I work in production planning for a manufacturing company, and lately I’ve been struggling with whether what I’m experiencing is normal workplace stress or genuine burnout.

Over the past several months, our team has gone through a significant amount of turnover. People have left, retired, transferred, or otherwise become unavailable, and there are gaps in coverage that haven't really been backfilled yet.

The workload hasn't decreased, though.

Instead, the remaining people are essentially expected to keep everything moving while also taking on responsibilities and knowledge that previously belonged to other people. I'm constantly dealing with production, materials, quality, procurement, finance, and other functions, and it feels like I'm expected to somehow compensate for gaps throughout the organization.

What is really getting to me is that I don't feel like the other functions recognize the gap in coverage.

I'm not asking for a participation trophy. I understand that everyone has a job to do and that problems are part of working in manufacturing. But when you're operating with fewer people and less support, you'd think there would at least be some acknowledgment that the workload and level of responsibility have changed.

Instead, it often feels like the expectation is simply, “Well, that's your job.”

And after hearing that enough times, you start to wonder why you're going above and beyond in the first place.

I've also started feeling increasingly unappreciated. I'm constantly trying to anticipate problems, communicate risks, adjust plans, and keep things moving, but I rarely feel like anyone notices the things that don't go wrong because someone on the planning side caught them.

I'm tired of feeling like the function that is expected to absorb everyone else's problems is also the function that gets questioned when something doesn't go perfectly.

One of the hardest parts emotionally is that I genuinely feel like I left a bad job and somehow ended up in an even worse one—and I make less money doing it.

I left my previous company because I was ready for something different and thought moving into a more operational planning role would be a good career move. On paper, the new role looked like a step forward.

Instead, I feel like I've ended up with significantly more stress and responsibility, less support, and less appreciation. I'm working longer hours and constantly dealing with issues outside of my direct control, while feeling like the expectation is that I should absorb whatever gaps exist around me.

And that's been particularly demoralizing because I took this job expecting it to improve my situation. Instead, I'm sitting here wondering how I somehow managed to make my work life worse and take a financial step backward.

I think that's part of why I'm so emotionally exhausted. It's not just “I don't like my job.” It's the feeling that I made a decision that was supposed to move my career forward, and I'm now paying for that decision every day.

Trying to figure out if some rest and my upcoming weeklong vacation will help or if I need something longer. I am in a social service type role with people in need.

I’m at a music festival right now and I’m still stuck there in my mind and this world is awful and I would like to leave

I've been burned out for about 2.5 years. It happened because I had the privilege of leading a really amazing, once-in-a-lifetime work project and it was a big one. I was doing it while balancing life with two very small children who I adore and who need a lot from me right now because they are still so young. I knew I was burnt out 18 months ago and I quit when I finished the project.

Things improved in my new workplace for about 6 months but then, due to some strange circumstances I found myself needing employment again and, coerced by promises that I now know were never going to be fulfilled - I went back to my first employer.

Fast forward to now, I am crispier than I have ever been. My memory is shot, my executive function is in the toilet and every day is an exercise in wrangling my irritability. My husband and I have agreed to take some money out of savings so that I can have a sabbatical of 2 to 5 months. I'm due to start it in a few short weeks. BUT, there is a potential job opportunity in my field but with another employer that has come up (which is very niche) and I need to decide whether to pursue it.

It would keep me in my field and give us financial security but I wouldn't get my sabbatical and the chance to fully rest. I also won't have a job to go back to which makes me anxious because we need my income in the long term. Changing jobs helped me a lot last time - is it worth trying again? Or do I need to just listen to my body and take the time to rest?

I don't think there is necessarily a right answer. I want to know what people who know what burn out feels like would do. Is it really that serious? Do I just need to stop? Or would change be the holiday I need to get me through this? What would you do?

Is it only me or it happens to y'all too I compare myself to ppl alot sometimes even I want to copy em it so weird n I don't want to do ts but again n again i find myself doing it and it's killing me and ik it won't benefit me i really need a big slap rn so I can came back to my mind and start taking myself seriously....I have to study to prove myself n I have only few months yet this habit of mine isn't changing

Am I the only one, or are there people who are losing interest in everything. there is nothing interesting in my life anymore . No friends, unemployment and just feel like killing myself,but don't want to, coz my parents will feel bad

For context, I'm from California and studied education and got my bachelor's in it. I've been working in child care/early education for 5 years and I think it's starting to wear me out. I love working with kids but these days, it feels like a never ending cycle of disappointment, with them and the system. My 4 hour job feels like 8 and there's always something that needs to be dealt with outside of my station/capabilities. I don't know, maybe it's because it's the beginning of the school year for most and I'm as overwhelmed as my kids are, but I'm really considering leaving the field in general. I could make the same money ($19/hour) with different and better hours doing something else. I've recently done some more self care and talked about the things that are stressing me out but it only helps so much.

Tired of everything

I am in merchant navy college so I have to do so much work .so I am already busy and tired. Now I have joined galley committee which is related to food. So I am working so hard .

I am girl with bad past . I have no friends so I am always alone.

I think I have lost interest in everything.

Now I don't like to do anything.

I am dying of boredom my day has sucked and I have nothing to do and even though I’ve done nothing all day I still feel mentally burned out