How to deal with burnout?

First of all, what is burning you out? if I knew a little more, I might be able to sugggest something. Judging from your tags, I am guessing it’s school? Is that right?

Get in one of those backyard fight clubs where they beat each other with cookie sheets. Maybe that’s not legal if your a stickler…

@scamp: you’re right. studying for the bar exam. I was able to study hours per day—now I find myself fluther-ing (okay, that’s relatively acceptable)... and watching pointless podcasts that I never cared about before. Basically, finding excuses to waste time.

oh.. and the reason I specifically said “legal” is that someone has already suggested drugs and I don’t think that’s a solution.

@atharkhan While we love that you enjoy it here, it probably isn’t the best way to refresh. Staring at the computer for hours on end can really take alot of of a person. I know you have probably heard this before, but go outside and get a little fresh air. Take a nice long walk at a brisk pace to get thos endorphins brewing. Then come in and fluther away!! I wish you well on the bar!

@ scamp – according to his site , he is preparing for the CA Bar exam.

The “standard answers” as you mentioned are always important and some (like sleep) cannot be sidlelined to much of an extent. You seem to make studying schedules on your site, keep to your schedule for the day, and once you are done for the day, be done as in don’t stress about it or go back to look at anything etc. to avoid online distractions (like fluthering), DISABLE YOUR INTERNET. if it’s wireless, go straight to the router and unhook it. i know you might need to download powerpoints/notes every now and then, but figure out what all internet resources you need and then disconnect. If you follow your schedule to the tee, you will end the day ridiculously tired but happy. And once the exam is over, it will be all worth it (the net or fluther isn’t going anywhere). Also, make sure you eat breakfast. It is one of those meals that cannot be skipped especially while you are studying. Keep a clear, positive outlook with your mind on the goal, once it is all over you can party like no other. When’s your exam btw? When studying during the day, go outside and study if possible. This way you get some fresh air (instead of being confined to your apartment/room) and that always helps refresh the brain. Good Luck and I am sure you will do fine :)

Edit – never mind, i just noticed on your site that the exam is a month and a day away. Breatheeeeeeee

Are you up for trying Meditation or Yoga?

@scamp and PnL: you know… that makes sense. I wonder why this is so much more credible coming from fluther-ites when I ignore the same advice from others. Okay… I am going to go outside and run through some flashcards. Thanks guys!

Trollops and whiskey. Deja vu.

Make a sideline trip to a karaoke bar, and sing your heart out badly. Distract yourself with other (real) people. We don’t count.

Ooops, looks like you already resolved it. Good luck on your bars, then!!

Try to get away for a weekend, or at least a night. My spouse and I like to go to bed and breakfasts for a night or two. Even if you don’t go far, its very refreshing to “get away from it all” for awhile. Try going someplace with nature, where you can hike or bike or something. I like to go to Disneyland, but that’s me.

If you live in California, Amsterdam, Copenhagen for instance, maybe some pot for medical purposes would help?

Otherwise, I don’t think you can eat yourself from burnout. The real answer is probably, quit your job, if it’s killing you.

Then again, there might be some reason for experiencing a burnout at work. I’m thinking, something in the lines of not having proper control of all the tasks at hand. In which case, one suggestion that I can recommend (to some extent, though, I don’t fancy following it meticulously in each and every scenario, though), is taking a read in David Allen’s book about his methodology called GTD, aka Getting Things Done.

The stress relief of knowing what to do next and stop worrying about things that are too remote to even get a grasp about what you’re supposed to do and what it takes to do it, really pays off. GTD provides a good helping hand at that.

Let me add on to the exercise bandwagon. You need to do something physical to counteract the mental of studying. A bike ride? A massage? A walk or hike? Shoot hoops? Really sweat.

Yoga is incredibly restorative, but if you are not a practitioner, starting something else new may not be the best right now.

the best way for me when I’m stressed out and burned out is swimming…...that is bodily and mentally refreshing, in just a few minutes you’ll feel so much better. Like Marina says an outdoor activity will break the routine and put you in a different path. Since studying hard is like cramming a lot of information in so little time, you need lots of liquids and vitamins to keep you upbeat and full of energy. I say this cos studying this hard is not just mentally draining, but your whole body suffers. Keep doing what you are doing and keep focus on your goal, and good luck, but remember the way luck is spelled = h a r d w o r k!!

I also swim to meditate and get clear. But if time is a factor, lying down and doing some deep breathing for about ten minutes might help.

What I really would suggest if possible would be to get away form it all for a day or two, but that sounds like it is not an option.

@ed and srf I love swimming too. When I traveled all the time on business, it was mandatory that my hotel have a pool. I have wonderful memories of floating on my back after swimming laps in the dead of winter in a freezing winter night in Denver looking up at an impossibly clear star-filled sky. Nothing melts the cares of the day better.