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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Post work burnout- does it get better?

4 replies

Visitor1231 · 31/01/2025 17:30

A while ago after a very extensive period of severe stress both at home & at home, I properly burned out and my mental health was at rock bottom. Left my job and took some time out before picking things up again when I was in a much better place & had left the panic attacks & depression in the past.

Lately, I've found myself in a job which has a toxic organisation- sorry I know that word is overused but things are poorly organised, there's unsupportive leadership, a couple of difficult colleagues - fair amount of bitchiness & backstabbing. Put it this way, I wouldn't have taken the job if I'd known in advance what the culture was like.

So I'm looking for a new job etc but in the meantime, I've been unsettled by how much the behaviour of colleagues is affecting me. Anxiety has suddenly reappeared, I dread going in, can't wait til the day ends, dread emails, starting to affect my concentration..I know I won't be the only one who's encountered this and I know my reaction isn't unreasonable. But I also think my nervous system is maybe a bit primed to be sensitive to it all now...

Has anyone been through similar burnout and found that they were less resilient to workplace stresses afterwards? If so, did it continue to get better or have you found that you're always more vulnerable to the crap that can go on?

OP posts:
JaneandtheLaundry · 31/01/2025 18:10

Yes I needed about 10 years to get over workplace burnout. I job hopped a lot then went self employed but last year got a new job and seem okay now. I recommend a book called From Burnout to Brilliance.

Visitor1231 · 01/02/2025 11:22

10 years! I'm sorry it had such a far reaching impact on you. Do you mind me asking how it continued to affect you during that time?

Thank you for the book recommendation, in checking it now.

OP posts:
JaneandtheLaundry · 01/02/2025 11:37

Here's how it affected me:

  • No tolerance for stress or difficult situations at all.
  • Not being able to think of solutions to emotionally difficult situations where before I was good at this, now I just freeze up (I've never fully recovered from this aspect).
  • Stomach upsets in the morning on my way into work every morning and persisting through the day when I made myself go in.
  • Not being able to focus on my work after work eg preparing presentations.
  • Being excessively exhausted all the time, struggling to get out of bed, not being able to smile or laugh at work.
There were other signs but these were the main ones. It gradually improved once I went self-employed.
Visitor1231 · 03/02/2025 21:19

Thank you so much for your honesty @JaneandtheLaundry and I'm sorry it took you so long to get back to a level of normalcy.

I think im struggling with the reduced tolerance for stress at the moment, and the lack of concentration. I think I've entered a cycle of nitpicking behaviour undermining my confidence & causing anxiety leading to difficulty concentrating & making mistakes and not sure what to do about it beyond finding a new job!

I listened to an meditation for anxiety podcast all day at work today & fell asleep as soon as I got home.

Really appreciate you replying, thank you

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