Burnout.

It finally happened. Burnout.

I've had my foot on the gas pedal with marketing since 2020 pretty much constantly, don't think I've taken a single day off other than when my dad was hospitalized last year.
Taught myself marketing, SEO, browser automation, HTTP requests, social signal botting, using fine tuned AI models, largely inspired by journeys like @BlogPro and @lucky.sparks. Got some really great clients and was able to offer value to them.

Here's what's been happening the past 2 weeks, though:

The first warning sign was that the caffeine "stopped working". Usually, I would wake up, work out, meditate, cold shower and pound down black coffee and jump into work. For the past few weeks I've not felt that surge of motivation kick in the way it used to.
Then I missed a workout.
And a meditation session.
The caffeine stopped working. It made me antsy and anxious instead of motivated.

The next warning sign, daytime sleepiness. I never, ever, ever feel tired in the day, it's absolutely ludicrous to me that a few days ago I thought I'd take a nap. There's nothing wrong with a mid day nap, btw, I'm just saying that FOR ME, it's unusual.

2 weeks ago, when this started, I was still rationalizing it away "ah, maybe I just needed it" etc...but the past week, my progress has slowly come to a grinding halt. Yesterday, for the first time in forever, I spent the whole day lazing around, not even touching my to-do list. It felt terrible, but I just couldn't get my brain to engage. I slept around 16 hours. (Btw I'm not chronically on low sleep, I'm getting 7 hours on most days).

I know that the sane advice right now is "take a break, son". However, I can't really do that. I've made some client commitments based on my old work ethic. Need to snap out of this malaise ASAP. I'll carve out room for a break in a month, but right now, I NEED to be in attack mode, not like a fucking turd sitting around watching youtube videos.

Suggestions? Advice? Tough love?

Use Lion's mane mushroom to improve concentration.

noellarkin said:

It finally happened. Burnout.

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Oooh boi how much I can relate to you.

noellarkin said:

The first warning sign was that the caffeine "stopped working". Usually, I would wake up, work out, meditate, cold shower and pound down black coffee and jump into work. For the past few weeks I've not felt that surge of motivation kick in the way it used to.
Then I missed a workout.
And a meditation session.

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Go nature, take 1-2 hour long walks and be sure your sleep schedule is correct.

noellarkin said:

The caffeine stopped working. It made me antsy and anxious instead of motivated.

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I've solved this by switching to stronger stuff, but that will stop working at some point too.

noellarkin said:

2 weeks ago, when this started, I was still rationalizing it away "ah, maybe I just needed it" etc...but the past week, my progress has slowly come to a grinding halt. Yesterday, for the first time in forever, I spent the whole day lazing around, not even touching my to-do list. It felt terrible, but I just couldn't get my brain to engage. I slept around 16 hours. (Btw I'm not chronically on low sleep, I'm getting 7 hours on most days).

I know that the sane advice right now is "take a break, son". However, I can't really do that. I've made some client commitments based on my old work ethic. Need to snap out of this malaise ASAP. I'll carve out room for a break in a month, but right now, I NEED to be in attack mode, not like a fucking turd sitting around watching youtube videos.

Suggestions? Advice? Tough love?

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Decide you aint no bitch material made and continue the grind if you have no other options.

Or fire some clients, that will be healthier. You have to be self-cautious and listen to yourself, and what is causing you the stress. And then cancel that cause. Even if it means less earnings, lost clients, or canceled projects.

lucky.sparks said:

I've solved this by switching to stronger stuff, but that will stop working at some point too.

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Modafinil?

Heiko said:

Modafinil?

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My guess was Ephedra ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Microdose magic mushrooms, take up fishing or something to get yourself away from the screen for long periods 1-2 days a week. Also, give your self smaller targets with little rewards along the way.

Chin up big lad, the world isn't great at the minute, it's normal to be blackpilled.

i only do watching film and quality time with my fam or gf. I do sleep only for 5 hours, all about blog, works, and freelance. Though im still sleepy but on my mind changes that " this what i need to do"

Just remember you're a human being, I wanted to give myself that advice 5 years ago.

Setox said:

Just remember you're a human being, I wanted to give myself that advice 5 years ago.

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Ofc, giving an treats to self is the best idea that i know. For 1 day eatings nice food, or other things thats like. or just take a rest.

mdruidd said:

Ofc, giving an treats to self is the best idea that i know. For 1 day eatings nice food, or other things thats like. or just take a rest.

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Balance is everything, I was ruthless before, & ignorant, I hated watching or reading anything about health, used to think that I'm a damn saiyan lol, and all you need is the willpower.
One should think of longterm, what would money worth if you end up with chronic illness ? where the only option you have is to deal with it for the rest of your life.

Setox said:

Balance is everything, I was ruthless before, & ignorant, I hated watching or reading anything about health, used to think that I'm a damn saiyan lol, and all you need is the willpower.
One should think of longterm, what would money worth if you end up with chronic illness ? where the only option you have is to deal with it for the rest of your life.

