Pretty much that's it.
There's ups and downs.

I would bring this up next time you see your doctor. Sounds like a mood spectrum thing which could slide into depression? I'm not an MD though, so don't take it from me.

I don’t have any energy or motivation to play games anymore, even though I used to play avidly. I play guitar but it’s been feeling like I’m not getting as much out of it now…

Once I’m out of uni, I’ll be in full-time and, if I get into the industry I want, more mentally taxing work.

If you don't want that life, refuse to live it. You can survive on less money than you'd think, and you may be able to find ways to make money that are more chill or enjoyable. You can aggressively plan for a very early retirement. If those turn out to be next to impossible, well, you may have a very hard time, but you can still refuse to work and deprive society of what it definitely does not deserve from you.

I hope you enjoy what you're learning, because there's a reason everyone tells you to do what you love. It can be an enormous source of fulfilment or a nightly headache.

A few years ago working at a convenience store right out of school, I used to park 15 minutes early just to sit and sulk about having to go in for 1st shift. I went through a period that kinda sounds like yours. All I wanted was to go back to college and stay there. I really enjoyed the learning, spending time with my peers, and the drugs.

Now, 5 years later, I might get a few hours per day where I'm not working on something and I couldn't be happier. Right now you're probably working a college gig. It's probably not entirely fulfilling work. For now, just keep going and keep an eye out on new skills that you can learn. I've learned things from the dregs that has applied to every

You get new hobbies and pleasures as you go too. Long-term projects become more sexy. Things you can drop in on and leave whenever. I think that's why "the dad with the train set in the basement" is such a trope.

Do you have a pet? I couldn't live properly without a cat around.

The Home Depot thing is real. It's quickly becoming one of my favorite places to go. Maybe head over there sometime, think of all the stuff you can build, and learn something new while building it. We have YouTube, we better take advantage of it.

The responsibility kinda becomes a point of pride. Idk if pride is the word for it. It certainly makes you stand up straighter, with more self-respect.

Your metabolic health is trash, your gut bacteria is probably shot, and good chance you have sleep apnea. They're all related. Low metabolic health causes sleep apnea. Crap diet causes you to be fat which causes sleep apnea. Poor gut health means low nutrient absorption so you're more tired. Sleep apnea means you're even more tired. Tired people eat like crap.

Go find a good dietician. Fix your gut. Eat strictly only non processed foods. Exercise 30+ min a few times per week.

It's hard as hell to start doing all those things, but once you have the routine you'll feel amazing. Diet fix first though. Without nutrients you can't do anything.

Anhedonia or depression.talk to a professional

In addition to what others have said, I think a lot of people would agree that their 20s were the most difficult time in their lives. It’s a stark contrast from your life leading up to it, where everything from nap time to senior prom has been planned out for you, your job is simply to attend. Around your age this changes and you’re “given the keys” and have much more freedom to choose your path. (This is very much an oversimplification and does not apply to everyone)

This will sound kinda strange but for most people, at ~20 you still haven’t really settled into the person you will be for the rest of your life. Your brain is still developing and changing. It’s a time for turbulence and self-reflection for many, and I absolutely would not take your current outlook as “this is it.” You still have a lot to learn about yourself and the world, and I mean that in the best way.

It does sound like you could be overtaxing yourself, but others have covered that already. Try not to take things too seriously, and make sure to stop and smell the roses. We’ve heard that so many times that it’s easy to overlook what an amazing piece of advice it is. All of the happiest people I know are the types that do literally, and figuratively, stop to smell the roses.

Sorry to say but this is it. If you follow the uni then work path, this will be your life. Getting married and having children will add more stress and expenses.

That's why I hate money and the setup of the world, is plain satanic if you ask me.

However you can change the course of your life now. If you're able to find some land somewhere to live, build an initial home out of scraps and farm the land, you might be able to live free, but without money.

Alternatively you could travel the world, doing odd jobs in each country to make money. Especially in Europe, once you're here, there are no borders and plenty of trains so get a temp job and live in a hostel. See that country, meet people, have fun then move to the next country and repeat. This has worked out well for some people who say it have them a new perspective on life.

It's up to you.

Are you eating enough healthy food? I used to have some periods of lethargy and depression caused by an inadequate diet.

I might get downvoted for this, and fair enough, but you should try shrooms.

I’ve got severe depression and social anxiety, so I’m familiar with the whole “what’s the point of this?” mindset. Shrooms kind of gave me a different perspective on life, and why it’s so precious and worth experiencing.

And while it’s anecdotal, I know many people that’ve had similar experiences. Either way, I hope things get better for you!

That sounds like either a terrible work environment or depression.

I absolutely hated my first summer job in high school. Because of that, I found myself avoiding doing things I loved, because they made the time go faster which meant it was time to return to work that much faster. Once I quit, and for all other jobs I've had since then, I've never felt like that again. If you generally enjoy your job, I'd probably look into if you might be experiencing depression instead.

Hobbies and regular vacations are things that should give you energy for those more stressful times at work. Especially, regular physical hobbies are important for stress relief and staying energized. I had to take a 3 month break from my hobby sport earlier this year due to an injury and I absolutely felt terrible during that time.

Have you been sleep tested for sleep apnea? That could explain the constant exhaustion as well since your body may not actually be resting like it should even you sleep.

What's your diet like? Everyone is different, but for me eating fewer carbs and more veggies helps keep me from getting lethargic.

You’re just learning how to become an adult

Sounds normal to me, growing up brings a lot of changes and responsibilities that you aren’t used to. We all go through it and find our way.

Life is what you make of it. If you're not happy, better change things. Nothing wrong with a blue collar job. You can always return to uni later in life. Whatever you chose remember there will always be times when you wonder what it would have been like if you chose differently.

I’m in a similar boat, and am working on managing my dopamine set point. It’s tough, but it def helps, I recommend looking into that!

Edit: simile -> similar

Hey it can work out for you. As people say you have to make it happen. I decided to go the non college route (totally not because I got put on academic suspension due to my at the time undiagnosed ADHD) and worked in call centers for 10 years slowly working my way up and hopping jobs. I now get paid a comfortable salary for my girlfriend and I and our 3 pets. I choose my own hours and my own workload. Awesome work life balance. It is possible but doesn’t mean it will be easy.

This smells like burnout. I would suggest taking a break. Can you take a semester off? Maybe go travel? Working holiday somewhere?

Honestly, it sounds like depression to me. Work is unfortunately part of living in a capitalist society. It’s up to you to balance that with personal time. It sounds like you have lost interest in personal hobbies though and that is a sign of depression. I’m obviously no expert but I do/have suffered from depression and have had similar thoughts.

You realized this much earlier than most people, which is good! Honestly I've never found a good answer to this...

You can try to minimize the time you spend working by getting a remote job or a part time one, or ideally try to pile up some money to take a year (or any time) off if you're confident that you can get another job after that. Minimize the money you spend on material stuff so that you can work less, or go somewhere on vacation..

But if you find a good solution please let me know :)

Death.

Quick question. Is there a possibility it's depression? I relate to you quite a bit.

I have it, so if you want to ask Amy questions, ask as much as you want

Life advice:

a) if you eat stupid food you get tired and ill. Avoid gluten and corn syrup and acquire paleo + protein.

b) you get tired doing exercise you don’t want to do. Folks doing work they enjoy can do it all day long.

Seperate yourself from materials and you will find meaning

Join the Foreign Legion then.

You are in uni, why are you working? Just take it easy and enjoy the experience