A little too overwhelmed - suggestions?

Happy new year! :)

I know it's not an ideal new year post. But hear me out.


I was a hyper productive, hyper competitive chap in my previous job. Like most of us, I thrive in anxious environments, and I thrive in competition. I switched jobs because the anxiety became too much ( we all have our break points, right?). This job is not even close to "Anxiety". No defined quotas, they keep changing. The lead influx has dropped and dropped and became 1 discovery call in 2 weeks. After the layoff that happened recently, people have stopped taking anything seriously. But I have noticed - if my work is going great, everything else goes great! Everything from routine to health to relationship. I know it's not ideal, but that's how it is.


I didn't win the yearly awards. Did not make it to the winners' league (nominations) either. I'd agree I didn't give my 100%. I would bring some creativity, and my manager would discard it. I would bring some enthusiasm in my deals, and my manager would ask me to stick to the traditional ways. All this made me really really really lazy and I started cutting corners. I don't enjoy it, but that just happened.


Now as the famous saying goes - How we do one thing, is how we do everything else. That's precisely what has been happening. So I have been doing almost everything the same way - slouchy and lazy and not perfect. That frustration has been seeping in to other fronts as well.


After the SKO got done with, it just hit real bad that "what have I been doing!" I know it's a fleeting feeling maybe. But it's not a good feeling. Not that others win - the fact that I could have easily won, but I just didn't try as much.


I didn't really get the last week of the year off. We were all working. But the start of the year was "overwhelming" already! Of course not the year start I had anticipated, but I am letting myself 'feeeelllll it'.


Any tips on how I can pull back a little from this feeling of being overwhelmed and bounce back harder at work and hence, everything else?

๐Ÿ™ Mental Wellness
9
braintank
Politicker
2
Enterprise Account Executive
I'm confused...

Maybe therapy? That helped me when I was feeling overwhelmed by work and life.
ThatNewAE
Big Shot
1
Account Executive - Mid enterprise
Confused about ?

I have therapy sessions once a month or so.
braintank
Politicker
1
Enterprise Account Executive
The situation. You were at a competitive place and the situation was giving you anxiety. Switched to laid back place and that is giving you anxiety as well. Am I reading correctly?

Not trying to be dismissive, just trying to understand.
ThatNewAE
Big Shot
1
Account Executive - Mid enterprise
๐Ÿฅฒ In a way - The anxiety driven environment was working well for me. But then the environment became way too toxic and I switched firms. Now here, I am neither making money nor there is a motive that drives AEs. So I am becoming slouchy and lazy and uninterested.
CuriousFox
WR Officer
1
๐ŸฆŠ
Take some PTO. Schedule frequent breaks throughout the day.
punishedlad
Tycoon
1
๐Ÿง™โ€โ™‚๏ธ
It sounds like you're not really in an environment that will allow you to thrive in the way that you want to. Being punished for creativity/enthusiasm doesn't seem right.
ThatNewAE
Big Shot
1
Account Executive - Mid enterprise
I am skeptic about changing jobs in this market too.
So itโ€™s more of - Unmm, Iโ€™ll wait it out till the economy stabilises a bit. Then Iโ€™ll jump ship.
antiASKHOLE
Tycoon
1
Bravado's Resident Asshole
Maybe jump ship and find something else that gives you a happy medium
Kosta_Konfucius
Politicker
1
Sales Rep
You said "I could have easily won, but I just didn't try as much."

I would start there, maybe right the things you need to be doing or doing more of. And start incorporating it into your routine. Since its seems like you know what needs to change.

Can you give some examples with using creativity that got discarded? Usually managers are always trying to get new ways to doing things when business is low and I am surprised it was discarded.

Final note, was it seems like take a lot of the stress from work to other parts or your life. What boundaries do you set with work? In the past how do you create a divide from your work life to your personal life.
GingerBarbarian
Opinionated
1
Lead Sales
There is no simple one-size-fits-all solution. But here is what works for me.

When I get overwhelmed, to me it feels like being tasked to clean out one of those hoarder houses. It is piled to the ceiling with old newspapers, questionable smells and possibly a dead cat or two.

The first step is to take a step back and try to make a plan. Do you start by taking out something big that will free up room to move? Or do you want to take out a lot of small things that won't blow your back out? What actions will make the rest of your work easier?

Knowing that you don't need to take everything out at once, you prioritize your time. From there, you can create a strategy that moves the needle a little at a time.
TennisandSales
Politicker
1
Head Of Sales
I would 100% recommend therapy. idk what your experience is with therapy but i never thought i would need it.

Then when I got diagnosed with ADHD i kinda HAD to because i felt like i didnt know what the fuck was going on in my mind anymore.

BUT i wish I had started sooner. Therapists can REALLY help you navigate these thoughts of "lazy", "overwhelmed" ect.

they can help you understand where that is really coming from and how to move forward.
Cheering for you!
Diablo
Politicker
1
Sr. AE
To me it looks like you want to do things but you have acclimatize yourself in an environment where you have faced rejections. You know your goals but you donโ€™t take actions may be out of fear (I donโ€™t know)

I would definitely take some time off to think what I want to do and achieve. If I cannot achieve it here, where can I and what actions should be taken to reach there.
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