Burnout...how are you dealing with it?

ani*fan

Hi everyone

I think I'm running out of steam after less than two months of trying to sort out my debts. I'm so frustrated with the whole business. My debts are going down but I'm getting so fed up thinking about it. I just wish it would all miraculously disappear and i could start again.

Anybody want to share their tips on staying motivated? Right now I want to throw in the towel and I don't know what to do.

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

lynsayjane

oh ani big hugs to you. I kow the burnout feeling well but please please please don't give up.

like hypno says in her 'small things' thread, once you do all the big stuff at the start of your dfw journey you lose motivation when it feels like it's out of your hands but you need to start concentrating on the small things, like sticking in budget and meal planning etc to keep the forward motion.

I've found in the past that setting small goals helps, why not join in with the weekly spending challenge (at some point today when the fog in my brain clears I'll get this weeks on the go!)?

I know how you feel though hun, I'm waiting on some funds to clear then I'll be paying off the last of my credit cards, I'm terribly restless now and just want the whole thing over with. Being a dfw is a very very hard job, it's a good thing we have the support available on here to help. xxx

ani*fan

Thanks so much lynsayjane. It's really good to know I'm not in this on my own.

I think you're right about the small things. More attention to detail could help me get there faster.

And I've been avoiding posting my SOA so I'm going to do that right now!

lynsayjane

well done on posting the soa, at the very least we'll tell you your already doing all you can then you can congratulate yourself!

I also find that you need to give yourself wee treats for the small achievements. some people can totally cut out all social life and treat things to help get debt free but then they burnout through not allowing themselves these things. If you budget a small amount to act as a pick me up when you have a bad day or save it for a couple of weeks then buy something larger it keeps you going.

your definatly not alone, I think a lot of people are feeling this way at the moment, there are a lot of regular faces missing from these threads at the mo.

Karmacat

Hi ani
I agree, its the little things that start to matter, and you can see what you're doing if you join in on the challenges. You can see how the little things add up. For instance, I'm a member of the Olympic Challenge, and I'm bottom of the list in amounts achieved - but even so, I've saved hundreds of pounds *extra*, just from little things, and its incredibly helpful to see that down in black and white, so to speak. I also have a few diaries that I follow, it shows me what other people are going through, the little things that we all have to do to make inroads.

And treats... still being careful, but remembering to *live* - its the old cliche, this life isn't a practice, its the only one you've got.

All the best

ani*fan

Just posted my SOA and there's something not quite right with it...

I budget £30 per week for fun, but mostly I spend this on tobacco, cat litter and unexpected costs like parking. And sweets!

Need to sort this out 'cos I think I have been giving up my social life a bit lately and it's dragging me down.

ani*fan

Thanks karmacat.

I'm in the olympic challenge too but joined it so late I don't think I've a hope in hell of achieving it. But thanks for reminding me... I really should be doing something about it!

Hhm...might go and out a plan together.

GirlRacer_2

Hi ani*fan I know what you mean about trying to keep motivated. The middle of the month is always the worse time for me. When I get paid I seem to plough lots of money off the debt, but come the middle of the month I have a low moment when I feel I'm just not doing enough.

However over the last couple of weeks I've realised that even though I may not be making much headway, at least the debts are going down (however slowly) instead of going up.

Plough on with it, you will get there x

SuSu1871

Hi ani*fan

I know what you mean about burnout, although I'm not quite there yet! I've done all the big stuff (getting best deals on home/utility bills, quidco, matched betting, etc.) so now it's just down to (over)paying the damned loans every month.

Still...what keeps me going is the fact that while I'm regularly paying around £1,000 a month to clear my debts :eek: , when I am debt free I'll be so used to being without this money that I'll be able to save it all up! I've already started planning the best way to save £1,000 a month, even though I won't be in a position to do that for at least 18 months :rotfl:

I've even gone as far as to set myself a savings challenge (talk about planning ahead!) and have given myself two years to save £30,000. This is easily enough to get me on the property ladder, and d'you what? I've started looking at flats already!

So... while I'm still four years away from getting on the property ladder, just knowing that I will be debt free and in in a position to afford a house before I'm 40 (just) keeps me going.

Some say stick to one day at a time - I prefer to keep the big picture in my head and remember why I'm doing this...

Keep on keeping on, though. You'll be debt free before you know it

ani*fan

Thanks girlracer

I think you're right about the lull in the middle of the month. It's really motivating after pay day when there's a really big obvious change in the debt total. But after that it justs feels like a hard slog sticking to the budget.

God, I'm a miserable cow today! I just can't shake this feeling that I'm wishing my life away waiting for pay day. It's not good. Just need to keep remembering that spending is not the answer.

Thanks for the support.

GirlRacer_2

Try npot to get down about it, your facing your debt problem and your dealing with it. I always find that when I'm feeling down I'm prone to spend so now I log on here and get the support I need from all the guys on here. It really does help x