I stumbled upon this blog like I did yours. Though their insight on work was very meaningful: http://burisonthecouch.wordpress.com/2009/12/31/our-house/

Thanks for the post! I’d love to see more like it.

Burnout is a motivational problem. A person struggling with burnout is demotivated, dispirited, depressed – down. Whereas a highly stressed person may be highly enthusiastic – tho driving their body.

Stress is the “fever” of burnout. As with pneumonia. A high fever must be reduced or there is a risk of brain damage – BUT once reduced the pneumonia is still there. Similarly with burnout – the stress must be reduced but reducing stress does not deal with the job situations rendering the person helpless. The person must develop a feeling of controllability.

Burnout is caused by feelings of uncontrollability. Powerlessness, damed-if-you-do damed-if-you-don’t situations. It is prevented by developing feelings of control over the job – which is an on-going process.

For considerable information on job burnout, the symptoms, burnout quizzes, and what to do to prevent it or turn it around – go to my site at docpotter.com

Makes sense that you’d need a “mincer” to make sausages though I’d never heard of one before. My son makes balloon animals — mostly dogs, either normal or poodle. He’s always a big hit at my younger kids’ birthday parties.

Your suggestions are all great, but I’d like to add another. Do something new that’s completely unrelated to work – not just a different job, something completely left field.

Last year, my GF & I bought a mincer and learned to make sausages. This year, I want to try my hand at making balloon animals.

My rationale is this: I make a good wage and have a lively mind, so to relax I can forget about earning and simply try to give my poor, frustrated brain some entertainment. Works for me!