Any of you burnout ? How long did it take to recover and feel normal again?
Any of you burnout ? How long did it take to recover and feel normal again or does it stick with you forever ?
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Burnout recovery varies significantly depending on the individual and the circumstances. Based on the most helpful WSO content:
Short-Term Recovery: Some individuals found that taking a long weekend or a few days off to disconnect from work helped them start feeling normal again. This included setting boundaries, such as limiting phone and email access during the break.
Longer Recovery Periods: For others, especially those experiencing emotional burnout due to toxic work environments, recovery took much longer. One user mentioned it took about a month and a half after leaving a toxic job to begin feeling better. Regular gym sessions, maintaining a normal sleep schedule, and disconnecting from the world were key to regaining normalcy.
Persistent Effects: Some individuals reported lingering effects of burnout, such as physical symptoms (e.g., eye twitching due to lack of sleep) or emotional challenges. These symptoms could resurface during periods of stress or insufficient rest.
Comprehensive Recovery: For severe cases, recovery required significant lifestyle changes, including therapy, better sleep, exercise, and addressing the root causes of burnout. One user emphasized that simply taking time off or vacations might not be enough; deeper changes in habits and mindset were necessary.
Burnout can leave lasting impressions, but with intentional effort and support, many have successfully bounced back.
Sources: How to get over burnout, Have You Ever Burned Out?, Anyone want to share success stories for comeback from severe burnout early in career?, Intern Burnout, Considering Full-Time, Anyone Deal w/ Extended Burn-Out?
Anecdotally, it took about 12-18 months post leaving PE for me and a lot of my friends to feel like our pre finance selves again. The first few months after leaving were a very weird adjustment period.
I was unemployed for 6 months post PE and started partying like crazy. I think that really made me realize how much life I left behind in IB/PE and after joining a new gig, I can’t get myself to even want to work hard anymore
Crazy
Wondering this myself. Just finished my second year at an UMM / MF. Have option to stay but really feeling the burnout now.
Which MF/UMM if you don’t mind me asking — can be vague
Public MF
Took about 6 months off, was a solid 2-3 months before I felt remotely normal again, even without working at all during that time. I truly didn't think I could ever work again because I was so demotivated by my experience
Once started a new gig, was at least a year of working with normal/non-abusive people at 70% effort before I felt like I could work hard without burning out again. Feeling fine and happy working hard (but not same hours) several years later
Definitely recommend having good family/friend support and developing hobbies where you can
Hi, I've been struggling with something very similar. Left a toxic workplace and started a new job, but feel incredibly burnt out. Wondering if you could PM me? I'd love to get your advice on how you recovered and got better
CIO I really respect just had a Linkedin post saying that "Burnout is like a house that has burned down. A day off isn’t going to fix it; that’s akin to slapping a coat of paint on charred beams. It’s going to take time and effort to re-build…and more consistent breaks and time away from the office. It’s also going to require help/assistance from those around you. It’s possible, but difficult to build a house by yourself."
Left after 1 year, have been chilling for 14 months now and would say I’m still recovering
Took me about ~12 months to recover
I used to work in investment banking and left over a year ago because I was completely burnt out. Took time off before starting my MBA, and honestly, it’s only now that I feel like I’m slowly getting back to normal. Recovery has been way slower than I expected
Many people in the comments seem to be dealing with nervous system issues. It often takes a few months of consistent effort to improve this. Focus on practices like daily yoga nidra, reducing screen time and stimulating activities, cutting back on stimulants, and allowing your system time to heal.
just want to say thanks to others for posting. For me, it took ~12months which is much longer than I expected. I thought I was unique, but comforting to see that I am not. Feels like an abrupt loss of identity at first, but it enables you to gain a sense of self that is true and intentional rather than one tied up in programming and unconscious decisions.
Healing your identity and ego and reprograming your value system is the hardest and longest part.
Wait are these ppl in the comments just guys who got burned out after 1 yr IB??
Seems to be mostly people who did a minimum of 4-5 years in "high finance", but honestly, if you're in an incredibly toxic IB group for even 2 years, it can damage your mental health. I did my IB in an extreme sweatshop, and I always felt guilty when I wasn't working 24/7, or felt I needed to refresh my emails every 3-5 minutes. I was on a pretty active corp dev team following my IB role. It took me about 2 years to recover fully mentally.
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