Burning out at work + hiding out in my obsessions

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I'm burning out at work. I often have to work overtime to make rent, and then I take "mental health days" the following week to restore my energy. Or I actually get sick the weeks following my overtime weeks, so it basically is a wash. (But my rent will be on time this month!)

I noticed that the past few weeks I have been over-the-top OBSESSED with Game of Thrones. Reading all the blogs about the show, tweeting about it, talking to friends about it, and I started re-reading the books. In the past two weeks I have re-read A Storm of Swords, A Feast For Crows, and I am most of the way through A Dance With Dragons. And these are huge books. I will stay up late reading them and then be tired for work, which doesn't help my burnout.

I sort of feel like the boredom/burnout pushes me further into my obsession with GoT, and staying up late, focusing on only that in my free time contributes back into my burnout.

Does anyone else experience this? It's also interfering with personal projects of mine, like writing. I'm not even meditating anymore, which I used to do daily.

I don't really want any advice, I just want to know if other people experience this.

Thanks!

I can totally relate to what you said about these useless temporary obsessions interfering with personal project and things I actually enjoy, such as writing.

In my case, these pointless obsessions have ranged from buying a particular piece of hardware (and ending up researching it to the point that I actually knew more about it than the expert seller at the store), TV shows, maple trees (don't even ask), furniture (trying to find a nice desk lamp) and ended up reading every interior design and lighting design blog and office furniture web site on the internet.

This is something I addressed to my psychiatrist as I felt that it was a problem in my daily life. He prescribed a ret*d release methyphenidate hydrochloride medication (Ritalin LA brand min my case). It has helped some, but it is by no means a miracle drug. It helps when I being working on, e.g. writing. I then stay focused and do not get distracted so easily. However, if I take the medication and begin browsing for whatever my new interest is, it does not help at all, if anything it makes things worse.

Another strategy I have is that I have blocked the IP of sites that I always go to for my distraction on my computer. If I want to browse those sites I have to use my tablet, which I keep by my bed. I know it sounds silly to lack discipline to that extent to require such measures, but it has worked for me. My desk is not strictly a writer's corner. I do not watch movies there, eat there, etc. My bed is for leisure browsing. I only eat in the kitchen. Works well for me anyway.

A stimulant drug such as the one I mentioned might be useful to you at work in the sense that it will help you to stay focused and might give you some more 'stamina'. However, i would not recommend it if you work in a capacity where you attend to customers as not only can it make your eyes look a bit drugged out, it can also make you very disconnected. Good for office-type work though.

Ha ha, THIS!

I am already on a mild stimulant (Wellbutrin) for depression and ADD.

One thing that has helped me to not-hyper-obsess is to track how I use my time. I think I might use my awareness of my hyper-obsession as an indicator that I am overly stressed, and take steps to reduce that stress.

Yeah, it's a coping mechanism of sorts. I just get really disappointed with myself sometimes when I notice these patterns, especially when they negatively impact my work or my already limited social life.

I had an obsession with exercise for a while. I was in the gym all evening until closing several days a week. It was not a bad one per se as it did help me get quite buff, but once I moved on to my next interest I completely lost interest in the gym. I wish I could go back to that one as my current budding obsession is extremely pointless and embarrassing.

Isn't it annoying though how you know you are wasting your time and denying yourself the opportunity to work on more challenging interests that, in the long run, actually are purposeful and fulfilling?

Yep. Definitely.

I'll get on kicks with specific writers or shows and look up all of the commentary/analysis or behind-the-scenes trivia, etc, anything to increase the depth of my appreciation for that universe. People don't get how I reread the same authors over and over again, but, at least it saves me money on books in the long run.

I haven't had too many side obsessions since I finally got a new job where I wasn't so burnt out. If I wasn't so averse to talking to people, I probably would've called the eap at my old gig about 7 years before quitting, to deal with the burnout. My last 18 months there were so exhausting, I still don't know how I managed to get through it, and think I could've done it better if I'd been more focused. Luckily, at the end, I became obsessed with documenting my knowledge and future goals for that job... hopefully that left them in a decent position with my replacement.

This is SO ME. And Game of Thrones is the best/worst for it, because there's SO MUCH INFORMATION and it's like a big puzzle and the last books haven't come out yet, so we don't even have a final answer. I could puzzle away forever!



Ooohhhh, good idea!

Yeah, most recently was an obsession with Firefly. DVD extras, fan interviews, art and background ideas, director's commentary on planned plot expansions... clothing... lots of people out there describing and emulating the clothing for that series. In high school, it was LOTR and Dean Koontz, though I did go through a classic literature kick (50 most influential novels of all time type of thing). Too bad I can't DO anything with any of this stuff I've obsessed over.

Heh. I couldn't stand the thought of all of my work going to waste when I walked out the door.
It was also nicer to have the person able to walk in and pick up a project list, than to make them stumble through figuring it out for two or three years like I did when I was hired. I hate wasted efforts, it's part of the reason why I was so burned out on that gig.

I'm sorry, but as the owner of 87 maple trees, I'm afraid I must ask!

It's almost a nightly thing for me. Sometimes I'm obsessing over WP, checking my email over and over to look for post updates.

Yes! When I was stressing out over community college and my part-time job, I became obsessed with superheroes. I would watch and re-watch a bunch of superhero movies to cheer myself up.