Take a second and be honest with yourself when answering these questions: do you dread logging into your computer every morning? Perhaps you feel little to no satisfaction from your work?
Do you easily get irritated with coworkers and/or clients, your sleeping habits have drastically changed, or you’re feeling trapped in a dead-end job?
Or maybe it’s even come to a point where you’ve dusted off your system administrator resume and are ready to quit?
If you answered yes to one or more of those questions, then you’re one of the nearly 60% of tech workers suffering from job burnout. While that might sound scary, at first there are numerous ways to overcome and even prevent further job burnout.
In this article, we’ll look at some practical tips to help IT professionals find that elusive work-life balance and avoid the pitfalls of burnout.
What is burnout?
Before we get to the good stuff, let’s take a moment to understand what burnout actually means.
Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive stress from work. It’s often linked to things like having unclear goals, feeling a lack of control, and working in a dysfunctional team.
Likewise, ‘smaller’ things like an unsupportive work environment and/or low-stimulation tasks can also contribute to this state.
IT professionals are particularly susceptible to burnout due to a unique combination of factors, including high demands, tight deadlines, constant pressure (the “Always On” culture), abstract goals, and information overload.
Manage your tasks before they manage you
What a scary headline, right? Yet, as we mentioned above, lack of autonomy is one of the most common causes of job burnout.
If you don’t have control over your work or schedule, it will feel like you never have enough time to finish your projects.
It’s no secret that time management is difficult in the IT industry, especially if you work remotely or freelance. It’s not uncommon to have a major project (or projects!) that are often complex, tangled, and have multiple layers and multiple players.
It can feel like you’re in a perpetual sprint (yet never having enough time!) with the deadline constantly receding further and further into the distance.
If this sounds like you (and I have definitely been there myself!), stop and take a breather! This constant task-juggling can be streamlined with effective time management strategies.
First, break your project into small and manageable tasks — don’t try to do an entire week’s worth of work in one day!
From there, determine how much time a certain task takes (add an extra 10 to 20% as a ‘buffer zone’) and add these tasks to your calendar. Visually seeing your schedule helps you manage your time more effectively and leads to fewer context switches.
Finally, add a ‘hard stop’ to your calendar, which is a definite end time for your workday. Knowing when to clock out creates a healthy work-life balance and prevents burnout.
Calendar blocking is an excellent method because once you see how many tasks you’ve completed, you’ll feel less overwhelmed and more empowered to tackle the rest of your week.
Set personal boundaries
Being perpetually connected can be a double-edged sword for IT professionals, especially since it blurs the lines between work and personal life. For example, how many times do you answer a work email or call during your day off? This constant availability can easily lead to burnout.
To put it another way, let’s imagine a bus or taxi driver. On his day off, he most likely won’t think about work or how he can deliver passengers faster once Monday rolls around, right?
Unfortunately, disconnecting fully from work can be challenging for IT professionals. To address this, consider making your days off “non-negotiable”. Discuss this need for dedicated downtime with your coworkers in advance and make sure they understand you won’t be reachable on those specific days.
Delegate draining tasks
Each of us has those tasks that sap our battery a hundred times faster than others. This could be chores like cleaning the house, cooking dinner, shopping for groceries, or other time-consuming and boring tasks.
If these tasks are truly draining your energy, why not get rid of them? No, we’re not telling you to stop cleaning the house altogether (hi, dust bunnies!) — we’re merely suggesting the art of delegation.
For example, you could hire a cleaning company or invest in a robot vacuum cleaner to take care of the housework. Hate cooking? There are excellent meal delivery services. Or, if it’s the act of buying groceries that bores you, there are also grocery delivery services or curbside pickup options.
Work-life balance
While work is essential, it shouldn’t define our entire existence. The key to having a fulfilling life is finding a healthy balance — which is exactly where hobbies and passions come in.
Although work takes up 40 hours of your week (or more), there is still tons of time that you can fill with activities that you truly enjoy! From biking to walking around the city, playing board games with friends, traveling, going to watch a game, or practicing yoga, these experiences can re-energize you, combat work fatigue, and spark joy.
By nurturing your passions outside of work, you’ll return feeling refreshed and ready to take on any challenge.
Seek professional help when necessary
Burnout is a serious issue, but it’s important to know you’re not alone. If you suspect burnout is affecting you, seeking professional help is crucial, as early intervention is key to preventing further struggles.
Many companies offer employee programs with access to mental health professionals that are either fully or partially subsidized — be sure to ask your HR representative about your options.
A therapist or counselor can provide a safe space to share your feelings and concerns, and in return offer valuable guidance on managing stress and finding healthy coping mechanisms.
This article is part of a partnership with Resumegiants. For partnering opportunities, contact akansha@techfundingnews.com or sales@techfundingnews.com.
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