I'm 47 and have worked in IT for more than 20 years. I'm buried under projects, email, upgrades, security problems, and constant changes from major vendors. Lately I look at my workload and my brain just returns a 404 error.
The strange part is that I still like technology and genuinely like the company I work for. I just can't seem to care about the work right now, which feels completely unlike me. I've even started exercising to improve my mood, so now I'm unmotivated and sore.
Has anyone else experienced this kind of wall after two decades in IT? What helped you recover your energy, set better boundaries, or find the motivation to start getting things done again?
5 Answers
You don’t have to reignite your passion for work to have a good life. It’s okay to do a solid job without treating the company’s problems as your personal mission. Put energy into hobbies, friends, exercise, and financial planning so work becomes the thing that funds the rest of your life. Many experienced people find that caring a little less is what lets them stay healthy and effective.
Some people found renewed interest by focusing on a meaningful purpose or a new technical challenge. Others used automation and AI carefully to reduce inbox work, documentation, reporting, and repetitive tasks. Just be mindful of privacy and security, and don’t add another demanding side project if you’re already exhausted. If the exhaustion, apathy, sleep problems, or anxiety are getting serious, talk with a doctor or therapist rather than trying to push through it alone.
Changing roles or companies can make a huge difference, even when you still like your current employer. After years in the same environment, the work can become repetitive and your responsibilities can expand indefinitely. A move into a different specialty, a vendor role, security, planning, training, or a lower-pressure organization may bring back some energy without throwing away your experience.
That sounds much more like burnout than a midlife crisis. Take real time away if you can—ideally more than a week—and disconnect completely from email, chat, and work notifications. Get outside, spend time with people, and do something unrelated to technology. A short break may not fix the underlying workload, but it can give you enough distance to think clearly about what needs to change.
The long-term fix is usually boundaries, not repeatedly working until you collapse and then taking a vacation. Prioritize a short list each day, reserve specific blocks for email, and ask your manager which tasks should be delayed when new work arrives. Work your scheduled hours and leave. If everything is a priority, leadership needs to choose what will not get done—you shouldn’t silently absorb the entire backlog.
A vacation can help, but if you return to the same impossible workload and expectations, the burnout usually comes right back. The job itself and the boundaries around it need attention too.