In my experience, burnout is cured not by vacation, time away, switching teams, or switching companies. These are (attempted) implementations of the real cure: change of perspective.<p>Time away only helps if burnout is project related (not existential). Switching teams/companies only helps until you find the same situation has arisen in a separate company or context. The problem wasn't them: it was you.<p>The cure? Figure out what actually matters to you, and learn to treat everything that's not that as a means to that end and no more.<p>This is far easier said than done. Therapy works wonders. Perhaps even psychedelics. The point is to try new things and be active in your own decisions. The burnout is your brain telling you that whatever it is you're currently doing isn't a sustainable solution for happiness.<p>(Armchair psychologist here says the author needs to start his own lab. Again: easier said than done.)
One thing that surprises me looking at people who are burned out in engineering and PMC jobs is the amount of helplessness people feel despite being among the highest resourced people on the planet, especially in Silicon Valley. People who can afford houses, often have years worth of living expenses in their savings accounts, often have no dependents to support.<p>If your work is making you miserable, many of you can literally just stop and reassess your situation. Quit your job, spend the summer fishing and becoming a regular at your local pub. Go to Mexico for a month. The worst thing that can come from a break like that is that you have to explain the gap in your work history in one of best sellers' markets for engineering talent in recent memory.<p>And the potential upside is that you are able to evaluate your priorities and plot a new course forward that doesn't make you feel trapped or depressed. Maybe it isn't in engineering.<p>I have many friends who would kill for the opportunity to get off their treadmill and develop themselves and fix things about their career, life situation etc, but they can't because they would literally become destitute. If you're in engineering you very likely have a privilege that a shrinking minority of USians in particular have. Use it.
A traditional traeatment for this syndrome is to buy a muscle car or motorcycle and possibly make some conspicuous romantic mistakes.<p>I think it expresses a hope that finding something new that can engage your interest and energy will make the "joe job" frustrations a little easier to bear perhaps. There's probably other ways to meet that goal, but I dunno if it'll help. Depends on the victim.<p>Could also shed your worldly possessions and go walkabout for a while. At least it'll give you a different perspective.
Oof good luck, this can take years to recover from<p>Also a comment on this:<p>> If your worst case scenario is getting laid off then you aren’t being imaginative enough<p>The worst case scenario is killing myself, is that imaginative enough?
> The longer you survive in a business environment the more afraid you are of getting laid off.<p>You should try to make this not the case.<p>Be extremely valuable but a bit unpredictable.<p>Moderate your lifestyle so you can afford to have options.
It's better to burn out than fade away.<p>People on HN are constantly striving to meet metrics, when they should strive to be the ones measured to set them.<p>No amount of money will ever make you happy if you are forever in the former category.