Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation by Anne Helen Petersen, 2020
An incendiary examination of burnout in millennials—the cultural shifts that got us here, the pressures that sustain it, and the need for drastic change**
Do you feel like your life is an endless to-do list? Do you find yourself mindlessly scrolling through Instagram because you’re too exhausted to pick up a book?
Is there any point me contacting my GP about my #burnout? Can they actually do anything at all?
Asking cos I just went to make dinner. Found stuff I had to do first and had as meltdown in the kitchen, after which I had to retreat upstairs again to recover, without the food or drink I went down for. And now I'm stressed because I put stir fry in my app and I can't go make stir fry now so that's wrong, and I know I can change it but it's not that simple.
🧵 1/7 I’ve been here so many times before. Super excited and engaged on a task or event, particularly one that is coming in the future. I plan. I organize. I prepare. But somewhere along the way, perhaps right up to the moment of it actually happening, I run out of steam …
@actuallyautistic
At work, we had a designated quiet space. Today I learned they reverted it back to a conference room though we have many, mostly unused. It was an emergency decompression space. When I spoke up about this loss, I was told, “If someone has a problem with bells & whistles they probably don’t belong in a hospital.” They didn’t realize it was me. “Of course you belong here—you’ve been here forever—we all have to suck it up. We’re all burned out.” #autistic#burnout#audhd
The phrase "burnt out former gifted kid" has always given me the ick, but there are unique challenges/issues/traumas related to that experience that tend to come up in #autistic discussions and I've never encountered a good description.
Proposal for a slightly less icky alternative:
✨ burnt out former high achiever ✨
There was a time, many years ago, when I intended to go to law school after graduating college. But I suffered #burnout and never followed through. I had already taken the LSAT and been accepted.
I've only just self-DX as autistic. I've been thinking about all the ways that affected my life. I think I am beginning to understand a lot of things that never made sense.
I made this stir fry the other day and it tastes good but something about the noodle texture is a little off (I probably overcooked them), and because I'm so burnt out, I can't eat it.
The wherewithal to soldier through overcooked noodle texture is gone unfortunately. Maybe my mum will eat it. I don't like to waste food.
I really am so tired. I should just stick to safe foods. All I want is the easiest food.
Just emailed my bookkeeper to ask if I can just give her access to my emails and all the subscriptions she needs receipts and stuff for because I just don't have the capacity to do it myself and #AccessToWork still haven't even looked at my application, so no help to do it.
That is one of my full-time jobs in recovery, burnout which led to autoimmune. I’m convinced that my elimination diet was vital. Being cortisol resistant really messes up my appetite.
Ketosis gives me energy and a clear head. High nutrient density. As close to zero UPF-4 as I can manage. I cook.
Great place with a lot of real science online is DietDoctor.com
Fantastic for my neurodivergent nervous system. I think that's why we are so prone to autoimmune disorders. We have chronically high stress, which shuts down our immune system.
Speaking of #DemandAvoidance and #ADHD, the impending return of spouse, after nearly three years of #COVID in China, has me making my latest pass through the home for decluttering, tidying, etc. I’ve heard that #AuDHD leads to “level 1” hoarding, such as having difficulty getting rid of detritus. I believe it! Once I can get past my executive issue in initiating tasks, it’s easy! 🤣
Now if only I could avoid #burnout enough to make it easy all the time!