Help with burnout

[UnknownFog]

I've been burnt out for months on end. I can't get any schoolwork done when I'm at school, and all I want to do when I get home is do nothing. I feel like I need a year-long vacation at this point.. I have two projects due this week for a final and I haven't even started either of them. I'm so burnt out I just can't bring myself to do much of anything. Is anyone else struggling with this? Does anyone have any tips?

[Michael909]

Yep, I struggle with that. Also, at least you know you have ADHD. I hope you get through it. Just power through, you can do it!

[STEM_Dad]

Make sure to allow yourself to take some breaks. Just trying work and work and work can burn you out.

Have you heard of the Pomodoro Technique? The basic idea is to have alternating periods of work time, break, work time, break. (e.g. work for 25 minutes, take a 5 minute break, ...)

Also, it's okay to allow yourself some time to socialize or have fun...just don't make it an escape. Maybe one or two evenings per week, and at least part of a weekend day. This is often described as a form of Work-Life Balance.

.....

When you study or are doing homework, it can help you do so with a friend or classmate. You can help each other to understand the class subjects better, but just the act of working together in the same place can be effective. This is called "body-doubling".

(People are social creatures, so it's believed that our social nature is what makes this effective.)

[MaudQ]

Does your school have a center for students with disabilities? If you can reach out for some support now it might be a good idea so the missed work doesn’t snowball. You probably have a good reason for being so tired and it can be had when you’re a student to navigate the maze to access services. Medication, accommodations & therapy (with a therapist who understands ADHD) is the three legged stool. The suggestion for the pomodoro technique and body doubling is spot in - also you could try figuring out what time of day you have the most energy, breaking down the work into small chunks and practicing energy management. I’m exhausted at the end of the day too - I hate it. There’s some magic combo of balancing rest vs work and dosing out coffee and Diet Coke that helps me. Also water, sunlight and regular moderate exercise. Think of yourself like a plant 😊 But the struggle is real - hang in there!

[STEM_Dad in reply to MaudQ]

I'll have to remember that "three legged stool" reference: medication, accomodations, therapy.•It would also work with acronyms "MAT" or "TAM" (if you're into traditional Scottish headwear).

[Mamamichl]

what helped me with school work is to list out smaller tasks and make a goal to do one small task each day (outline, 2 sources, make the paper but only put in header, bibliography, etc., hi light 3 sources, write a thesis, etc)

[Old_Owl]

I think you will find this can be common. I am pushing 60 and still struggle with it at work. I feel stuck, unable to do anything.

A month or two ago I saw a video clip saying not to think of it as "stuck" we should think of us as "stopped" as we can't fix stuck but if we are stopped, we just need to get moving again. Do anything as long as you start "moving" again. Walk, meditate, read, anything. And once you're no longer stopped move back to what you need to do.

I also use the pomodoro technique, 25 minutes work, five minutes break

Most of all don't beat yourself up, no good comes of that. There are a lot of methods out there with some working better than others. Try them and find out what works best for you.