burnout++ title slide featuring the name on the left and a roaring fire on the right

Abstract

Burnout can happen at any point in everyone’s career. But, what happens when burnout is taking place amongst other things? Your s/o having a miscarriage? Veteran dealing with time in service and injuries from it? Becoming unemployed? Let’s discuss realizing you’re approaching or are burned out, the why behind that, and coping mechanisms.

Description

What is Burnout?

  • Definitions (sourced)
  • Who it impacts? Yes. Even kids deal with this.
  • Personal Story Thread: The year of yes can turn into years of “please stop”

Burnout+

  • Veteran
  • Injured (disabled veteran; disability in general)
  • Have Kids (always stressful or worrisome)
  • Contribute to open source (never feel like you’re doing your best)
  • Have a side hustle (Yeah, I wrote a weekly newsletter for six years)
  • Dealing with it all (do it before you snap)

Introduce a Little Chaos

  • A miscarriage
  • A job lost/layoffs
  • A global pandemic
  • Toxic family members
  • Personal Story Thread: A Netflix series that hit WAY too close to home

Welcome to burnout++ — Managing the Chaos

  • Friends & Family - Prioritize family, tell your friends, be forward
  • Compartmentalization (lock it in a box for short bursts) !!!WARNING!!!
  • The truth will set you free; be honest with yourself

Medical Conditions Can Occur Due to Burnout

  • Increased anxiety (all the way up to paralyzing panic attacks)
  • Fatigue, repetitive use injuries, etc.
  • Clouded thoughts
  • Mood swings
  • High blood pressure (living in the red)
  • Far Worse

Fight or Flight

  • You can be in a constant fight mode; this is what, “The fog of war,” kinda comes from
  • This feeling is built into our DNA
  • Being aware of your body and the remedies needed to center yourself
  • Meditation, grounding, situational awareness, and much more

Everything is interconnected

  • When I get anxious; I don’t think clearly
  • When I get anxious; my blood pressure goes up
  • When I get anxious; my pain levels go up
  • This interconnectedness has completely wiped me out before (story about the last panic attack)
  • All this starts like a snowball heading down a mountain; once you get to the end you have a devastating avalanche
  • If the anxiety builds daily over time a blow up is bound to happen

Acceptance

  • The sooner you accept the situation you’re in the sooner you can improve it
  • DevOps the shit out of it (“Martian” Science Meme)

Forgiveness

  • This is not entirely your fault
  • Give yourself some grace
  • Reach out to a friend
  • Accept who you are
  • This will get better

Moving Forward

  • Keep yourself organized
  • Realize that you need to be able to communicate effectively what’s happening to you and what you’re going through
  • Find habits that genuinely bring you peace
  • Let go of your fears

Notes and Anecdotes

  • How many of you have weighed leaving a certification course at lunch because you were in so much pain?
  • How many of you didn’t end up leaving because you realized you didn’t have enough pain meds to not make you feel guilty about laying in bed all afternoon?

Sources

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