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true, i know thats the most important in the future to manage today "health control". but sometimes we need to do hard asf to get the money, this the problematic to be true.

Melatonin before bed helps, and ashwagandha. Burnout is pretty common for everyone. Most of them just don't show it. So dont kick yourself too much.

Also cut down caffeine, nicotine and alcohol. It really helps in the long term. Am without these for 9 years now.

What you can do is, give yourself little treats for the wins. One of my old bosses used to say celebrate small wins and take it easy. He kept telling me this " Don't run a marathon like a 100 meter race ". This was in 2009.

13 years grinding monday to sunday
no vacations
no hollidays
just working
u are just weak

ziplack said:

13 years grinding monday to sunday
no vacations
no hollidays
just working
u are just weak

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he is asking for "Suggestions? Advice? Tough love?"
this simple, not blaming the weakness or smth lol

Just slow down a bit my man, try to tick of one thing on your todo list for a couple of days, and just drink, smoke or go for a walk or external coffees, something easy and tension-releasing. Then you'll quickly find yourself thinking better when you return to work, and want to do more naturally. Try to think less about what your doing and just do it. You maybe have some issues like you realize you are time over-leveraged. Best message all your clients and tell them you have a slight problem, and there will be a delay in a week regarding any more work, while you sort the small inconvenience out. Don't make it into anything bigger than that. That gives you a bit of breathing space to start delivering again and doesn't leave you with disappearing clients.


"You a boss player, you a mack?"

Get some good positive favorite tunes playing in the background while you work to neurological associate the 2 as joyful. #easybrainhack

mdruidd said:

he is asking for "Suggestions? Advice? Tough love?"
this simple, not blaming the weakness or smth lol

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thats tough love for me kid

ziplack said:

u are just weak

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Not everyone is built the same, so there's no need to be rude. By the way, this is also a form of weakness.

Matej said:

Use Lion's mane mushroom to improve concentration.

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I'll look into this. Fruiting body?

lucky.sparks said:

Go nature, take 1-2 hour long walks and be sure your sleep schedule is correct.

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Yeah need to incorporate more "being-in-nature" into my work schedule, been spending a lil too much time at home. Sleep schedule's fine, though, but perhaps my sleep quality has been a bit messed up lately.

lucky.sparks said:

I've solved this by switching to stronger stuff, but that will stop working at some point too.

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Recommendations?

lucky.sparks said:

Decide you aint no bitch material made and continue the grind if you have no other options.

Or fire some clients, that will be healthier. You have to be self-cautious and listen to yourself, and what is causing you the stress. And then cancel that cause. Even if it means less earnings, lost clients, or canceled projects.

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Will have to go with the former, tbh.

Heiko said:

Modafinil?

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I've noticed this stuff works in the short term but isn't all that great if you take it for more than a few weeks. I've used it intermittently but reluctant to make it a regular thing.

umbreno said:

My guess was Ephedra ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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Don't people get palpitations from that? I remember Ephedra from the days of the ECA stack.

ourfella said:

something to get yourself away from the screen for long periods 1-2 days a week

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Yep and I need this to be built into the system - - every time I leave it up to me, I end up skipping the break just to get some more work done.

Setox said:

I hated watching or reading anything about health, used to think that I'm a damn saiyan lol

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I'm very healthy though. I think this recent issue is more psychological than physical. But yeah you're right, physical health is a huge prerequisite.

indianmojojojo said:

Melatonin before bed helps, and ashwagandha. Burnout is pretty common for everyone. Most of them just don't show it. So dont kick yourself too much.

Also cut down caffeine, nicotine and alcohol. It really helps in the long term. Am without these for 9 years now.

What you can do is, give yourself little treats for the wins. One of my old bosses used to say celebrate small wins and take it easy. He kept telling me this " Don't run a marathon like a 100 meter race ". This was in 2009.

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Cutting down caffeine...yeaaah I'm gonna have to think about that
I already take Ashwagandha, great stuff. Melatonin...I only took that after traveling (for jet lag etc) I didn't know people took it on the regular.
Been alcohol and nicotine free for years.
yeah I've been putting too much pressure on myself, being too dismissive of small wins. That's definitely something I gotta work on.

ziplack said:

u are just weak

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Lol tough love, indeed.

Panther28 said:

You maybe have some issues like you realize you are time over-leveraged.

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Yeah, I think so.

Panther28 said:

work to neurological associate the 2 as joyful

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I used to do this, thanks for the reminder


---
Thanks for the advice, definitely helped me get into a more constructive mindstate. Also, reading BHW journeys have been helping quite a bit

Try fasting 36h or 48h.
And take a break as well. Do something completely unrelated to your job and outside.

noellarkin said:

I've noticed this stuff works in the short term but isn't all that great if you take it for more than a few weeks. I've used it intermittently but reluctant to make it a regular thing.

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It really depends on how often you use it per week. For sure its no permanent fix for your problem (which is my problem as well), but especially on very heavy days (in terms of workload) it makes sense. How much did you take and how often?