I am facing burnout

I just thought to write here and ask for advice.

I am working as a CTO in local tech company and couple of months ago started working a second job as a CTO in a US-based AI startup. This means working a minimum of 80 hours per week. During work hours, I work at the local job until 5 PM and from 7 PM to 3 AM I work for the US company. The jobs are different in nature, with local job having more leadership and management related tasks, while the start up involves more project management and hands-on work. Both jobs are relatively stress-free though.

Initially, all was good, but recently I have started to feel really tired and it has started feeling more like job, rather than fun. My moods have been swinging more. I have tried different solutions like mixing work into my lifestyle, for example, I do the morning standups while in gym and one day per week I set up for meetings, so I can cook at the same time for the week. I also try to take a short nap after every 2 hours or so, yet the lack of sleep is still starting to affect me. In recent weeks, I have tried making shorter hours during week and pushing some work to weekends, although still it is not helping. I am used to taking a vacation of 1-2 weeks every second month, yet I have not had a proper vacation or travelled since September.

When considering the jobs, I thought it would be easy to handle, as generally most of my free time went to work related activities like researching, although right now it is becoming too much and I am starting to worry about my health, as it seems burnout is likely.

Has anybody here had to work at such schedule? How did you manage it? Any advice would be welcome.

a reply to: Cabin

I believe everybody goes through what I would call at first maybe just a phase of exhaustion?
Then you got a see what is right for you, but I'd say if you want to keep going at max ability you might have to find out what you lack at the moment?
How to balance, you know?
Sometimes a break helps to recharge.
Maybe a fun new hobby and just accepting it that you'll only run on half forces for now?

I don't know what's right for you, only you can figure that out

originally posted by: Cabin
I just thought to write here and ask for advice.

I am working as a CTO in local tech company and couple of months ago started working a second job as a CTO in a US-based AI startup. This means working a minimum of 80 hours per week. During work hours, I work at the local job until 5 PM and from 7 PM to 3 AM I work for the US company. The jobs are different in nature, with local job having more leadership and management related tasks, while the start up involves more project management and hands-on work. Both jobs are relatively stress-free though.

Initially, all was good, but recently I have started to feel really tired and it has started feeling more like job, rather than fun. My moods have been swinging more. I have tried different solutions like mixing work into my lifestyle, for example, I do the morning standups while in gym and one day per week I set up for meetings, so I can cook at the same time for the week. I also try to take a short nap after every 2 hours or so, yet the lack of sleep is still starting to affect me. In recent weeks, I have tried making shorter hours during week and pushing some work to weekends, although still it is not helping. I am used to taking a vacation of 1-2 weeks every second month, yet I have not had a vacation or travelled since September.

When considering the jobs, I thought it would be easy to handle, as generally most of my free time went to work related activities like researching, although right now it is becoming too much and I am starting to worry about my health, as it seems burnout is likely.

Has anybody here had to work at such schedule? How did you manage it? Any advice would be welcome.

I work like that. I have a job in academia full time and then add on union calls because. I work around 80 a week, sometimes more.

I love what I do and I don't "work" for a living, but I do get run down.

What I have done to help, is my nutrition. I TRY to eat organic, non processed, healthy food/portions. It is not always possible...depends on what craft services has that day. I exercise to stay "in shape" and healthy.

I quit drinking, I drink mostly water except 1 or 2 cups of coffee in the morning. I do smoke weed, but don't usually get stoned, just a mild buzz to relax when I get home.

One new thing I have been doing, came from a friend of mine. I use electrolytes in a bottle of water in the morning and the drive home. I am not as sore and stiff anymore.

Tbh, I have not been on vacation in years. I have my first paid off week off this week....it is 9:30 and I am bored already.

Guess it is time to go play some pinball.

a reply to: Cabin

I worked U of M Med Center....3:30 Sun til midnight , back 7am to 3:30+ dbl till midnight-16 hrs, ride bus back in 4 go back another 16.

I was done with my weekly 40 by midnight Tues....THEN....I'd take O.T. from Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat....then start over...70-90 hrs week x 6 1/2 years.

I'd be double O.T., holiday pay (Id work every one)...I'd be on O.T. 11/2 times pay, holiday x O.T....I was killing it.

Go to family din, back to hospital...did that 6 yrs. Promised my wife to never do that again.....

$$ isn't everything...but you....are. Listen to your body...

