Broken man, extreme burnout

[data farm 26]

Have any of you ever gotten to the point where you just can't do trees anymore? I got out of the truck, looked at the tree, turned around and came home. Left $2200 on the table too, probably could have finished by 4, solo. I just can't do it anymore.

 

[GregManning]

Best of luck in your furture endevors.

 

[Mick Dempsey!]

Most days I’m talking myself down from the proverbial ledge every morning on the way to work.

I’ve also just got back in the van without starting if I really wasn’t “feeling it” on occasion.

Get pissed with some mates, have a laugh, not about this, they may think you’re a poof, or worse, mental.

 

[data farm 26]

Best of luck in your furture endevors.

Thanks, Greg.

Most days I’m talking myself down from the proverbial ledge every morning on the way to work.

I’ve also just got back in the van without starting if I really wasn’t “feeling it” on occasion.

Get pissed with some mates, have a laugh, not about this, they may think you’re a poof, or worse, mental.

Thanks, Mick. I appreciate the realness. I'm definitely mental! Thankfully my mates know that already.

 

[Njdelaney]

Is it every part of the tree business, or just the actual physical work part that you're burnt out on?

 

[data farm 26]

I think it's the whole thing. I actually like the movement and fitness aspect of the work though. Pretty sure I'm going to do sub contracting until I can see what else I can switch into. Owner operator is too tough for me right now.

 

[27RMT0N]

Owner operator is definitely tree work on hard mode.

 

[Bendroctanus]

Owner operator is definitely tree work on hard mode.

I second that.

 

[surveyor]

Maybe try land surveying....

 

[Boomslang]

I second that.

Third that.

I've noticed this summer my passion for the work has been disappearing. I enjoy climbing for fun, but put a saw in my hand or give me any sort of task to accomplish and I lose all motivation. I'm just going to coast the rest of this year out and then decide where to go from there.

 

[Serf Life]

Have got to that point multiple times, most were fleeting and a few were unpleasantly extreme. What gets me to soldier on is supporting my family and partner. Have yet to find something that I'd realistically want to transition to, please chime in if y'all have found something. Dipped into non-profit yrs back: the interpersonal and salesman-disingenuous aspect of fundraising turned me off, but may try again elsewhere. Part-time cabinetry apprentice??

Many days I really love my job, and friends are surprised at that after all the yrs. Also the money is good enough to be able to say fuck it and go home, if working for $20/hr not so much. What has helped is scaling back days on jobs, letting shit jobs go, saying no to what's not enjoyable, and finding hobbies/projects to mix into the work week. Add me to the growing mental list, mood stabilizers have their place...

 

[RyanCafferky]

Come work with us in Hood River. I need a good crew lead. I’ll make it worth your while and we have an awesome team. Avant for chipping and moving material. We use cranes and contract climbers for the big nasty things.

I often get a bit burned out on being an owner operator but making sure it is a team sport and really trying to do more delegating has made it feel more sustainable.

 

[flushcut]

Third that.

I've noticed this summer my passion for the work has been disappearing. I enjoy climbing for fun, but put a saw in my hand or give me any sort of task to accomplish and I lose all motivation. I'm just going to coast the rest of this year out and then decide where to go from there.

Fourth.

 

[Bart_]

Have you considered taking a break where you purposely have -zero- tree related stuff on your mind? like reset, starting over? Could involve ahem alcohol partying as that is stress release and sedative all at the same time. doctors prescribed it before the days of pharmaceuticals!

reminds me of a treebing post where he said have you ever done a tree and then just gone blank right after, not even being able to recall the details of what you just did. on auto pilot. seems similar or related. you'll get through it

 

[96coal449]

Once you learn a trade you once loved, it's hard to walk away. There's good coin to be had in the arborist world. I've decided some time ago, I'm sticking with it. My 2nd trade doesn't float my boat anymore. It barely ever did. There was just really good money in roofing but not worth the competition or the daily grind. I can find peace in most trees depending on the crew. When I turned wrenches, I loved working on drag cars. Racing has and always will be in my blood. Working on the common, greasy, rusty, trash of a daily driver.....not so much.

An old timer told me some time ago, "There'll always be tree work.'' He's right.
Levi, take a break, give your head time to clear. Talk to that customer and reschedule. Just explain you feel burned out and need a couple days......you'll want that coin sooner than later.

If I recall, you've given this up before but been drawn back into it? A lot of companies I know, owner operator included, take weekend camping trips, 3 day vaycays, what ever it takes to keep that piece of mind.

You, be you.

 

[southsoundtree]

Solo can be tough or chill.


Smart move to bail.

Best odds of coming home safely.

 

[Stumpsprouts]

The hamster wheel, no matter what trade you’re in, is getting less and less appealing when the economy just doesn’t work for most people anymore. They say there’s a problem with general malaise in the work force. It just doesn’t seem worth it a lot of the time, especially when it involves breaking your back and risking your life.

There’s always joy to be had in the work itself, once you’re in the flow. I think we all have that, you can’t get into this work and stay in it without getting that ‘tree buzz’. It’s all the shit surrounding it that spoils the fun.

I wish you luck. I’ve definitely been there. I had this feeling in 2022, getting big pine logs to lay flat one after another and I just felt… nothing. I knew something was up. A few weeks later I crushed my hand, not to return to production climbing until about 9 months later. I powered through, this time to prove to myself I could go from that injury back to where I was. Skip forward to this summer, and just recently I decided to stop after just a series of close calls that were so normal it didn’t even register on my adrenal system. No thanks.

Sales, consulting, hanging Christmas lights, doing tree research, and a home building project will keep me busy enough.

 

[oldoakman]

It is the solstice. Every year when I was in business, I always had a big mental slump coming into and just after the solstice. Getting to a conference or trade show managed to pull me out of it.

 

[DSMc]

... I just can't do it anymore.

How's your health? The mind and body can't be separated, if one gets off kilter the other will follow. This is something I see far too often these days.

I've been doing tree work for over 56 years. The vast majority of that time as the owner and sole climber of the company. During this time I have never lost the love of what I do. Even so, I still tried several other professions knowing that eventually time would prevent me from continuing. They all, eventually, board me to tears. So I finally just shrugged my shoulders and said fuck it, tree work it is.

If it's what you want, you'll find a way to make it work. However, there's nothing wrong with change, if it is truly what you want.

 

[Neill]

Wow lots of great comments and advice from sage and experienced folks.
I’m on the other end of the spectrum, feeling some energy in the formation of a new business venture of my own.
I ask (rhetorical) what was it that got you started in the tree business - and if it motivated you then can you revisit that spark?
I recently read a book that kind of solidified my thoughts- it’s called “the alchemist” . It’s not a long novel, maybe you have read it? I can send you a copy, pm me your address