How to avoid burnout and why it is important

Storytime

Anyone who works in the IT industry knows that there is no shortage of work to do in any given project. The workload can become immensely high for new individuals in the industry. Newbies are trying to learn any technologies a project uses while also improving their general and domain-specific skills. Now add a complex project into the mix, and things can quickly spiral out of control, start to feel overwhelmed, and burn out very quickly.

I’ve always struggled to SAY NO to people, and I see any new challenge as an opportunity to grow. So, whenever I am present with a new task, I say yes, and take it onboard. There are only 24 hrs in a day. Unless you are Elon Musk, it is improbable that you will be able to effectively produce more than 12 hours of work in a day. You can see how saying yes to every opportunity can spiral out of control quickly.

I faced the above scenario a few weeks ago. I have multiple commitments at work, I am adding new skills to my skill set with new certifications, and while I was doing all of that, I was doing five intense gym sessions per week. That is why I haven’t published any articles for the past few weeks.

Luckily, I am working for an employer that genuinely cares for its employees. So I had the opportunity to discuss the matter with my mentor at work. Since I don’t think the above scenario is unique to me, I thought of publishing this article, hoping that it will help some of you too.

Saying NO

As I said, I’ve always struggled to SAY NO to people. It is essential to learn how to say no in a work environment. It allows you to become effective at work. If you take on too many tasks then fail to deliver or produce subpar work to compensate for lack of time, it will significantly affect the project’s progress. Saying no is hard, and people typically don’t like to hear no either. So, how can we SAY NO WITHOUT SAYING NO?

Instead of saying yes, say MAYBE.

If your client or manager asks you to do a new task on top of what you have, and you are pressed for time, instead of saying yes, say, “Maybe, let me look at my list of priorities and get back to you”. Saying maybe will buy you some time to assess the situation without over-committing on the spot.

Put the priorities back on the client or ask them to allocate you time.

Sometimes clients can be demanding. If the client insists on you doing a particular task that cannot fit into the schedule, ask them to allocate the time required based on your current list of priorities. This is quite a helpful tactic. You might be working on a task that doesn’t need to happen now (Your client/manager knows the most critical tasks, so let them prioritise it).

Always be proactive about potential timeline delays.

You are the one who is working on a task. If you think a deliverable will take a bit longer than planned, always let the stakeholders know in advance. Doing so will allow you to discuss potential solutions and reprioritise your tasks, so you are not working till midnight every week to complete the work.

Recognising your boundaries and clearly define them.

If you are like me, you might let others dictate your boundaries. Over time, letting others dictate your boundaries will build some form of frustration or resentment. If you are frustrated with your manager or client, you have already lost. It is doubtful you will give 100% at work. So, define your boundaries and let others at work know. People cannot read your mind. They don’t know what you don’t tell them.

Lets’ look at some examples below:

• Lets’ say you don’t like being interrupted during your 30 min lunch break with work. So block 30 min out on your calendar for lunch. If a client or a team member tries to book a meeting during your lunch break, tell them you are not available and suggest an alternative time.
• Lets’ say you love going to the gym once a day and do not want to discuss work matters during this time. Let your colleagues know that you are not available for work discussions while at the gym. If a colleague calls, tell them, “Hey, unless this is an urgent situation that needs my immediate attention, I will give you a call after I’ve finished my gym session.”

Urgencies

Every rule tends to have an exception. In a work environment, client urgencies are the exception. Not everything is urgent just because the client says it is urgent. Urgent tasks are critical for the performance of a system. For example, a crucial system that the client relies on for day-to-day operations goes down. Restoring this to the operational level is an urgent task. However, adding a new feature to an existing system should not be treated at the same urgency.

Why all of this is important?

Your career is a lifelong journey. You might be able to work 12 hrs every day, but you won’t be able to sustain it in the long run. If you are lucky, maybe for a few years before you burn out and lose interest. When that happens, your career progression will take the biggest hit.

So learn to say no and draw boundaries so every day, you wake up energised and excited to go to work. Don’t be the person who is always looking forward to the weekend and dreads Mondays.