How I Learned About Burnout The Hard Way

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How I learned about burnout the hard

way
Burnout can happen to anyone. Here are the 3 things I wish I knew
before I burned out.
06 Mar 2020 | Jason Hibbets (Red Hat) (/users/jhibbets) | 42 | 8 comments
https://opensource.com/article/20/3/burnout?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=tepweekly&sc_cid=7013a000002DUv0AAG 1/13
3/31/2020 How I learned about burnout the hard way | Opensource.com
Image by : Internet Archive Book Images. Modified by Opensource.com. CC BY-SA 4.0
In early 2017, I was mentally in a bad spot. It was the perfect storm of stress, the kind that
no one asks for, but you deal with the hand you're dealt. Work was piling up to a point
where I couldn't process all the things that were expected of me. I was training for spring
half-marathons, which should have been stress relief, but I was putting too much pressure
on myself to perform at a high level. And then on top of the everyday family obligations, a
surgery in our household turned us into a one-car family and seriously added to the
mounting pressure on me to provide and take care of the family.
Then I broke.
It wasn't one thing. It was the culmination of things. And it hit me from the blind side,
unexpected. I never thought I would be a victim of burnout. I was aware of it and thoughtful
about the community I was managing. But "not me," I thought to myself, "I've got this under
control." I remember thinking that something was wrong; something was off. But I couldn't
quite put my finger on the source.
I distinctly remember the day where I cried at work, crumbling under the pressure that I was
putting on myself. I consider myself a high performer in the office environment. I push
myself to exceed the goals that my team co-creates because I want that success. I want the
feeling that comes with it. But this experience was different. This wasn't a healthy win for my
team or me. I felt like I let everyone down, including myself.
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I was attending South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, where I was presenting my first Ignite
Talk (https://schedule.sxsw.com/2017/events/PP96070) on applying open source principles
to government—a talk that was well received by the audience. I remember practicing, and
practicing, and practicing more the day before and the morning of my talk. I got that high
that comes after delivering a great talk. I had a book signing at the City of Raleigh's
Economic Development booth during the event, which was another emotional boost. Life
was good. Upon reflection, that's when I started noticing signs of my burnout.
I didn't have much of an appetite. I was tired all the time. I was sleeping in, and not because
of jet lag. I was exercising but wasn't getting the endorphins I was used to. And I wasn't
motivated to do the work that I normally love to do. I was very blah and meh about getting
work done or hanging out with people I love. These are all signs of depression and burnout.
After the trip, I scheduled my annual physical and talked to my doctor about my situation,
who recommended I see a psychologist. I sat on the couch and talked things out. I was
diagnosed with severe anxiety, which was enough for me to know that I didn't want to know
what true depression felt like.
I learned my lesson the hard way. I'd like to share my experience so that you can recognize
the signs and avoid going down this path. And before we move on, I must say that it's
perfectly fine to ask for help. Ask a trusted co-worker or friend for help or guidance. We're
human, and we need to help each other through the ups and the downs.
Three things to know about burnout
Work burnout is a form of depression where you are not motivated to do the things that are
expected of you at your job. It's not the occasional slacking off or spring fever because the
weather is nice. It's a buildup of emotional stress where you don't want to do what is asked
of you at work. There are numerous factors that can lead to burnout.
Know the signs of burnout
Lesson number one about burnout is to know the signs. I mentioned some of the things I
was experiencing, but there are many others. I remember one thing that was extremely
abnormal for me (because I'm so social) is that I started to separate myself from my usual
team activities and people.
Hey Jason, want to grab lunch with us? Nope, I'm too busy.
Hey Jason, Matt's in town, want to join us for happy hour? No. I've got work to do.
This is totally unlike me. I would normally have said yes to both those opportunities.
According to the Mayo Clinic (https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-
depth/burnout/art-20046642), here are a few things to ask yourself if you think you are
experiencing burnout:
Do you drag yourself to work?

