I recently overcame a bad case of burnout and learned a lot in the process.
I want to share what I learned, hoping it will be helpful to others struggling like me. I have divided them into two five-point sections, each dealing with professional and personal learning.
professional learning
1. Take note of the time spent in meetings
Lately, I've noticed that I'm getting too committed because I'm not collecting the time you spend on daily meetings, assigned tasks, and other operational tasks. For example, when planning my week, I do tasks every week of 40 hours and I don't think that some weeks the meetings themselves take 15 hours. Then I extend my working hours to meet the commitment that has become a major source of fatigue.
These days, I keep a 10-hour buffer each week for meetings and other operational tasks, which has helped me a lot in improving my estimating and work schedule.
2. Don't leave topics open
I read this book by David Allen called Getting Things Done, and it has some interesting ideas. For example, she says we are overwhelmed with unfinished tasks floating around in our minds. If we don't store them properly in a safe place, they begin to pollute our mental space and cause anxiety until they are complete.
Having a daily planning session where I get rid of all my tasks in a notebook and set reminders and due dates in my calendar has had an incredible effect on my mental peace.
3. Talk to your manager/mentors
Your manager and mentors are there to help you. Plus, they struggled with the same things you did and overcame. As a result, they can give you great contextual advice.
For example, lately, I've been wearing multiple hats in my league, which is common in startups. Despite being an engineer, I worked more on the preparation of the product and schedule roadmap, many meetings with various stakeholders, teamwork like defining the team structure and the long-term vision, the number and types of engineers to be hired, the writing of job descriptions, the procurement strategy, etc...
Needless to say, I was very confused at first. I talked to my boss about it, and it turns out he's been through something very similar. He shared his own experiences and how he went through them. Having someone sympathize with you is really great, but he also shared some pointed tips that helped improve the situation.
4. Separate work and personal life
Another big cause of burnout is when work bleeds into our personal lives. We keep thinking about work-related things even when we are with our family, at restaurants, and even on weekends. This is especially true in times of lockdown when boundaries are blurred and it's easy to become overloaded. Dividing my time by setting strict start and end times on my calendar had a huge impact on finding my balance.
5. Do not hesitate to take vacations
There is a stigma attached to taking time off. Often we hesitate for fear of being perceived as indifferent to work, not dedicated to work, etc. But let me tell you a secret, good managers like people whose life is more than work and who take care of themselves. As a bonus, when you come back, you'll have more energy to work and you'll get the job done faster, making you look like someone who does things quickly.
personal learning
6. Talk to the family
It's often easy to forget to talk to family. We often feel like they are close and will be there for us anyway. But did you know that if you're over 20 and starting to work, you've probably spent more than 90% of the time you would spend with your family and only have 10% left?
A video posted by my favorite YouTube channel explores this in more detail. As we continue, we take our family for granted and prioritize work and friends above them. However, your relationship with your family is like the roots of a tree. They help feed you and give you strength to weather any storm, including fatigue.
7. Take up a hobby
Everyone must have heard this at one point or another in their life, but never really followed through. After all, who has time for hobbies when you're so busy all the time? Please take time for the important things. I recently started writing, and it's very calm, serene, and even meditative. It helps me release stress and also revitalizes me.
8. Meditate
Just as exercise improves your physical health, meditation improves your mental health. If you have never practiced meditation, I strongly recommend that you educate yourself about it and find a good meditation teacher near you.
I took vipassana courses. It is comprehensive, intense and a great start to your meditation practice. In addition to helping manage burnout and relieve stress, it allows you to ground and connect with yourself to better understand what really matters to you.
9. Invest in personal development and growth
What does not grow is death - it is the law of nature. Feeling lazy can make your fatigue worse. You feel like you are just working and nothing else. Because of this impression, you also spend more free time than you normally would, which reduces growth time and reinforces the feeling that you are just working. It becomes a vicious circle.
To get out of this loop, start replacing some of your free time with reading books, watching TED Talks, listening to podcasts, etc. These can help you learn different life skills that will boost your career.
10. Reward yourself
We take ourselves too seriously and blame ourselves on trivial matters. But we don't take the time to celebrate small victories. With our rising expectations, nothing is good enough for us. This must change. We need to enjoy ourselves and have fun. So if you do something, enjoy something cute like a bowl of Calakande mango, a chocolate brownie with ice cream or a Ferrero Rocher shake.
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