
Ask HN: What do you do when 50%+ of your time is fighting your will to quit - toss_it_away
I&#x27;ve been struggling lately, I suppose this is what many would term &#x27;burn out&#x27;, with spending half of my work day resisting the urge to just get up and walk out or submit my two week notice. It makes it extremely difficult to focus and get things done and acts like a distraction multiplier. I&#x27;m starting to think maybe I should see a psychologist.<p>Any feedback, blunt or brutal, sympathetic or encouraging, is greatly appreciated.<p>Thank you.
======
starshadowx2
Just to add, I've felt this same way for a while now. Not with work, but just
life in general.

It's hard enough fighting the world to survive when you're fighting against
yourself too. There's a very strong pull to just "giving up" to resist.
Luckily I guess I just have too strong of a self-preservation instinct.

I've been considering the same thing as you though. Just giving my notice,
moving away somewhere new and starting fresh. Maybe go back to school for
something, start my own business, make new friends. I've even been considering
just going on a short vacation somewhere by myself to just "clan out" my cache
and temporary files. (IT joke there I guess.)

Seeing a psychologist sounds like a good idea. Sadly there aren't any good
ones where I live, which is just another reason to move.

So that's at least my take on this. For me it seems that just up and going,
and starting somewhat over feels like my best option.

~~~
starshadowx2
Man, I hate noticing spelling mistakes hours after posting.

I meant pull to just "give up" and "clean out"

------
JoeAltmaier
It all depends upon whether the issue is outside or inside yourself. Moving to
a new job only leaves one of them behind.

That said, I quit a bad situation once. Dropped a resignation letter in the
boss' box, walked to my car, rolled the windows down and drove slowly around
town with the radio on. Serendipitously the song was "Takin care of business"
which put a perfect cap on it.

Found a new startup in less than a month, and felt much, much better. So it
_can_ work!

------
greenyoda
1\. How long has it been since you had a vacation? Working a long time
(especially, long hours) without a break can lead to burnout.

2\. You didn't mention anything about what your job is actually like. For
example, if your job is boring and your manager is an asshole, you don't need
to see a psychologist - you need to look for a better job.

~~~
toss_it_away
1\. A vacation like a real vacation (not just time off)? A long time.

2\. My job isn't horribly by any means. I have a lot of say in what I do and
oversee it and development. A lot of responsibility rests on my shoulders and
at times it stresses me.

I've lost the passion for what I'm working on and the "direction" of the
company. Maybe I'm just being a stereotypical millennial.

I should add that I have a wife and children so my actions and decisions to
quit don't just affect me.

