Adulting Burnout/Crashout (Advice Needed)
Not going to elaborate as I will doxx myself. 30/M, living in the Eastern part of the world. Working as a therapist, earning close to (I think) 50k USD a year. Cue the comments on how therapists need to get their crap together before helping other people (I'm doing my best here but hear me out).
I work 5 days a week in a school, 9.5 hours a day minimum (usually extends with a maximum up to 12). My schedule usually comprises of supporting students (max 5 hours), with the remaining being endless meetings or conversations with relevant personnel such as staff, parents, social services, child protection you name it. Not to mention numerous students knocking on my door to share about their day plus the occasional lunch/short break. I try to clear my paperwork during the remaining hours, but it always spills onto weekends unless I deliberately see less than 3 students a day, in which case what am I being paid for again?
I wake up at 5.30 and try to leave exactly at 4 on everyday except Thursday, as Monday I want to set boundaries and time aside to play World of Warcraft, Tuesdays to Swim (hasn't happened yet since I set the goal at the start of this year), Wednesdays to spend time with my grandmother and Fridays for date nights and time spent with my college friends. As such, I try to keep my remaining paperwork (reports, case management) to the weekends, where I REALLY want to spend time with my partner or play World of Warcraft, heck even swim a second time but can't.
I really love my job, it's incredibly fulfilling getting to support and journey with at-risk students watching them grow, but I'm genuinely worried about burnout, which will affect my physical/mental state and Lord forbid the quality of my work/how I engage students which I absolutely want to prevent from happening. I leave work everyday knowing I made a difference but I collapse the moment I reach home.
I can't quit as I have a bond, and I'm getting paid more than my peers (God Bless the Mental Health Industry). My only way out is a Master's and moving to private therapy, but I don't even have the money or time to take one module a week (Imagine taking night classes, reaching home at 11/12 and having <6 hours of sleep, I can't function). Heck I don't even have time for World of Warcraft on most days except Monday and here and there on the weekends and I want to learn Japanese!
I'm really frustrated, and I don't want to keep paying 100 USD every two weeks/month for therapy as I firmly believe mental health should be a right. My bosses are supportive, but they too lament the endless paperwork as inevitable while preaching toxic positivity (wOrK lIfE bAlaNcE, sElF cArE then 180 with the why is this not done. I know this sounds like a sympathy/woe is me post but I genuinely am looking for options out here. Someone in my other post (country's subreddit) suggested I put down WoW altogether in favour of exercise as I have no choice. I acknowledge that as an adult, I need to be more responsible and can't always have my cake and eat it, but I'm looking for other options/advice here...
TLDR: Long Working Hours, Spilling onto Weekends, No Time for Anything, Can't Change Job (not really keen on doing it anyways as job gives satisfaction). Need help.
Posted Jan 25, 2026, 12:16 PM UTC