Focusing on a passion project is helping me deal with work burnout

Lately, I’ve been feeling burned out in my day job as a virtual assistant. While it helps pay the bills, the tasks are sometimes repetitive, and I often long for something that keeps me motivated for longer.

Sustaining motivation is a constant challenge for me, as I’m diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. That’s especially true for tasks that don’t engage me. It’s not about willpower; it’s simply how my brain works.

Financial stability keeps me in this job, but at times it feels like I’m stuck in a cycle of earning just to pay bills. When burnout sets in, I also feel a deep fear. Losing hours of work means losing money, which can create even more stress. And so the cycle of burnout continues.

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Burnout can affect anyone, and it’s more than just feeling tired. It’s a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress, often related to work. Common symptoms include lack of energy, feelings of detachment, or reduced performance. Typically, I rely on certain “motivation hacks” — like upbeat music or exercise — to push through. But when even these don’t work, I know it’s time to address burnout at its core.

In my case, the pressure to juggle work, family, and healthcare is a large part of why I’ve felt burned out lately.

Why financial well-being matters in a hemophilia home

For me and my husband, Jared, who has severe hemophilia B, time and flexibility are the key markers of financial well-being. We’d love to have the luxury of skipping a workday when needed without the stress of lost income or unmet responsibilities.

Jared regularly sets aside a few workdays each month to avail factor IX via humanitarian aid, which here in the Philippines entails a lengthy process. Often it involves being placed on a waiting list, resulting in multiple trips to the dispensing facility to check on factor availability. On top of that, we have a household to maintain. We must also oversee our daughter’s school schedule on a daily basis.

With these tasks and responsibilities filling our to-do lists, we can’t help but feel that our time is constantly pulled in many directions. Thus, having the ability to focus on our family without worrying about exchanging time for money feels like the ultimate privilege.

Finding new motivation, slowly but (hopefully) surely

Recently, I’ve been channeling my energy into reentering the world of entrepreneurship with Jared, and this project has sparked some of the excitement I’ve been missing. We’ve spent the past two months setting up an office and studio in our home, gradually gathering furniture and equipment. Because of budget constraints, we’ve been progressing quite slowly. But progress is still progress, and that sense of moving forward is giving me a much-needed boost.

Our ultimate goal is to create more time for family, especially for our daughter, Cittie. We dream of a future where our business gives us the freedom to live more fully, without constantly worrying about lack of time or financial constraints. Jared also dreams of one day being able to afford his factor IX treatment out of pocket. We imagine that having the financial means to access treatment without having to go through long processes or waitlists would be life-changing.

I know the road ahead won’t be easy, and there will be ups and downs. But for now, focusing on this new passion project is helping me push through burnout. It’s giving me hope that we’re working toward something bigger — something that’s not just about paying the bills, but about building the life we’ve always wanted (and needed).

Note: Hemophilia News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Hemophilia News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to hemophilia.