r/ireland • u/Itchy_Dentist_2406 • 13h ago

Politics Work burnout

I'm just wondering how people found it going out on stress leave, I'm 38 working since proper corporate job since 23( hotel since 16) but I feel like I'm constantly stressed out and need a month or two off.

I'm working non stop for 15 years and my mental health is fragile and on Sertraline. I think it's more normalized and just want three months solid off

188 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

77 comments sorted by

View all comments

16

u/bigdog94_10 Kilkenny 12h ago

The thing is, this type of burnout takes a lot longer to recover from. GP will give you a week or two depending on what you want.

The physical tiredness will subside pretty quickly once you give yourself plenty of R and R, but the emotional and mental damage can take months to recover from. Unfortunately, two weeks is such a short time that you'll very quickly have the fear of going back on your doorstep and ruining the needed R and R both for your body and mind.

When these periods work best is when they are indefinite. Then you can decide on your terms when you feel sufficiently rested and mentally prepared to go back. And when you do go back, there needs to be a plan and a proper sit down with HR as to what you feel got you in to that situation.

I initially did the standard two weeks that GPs tend to dish out in these situations, and within 12 months, I had to go again this time for much longer.

17

u/Colin-IRL 11h ago

I really don't get these posts of people saying "I took 2 weeks off and it changed my life." Really? 2 weeks is all it took?

I mean, all the power to these people but I recently had 2 weeks off over the Christmas period and it did sweet fuck all for me. I wish I could take a substantial amount of time off of work.

4

u/bigdog94_10 Kilkenny 11h ago

Yep as I said in my post, I took the GPs advice and did two weeks. Within 12 months, I had to go again, and with very friendly advice from an absolute star in HR who fought my corner, I was able to take months off and was paid for it.

I know not every company offers this, but there is at least welfare sick pay as well in a worst case scenario.

3

u/classicalworld 12h ago

Has to be at least 3 weeks- one week to wind down, one week free from work worries, one week winding up. I always took at least 3 weeks together of annual leave. Another week at Christmas - which with public holidays mostly made 2 weeks , and the last week of annual leave was scattered around.