This may be repeating several folks here, but… here it is:
I know what you’re going through, I am having the same problem. I’ve been through this before though, and it can be a huge drag. I am coming off of about 2 and a half years of study, classes, courses, etc. and am experiencing a bit of “burn out”. It’s something I call “being in a funk”. I don’t want to play my favorite songs, don’t want to learn new ones, am tired of the endless excercises and routines… just, blah. No drive to play, at all. I expected this, though because I’ve dealt with it quite a few times since I started playing.
So, four years ago I was in a car wreck, nothing really bad, but I ended up with some nerve damage. I remembered everything, but it didn’t “work” any more. My movements were all out of whack, and had weakness and numbness in parts of my hand, and in my fingers and thumb on both hands.
After the first weeks of dealing with it, I just started focusing on small things that I could (at least halfway) do. That was it, just small things, a little at a time. If I tried too long or too often I would get frustrated and that just wont do. (That’s the first thing: just play in small amounts even if it’s just once or twice a day).
After a couple years, which was 2 and a half (maybe 3) years ago, I felt like I wanted something structured. I could play some rhythms, but leads were a no-go. So I “emptied my glass” and started courses and instruction as if I were a beginner. In a way, I was. I had to learn the mechanics of everything I used to do, all over again. Something one of my instructors taught me, was to establish goals. Short, near future, and long term. And, make them precise. Otherwise you will overload easily. It made perfect sense, because before all this happened, that was the way I practiced. I suppose with the new challenges, I just forgot because I was overwhelmed. (That’s the second thing: be precise in what you want to do. Don’t matter if it changes every day, either!)
So, here is what I have done. I put myself in a time out. I only play 2 times a day no longer than 30 minutes. Or, 3 or 4 times, 10 or 15 minutes each. I have an odd work schedule so it’s hard to say “I’m practicing at 7:30PM tonight”… because that never happens lol. (That’s tip three: Don’t worry about ‘when’ you practice or play. It’s better, seriously, to pick up the guitar 3 times at 5 or 10 minutes each, than one time for 30 minutes).
Don’t be discouraged, this happens. To everyone, even the pros. Everyone has a break period, I know one guy who took every Sunday off, without fail, even he wanted desperately to play. Another actually stopped for something like 5 or 6 weeks. I like to just ‘back off’, small periods 2 or 3 times a day maybe 15m each. After doing that for a week or so, I find my interest start to peak. Still, I keep backed off, until I get inspired or decide to…
Make goals! And take your time making them. No rush, man! Guitar is really about the journey, and you should just think about what you want out of it, then decide on what YOU can do to get there. If it’s a song, make goals to learn it. If it’s a scale pattern, mode, etc., it works the same. If you want some structured instruction, go for it! You just need to gear that to what you decide to do.
And don’t feel bad about putting it down for a bit. You may be surprised that things come smoother to you after a break like that (though your fingers may complain from missing their calluses 
)
Some other things I like to do: listen to songs I have written, listen to old recordings of shows or watch old videos of shows of previous bands, watch OTHER people play their own songs or material. A lot of times, I will just work on my guitars, or my amp, or experiment with my processor. Even reading a book or binging a show. For me, these activities give me a boost and I will start to get the itch again in a day or two, usually.
Hope it helps, and I’m not just rambling… Cheers!
I saw him in Vegas about a year ago and walked out I was so bored. To each their own.
. I picked up a guitar again during this covid business and now can’t believe I went 8 years (so glad i didn’t sell off all my gear). Anyhow, I think for me the key is feeling that there is progress happening, weather that’s learning a new style/genre, technique or even just new songs/licks. It’s so easy to get stuck trying to learn the same thing over and over. For me it was always picking technique, I just couldn’t get to where i wanted to be or work out why - Cracking the Code helped me realise why my picking wasn’t where i wanted it to be after years of pain and now i have a new love for guitar again.
