Burnout and loneliness

I’m suffering from burnout since the beginning of 2022, including mental & physical exhaustion and a lot of overstimulation. I learned a lot over the past few months (like caring for myself, adopting healthy habits, quitting a toxic job etc) so the burnout was a blessing in disguise. But there’s one thing that doesn’t seem to improve: my friendships.

Sometimes I feel so lonely, especially on the weekends. I recently started my own business so I need all my energy for that; in the weekend I’m just exhausted, need time to chill etc. When I’m meeting with a friend (or more), I become tired very fast and need to recharge from that, which in turn has a negative effect on my weekdays.

That’s why I don’t meet with friends often anymore. And it makes me feel like I’m losing them. I see my friends drinking all weekend and having fun, and while I know I’m doing the right thing for myself and my health by staying home, it still hurts sometimes. I don’t know how long this burnout is going to last, but sometimes I’m scared that I’ll end up with zero friends. I should meet with friends more often, just one on one, but at the same time I feel the urge to isolate, to protect my energy sort of.

I’m also a little bit of an einzelgänger myself. I love my own company, love taking long walks listening to podcasts, going to the beach on my own, reading books, cooking meals etc. So that makes it even more difficult to meet up with people. While on the other hand I can really brighten up around people when it’s the right time, and I love that feeling. Being with other people constantly definitely doesn’t make me happy, but never being with people makes me unhappy for sure.

Soooo… don’t know what I’m searching for with this post. Maybe some reassurance, maybe some tips to cope with the loneliness or to get myself out of the house and meet with friends more often.