Burnout from series of temp jobs

LegacyUser

Hi all,

I know this might seem like a good problem but I don’t know quite what’s wrong with me lately.

I cope really badly internally with starting new jobs (but seem to be very popular with people so I guess I come across well externally though internally it takes a lot out of me) and as I’ve only been able to get temporary work in recent years I have been on a treadmill of start and leave, start and leave, start and leave for quite some time. I get very attached to people and places and constant change doesn’t seem to suit my personality but I seem to be convincing people outwardly that all is fine. I was unemployed for a while so I do appreciate just having any job.

I am due to start a permanent job this week and I know I should be extremely happy about this and a while back I would've been over the moon about this but I think I've just hit some sort of wall. This new job will involve a very long and expensive commute (I've been there and done that numerous times before) and I only earn paltry wages though they should very slowly rise to the average salary in about 10 years’ time. I have had to leave a local job that I loved in order to take up this post. I really don’t want to leave my current job but it’s only a temporary contract and though they are trying their best to work on getting me a permanent contract it looks unlikely. I think I’m a bit burned out too as I haven’t had any proper annual leave at all in years owing to being on short little contracts on a consistent basis. I can't remember when I last had a full week off. I’m exhausted and feel like my nerves are shot. I don’t feel in the right condition to start this job later in the week but I absolutely have to. Are there any tips on how to cope with this? I am dreading commuting again too. I’m not a city person and would just love to keep my local job. I really appreciate being home earlier in the evenings and going for long walks through the countryside. I know I’m leaving on very good terms and if there is anything they can do I know they will do it. I’m still keeping my fingers crossed that they pull something out of the bag before I start the new job.

I’m just thinking at this point I am going through something deeper as I feel very tearful a lot of the time since I handed in my notice last week, I am so tired and exhausted, I am having nightmares about the new job and broken sleep, I’m getting back old feelings I had at the start of the year when I was starting a job with a long commute where I just wanted to die in my sleep (yet I’m not suicidal if that makes sense) - it seems to come from a feeling of complete physical and mental exhaustion.

I am trying to be rational and think of this new job as 1) temporary until I find something permanent in the locality (but realistically this could take years as there are simply very few/no vacancies in the locality) and 2) the wages will go up in time and that will be some little bit of consolation.

Any words of wisdom on how to cope with starting a new job and anyone else ever have those more worrying symptoms of being tearful, tired and uninterested in just about everything?

Fakediamond

You're just worn out really, aren't you?

I did a daily commute to Dublin by car for three years and it nearly killed me by the end. And, at that, I stayed over Wednesday nights with a friend to break up the week. I now work locally and totally get what you mean about getting home early and walking (the dog). I couldn't do it again and it seems that this might be part of what you're feeling.

Is there no way of staying local, even if pay and conditions are not as good?

Maybe you need to write up a list of pros and cons for each option and really think about what you want, what is achievable, and what can you live with, financially, socially,etc.

If you really feel unable to start this week, can you ask for a few more days off before your start date? Start next week instead and have a rest and clear your head before beginning a new job.

Wompa1

Don't know..only because with my own personality, I don't like working. I have always worked though, I just don't enjoy it.

Since 2012, I have changed jobs at least once a year. It is exhausting changing and figuring out the politics, process, surroundings etc. At least if you're the type who wants a permanent job, you'll be getting that and this could be the last time you have to go through it for a long time. New jobs are tough...I always look at the negatives when I start a new job and wonder what I've gotten myself in for. But within 3 months or so, you usually just click and things are normal.

I won't be getting a break in the foreseeable future. I'm planning on taking an entire month off in 2018. Maybe you would benefit from setting a goal of some time off within the next year?