God bless, slow down...✌️

Never give up. If you have a family don't neglect them or you wont. As a mechanic I've gone two months without taking a day of because the money was so good. You'll get used to the no sleep thing.

a reply to: Cracka

You go mad if you don't sleep. LOL like 100% all the time no matter who you are

originally posted by: GarbageCollector
a reply to: Cracka

You go mad if you don't sleep. LOL like 100% all the time no matter who you are

No sleep as in not very much. Lol

Also when I start feeling burnt out ,which is about every six months, i call in sick and sleep all day. Lmao

a reply to: Cabin

What Country is it you live in again? 😀

a reply to: Cabin

Being burned out is as prevalent as it's never been. It's a global phenomenon. Workers are increasingly dropping out due to mental fatigue. I had a moderate depression once. I was on sick leave for three months. In the past, people probably worked harder. But they were not exposed day and night to a flood of information from all corners of the world; they knew less; their worries were more focused on their own small worlds. We're all contaminated by the Internet. Tired of all the bad things, the cruel visuals, videos, the #ing reality, the disasters and wars. This certainly has an impact on the work ethic. Try meditation. Get well.

a reply to: Cabin

I'll tell you this as someone who has burnt out: dial it back a bit. You do not want to be burned out to the point where you can no longer work. I had this happen to me a couple of years back. I was out for eight months, and it was scary even going back to work. Due to this, I'm still not 100% of what I was doing previously. So yeah, whatever you have to do to decrease that workload and get some more time to meditate, exercise, and get good quality sleep, the more your body and mind will thank you for it.

Edit: to add, I have a home office so that I can unplug at the end of the day. Unfortunately, I had Slack, work email, etc., on my phone. That damned thing vibrated constantly, which made things seem more urgent than they were. I have a dedicated work phone now that doesn't leave my office; if you need me after 5 pm, tough, you'll get me at 9 am the next day.

a reply to: Cabin

On most days I work 16 hours or more, and mostly 6 days a week. I haven't had a break since mid September.

I am fortunate to be able to gym on most days depending on any ad hoc activity.

In the mornings I drink a whey protein shake with a spoonful of moringa added.

I also take two multivitamins, specifically formulated for men.

Apart from that I take zinc, vit D, cod liver oil, ginko biloba, a testosterone supplement with things like ashwaganda and those types of ingredients, L-Leucine.

I use a stimulant free workout mixed with citrulline.

After lunch I start to feel a bit sluggish so I pop a slow-mag fizzy.

That really helps to push through.

I'm sensitive to caffeine so roundabout 8pm - 9pm I'll have a strong coffee that usually peaks during the drive back at 11pm.

When all else fails get up and walk for a couple of minutes.

The chair will put you to sleep.

And finally, win the lottery and quit your hours.

Sooner or later a heart attack will come knocking, I'm seeing the symptoms with two people I work with and I don't know when my body will decide it's time for a change.

Most nights I get 3.5 hours.

Not good.

originally posted by: 19Bones79
a reply to: Cabin

On most days I work 16 hours or more, and mostly 6 days a week. I haven't had a break since mid September.

I am fortunate to be able to gym on most days depending on any ad hoc activity.

In the mornings I drink a whey protein shake with a spoonful of moringa added.

I also take two multivitamins, specifically formulated for men.

Apart from that I take zinc, vit D, cod liver oil, ginko biloba, a testosterone supplement with things like ashwaganda and those types of ingredients, L-Leucine.

I use a stimulant free workout mixed with citrulline.

After lunch I start to feel a bit sluggish so I pop a slow-mag fizzy.

That really helps to push through.

I'm sensitive to caffeine so roundabout 8pm - 9pm I'll have a strong coffee that usually peaks during the drive back at 11pm.

When all else fails get up and walk for a couple of minutes.

The chair will put you to sleep.

And finally, win the lottery and quit your hours.

Sooner or later a heart attack will come knocking, I'm seeing the symptoms with two people I work with and I don't know when my body will decide it's time for a change.

Most nights I get 3.5 hours.

Not good.

You need good sleep and good rest.
Everything else is just in your mind and the mind of the people who create the world they decide to live in.

