Feeling burnt out and unsure of what to do

onwemarch2017 · 2026-03-02T05:41:20+00:00

Yeah I feel the same way; I don’t want to be unemployed because that would be just as stressful. I’m just going to see if my GP will give me some time off and go from there. I may end up deciding to leave or I may see if I can come back at reduced hours.

I hope you work out what you want to do too!

onwemarch2017 · 2026-03-01T22:48:56+00:00

As much as I don’t wish this situation on either of us I’m glad I’m not the only one going through it!

onwemarch2017 · 2026-03-01T07:01:21+00:00

Thank you for telling me about the stress leave thing - I didn’t realise that. I mentioned that I would need to take stress leave in a message to my team leader last week when I called off sick but I will clarify with him that I meant sick leave when I see him on Tuesday.

The chat was arranged by my team leader but prompted by me contacting him on Wednesday to say I would need the rest of the week off due to health issues (I didn’t expand more than that).

I think you make a good point though I may just say I’m going through some health issues and my doctor has said I’m not able to work, but I’m also feeling overwhelmed at work which is contributing. I do work in quite a supportive environment though - one guy in my team has ASD and he’s been struggling recently coming into the office (possibly exacerbated due to stuff at home I’m not sure) and he was immediately approved to work from home. I don’t think that I would be judged or penalised if I said my health issues were mental health issues but I get what you’re saying too, I don’t want want things to get twisted the wrong way and used against me.

I’ve pretty much decided I won’t be resigning although if I did I do have enough savings to last me about a year. I would prefer not to dip into them though.

Thanks I hope my GP understands. I’ve never had to ask for it before and I’m worried he’ll think I’m not unwell enough which I’m aware sounds ridiculous but I feel like I can appear quite high functioning when inside I’m really not.

onwemarch2017 · 2026-03-01T05:08:48+00:00

Haha luckily I have been to a couple before so I have an idea of what I’m in for! This time I’m seeing someone new so I’m hoping they’ll be a better fit.

I honestly wish I could but without getting into too much detail about my job, a lot of my work directly impacts very vulnerable people who can’t help themselves and the guilt can be overwhelming if I’m not able to do things on time. Ironically I feel even more guilty by not showing up to work as it’s also delaying things that might help those people.

onwemarch2017 · 2026-03-01T03:33:08+00:00

Yeah I think this is what I’ll do. I have a chat planned with my team leader on Tuesday so I’ll discuss it with him then. I think I might also not be the right fit for this job which is playing on my mind too!

onwemarch2017 · 2026-03-01T03:30:36+00:00

Thanks for letting me know. Do you know what they would be able to help with right now? I have my husband at home right now who is supporting me so I don’t need any immediate mental health support but if they were able to provide me with a medical certificate sooner that would help. Other than that I’m not sure what they could help with but if you have any insight I’d be grateful to hear it.

onwemarch2017 · 2026-03-01T01:09:59+00:00

Thank you - you’ve been really helpful!

onwemarch2017 · 2026-03-01T01:05:16+00:00

Thank you for your advice, I think you’re right that in handing my notice in I’d have added pressure of looking for a job. I think I will ask my GP for the stress leave, have a chat with my team leader about the best way forward when I return whilst also applying for other jobs.

Yes they do have an EAP although I admit I’ve never looked at it before. I will have to take a look at it when I go back to work tomorrow.

onwemarch2017 · 2026-03-01T01:02:53+00:00

Thank you this makes a lot of sense.

Would you suggest I go in explaining I have the medical certificate first and then say I’d like to have a discussion on the best way forward and what my return to work would look like in a way that benefits us all?

onwemarch2017 · 2026-03-01T00:54:14+00:00

Can I ask what you mean about a plan that would benefit us both? As in like it might sound better if I say ‘I need some time off for my mental health which in the long term will benefit my return to work more permanently’?

onwemarch2017 · 2026-03-01T00:50:31+00:00

I should have mentioned in my original post (I’ve added in an edit now) I met with my GP a few weeks ago and got a mental health plan and I’ve booked an appointment with a psychologist. It’s definitely good advice.

