on the edge of burnout

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After about 12 years of being an MT, I found myself suffering from burnout.  Right about that time, I was offered the job of 1st & 2nd grade teacher at the tiny Christian school my kids attended.  I was really looking forward to something new.  After only 2 months, I was over my burnout but I was committed to finish out the rest of the school year.  It was the longest 7 months of my life.   

I think the burnout came from having had the same account for so long (nearly 10 years).  Every day was the same.  Maybe just learning a new account or a new specialty would help you get over the burnout.  Although I hate the pay cut that invariably comes with any new account, I always feel proud of myself for rising to the challenge and learning new things.  It keeps things interesting. 

This may sound silly, but do you have any scenery where you transcribe?  I sit in front of a picture window in my office and watch the birds and squirrels.  I have become quite an avid birdwatcher while I work.  It doesn't take a lot of time out of the day, but it gives me something else to look at besides the computer screen. 

Hi:

Is anyone out there dealing with burnout due to their transcription job? I have been doing this for 7 years as an Independent with only 1 vacation in that time. I work weekends and holidays and feel like I am about ready to yank my freaking hair out from the responsibility!!!

Lynn

I just can't do MT anymore.  I've been doing it for 30 years, the last 6 with a national that begins and ends with an S.  I so tired of their lies and garbage.   I also edit as an IC which I enjoy but can't get steady hours.  I'm presently on intermittent FMLA from "S" for my mom who is a paraplegic and they're giving me all kinds of grief over it.   My supervisor is doing everything she can to put roadblocks in front of me. She won't me change accounts permanently.  I get put on an account I'm good at and can get good line counts on for awhile and then I'm put back on the account I told her I hate and can't make money on.  This happens over and over again.  She also won't let me taking an editing job or change my hours.   I received their "certificates" for quality and attendance, but not for production which is the only thing they care about since only 62% of the company made 98% or more quality.  Some days I just can't sit and work.  I'm totally burned out and the above doesn't help.

I'd leave in a minute if I thought another place would be better, but I'm not convinced it would be.  Add to that the fact that I only have dial-up, need health insurance as I am single and can't afford a good computer at this time. 

Sorry for the long post.  Just needed to vent.  Has anyone been in this situation?  What can I do?   I'm working 50-60 hours a week and still can't make a living.  I'm really ready to go on welfare rather than keep working.

I used to carry two pagers for two hospitals all by myself, 24/7.  They went off maybe a couple of times a month.  The chore of being on-call is now shared with a few other people but now the after-hour pages come in nonstop and I don't know why.  Me thinks some deal was made to keep an account or something but I really am just pulling that answer out of my tuckas.  It's gotta be costing the hospitals a mint to have us at their beck and call like that....either that or they got a really sweet deal. 

The other issue is it used to be a much more laid back environment.  You logged on, did your work, and you were left alone.  You kept an eye out for stats yourself and took care of them, because you are there because you are responsible. 

Now you log on, strike up this thing called Instant Messenger, and sit there at your desk working your alloted shift but can't get up because you must be present if you get an IM for a stat...even though you are already on it because it's your job to be.  Want to take a break?  Yeah, sure, once you finish up this stat.  Oh wait, I've got another one here that needs to be done super duper stat....you know what I'm talkin' about too, lurkers.

Ya know the movie, Office Space?  I'm always referring to it with this company.  You know the scene with the TPS reports, where the fella has 4 bosses telling him the same darned thing even though you already know your job?  That's what I'm dealing with and, yeah, I've been reduced to the mumbling dude who worries about his stapler.

I don't blame my bosses at all, but the micromanaging thing is out of control and I have no idea why it has come to be, because it wasn't like this before.  The days of a happier Hayseed with high line counts and company pride are long gone.  I don't know who works there anymore as the folks I knew have all left, and that's made an impact as well.  Ask for new scenery because of burnout, and all you get is a strokin', nothing more. 

Was at a major company that I liked for a year, then they made some changes and it was a nightmare for the second year.  I went to a smaller company for awhile, they were great but I found it harder and harder to sit down and pull reports.  I got to the point I was only doing about 300 lines a day.  I made a change to a small company as IC, and chose one where so many minutes were dumped on me for the day.  I knew I had to finish those minutes, and before I knew it I was back to about 800 lines a day, six days a week.  That is all I can do without developing CT myself; I have learned this over the years.  Now I'm starting some editing part time, so I can earn more without losing the use of my hands.

If you already have CT, you might have to get into something different, like editing.  It doesn't seem realistic to keep working, knowing you're doing more damage and will shortly be unable to work anyway.  I'd be looking for a change.

Whatever you do, try to find the motivation that works.  I didn't find thinking about unpaid bills or setting a financial goal each month helped, it just made me depressed when I couldn't reach it.  I focused on the positive, like being able to do 50 lines more daily this week than last, adding minutes each week until I reached my goal.  I also make sure to take two weeks off at different times each year and go some place at least once, something I neglected for years.  I come back refreshed.

Best of luck to you; it's a difficult situation.