If a number of the above applies to you then you are not alone. However, below are 15 ways to help you look after yourself to prevent stress and burnout in the IT industry.
1. Take up a sport. It could be football, cycling, swimming, running, weight-lifting, dancing, walking, yoga and so on. The type of sport doesn’t really matter as long as you enjoy it and it helps you to burn off any stress and frustration. Doing any type of sport is a wonder cure in that it helps you both physically and mentally. If you don’t feel like being sporty or you have very little time to do any sport in your life, I would really recommend you try to find a way to somehow incorporate this important element into your life.
2. Make lists of what you need to do and prioritise your work. Making lists aids in feeling organised and in control. Therefore, it helps to lessen stress. 3. Take regular pauses if you are doing intensive work. I would personally recommend for every 45-50 minutes of intense work such as coding etc that you take a 5-10 minute pause. If you get up and stretch your legs, the blood can then circulate around your body which assists with feeling refreshed, revitalised and ready for a new period of concentration.
4. Try not to over-extend your workload so that it is impossible to complete in time. If you are asked to put some work in and there aren’t enough hours in the day to actually do it, then you really need to say so. Help your sanity by trying to only accept a workload which you can realistically deal with.
5. Utilise your lunch break appropriately. I would recommend walking away from your desk and doing something completely different for the entire duration. Perhaps you can take a walk, take a nap in your car, go window shopping or chat to some work colleagues. Do whatever helps you to recharge your batteries so that you are ready for the second part of your work day.
6. Refuse to do more than a 40-45 hour work week if possible. Regularly working long hours really drains you in the long term. I really can’t stress this point enough.
7. Take at least one vacation each year. Regardless of which job you do in the IT industry, try to stay away from your computer for the whole of your vacation period. Then when you return to work, you can feel fully refreshed.
8. Get lots of sleep at night time. If you are feeling even remotely stressed, one of the best antidotes is sleep. If you have too many worries to unwind properly, investigate various techniques such as sports, hobbies, talking with friends, cognitive therapy, hypnosis CDs and so on to help you not to ruminate on any stresses or problems during vital sleep time.
9. Ensure you include some fun time into your life. We all need some fun and sunshine in our lives to be happy and healthy.
10. Take a career break by leaving the IT industry for one year and do something completely different. If you are in the fortunate position to do so, go travelling, go work in that bar you have been fantasising about, do anything but work in IT. Once your year is up, I am confident that the vast majority of people are likely to return to the industry feeling refreshed, re-energised and revitalised.
11. Seek therapy and talk your way through your stresses and frustrations. Therapy has already helped millions of people around the world and could really help you.
12. If you are seeking a change, look into switching to alternative work which is related to your current job. This can be an ideal solution for those who cannot afford to take a job at a lower salary, cannot afford to retrain and/or loath the idea of actually leaving the IT industry. For example, if you are a burnt out programmer then you could use your skills and knowledge to work as a technical writer, quality analyst, IT architect, business analyst, project manager and so on. There is no written rule that says you cannot move into a related work stream.
13. If you are feeling strongly that you no longer wish to work in the IT industry then you may need to look at alternative careers. It can be hard to change careers when we have responsibilities which tend to grow as we progress through life. However, it is never too late to change direction and seek out other opportunities.
14. If a job is making you ill, just leave. No job is worth loosing your health over.
15. Finally, just try to lead a happy balanced life.
"I always try to go the extra mile at work, but my boss always finds me and brings me back." - Anonymous
