Burned out worker should consider seeking medical help

Dear J.T. & Dale: I am having trouble with procrastination. I have been working at home for over a year and have been highly productive, but now I just feel incredibly burnt out. Every day is the same. And I’m falling behind in my work. I don’t how to tell my boss. I’m afraid I’ll be let go. Suggestions? — Kyra

J.T.: You are not alone. People have been isolated and feeling high levels of stress due to the uncertainty of the pandemic. I would talk to your health care professional and see if they can provide some techniques to help you work through the burnout phase. If you are unable to resolve it within a month or so, then I think you should reach out to your boss, but you can at least say you’ve been actively pursuing ways to treat it via the health care system (which would make it more difficult for you to get fired). The most important thing is to seek help. Think of it this way: If you can get help yourself, it’s very likely you’ll be able to pay it forward and help somebody else in the future.

DALE: Well said. Please seek out counseling. In the meantime, as someone who’s worked at home for many years and has had to overcome various stages of procrastination, I’d suggest one trick: The magic of bite-size goals. You know how snack manufacturers convince you that it’s OK to eat a candy bar if it’s just one tiny one? Then you eat five. Same with work assignments. When I have something I don’t want to do, but know I should, I tell myself something like, “I’m going to do this for the next 20 minutes, and then I’m going to (fill in something pleasant).” And I set a timer. Often, I’m so pleased with the progress that I keep going, but mostly I stop and then come back, and it’s easier to do it again the next time. Before long, you might find you’re forgetting to procrastinate.

Dear J.T. & Dale: I was in my first year of college when COVID-19 hit. I told my parents I didn’t want to go during COVID-19 because I didn’t want to take classes online. This fall, when it was time to return, I told my parents I wasn’t going back. I don’t want them to spend that kind of money on tuition. Instead, I want to work and take some time to figure out what I might like to do. They are furious with me and think not getting a degree is a huge mistake. Do you agree? — Clark

DALE: As someone with a lot of graduate work and who was on the adjunct faculty at a couple of local colleges, I share your parents’ view that college is an end in itself. It can be a kind of heaven — years of discovery and camaraderie. Many of my friends look back at college as the best time of life. I hope you’ll keep an open mind and buy some time by telling your parents you’re taking a “gap year.” Perhaps you’ll figure out a career and decide the degree would be of use.

J.T.: I disagree. I think that if you are not seeing the value in school, then it’s a waste of money. I can’t tell you how many kids I work with who graduate from college having put either

themselves or their parents in debt, and don’t have anything to show for it. A college degree really doesn’t prep you for a career. It does teach you a little bit about living on your own and learning how to learn, and, while those are important, there are other ways to learn them. That said, I would encourage you to commit to figuring out what you want to do next. I think your parents’ biggest concern is that the years will slip away, and you won’t figure things out and then it may feel like it’s too late to go back to school. So, be sure that you really focus on a plan and find a direction.

Jeanine “J.T.” Tanner O’Donnell is a career coach and the founder of the leading career site www.workitdaily. com. Dale Dauten is founder of The Innovators’ Lab and author of a novel about H.R., “The Weary Optimist.” Please visit them at jtanddale.com, where you can send questions via email, or write to them in care of King Features Syndicate, 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803. (c) 2021 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.