I just have two additional points I think might be worth adding.
I think (1) you might be able to do more about burnout without having experienced it than you imply, and (2) that it’s worth a reminder that having a support network isn’t enough: you have to use it.
On the first point:
I think you can have at least some sense of the early warning signs of burnout without having experienced it. People often talk about sudden lack of sleep, bad dreams, greater than usual friction in personal relationships, and a few have reported lying to friends and family about their present emotional state and stress levels. I’m sure there are other signs too—I’d be interested to see if there’s a less arbitrarily produced list somewhere.
On the second point:
You mention building a support network, which I think is clearly a great idea! But a support network needs to be used.
I personally haven’t experienced burn-out, but (I think?) I have experienced some early warning signs. I’ve found it really helpful to over-share these symptoms with my closest friends and family, and I’m also lucky I get to share it with my manager who has been non-judgemental, and consistently emphasises that doing so is a good thing (he doesn’t want me to burn-out either!). I don’t always find this easy to do, but I’ve never really regretted it. They often encourage me to do the things (many that you suggest) that will help me return to my usual state, and I think very often I wouldn’t be able to do these things without encouragement.
Hope the points helped, and thanks again for the post :)
Thanks for this post, Ryan!
I just have two additional points I think might be worth adding.
I think (1) you might be able to do more about burnout without having experienced it than you imply, and (2) that it’s worth a reminder that having a support network isn’t enough: you have to use it.
On the first point:
I think you can have at least some sense of the early warning signs of burnout without having experienced it. People often talk about sudden lack of sleep, bad dreams, greater than usual friction in personal relationships, and a few have reported lying to friends and family about their present emotional state and stress levels. I’m sure there are other signs too—I’d be interested to see if there’s a less arbitrarily produced list somewhere.
On the second point:
You mention building a support network, which I think is clearly a great idea! But a support network needs to be used.
I personally haven’t experienced burn-out, but (I think?) I have experienced some early warning signs. I’ve found it really helpful to over-share these symptoms with my closest friends and family, and I’m also lucky I get to share it with my manager who has been non-judgemental, and consistently emphasises that doing so is a good thing (he doesn’t want me to burn-out either!). I don’t always find this easy to do, but I’ve never really regretted it. They often encourage me to do the things (many that you suggest) that will help me return to my usual state, and I think very often I wouldn’t be able to do these things without encouragement.
Hope the points helped, and thanks again for the post :)