Slow

On occasion, my brain slows down so I can properly address the stresses of modern living. Some people call this slacking.

Those people aren’t necessarily wrong.

I’m working on a variety or projects at work (and at home). The most important ones are completed (evals, logs, the condo staged), but the ones I want to finish are no where near done (writing, blogging, a clean desk).

Ask A Bastard is one of these products. It’ll be done when my slow ass brain says it is done.

Burnout

via Recovering From Burnout – Stress Management Techniques from Mind Tools.

It may be too late to talk about avoiding burnout. Maybe you’ve already reached the stage where you are thoroughly disillusioned with your job and where you no longer get anything of emotional value from it. You may feel let down or betrayed by your organization, and may be “going through the motions” just for the money your job brings in.

While you can deal with exhaustion by taking a good break, rest may not cure this sense of disillusionment. The passion and commitment that you previously brought to your job may now have completely burned out. Without this, your career may not progress much further.

I read this today and thought to myself, “hello tailor made article! I have found my salvation!” Despite having had a week off from the court, I am already feeling burned out at work. Again. I read through the rest of the article. I was underwhelmed. Goals, actions plans, personal coaches–these are all things that can work; however, goals and actions plans require a certain amount of time, dedication and inspiration to work on. Personal coaches cost money. I’d rather buy a pizza, a new mac or some jewelery than spend money on a coach.

Then I remembered: I have an Aunt who specializes in this. She’s agreed to help me out–at no charge!–to get back on track. I’ll be posting those sessions shortly.

The Plan

I’ve been in a funk for two weeks now, and it feels dangerously close to depression. I’m losing interest in a number of things, my appetite is changing and my mood is significantly more sensitive than it should be. My sleeping patterns would probably take a turn for the worse, but thankfully, Shannon won’t let it.

I’ve tried just “riding” it out. I learned In grief therapy that sometimes I just need to listen to what my body says and let it rest. I’ve listened for two weeks, recognized that I miss my parents and my friends, and that outside of Shannon, nothing feels “right” anymore. I’m overwhelmed by it all.

I’m done with that. I’m working on a schedule, busting out my old copy of Getting Things Done by Paul Allen and setting up goals (and to do lists).

The most ambitious of these goals is working out in the morning. I wake up by 645 every day, regardless of when I go to bed. The past week i’ve fiddled with the Internet connection for at least twenty minutes. I am going to start doing something more productive than restarting a modem, a router and swearing.

I’m getting a head start on the new year. 2008 has been brilliant. 2009 is going to start rough, but it had the potential to be even better. I’ve got far too much at stake, and to do, to let it slip through my fingers.

Balance

I thought I had made progress in accepting my need for eight hours of sleep. I do enjoy sleeping–I don’t wait until I am about to pass out to go to sleep these days–and I usually wake up feeling refreshed enough to make coffee.

This ended when I went to Unabridged Books with Falconesse. There are far, far too many books I need to read for me to sleep eight hours a night. Then I saw Gears of War 2…hell. This is, of course, not to mention Wrath of the Lich King.

Then there is the blog, my continuing education goals and my desire to make more money so I can get her premium truffles while she has a month off before going to school full time.

I need to sleep, but I’m not sure I want to anymore. Too much to do.