Any #neurodivergent folks have tips for rebuilding after recovering from burnout?
I've given up on getting a proper assessment or even being heard by my so-called primary care provider, so ADHD meds are a pipe dream.
So I need to figure out how to earn a living without crashing again, which means 40-hour weeks and commuting are a no-go.
I do not feel particularly confident at this point tbh.
@StaceyCornelius Since you already seem to be doing freelance(?) things, a bit of relevant but counterintuitive advice that's not given frequently enough: the more you charge, the less expectations customers have from you, and the more likely they are to hire you.
For me this has helped tremendously in reducing the stress in my life and allowing me to recover; by charging more, I've been able to both reduce my needed working hours *and* also remove much of the stress involved, because it turns out that this swiftly eliminates the "demands the world for a penny under impossible deadlines" category of customer.
@joepie91 That's smart strategy. The state of the economy has hit my business hard and I need to pivot, but yes, I'm selling myself as someone with expertise vs an order-taker. It makes a difference.
One big challenge right now is finding clients with budget. The tantrum-throwing tariff toddler plus "AI" has created a massive dumpster fire.
I really shoulda gone to welding school.
@StaceyCornelius Yeah, I can see that being a problem ☹️
The one other thing I can think of is that plumbing apparently pays well and has been paying well for a long time, so maybe something similar is possible there, but I don't know if it pays well *enough* to reduce the hours worked
@joepie91 Gah, yes it pays well but plumbing is often nasty work if you're doing repairs or renos, or have to be on a job site at the crack of 7 if you're working on new builds. Plus sexism.
To quote Gilda Radner, "It's always something."
@StaceyCornelius This is a bit tangential maybe, but I wonder if marketing yourself as an "off-hours plumber" (which is to say, evening plumber) might work there to work independently (ie. less sexism) and avoid the early jobs, while also being able to charge more?
Doesn't solve the nasty work part of course.
@joepie91 True. There is one gal who has her own business and she keeps her range pretty tight to the area where she lives.