3 ms·
I know depression, and it makes you a cold, heartless realist. Yes, your skills, your town and the job market are, unfortunately, as you have described. But dep
by MDCore 14y ago
I know depression, and it makes you a cold, heartless realist. Yes, your skills, your town and the job market are, unfortunately, as you have described. But depression also makes you discount the positive. You have two years gross in the bank! You could walk out of that job, party for twenty-three months and then start to look for a job.
But you're not going to do that. You're going to take a few months holiday and rest. Breathe. Get that fire back. If you go back to work now you'll just hate your job again, and let down the nice people that hired you. Rather convalesce, and then take some time once you're thinking less like a depressed person to brush up on your skills, to see what the market is like in town now that you feel hopeful, or what the best city to move to is.
A friend of mine quit his job with two years salary in the bank, and he's been doing odd contract work. After a year he looks and behaves like a different person. He's healthy, he smiles, he is engaging. You are burnt out, but it is not the end of the road, it is the low point, and you have a great opportunity to turn it around.
- yajoe 14y agoI don't have a friend. I was that person just 6 months ago. I cannot agree more with MDCore about taking time to rest and decompress. That said, one of the ways you fully rest is having a plan. In my case I was fortunate enough to have a job lined up as soon as I quit. But it's not necessary. Focus on the plan. The plan could be "figure out what to do." The plan could be "do a start up." Whatever it is, plan to rest for a few months. If future employers ask about the gap, just say you were doing a start up, and use the start up to sharpen your skills. Everyone gets the bubble is going on, and everyone you would want to work for will understand. The startup shouldn't be stressful. It shouldn't be about making money. It should be something that you enjoy and that lets you return to yourself. I am in a much, much better place now, and a big reason for that was rest. I cannot emphasize it enough. It's much, much more important that you rest for a few months than worry about what's next. Give yourself permission to do so. (Related post, it took 5 months just to write about my experience: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3704261 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3704261)
- MDCore 14y agoThanks for pointing out that having a plan can reduce stress. I'm not one for plans myself, so I didn't think to mention it. I don't think there's anything wrong with saying "I was burnt out and took a six month holiday." That tells me that one has some insight into themselves and has made some effort towards self-development. But I see acknowledging weakness as a sign of strength; others might not take that approach.