If you are burnt out but can’t quit

[Anonymous]

I am suffering from extreme burn out and work makes me anxious, but I can't quit yet so I'm going to try downshifting in 2022 to a less stressful job and hope it helps me coast to retirement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a fed who's already hit more or less what my high 3 number will be. I plan to downshift at some point and go be a park ranger or some other job where I still get more years, but have way less stress away from DC.

I posted above and I’m also a fed. Can we brainstorm ideas on less stressful fed jobs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a fed who's already hit more or less what my high 3 number will be. I plan to downshift at some point and go be a park ranger or some other job where I still get more years, but have way less stress away from DC.

I posted above and I’m also a fed. Can we brainstorm ideas on less stressful fed jobs?

As a fed there are jobs everywhere. First you need to decide where you want to live. Then just find some jobs you can live with doing. I've always wanted to be a park ranger or park guide. There are lots of jobs like that all over the country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a fed who's already hit more or less what my high 3 number will be. I plan to downshift at some point and go be a park ranger or some other job where I still get more years, but have way less stress away from DC.

I posted above and I’m also a fed. Can we brainstorm ideas on less stressful fed jobs?

As a fed there are jobs everywhere. First you need to decide where you want to live. Then just find some jobs you can live with doing. I've always wanted to be a park ranger or park guide. There are lots of jobs like that all over the country.

Good luck getting one though…even as a current fed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a fed who's already hit more or less what my high 3 number will be. I plan to downshift at some point and go be a park ranger or some other job where I still get more years, but have way less stress away from DC.

This is a dream job. How can you just decide to become a park ranger? Aren't those jobs difficult to get?

[Anonymous]

Don't become a park ranger. You will get just as burnt out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a fed who's already hit more or less what my high 3 number will be. I plan to downshift at some point and go be a park ranger or some other job where I still get more years, but have way less stress away from DC.

This is a dream job. How can you just decide to become a park ranger? Aren't those jobs difficult to get?

They're extremely difficult to get and also extremely difficult to do - I know two non-Fed (State and county) park rangers who burned out and quit. BTW both had grad degrees in the history of the place where they were rangers, as well as extensive training on historical education methods. Part of what got them was the law enforcement and sanitation duties that fall to rangers, and part was the constant threat of being downsized or replaced. They were both year-round workers but a lot of NPS rangers are seasonal workers which is a different pay and tenure situation.

Sorry to dump on PP's dreams - I think getting a completely different job is a fine idea - but ranger is up there with cake baker and cheese maker in terms of "dream jobs that are nothing like you're dreaming."

[Anonymous]

My staff basically had an intervention and made me take a couple days off (and got me a lovely gift basket). Realistically, I need to work for 20 more years and I just do not know how that's going to happen. I got a temporary promotion that I didn't really want, so hopefully things will be better once I drop back, but, then, I thought my old job was going to kill me.

[Anonymous]

I say bye b i t c h and quit. Now b i t c h come for other people not me.

Shittty government bullshit job. Pushing the papers. Suck big times.

[Anonymous]

I found a new job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Exercise is about the only thing that's helped me stay sane in the past few years. I am so burned out with work but I'm the sole breadwinner. It's not any one thing in particular but more like a build up of many smaller things. Running and lifting weights helps me clear my head.

+1. Also podcasts for some reason.

[Anonymous]

Yet another reason being a business owner is the best path. I can work as much or as little as I want, and during periods of burnout, I have scaled back, sometimes significantly so.

Not a solution now for OP, of course.

[Anonymous]

Nothing. I’m a teacher and can’t go easy on myself or cut any corners or multiple people suffer and parents complain.

[Anonymous]

I came to this forum to post this exact thing! I'm too close to my retirement benefits to leave now, but I'm so, so stressed out and making myself physically ill a few times a year from it. I have 6 years to go. I really wish I had more flexibility, but I also know I'll appreciate the pension in the long run.

I wish I could care less and coast a little more, but it's just not in me and as I've aged it gets harder and harder to handle the stress when compounded with older kids at home who need me.

[Anonymous]

If you happen to be an expert on horses, there's an ad on USAJobs for an Equine Herd Manager at Ft. Myer. It's a GS-14.

I know I for one already work with a bunch of horses you-know-whats, might as well make it official, right?