I’m in my late 20s, working a stable corporate job with decent pay and benefits. On paper, everything looks fine. But lately, I feel like I’m just going through the motions—showing up, doing what’s expected, and leaving without feeling like I’ve done anything meaningful. I don’t hate my job, but I don’t care about it either. I feel numb.
What’s scarier is that I don’t know what I do want to do instead. I’ve spent so much time building this career that the thought of walking away feels like admitting failure. But staying feels like slowly fading. Is this just burnout? A quarter-life crisis? Do most people feel this way and just never talk about it?
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That sounds very typical of a corporate job to me. There, you’re just one small adjustment screw among countless others, and you’re anonymous and generally replaceable.
Genuinely, could be both. I’d ask, how do you feel getting ready in the morning?
I’ve been at jobs where I’ve been burned out and jobs where I’ve outgrown the role.
Both left me with a feeling that I don’t care about the job itself.
But the differences, for me we’re getting ready in the morning.
For outgrowing, I’d not want to go, because I knew I could get everything that was expected of me for the day done before noon even if I showed up late. And in that sort of my situation, my ADHD is just not great.
For burnout, it was more a feeling of dread and wondering what utter bullshit was going to get heaped on me that day. I’d want to just stay in bed, or be genuinely mad thinking about what was about to come during the day because one person can only take so much. And wanted to scream in my car before walking into the office or logging on in the morning.
It’s almost a do you feel boredom or resentment mentality. Boredom implies outgrowing. Resentment implies burnout.
My suggestions, if it’s more boredom (and this may be industry specific) talk to your manager about growth opportunities, especially if that means a pay increase. This is does NOT mean to let them take advantage of you and get labor that you should be compensated for out you for free. If you are doing the work a higher position usually does for less pay, document it and bring it up regularly.
If it’s resentment, the 9 times out of 10 I’d say that’s a sign to brush up the resume. I’ve been in a few situations where management has said over and over and over again that they’re working to remidiate your stress to only do nothing about it. Your mental health is not worth that kind of bullshit.
If you were to suddenly loose your job, would you feel like you appreciated having it? Lots of people’s don’t realize what they have until they lose it.
One of the signs of burnout is if you’re dreading work, stressed, feel like you’re drowning at work etc. It’s am effect of being overworked for too long.
You described just being numb. We’re you previously feeling these things until you became numb? Or you just kinda stopped seeing the point and corporate sucked the joy out of you? The latter I wouldn’t call a burnout, but I might be wrong. Idk where you’re based but some countries you can go to a doctor to find out.