OK, normally I love digging in the dirt, whether it's laying a new water line or runoff line, setting the garden or even leveling the property. It's me, sweet tea and some implement of destruction. Not this year. I've puttered but not really worked on anything. I'm burnt out. The normal rituals lack appeal.
To be honest, I have no experience with this. I love the seasons and the tasks they bring, so this is new and disturbing. Has anyone else been here? What was your solution?
Take a year off and go to a local farmers market and make some farming friends? Then maybe help them out and learn something new and promote local farming.
Or take up grafting or something else and learning something new.
We all get burned out occasionally on our passions. Most times just shunning the usual and doing something else for a while helps. After a while, some spark comes out of the blue and reignites the flame.
But sometimes it can be depression that causes it. "Not me! I'm not depressed about anything!" It might be helpful to just take a mental inventory of maybe things that haven't gone right, people who have disappointed you, stuff at work changing, things you've never gotten to and probably never will, etc. If that's the case maybe you can find the cause and work through it.
Find other hobbies to keep the mind & hands occupied. I never get bored or burn't out cause I have toooo many things going. Heck, I might not get any of em done. :
Oh, I hate the stupid videos and commercials between post. What a crock!
I have just finished freshening up garden beds I have not touched for more than a year. I went hard for about 6 years; planting 80 odd fruit, nut, and berries of various types. I have just been watching them mature the last two years, and feeling a smile measure of pride as they are covered with fruit. I used to grow from seed and try to root cuttings. I hope to rekindle the passion for growing, but there are only so many places to plant.
Unususal lack of energy and interest can be simple burnout, or could be warning of something physical. See your Doc for a checkup. Growing heart problems are a real common cause of these symptoms.
Guy across the street was constantly up to something. Just real busy with projects that would make the rest of us groan. In his late 50's he abruptly slowed down. Not just lack of energy, but lack of interest. His wife dragged him off to the doc and they had the guy in surgery for a cardiac bypass the next month. Not an emergency, but needed pretty quick before an emergency happened.
Once he recovered he was back at it, building an addition to expand his workshop.
I too feel burned out when it comes to the garden, this season I'm only planting 6 sweet potato plants from Lowes. I'm only watering them once a week if it doesn't rain. If they survive I'll dig them up in the fall.
Last year all I did was work and water the garden, I let too many other projects around the house slip by. So this year the garden gets the back burner and some more important things get done.
Gardening is hard work. Some people love it. I hate it. Totally in it for the food. Have you thought about giving it a rest for a year? Try something new. Like mushrooms, chickens, or rabbits.
I've never gardened and generally dislike most vegetables. One thing I'm actually looking forward to when we get a house is trying my luck at a hobby garden. If I can learn to grow the veggies I do eat (corn, potatoes, cucumber, celery, and carrots) and maybe some others the wife likes, I'll be satisfied. I also want to see if I can make an actual grass yard for the fur babies. No idea how to do any growing type stuff but I can see how it can be labor intensive and burn out those who do it constantly.
Start out with a 4x8 raised bed 3ft deep that way if it doesn't work out you can just take it apart or plant an Azalea or 2 in it and call it landscaping.
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