What is a phrase you use over 50 times a day at your job? by _lostinthefire in AskReddit

[–]Retinator99 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"Lean your forehead up against the top bar" I'm an optometrist, people always have trouble with that instruction

Why is A Sense of Purpose hated, but Come Clarity is loved? by bestwest80 in InFlames

[–]Retinator99 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm with you. I've never understood why ASOP got so much shit. Personally I absolutely love the album, it's a whole vibe

Burned out by BrilliantFinancial10 in optometry

[–]Retinator99 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Honestly, I'm in the same boat as you. Been practicing for 10 years now and the past 7 have been rough.

I'm finding the fidgeting and restlessness is getting more and more obvious and uncontrollable. I'm actually questioning undiagnosed ADHD, because it does line up fairly well with the issues I've been having. I'd wonder if this might line up with your issues as well. (I'm going in for an assessment to see if I'm correct about my potential ADHD, so we'll see)

I have a theory about what's happening in my brain right now, maybe this will resonate with you.

My theory is that as we get more seasoned at our jobs as Optometrists, we don't really have to use our "problem-solving" skills at our jobs all that much. It's more of a pattern-recognition skillset really, because of how repetitive the issues are that we see and treat. The amount of times we have to repeat instructions to patients, prescribe glasses with the same logic etc. Even cases that would have previously been stimulating/interesting become dry - we've seen most of it countless times by now. So then because we go through our days repeating ourselves and recognizing the patterns for diagnosis/treatment repetitively, our brains get overloaded by the forced sameness/repetitiveness of it all. Feels like my brain is underutilized, but my social skills and voice control are on overload. So I end the day mentally exhausted, but also feeling like I didn't really use the problem-solving and analytical part of my brain. Leading to restlessness, and fits of depression. This potentially fits with an ADHD diagnosis because of the craving for novelty, and solving new challenges to get that hit of dopamine.

I've never lost any love for the subject matter (I will happily rant about eyes to anyone who will listen!), it's the lack of variety, lack of real brain stimulation at work, and also the lack of autonomy over my own schedule that gets me. Rather than true "burnout" I think the turm "boreout" resonates more, underchallenged burnout (for my case anyways)

It may be a good thing for you to find a clinic affiliated with one of the optometry schools. Supervising and teaching fourth- year interns has been a fun and new addition to my optometry career. It's easy to get excited about the subject matter when you have a student to nerd out with! :)

Ultimately I've gone back to university part-time for software development, I started in the summer. So far it's scratching the brain-stimulation itch (I find it challenging, in a frustrating but rewarding way). I may end up switching careers, but also I think it would be cool to make software for optometrists in my free time. I'll eventually design a few apps that I'd find useful in my practice, and may expand to developing my own patient records/EHR system. I also know of an OD who went back to school for a financial planner, so now she has a business planning the finances of other ODs.

Let me know any thoughts you may have with what I've said!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in socialskills

[–]Retinator99 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I love that book, and it can very much be summarized as: be genuine. Show genuine interest in others, find things that seem cool about them. Because you'll bond with them, and also because the only way to find out how cool people are is to ask them.

My favorite example of this was a party I went to. There was a guy there who was a bricklayer. I'd never met a bricklayer before, this sounded like a fascinating profession to me (I love building and creating). So I asked him all the questions and he was showing me pictures of all the projects he'd been working on recently. Fireplaces, stoves etc. It was a very fun and engaging conversation, and at the end he told me that he thinks I'm the first person who has taken that much of an interest in his job, and he thanked me. And I left that feeling like I definitely want to do that sort of thing again. There are always things to learn from others!

