This is so true. I worked at a callcentre for two years, doing crazy shifts for more money, with lots of overtime and short weekends…it was my first job. I liked the money and because I was young and stupid, I wanted to prove myself and did way more than I was paid for.
The people that worked there for many years saw it coming and told me to take it slow or else I’d burn out. I ignored them and the signs my own body gave me. When I was tired, I went to the coffee machine and made myself a triple espresso. “Here we go again!”
Then came the day where I tried to go to work and just…stopped functioning. I sat at my desk with the headset on and couldn’t do anything anymore. I never felt so tired in my life and fell asleep on the toilet in the company bathroom. I still remember my dad driving me home and falling onto my bed, but not a lot else.
It took 1.5 years to get my energy back and the first few months are just a blur. I must’ve slept for weeks, with the occasional toilet breaks and some snacks in-between. Worst of all, I never regained all of the energy I had before that happened. Burnout is a bitch and what I did back then will follow me for the rest of my life.
This is so true. I worked at a callcentre for two years, doing crazy shifts for more money, with lots of overtime and short weekends…it was my first job. I liked the money and because I was young and stupid, I wanted to prove myself and did way more than I was paid for.
The people that worked there for many years saw it coming and told me to take it slow or else I’d burn out. I ignored them and the signs my own body gave me. When I was tired, I went to the coffee machine and made myself a triple espresso. “Here we go again!”
Then came the day where I tried to go to work and just…stopped functioning. I sat at my desk with the headset on and couldn’t do anything anymore. I never felt so tired in my life and fell asleep on the toilet in the company bathroom. I still remember my dad driving me home and falling onto my bed, but not a lot else.
It took 1.5 years to get my energy back and the first few months are just a blur. I must’ve slept for weeks, with the occasional toilet breaks and some snacks in-between. Worst of all, I never regained all of the energy I had before that happened. Burnout is a bitch and what I did back then will follow me for the rest of my life.