How To Avoid Burnout If You Work In Tech
The pandemic’s widespread uncertainty, as well as the resulting languishing, makes it increasingly harder for a lot of people to concentrate. Because a lack of focus causes everything to take longer, we continue to work more but accomplish less, which can be exhausting. The good thing is that there may be ways to deal with this feeling.
We resumed quite a bit of work at Clooper in 2022. We kicked off the year with all guns blazing, pushing updates through (with our engineering and product teams fixing bugs and deploying things — I wish I was more prepared to sound a little techier).
A quick glance at the ‘testing’ and ‘live-issues-client-feedback’ Slack channels will leave you wondering, ‘what is going on with these techies, can we please speak English?’ You see things like “Deploy webapp to staging successful!” It just goes on and on!
Whether we liked it or not, the team was stressed out while pushing until the platform was fully operational again, and then we ‘celebrated’ when bits were deployed to users.
However, once the project was completed, the sense of exhaustion and the need to take a break kicked in full force (for some of us).
It came in a rush as if we’d progressed far beyond toughing it out, and working long hours had become far too common. Some of us were physically and mentally exhausted, and for some, the creative well seemed to be running dry. That sounds like burnout to me!
According to studies, this happens more frequently in tech companies, and if you work or know someone who works in one, they or you may have experienced it yourself.
So, how can you completely avoid, or at the very least reduce, the possibility of constant burnout? I (a content editor and copywriter) work closely with a team of product designers, engineers, and so on, so my perspective will be informed by both my own and that of some of my colleagues. I hope this works for everyone and that you find it useful in some way.
Making a Daily Plan
Make a daily plan to help you stay in control — We do this with a daily update check in on Slack in Clooper. Disorganization can be a major source of stress. It can be a stubborn distraction when you’re working hard and trying to focus on your work. Taking the time to organize your daily to-do list, files, computer, and even your desk, and processes can help you avoid stress-induced burnout.
Prioritize and Break Down Projects
There will always be a lot of things to do, and it’s easy to become fixated on the number of things that need to be done and become overwhelmed with the enormous tasks at hand.
Instead, divide the tasks into realistically achievable chunks based on priority and focus on a few things at a time. So make a to-do list in order of priority and check it off as you complete each task. This keeps your mind from wandering and allows you to focus on and complete tasks without feeling overwhelmed.
We did this at Clooper while working on the platform’s rollout, and it was a huge help.
Delegate
The advantage of having a large team is that no one person is saddled with a large number of responsibilities that could easily be distributed.
Acknowledge when you require assistance and reach out for support in those areas between teams. Otherwise, delegate tasks effectively so that you can fully commit your attention to other important tasks without wasting time or mental energy.
Schedule Your Work Hours (even on Slack)
Some people work better when they have a set schedule, so if this is you, try creating your own specific work hours. In Clooper, some people work better in the mornings, while others work better at night, so if this sounds like you, choose hours that work for you and stick to them, which means that when your day/hours are done, you are done, including emails and Slack messages.
Change Up Your Work Environment
If you currently work from home, why not change up your workspace or go somewhere else for a while? A change in environment may be just what you need at times. I recently decided to work from Obudu Mountains Resort for 8 days, and the change of scenery was immensely helpful. Going away to a serviced location/holiday apartment for a change may be very helpful.
Above all, figure out what works best for you. You want to give your all, but it’s nearly impossible when you’re exhausted. So, take some time to figure out what works best for you, and if you need more help and support, by all means, seek it.
You can start here if you need a temporary change of pace.