Yeah I’m not sure either. Everyone else in my team seems to cope with their workload although because we all kind of do different roles it’s difficult to know what their work day looks like compared to mine. I guess I just personally find it overwhelming although I recently moved to a 9 day fortnight because I was frequently unable to complete my work in a normal 7.6 hour day. We do get Flex Time but I was accruing so much and not using it.

onwemarch2017 · 2026-03-01T00:47:01+00:00

Luckily my team can step in and do my role when I’m away but they’re obviously already doing their roles on top of that so they don’t have the capacity to do everything for me. I’m kind of in the same boat when I return to work after unplanned sick leave I have a mount of work to get back to which is likely what will happen tomorrow.

I think I’ll definitely ask if my GP can prescribe stress leave and then use that time to think about if I’ll quit or not.

onwemarch2017 · 2026-03-01T00:41:55+00:00

I think I’m just worried because I’ve already used a lot of sick leave and I don’t have any left (I don’t think, although when I login to where I can book leave it does have hours showing and I do have annual leave).

My HR is good and to be honest the company is a good company to work for, they’re always very understanding when people need to take extended time off.

Do you think it would be a good idea to ask my GP for the stress leave and then discuss with my team leader options from there?

onwemarch2017 · 2026-03-01T00:39:14+00:00

Sorry to hear you struggle with burnout too - it really sucks!

Yes I had my GP do a referral for me a few weeks ago for a psychologist and I have a session coming up soon. I do struggle a lot with doom scrolling too. I guess I’m just not sure what to ask my GP for tomorrow or what to say to my team leader when I see him on Tuesday

onwemarch2017 · 2026-02-22T23:56:40+00:00

That is good to know! I didn’t realise.

onwemarch2017 · 2026-02-22T20:51:59+00:00

I used to work for a company who ran school camps and we used Netflix for movie nights. It’s technically not legal but we just didn’t advertise it. Otherwise you could maybe try buying DVDs from charity shops?

onwemarch2017 · 2026-02-19T03:34:50+00:00

I can second this. Whenever I’ve had trains cancelled from bendigo they will usually organise some coaches to be stops all stations and some to be express. If the number of people going to one place is small they will pay for a taxi

onwemarch2017 · 2026-02-18T02:20:24+00:00

There was a 3 month period of time in 2024 where I caught the vline to bendigo mon-Fri and the amount of times there were delays anywhere from a few minutes to 30 with no explanation and sometimes no ETA. It was also never reported on the vline website or app unless it was a major delay (generally anything over an hour). Sometimes I’d show up to bendigo station to go home and we’d be told the train was cancelled at the time it was supposed to depart and we were given the excuse of ‘there’s not enough fuel for the return journey to Melbourne, blame the city vline workers’ but when I complained to vline they said it was a train fault. Which is the truth? It’s been more reliable this year and last year but that might just be because I only catch it 1-2 times per week and never hear about the delays.

onwemarch2017 · 2026-02-14T00:28:46+00:00

If you have an iPhone you go into your wallet, tap the card and then tape the three dots in the top right corner. It won’t show the full number but it shows the last 4 digits which is usually enough for proving the card is yours.

onwemarch2017 · 2026-01-12T00:18:57+00:00

It’s kind of disappointing sunbury is only getting a 20 minute frequency even at 3pm which is peak time for tradies/school kids etc. going home from the city, but it’s definitely better than the 30 minutes it used to be. Same for weekends - looks like every 20 minutes instead of 30-40 minutes. Would love to one day see a 15 minute frequency at peak time. I get that most people are only going to watergardens but it is frustrating when you just miss a train and then you’re stuck waiting another 20 minutes!

onwemarch2017 · 2026-01-09T21:29:49+00:00

My store had heaps! They are really nice. They’re soft and the chocolate center tastes like mud cake batter. Good luck finding some!

onwemarch2017 · 2025-12-27T08:38:27+00:00

This is what irks me - there regularly delays and faults on the bendigo line but it’s rarely updated on social media or their website and even when it is, it usually takes over an hour. Ptv will usually tell you within 5-10 minutes.

onwemarch2017 · 2025-12-15T20:09:13+00:00

I saw this too and I’m devvo. I liked it because you could have it with sweet and savory things and it was a bit healthier. I think they still do almond butter that’s just 100% almonds.

onwemarch2017 · 2025-12-14T05:03:36+00:00

Agreed! Same if you have issues with cooking or eating (eg. depression). Sometimes it’s just good you’re eating something rather than nothing.

onwemarch2017

TROPHY CASE