I concur. Almost everyone in my circle are all either too burnt out, or just tired all the time to do anything else. The few lucky ones, who can afford to have quit or taken a sabbatical to pursue something else.

I don't know if this is a large scale effect of long Covid, or everyone collectively too exhausted after dealing with everything the last two years. Something's gotta give.

The COVID theory is interesting. I'm going through it as well, and did have COVID. I however assumed it was just the generally depressing nature of everything going on.

You're in a climate crisis and going to all die or starve or go to war soon. You're a racist and transphobe because you don't care enough to keep up with everything or participate. You're a communist because you think health care should be free. Want a house? Yeah fuck off companies and landlords are buying them and you'll rent like a good citizen, and pay more for the privilege. Got a raise? Fuck you again inflation is going to take it all back and more. Got kids? Well, they probably won't get shot at school today, but thoughts and prayers just in case.

And that's just American happenings, not even getting into global conflicts.

I try not to dwell on any one thing, but man, it's all so exhausting. Where did all the optimism go?

Yeah, I see it everywhere. Where I think the loss of productivity is though is that people burnout and teams at companies are hitting and inflection point where they have too many people coming and going and that is creating inefficiencies and wasted time. I don’t think people suddenly stopped working hard. I think work hasn’t been as conducive to, well, work in many places.