Keywords:: PermanentNote makePublic
Reference::
Burnout is something that becomes increasingly common in IT.
However, many of us tend to ignore it, treating it as something that would never impact them. I was one of these people until a couple of days ago.
Today I learned: To avoid burnout from working in the digital industry you need a hobby.
Recently I experienced burn-out–related symptoms. I became negative and cynical, I felt tired, drained, overwhelmed, I couldn't sleep well, and the world around just seemed to be colored in dark shades.
What's strange was that the total number of hours spent on mental work didn't change. The thing that changed was where I have put my focus.
Normally, I spend 8-9 hours on my day job and 2-3 hours on writing and reading. But this time, for 4 days straight, I spent 100% of my mental effort—11-12 hours—on my job, ignoring my hobby—writing and reading. This was the only difference, everything else—the environment, diet, daily activities, etc—stayed the same.
Although my state was far from what people experience during full-fledged burn-out, it gave me a glimpse of how dark and debilitating it can be if it gets you.
The takeaway here (at least for me) is if you want to avoid burnout (or at least minimize it), you need a hobby, something that takes your focus away from work, and allows you to relax and recharge your batteries.
For me, that hobby is writing and reading (and playing basketball). It's something that I can do for hours without feeling tired, and it helps me relax and disconnect from work. But it can be anything else: playing an instrument, hiking, biking, painting, etc.
Best if it’s different from your work. his way, when you focus on your hobby, your work-related problems and stressors won't be able to sneak into your head and ruin your relaxation time.
Relevant notes (PN: )
P: If you're not learning in the modern world, then you're regressing (Red queen effect).: Why not make learning your hobby?
P: If you want to change, you need stress: how much stress is too much?
P: How you react to external situations depends on the size of your cup: is burnout a sign that your cup has overflown?
P: Life happens in cycles: are we more or less susceptible to burnout depending on the moment in the cycle?
PN: Pick the long-term over the short-term: if you want to be productive in the long term, you need to avoid burnout
P: What is a Black Swan: is burnout a Black Swan?