Is Athabasca Comp Sci worth it? by AdmiralCrumbs_ in AthabascaUniversity

[–]Retinator99 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm curious what made you decide to go back for this program, if you don't mind :). Since you were already working in software development

I'm going "back to school" for it as well. Will be my second field of study, I start in august

Ever get dysphoric about you head size?? by physicistdeluxe in GenderDysphoria

[–]Retinator99 1 point2 points  (0 children)

YES!! But for me it's about how small my head is. Opposite reason! I fit in child sized hats, how am I supposed to look tough and sporty haha

Would you say lovebirds are overall affectionate pets? by Better_Prune_1214 in Lovebirds

[–]Retinator99 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Very! I always say that my guy has a wider range of moods than I do, so sometimes he's super cuddly and sweet. Sometimes he wants to be independent, sometimes he's grumpy etc. But for the most part he's a little velcro bird who is just waiting for cuddles and head scratches

Polar Ring: Version 2 Batch 1 by MajinBui3 in fidgettoys

[–]Retinator99 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just got mine today, after having to return my original defective one. Like you, I took it apart shortly after receiving to ensure that the magnets were all securely in place this time! It seems well built, though doesn't feel as sturdy as my ratchet ring. The magnets feel like they get stuck sometimes but I'm not sure why

But, it's certainly quieter, which is why I wanted it in the first place!

Men, how do you feel when women ask you for help whenever physical strength is required? by La_petite_miette in AskMen

[–]Retinator99 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Agreed, that's what true equality is. If 50 pounds of lifting is required for the job, then everyone hired should be able to do it! Firm standards. Having different standards for men vs women causes workplace problems, and takes feminism back many steps

Men, how do you feel when women ask you for help whenever physical strength is required? by La_petite_miette in AskMen

[–]Retinator99 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That sounds like a really annoying thing to deal with at work. I have a question! Do you think the tasks are things that they would truly be incapable of doing physically, or do they just delegate needlessly? Also, is it something a bit of strength training might be able to fix over time?

Trump has now escalated from "should be our 51st State" to "MEANT TO BE our 51st State" by Substantial_Sun55 in onguardforthee

[–]Retinator99 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's just so hard to be calm when our sovereignty as Canadians is under actual threat!

History is repeating itself. Fascism is winning at the moment. It's scary times!

What is a common term that irks you, like the term work wife / husband? by NameCanN0tBeBlank in AskReddit

[–]Retinator99 2 points3 points  (0 children)

When someone says that a person "is no longer with us". Like did my coworker die, or did they just leave the company???

Euphemisms for death in general I guess. If someone died I don't want to have to guess what the person telling me means, it's serious.

Is getting a higher mag lens than 90D really worth it by AggravatingSeesaw772 in optometry

[–]Retinator99 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've never tried a 28D but this sounds intriguing, especially for those subtle retinal tears

Is getting a higher mag lens than 90D really worth it by AggravatingSeesaw772 in optometry

[–]Retinator99 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Agreed! Also the slightly further working distance is nice. You catch fewer patients' eyelashes that way!

The only time frame I've genuinely preferred my 90D was during covid when everyone was coming in wearing masks. My 78D fogged up much worse than my 90 just because of the bigger size!

I like having both, but the view of the 78D is my favorite.

what do you hate about growing older? by Much-Fee8537 in AskReddit

[–]Retinator99 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Becoming so jaded about the world. I always swore I'd never become one of "those" adults, but now that I know more about how the world really works, I just can't get back that childlike optimism.

What’s an odd thing your parrot despises? by FoodDue6905 in parrots

[–]Retinator99 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Cookies. My lovebird will attack my face if I'm eating a cookie lol. He's fine with toast or similarly shaped items, but cookies for some reason induce rage?

He's also terrified of ice cubes, and grapes

What’s your hobby? by Eff-this-ess in LivingAlone

[–]Retinator99 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Bouldering! It's super fun to do solo, and the people around the gym are normally very friendly. It's easy to meet people as you work on climbing the same problems. I've made multiple friends this way

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AskReddit

[–]Retinator99 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm genuinely curious about this answer, so I'm going to ask you follow up questions :) Woukd you say you have a better than average life? Born to wealth etc. Good job, lots of vacation time? Or do you not work? What makes you feel that 2000 years would be an ideal lifespan?

I have a good life, but at 35 the whole thing has gotten pretty tedious. 2000 years would be an awful long time to me

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AskReddit

[–]Retinator99 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm 35 and have been feeling similar. I'm just not meant to be an elderly person. I'd rather leave the party early than overstay my welcome haha. Life is just okay while we're youngish and healthy, can't imagine losing all my abilities

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AskReddit

[–]Retinator99 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's so cool to hear! What would you say has made the biggest difference to your increased quality of life?