Is anyone else just burnt out and exhausted

[Lurcherloves]

Or is it just me. I’m so exhausted at starting to feel low and I have so many good things in my life. I’ve worked relentlessly through the pandemic with an increased workload and have felt overwhelmed for the last year. I can’t take anymore. If I take time off it will just be worse when I get back. Anyone else had this experience of the pandemic? I’m sure nurses and doctors feel this way. I also feel resentful to people who’ve had the year off at the public expense. I know that’s unfair but I’m so tired and fed up.

Huge hugs for everyone - this situation is blooming hard for almost everyone. Even if you arent feeling too anxious about covid19 itself it acts a systemic stressor and cuts off everyone's access to the things that help them cope (friends and family, community, activities, travel etc etc)

It's quite interesting that a lot of people on this thread haven't listed COVID itself as an issue (i.e. they weren't too concerned about catching it).

In my case I was a bit worried about COVID a year ago, thought I had it, so since haven't really been worried at all. It is the impact of additional work to cover others and COVID driven, plus working from home. On top of that 'normal life' stuff like having a shit boss and toxic work culture get amplified.

@colouringindoors, no wonder you are utterly drained, I hope you get time for yourself to recharge.

Also feeling drained wfh in my bedroom, big workload poor internet, youngest dd has ASC and has been school refusing ,suffers from crippling anxiety and struggling to get help for her, everyone at home all the time means a lot more housework, no respite to go out and see friends though hopefully thats now changing.
I did feel a bit envious of some friends who were furloughed last year sitting in their gardens enjoying the lovely weather ,taking up new hobbies etc while I was flat out at work and juggling home schooling.
I know some people who were furloughed were very worried about their jobs but others such as my friend who works in a dentists or another friend who is a TA ( not furloughed but didnt have to work during first lockdown) knew they had secure jobs so were able to relax and enjoy the sunshine and get loads done round house and garden, so yes I was envious!

I relate to this

Work from home, doing the job of 3 people at the moment, studying for professional exams, 2 teens with MH problems and my elderly dad as well. I'm a single mum, absolutely exhausted and want to run away

Shall we all create an imaginary island that we can escape to?

Imagine lying on a sun lounger with your eyes closed and all you can hear are the waves gently lapping the sand and the breeze rustling the leaves of the palm trees ....

What would you like to have/take to the island?

@Choconuttolata the island needs a fresh fruit juices stand added alcohol op6ional!

I was. Too much juggling of full-time job, being a single parent, kids doing online learning and dealing with the pressure at work (the company I worked for did very well out of the pandemic, I had next to no support from my manager, then they did redundancies despite raking in tons of profit).
My mental and physical health were shot. However, I was offered a new job and didn't hesitate to resign. Much happier now

Utterly exhausted.

Have averaged 12 hour days, 6 - 7 days a week (on top of home schooling) for NHS. Have worked on days off, weekends etc. Covered vacancies and inept colleagues. Any leave taken was interrupted and without options to do anything else/go away nothing felt like a break. Have spent too much, eaten crap, not slept properly, neglected my parenting. I wake up exhausted. Permanently freezing.

Have a thriva test on the way to see if any other underlying issues but seriously considering a couple of weeks off sick to try and recover. And I never take time off sick.

If it makes you feel better I feel exactly how you described & I had periods of furlough and working full time over the last year and I’ve been back at work full time for the past 2 months after the latest lot of furlough.

I am so exhausted every day I cry in the car driving to work because physically my body just cannot continue with this level of stress.

I’m sorry that you feel like this too.

I think people kicking off about how unfair OP is to people who are on furlough is misplaced.
When I was getting up at 6am in January in the dark to go into work and have stuff thrown at me by an angry ten year old, I’ll admit I felt pissed off that there were people at home having time off and not being put at any covid risk.
Just as I’m sure those people felt pissed off that people like me don’t have to look for jobs etc. It’s fair enough.

I'm with you OP. I need a holiday so badly. I have a UK break booked this year (we didn't get away at all last year) but I'm angry at not being able to look forward to it because the weather here is so bloody unreliable.

I was expecting a bollocking at work today (justifiable - I had made a mistake) and my boss never said anything. I'd got myself so worked up about it, I went to the kitchen and just burst into tears anyway! There was a colleague there who gave me an illicit hug which did help.

And this whole Indian variant thing just feels like well... I can't even put it into words.

I'm normally fairly robust mentally but I just feel like I'm running on empty at the moment.

It was a bit of a broad sweeping geralisation but I do get what you're saying. I know two people who were not concerned, and had a great couple of months. But of course there are less of those and far more people who didn't have job security and less pay.

I know Dr's and nurses are on the front line, but I guess to lots of us are on a line of some sort. To reduce it down to one then devalues all of work required to keep other aspects of our society functioning.

As a PP said, it's not a race to the bottom. We've all suffered to some extent.

Surely its inevitable that people who have been busier than they have ever been, simultaneously doing work/homeschooling etc whilst also working harder than they have done are going to be utterly exhausted.

And people who have not been working are going to be worried about money.

Although I suspect a lot of people who have been juggling would have been willing to take a 20% pay cut in order not to juggle.

And those people who have lost their homes because they hd no income would like to swap with the juggling people.

Its been a horrible, exhausting year for almost everyone.

But it would be churlish to suggest that it has been equally horrible for everyone.

Feel the same, utterly exhausted

NHS and I feel worse than I did mid last year.
It’s just never ending

@Runnerduck34 thank you. 💐 for you and all who need them

I'm feeling totally fucked too - although I haven't been working nearly so hard as some.
I don't resent the people on furlough though - or really anyone much except criminals and scammers.
Everyone has their own problems.

YABU for your comment about a year off at the public's expense. That is not the full story by any means for the vast majority of people who were furloughed, and makes it hard for me to sympathise with your own plight. But you're exhausted, as you say, so I'm assuming when you've had a decent break you'll realise it's unreasonable to say that