Is anyone else besides me tired?

Lately, I’ve found myself tired of Talent Acquisition. Not recruiting itself, but the constant pressure, shifting priorities, and metrics that are often tied to things outside of our control.

Before anyone says, “Move into HR,” I’m not convinced the grass is greener. Every area seems to come with its own stress and frustrations.

Some days it’s exhausting.

I enjoy the flexibility, but it’s so annoying sometimes.

Is it just me?

It's not just you but note that this feeling isn't limited to the recruiting field. It seems that everyone I talk to lately is simply exhausted. I'm assuming you are based in the US, and if you are, this exhaustion is par for the course.

We've had three years of mass layoffs with little end in sight. We're in the middle of the worst political polarization I've seen in my lifetime. Costs are up, wages are stagnant and life in general seems like a hamster wheel, rolling from one bad news report to the next.

I don't intend for this to be a doom & gloom response. Quite the opposite. Knowing we are not alone and truly embracing that we are not alone is the first step. Now that you know that, do something about it.

Six months ago, I was in the worst place I've ever been from a mental health perspective and my physical health followed right along as expected. All because of work, politics, climate, social stress and everything else that weighs on all of us these days. Here's what I've done to re-engage with life in a positive way:

- I limit social media to no more than 1 hour per day. (this excludes LinkedIn due to our work) - I block negative accounts. I only follow accounts that bring something positive into my day.
- I start each day with a ten-minute quiet reflection. I won't call it meditation; it's just ten minutes of quiet to reflect on the day ahead. No TV, music, distractions, just ten minutes of silence.
- I make a point to reach out to one friend per week. That doesn't sound like much, but it's made a huge difference. I'm having coffee this weekend with someone I reached out to who I hadn't talked to in a couple years. They expressed the same exhaustion noted above. They are also a recruiter.
- I prioritize daily physical activity. Some days that can be a hard workout, others just a 30-minute walk. But I get some form of physical activity every day.
- I limit news intake. It doesn't matter what news outlet you lean toward; they are all biased and all driving negativity. What you take in, you absorb. Stop reading the news. The world will still be here even if you don't read about it.
- I get to at least one industry networking event per month
- I get to at least one group social event per month
- I limit alcohol and crappy food

It doesn't get easier; you just get stronger. But you are in control whether you know or it not. That's what someone shared with me, now I'm sharing it with you.

The metrics are crazy now. Lots of companies have this one size fits All approach which doesn't fit each market. Tracking AI use is nuts as well - especially after AWS just showed how that can be manipulated ( and how expensive it is)

Not just you. It’s such a grind these days.

It’s not just you - drowning in details.

Not just you, exhausted and frustrated seem to be normal lately it feels like no matter what I do it's not enough.

People are the worst. It's not you. It's them.