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what are your ways to beat burnout?

the chalk prince
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existential execution is just a fluke in evolution.
that title probably doesn't make sense but i am really interested in learning about everyone's methods. i realize there is a lot of factors that go into overcoming burnout, especially when that burnout is primarily driven by poor mental health, but i want to know if anyone has any methods to take baby steps forward? (aside from therapy, medication, social support)

though i won't go into detail about any of it, it seems like the entire world is on fire and literally no one is free from the chaos.

TO BE CLEAR i am not asking for advice on how to overcome mental health issues but rather how to slowly get back into the hobbies you lost to life going absolutely bananas? circumstances can be more than health related ones, they can be school related or work related, literally just something that you did and loved to do but now cannot bring yourself to even think about. tips, tricks, and methods on how to work your way back into the deep end of the pool, so to speak, are what i'm looking for.

aliaspor, sef, jdawg
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chichi wo moge
i take a full step back from what i'm burnt out from because i don't bounce back as quick as other people. if the burnout is from work, i'll take a few days off. i spend that time away to focus on other things. whether that is self care or revisiting old interests/hobbies.

if it's just an acute case of burnout... i find bathing to be a good way to wind down. spending time outside of the house too. i love to kayak and swim in the nearby springs. even walking through my local wildlife preserve.

to get back into what i want to, it's a long process of figuring out what i like about it but what burnt me out in the first place and how to avoid that happening again. :thumbs_up:
aliasSel, sella!
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Try something new! Step out of your comfort zone. Absence makes the heart grow fonder... I think it's easy to throw yourself into one hobby or activity that you really, really love, but when it's all you've got, it can be suffocating... I've been getting active ever since the sun came out in the spring, and it's made writing/art, which used to be something I was already starting to tire out on, into something that felt like home when I finally came back to it. I'm deeefinitely not an active person (even now...), but picking up a hobby I wouldn't usually think of helped me feel both more well-rounded as a person, and made me feel even more refreshed when returning to something familiar.

Definitely agree with the fact that it's nice to just get outside in general, too, esp. because RP is such an 'online' hobby... bedrot is bad for the soul (love my blanket though)
I'm @capsellas on discord! Feel free to reach out if you need anything.
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Tell me which you dread more ; the echo or the answer?
  • try a little at a time - as they always say, you don't want to canonball right into the deep end, you should slowly wade into the water. Just starting out by doing the little things and getting into the nitty gritty later usually helps.
  • GET A BUDDY! - my favorite tip is shadowing, have someone alongside you in call or just there present and having them doing something, not always the same activity, usually makes me feel motivated. This unfortunately requires human interaction
  • If it's not sparking joy anymore, maybe let it rest - I use this mindset for characters too where if I'm not having fun with it anymore, maybe its better to put it to bed. This applies to old hobbies too where if you're just not finding the same joy you used to, it might be better to let it rest. You can always circle back to it when you do have the energy and life is kinder to you.

last edit on Jul 4, 2024 21:48:21 GMT by Sola
aliasAsk me~
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There's hope beyond this lone abyss.
I don’t know how to beat it really, other than taking a break, focusing on other things, and remembering to rest when I can. It’s very easy for me to go hard on something, and then get burnt out for years. Sometimes it takes asking myself questions such as... “why did I burn out in the first place?” And dealing with those specific things. Sometimes the reasons aren’t that obvious, or are things I have to work around instead of defeat.

But another measure I try to do nowadays is preventing it as much as possible. I set limits for how long I focus on a hobby and how much time I decide to dedicate to it. I set times where say, I’m writing a post, and where I’m not. I’m someone who forgets to eat or drink water on free time days even when I’m doing nothing, so I especially make sure to tend to my health, get up and walk around if it’s a hobby I’m sitting a lot for.

It’s so easy for me to focus on one thing, and this is useful in getting things done fast, but it’s also a fast way for me to just burn out. So, I feel like it’s important to increase the variety, either switch it up with said hobby, or do another hobby, maybe pick up something new, or even mildly related.

If you can’t prevent it, just know that your hobbies will always be waiting for you when you come back. Taking care of yourself and separating yourself from things that burn you is a fair decision. You can take a break for a while, or even quit entirely, and can pick things back up again.
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I think it is easy to focus on the mental aspect of burnout and forget about the physical aspects of it as well. This hobby takes energy you may not be setting yourself up to have.

If you are deficient in a lot of vitamins because you are subsisting on mostly spaghetti-o's, your cognitive processing will be less than ideal. Exercise can also improve focus and concentration. Lately I've been posting after working out/cardio and then taking creatine (used to improve muscle recovery but also improves brain fucntion), and the words flow like butter.

last edit on Jul 4, 2024 23:51:34 GMT by Sharp
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