Feel empty
Hey everyone, today I woke up and all day I feel empty if that makes sense? Not sure how to explain it but I feel like no purpose kinda. Not sure but is this what burnout feels like? I’m a first year at a BB and still live in a flyover state so I only leave my house maybe twice every month. Maybe I should move?
Edit: although I work a lot, there is pockets of IB I enjoy and think that it’s worth it (doesn’t seem like it sometimes but can reflect on 80 hour weeks vs 100).
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For me, burnout was very similar, until I nearly completely lost my motivation to get any IB work done. I dreaded getting out of bed, started to struggle to start projects, and slowly delivered presentations with less and less quality. It led me to a state of depression which I’m still recovering from, even after quitting in December (~6 months into the job).
I don’t think I’m burnt out. I get a few saturdays off and watch Netflix or nfl when I’m doing mind numbing work. it just kinda hit me, I feel like part of me is missing
Sorry to hear about your experience. Do you think your loss of motivation/depression was a result of the super long hours or your disinterest in the work? I'm in a similar situation just that I'm working in S&T where the hours are not really long, so I sometimes question what is the reason for my bad mental state.
Anyone have any advice? Never fe like this before. I think I might be lonely idk
I’m catholic and don’t plan on changing but thank you for the reply
try and connect with your religion a bit
I’m a first year analyst and I feel the same exact way haha. Been working back to back 100+ hour weeks and it just makes me realize that this job and industry are nothing like I thought they would be. Now I’m taking the time to reflect on what I like and what I dislike about the things I’m doing so that I can find a career that won’t make me so depressed.
Side note: Not sure if this is a conflict of interest and don’t really care if it is but I’m starting a real estate investment company on the side and looking forward to using the paychecks/bonuses to purchase some properties and eventually never have to work again. Having a solid goal like that in mind and just taking some time to think about it every day can really help get you out of whatever hole you’re in. It’s really important to realize that you have endless options outside of IB so don’t feel like you’re trapped.
Yeah haha actually I talked to my dad about investing in real estate but don’t want the burden of managing peoples homes (I’d do a bad job at it). I think everyone wants to eventually work for themselves but most never do.
Self storage.
If you don't mind sharing, are you looking to get into residential, then just collect rent month-to-month? Have considered this myself but just don't feel like I have the time to manage multiple properties atm.
I've got a family friend friend that's willing to sell me an old building that I'd like to turn into a commercial property. Other than that, I was thinking about just using my bonus to purchase a few residential properties to flip and hopefully use whatever profit I make off of that to actually start purchasing properties that I could rent out.
I haven't had that feeling in IB thus far but I did get it pretty bad in high school. The best advice I can give is to get on an exercise regime (for me that was running) and to talk to some friends and family, not necessarily about the burnout but just opening up to people can help with working through the feeling (ask to just chat on the phone while you grind in excel). Afterward, I'd recommend looking at your long-term goals and either reaffirming your decision to stay in IB or potentially moving onto something that better aligns with the life you want. Hope this was at least a little helpful!
I think I miss people. I haven’t seen my friends in over 6 months. I get my bonus next month but honestly I don’t really get IB. Yeah, I have those hell weeks where I want nothing more than to quit but generally can handle 80 hours
Yeah man, I've just been calling up friends whenever they're free and I'm not in a meeting or call. Having some semblance of human contact really keeps you afloat. Honestly, this is why wfh is so shit imo. When I'm alone at 3am in my bedroom grinding away it feels like I'm the only one suffering like this, but it would really help to see my associate/other analysts also getting dicked. Not that I wish 90 hour weeks upon them but at least it wouldn't feel like I'm suffering uniquely
Get an apartment in Miami.
I’d be alone there
Saw this in another thread and I thought it was a good idea so I'll suggest it here too. Might be worth reaching out to some of your class to see if anyone else would be interested in setting up shop together in a nice locale like Miami. Effectively you're creating your own mini bullpen. This isn't something I'd recommend for some of the more serious mental health posts on this forum but since it seems like you actually don't mind the work and I don't read your original post as necessarily one of the more serious cries for help, I think this could be a nice change of scenery that perhaps gets you over the hump.
Bump
It's normal. Sometimes you feel the sense of purpose, sometimes you feel empty, sometimes you're happy, sometimes sad - all part of life. Strange that you only discovered this feeling just now.
To break out of it, try to find a purpose, like getting in a great shape, or building wealth to buy a house, or learning about things you're interested in (like astronomy, world cultures, etc.).