What I got from your message is: protein, supplements, two more multivitamins, plenty of stress and more stress, and some heart attack waiting...

originally posted by: Hypntick
a reply to: Cabin

I'll tell you this as someone who has burnt out: dial it back a bit. You do not want to be burned out to the point where you can no longer work. I had this happen to me a couple of years back. I was out for eight months, and it was scary even going back to work. Due to this, I'm still not 100% of what I was doing previously. So yeah, whatever you have to do to decrease that workload and get some more time to meditate, exercise, and get good quality sleep, the more your body and mind will thank you for it.

Edit: to add, I have a home office so that I can unplug at the end of the day. Unfortunately, I had Slack, work email, etc., on my phone. That damned thing vibrated constantly, which made things seem more urgent than they were. I have a dedicated work phone now that doesn't leave my office; if you need me after 5 pm, tough, you'll get me at 9 am the next day.

This!

I spent 20 years at the same job and it started to feel like a prison, I tried to double down at the end and get a degree to move to something better but COVID hit, and Vista College shut its doors forever. That school had dispersed the student loans for my second semester the day before and I would have only been able to transfer half of my earned credits. Meaning I would have been charged full price for 1/4 of a degree. Fortunately, there is a closed school forgiveness program but all the credits are wiped away like you never attended college.

I made my second attempt at school a year and a half before my boss decided to swear at me and decided I was done and I walked away. I did manage to make it to finals and pass before I dropped the rest of my classes.

Anyway, it's been six months since I burnt out. I'm almost ready to try something new but trying terrifies me right now.

a reply to: Cabin

Burnout, post burnout is great.

I went through burnout a few years ago.

Stay strong!

Everybody is different you need to find your sweet spot, unless you are going to pound out a few years and make enough to retire, best to find a pace for the long haul.

After my divorce I threw myself into work, 6 days a week 12-16 hour days, and got used to the pace, but I was younger then. Then it turned to travel all the time, being with co-workers 24/7. I don't need much "me time" but a couple of days a month is appreciated.

It was the only blessing COVID gave our business, it wiped out 45-plus years of my father and mother's hard work in about 12 weeks.

We no longer have the massive show space overhead or the need to travel so much. Less is more but it is just because we have less competition and fewer clients to work with.

Improvise adapt overcome but listen to your body.

it is why having a career you genuinely love doing is the best.

a reply to: Fortrean

You need good sleep and good rest.

Yes.

What I got from your message is: protein, supplements, two more multivitamins, plenty of stress and more stress, and some heart attack waiting...

Yes.

Ah America land of the never free 😂. Do you really love working that much? I have 40 vacation days per year (dont use all of em, around 25 is the least in most jobs here) and a 4 day work week. I like my job, but after 4 days of 8-9 hours I cant wait for my long weekend. There is something you can learn from your socialist buddies in Europe after all. Move to the Netherlands and unlock some balance in your life and some healthy rights.

This guy does a good job at explaining the difference between US and Dutch work culture;

youtu.be...

originally posted by: ElitePlebeian2
Ah America land of the never free 😂. Do you really love working that much? I have 40 vacation days per year (dont use all of em, around 25 is the least in most jobs here) and a 4 day work week. I like my job, but after 4 days of 8-9 hours I cant wait for my long weekend. There is something you can learn from your socialist buddies in Europe after all. Move to the Netherlands and unlock some balance in your life and some healthy rights.

This guy does a good job at explaining the difference between US and Dutch work culture;

youtu.be...

Didn't you believe Joe Biden "Your job is more than a paycheck, it's about who you are in your community and your family. COVID is a perfect example of most people left on their own time and devices will have destructive habits personally and otherwise.

It's a balance as long as Im not slaving for some huge corporation, I prefer to be working, LOL too much free time has its downsides, mentally and physically. Again if you enjoy your occupation, have seen plenty of people leave or retire early and they hate it. My father hated not working, when he got sick not working bothered him as much as anything

Even my 2 weeks during the summer and 1-2 weeks of holidays, for 30 plus years I was ready to go back to work at the end more often than not.

I do think it has to have flexibility though, working at a call center in my 20s was depressing AF. Went and found a job not chained to a desk, termite inspector, and I was perfectly fine working 6 long and full days. The money was excellent too.

Felt the same way about contract drywall and painting, not to be ageist but have no doubt younger generations feel completely different.

WHATS CRAZY is the financial compensation from the executive management to the basic employee is whacked.

Take a vacation.

Burn a local flower.

Why do this to yourself.

You are obviously smart enough to work for yourself.

It’s even better to pay someone to do it for you.

Those are my thoughts.

Fight against the simulation...