Overcoming Emotional Erosion

I have noticed in previous weeks that I have little or no interest outside of my professional goals. I’ve been content with watching reruns of sitcoms for the duration of my meals and only concern myself with my professional goals. I don’t have any particular interest in games, tv shows, fiction novels or pop culture. I’ve also found it difficult to hold conversations with others since I steer the conversation to my professional scope (what I’m studying, where I worked, etc.). I also think due to other circumstances, that I’m exhibiting symptoms of mild depression by regressing and avoiding instances of self improvement (such as working out, socializing, etc.) I feel like I’m quite literally waiting to die by suicide or a heart attack.

I’d like to avoid spiralling out of control and further damaging my mental and physical health. I was wondering if anyone else has dealt with something like this.

9 Comments
 

Hey man, sorry to hear you’re having a tough time. I feel that, especially now when social interaction is so limited. I know what it’s like to lose interest in hobbies and others, and just throw yourself into your work. For me it was a coping mechanism, and it worked for a while. Consider talking to a therapist or someone close to you about this, you could be depressed and need some help or a shoulder to lean on. Happens to all of us. Hang in there, ask for help from someone offline and/or talk to a therapist who might be able to point ya in the right direction.

 

You have to think about how to have fun and get the HR up. You should be hitting high HR numbers a few times a week to stay healthy. Keep in mind if you don't stay fit and active it can be detrimental to your health and can get worse over time. You don't have to eat completely clean, but get in your fruits and veggies as you can. Make a deal with yourself to strive to be healthier and your fog will gradually be lifted. Good luck. 

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

What does HR mean in this context? 

Heart Rate 

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 
Most Helpful

Take a week off. Even if you don't go anywhere (thanks, COVID) take a week off of work. 

What this will do is tell you if you're burnt out or not. If by midway through the week you're in a much better place, mentally, then boom - there's your answer. If by midway through the week you're not feeling better and still aren't more interested in hobbies, working out, hooking up with girls, etc. then you might be struggling with depression. In that case, you should talk to a professional, because that shit can be fixed. I also agree with getting your test levels checked. 

Also, it's not a popular sentiment on WallStreetOasis, the home of people jerking off to how many hours they can be in the office on a Sunday, but you have to make a point to maintain interests and hobbies. If you do nothing but focus on work, when you burn out at work (which is inevitable for anyone who works hard) it feels like your entire life is crumbling down...because at that point all you are is your job. 

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