Yeah I think I just had a goal I’ve been going at but still feel the same way today. Might speak to a psychologist
Honestly seems like you feel isolated from others. This is part of the reason WFH has been so brutal, no one to suffer with in the bullpen. If you're friends with any other analysts maybe try to snag an apartment with them? If not then seems like this issue may prevail till you're back in the office, which who knows when that will be. Just know you aren't alone in this and please prioritize your mental and physical health.
Join a gym in your area that's popular amoung young people. Kills two birds with one stone: working out makes you feel a million times better, and social interaction is always a healthy plus if you make the effort to meet new people. Secondly, reach out and reconnect with old friends from hs, college, etc. A text message to an old friend out of the blue can go a long way in rekindling something from the past. Thirdly and lastly, while I know covid has made this difficult, go meet someone for a couple drinks. The superbowl is coming up - make plans to watch the game somewhere fun. Gotta take initiative and grab life by the balls or else this industry will succ you dry [and not in the good way ;)].
I think it will definitely pass. Just remember that tomorrow may not be tomorrow and live each day as the last.
That's called apathy and it's a common symptom of depression. How's your mental health doing?
That’s it, just googled it and that’s what I feel. I used to only doing finance (model, books, podcasts, everything) maybe now that it’s my job I realize I don’t really enjoy much? On the weekends I don’t do anything other than lounge around and wait for work on Sunday. Honestly, I’m not doing okay. Stress from IB has really let me go
Whether you're truly not interested in it anymore or not, I have no clue, but you're undoubtedly depressed if the feeling is permeating all aspects of your life. If it lasts for more than a few days and you feel disinterested with ALL things (not just finance, but potentially even normal aspects of life like cooking, cleaning, exercising, etc.) then you're experiencing a depressive episode.
You should know that it's not your fault and you aren't a bad person or anything for feeling this way. 7% of adults in the US suffered at least 1 major depressive episode in 2017, and that just comes from the people who actually reported it/sought help (meaning that the number is likely much larger). I'd imagine that the number is exponentially higher now because of COVID.
If this feeling persists for more than a week or two then you should seek professional help. It takes a truly strong person to recognize they need help and actually go out and get the help they need - you're not weak for reaching out. Remember this, no matter how rough you're feeling.
In the meantime, try to take mental breaks by doing something productive that gets your mind off work. If you can spare the time (which anyone can) then get some exercise (take a walk) and take a break from your phone, even if only for 10-20 minutes. Read a book, something that's not finance related. Take up another hobby like painting. Remove sources of distraction from your life by getting away from things like the TV, video games, and social media. If you absolutely feel terrible/totally unmotivated, then just get up and take a warm shower (or take a 20 minute bath if you can) and try to relax.
Above all else, try to find some GOOD friends that you can confide in. Go out with them if you can, but if you can't then definitely give them a call and focus only on the conversation. Tell them how you're feeling, and express gratitude that they're taking the time to talk to you. Ask them about their lives and try to get genuinely invested in their wellbeing by truly listening.
You're a good person OP - I'm sorry that you're feeling so rough right now. I can only imagine how hard it is to be holed up and working as much as you are right now. Just know that this is a temporary feeling, and that it will get better with time and effort (even if it potentially gets harder at first). Never lose hope. Feel free to PM me if you need someone to talk to; many people in my life have suffered from depression, and I've even had family members commit suicide, so I'm very invested in the normalization of mental health.
honestly if you feel empty try and go a few days without any form of short-term gratification (social media, porn, tv shows, fast food video games, vaping etc).
If you take 5 or so days off of all those things I guarantee you will feel more spark in your day-to-day. Not encouraging NoFap or anything crazy, just a vacation from short-term gratification
You normally have feelings? I remember feelings.
Can't say this situation a burnout but also you can't take it likely, Burnout starts with being emotionally drained or unable to meet continuous demands.
You just need a girl to snuggle with lol. Seriously, human interaction with people you like to be around is all it takes
I started using cbd and it helps with stress .. Also I get up from my desk to walk around/ stretch every hour or so .. Having gratitude helps .. you could always be in a worse position
Been where you've been, to the point where it sometimes feels scary how unfeeling I could get. Felt kind of like a savage (not in a good way). Something that worked for me was to try and ask for protected days off well in advance, and then book / plan a vacation around these days. It gives you something concrete to look forward to.
On a day-to-day, something that helped me break out of this was to start a new project. Things that inspired me the most were artistic ones, but I also put effort into personal finance (balancing my personal portfolio with a targeted retirement date, again something to look forward to in the long-term), along with brainstorming startup ideas.
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