress by the time deadlines are closer. And at the end of projects, I don't seem to feel any satisfaction or achievement, just glad to see the back of it. This low-level stress of boredom, forcing myself not to procrastinate and long deadlines is taking its toll, especially now with life busy with small children and trauma a few years ago knocking my confidence greatly.
I've generally had a pretty low boredom threshold and quite a lot of ADHD traits (I don't know if I have ADHD or not). I'm wondering if a career change to something faster-paced would be a good idea. I was wondering about something like nursing - I imagine you get a sense of achievement at helping people and getting things done quickly, while not having any boredom or long deadlines hanging over me. I feel this would suit me better, but at the same time you hear of plenty of nurses feeling burnt out with stress. Have I just got a completely unrealistic rose-tinted view of how fast-paced stress might suit some people better than slower types of stress? Maybe I’m just getting worse at dealing with any stress as my baggage gets bigger. Has anyone else switched to a faster-paced job and found it less stressful?