Overcoming Burnout
Last fall I experienced a bit of burnout with Web design and development. I had so many different projects all going on at the same time, and shifting responsibilities and roles in my position that I had a hard time discerning up from down. I came to a point where I just wanted to quit and take up farming, or become an auto-mechanic, or anything not involving sitting in front of a computer all day.
Relief came over time as I learned to groove with my new responsibilities, cut back side projects (I’m not taking any currently), stopped answering my phone every time it rang, implemented “inbox zero” for e-mail, and generally simplified life in other ways.
I also started reading more frequently, spending more time away from my CrackBerry and other methods of being plugged in, and spent more time with my wife and daughter. Suddenly I found a new well of hope and inspiration.
I have heard of several others who are on the verge of burnout. It is good to work hard, and there are seasons in life where we must put our nose to the grindstone and simply keep plowing away. But there are other times to rest.
Have you experienced burnout like this, and how have you overcome it?