Do you have trouble getting started with work?
Are you cynical or critical at work?
Have you become irritable or impatient with co-workers or customers?
Do you lack the energy to be productive?
Do you find it hard to concentrate?
Do you lack satisfaction from your achievements?
Do you feel disillusioned about your work?
Are you using food, drugs, or alcohol to feel better or to simply not feel?
Have your sleep habits changed?
Are you troubled by unexplained headaches, stomach or bowel problems, or other
physical complaints?
You can check your own burnout risk at BurnoutIndex.org (https://burnoutindex.org/), an

anonymous online questionnaire created in response to the high level of burnout
(https://opensource.com/article/19/11/burnout-open-source-communities) in the tech
industry.
Prevent burnout
The second lesson is to identify ways to prevent burnout

(https://www.redhat.com/sysadmin/tips-avoiding-burnout). First, take time away from your
job and plan time to unplug and unwind. This means planning vacations, staycations, or
other time away from work. It's sometimes hard to unplug like this with the pressures and
obligations we put on ourselves.
There are three different levels of paid time off (PTO):
1. Best way to unplug: I'm totally cut-off, not logging in, not checking email.
2. Decent way to unplug: I'm kind of checking in, but not as responsive as normal.
3. Meh way to unplug: I'm available if you need me, I'll monitor email, but I'm away from
normal office life.
Your situation will dictate which of these levels of time off will work for you. In my
experience, you need at least two total check-outs a year. I typically have a blend of all
three throughout the year, but since 2017, I have taken at least three week-long vacations
each year to completely escape. It's working so far!
Manage stress
The third and final lesson is to manage stress effectively. My first go-to for stress
management is exercise. I'm addicted to it. I work out pretty much every single day. And I
like to mix it up: Cardio, weight lifting, swimming, running, cycling, surfing, and high-intensity
interval training (HIIT) are staples in my exercise routine. I used to focus solely on running
four to six half marathons a year, but I recently switched to triathlons. The multidisciplinary
aspect of the activity has brought more joy and different challenges to my life.
Another way to reduce stress is to manage your time better. Time is our most precious
resource. You've got to choose how you want to spend your time. Family, work, self, social?
It's up to you. Find ways to work more efficiently, more effectively, and make sure that you
put yourself first. It may sound selfish, but as I've learned from the airplane preflight safety
videos, "you need to put your mask on first before helping others."
Conclusion
Burnout can lead to fatigue, excessive stress, sadness, anger, irritability, insomnia, alcohol
or substance misuse, heart disease, and other medical conditions—all things that are not
good for humans or for your team at work. I hope you can use these tips to put yourself first,
reduce stress, and prevent burnout.
Jason Hibbets will present "10 things I wish I knew before experiencing burnout
(https://www.socallinuxexpo.org/scale/18x/presentations/10-things-i-wish-i-knew-
experiencing-burnout)" at SCaLE 18x (https://www.socallinuxexpo.org/scale/18x/), March 5–
8, 2020, in Pasadena, Calif. This article is a preview for the talk and a way to share a bit of
his experience.
(/article/19/11/burnout-open-source-communities)
What you need to know about burnout in open source communities

(/article/19/11/burnout-open-source-communities)
Why is burnout so prevalent in open source communities, and what can we do about it?
Dawn Parzych (Correspondent) (/users/dawnparzych)
Topics : Careers (/tags/careers)
About the author

Jason Hibbets - Jason Hibbets is a senior community architect at Red Hat which means he
is a mash-up of a community manager and project manager. His current role involves
building community interest for #EnableSysadmin
(https://www.redhat.com/sysadmin/)--a watering hole for system administrators. He
(/users/jhibbets)
is the author of The foundation for an open source city
(http://theopensourcecity.com/) and has been with Red Hat since 2003. Follow him...
(http://twitter.com/jhibbets) (http://twitter.com/jhibbets)
• (http://twitter.com/jhibbets)• More about me (/users/jhibbets)
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8 Comments
Drew Kwashnak (/users/dragonbite) on 06 Mar 2020 3

Thank you for taking the time to put this down. It may or may not have been easy to do it, but the impact it
may have should be well worth it.
How are you doing now? Is this something that you "get over" or is it something you "recover from" over a
long period of time?
Jason Hibbets (/users/jhibbets) on 06 Mar 2020 2

I'm in a much better space now and I can continue to perform at a high level, but setting limits and
boundaries is what really helps this from reoccurring. For me, learning ways to unplug and recharge
was the remedy, which means more time AFK (away from keyboard). Having planned time off was a
huge step in my recovery.
Don Watkins (/users/don-watkins) on 06 Mar 2020 2

Excellent article. I too have experienced burnout. When I started crying at work I didn't realize that I was
burning out. I attributed it to my being a loyal employee who really cared. I had a mix of anxiety and
depression and sought help. Thanks for sharing your story.
Jason Hibbets (/users/jhibbets) on 06 Mar 2020 2

To be honest, I would not have been comfortable sharing this 2 years ago. But as I talk more and
more about it, it's easier and it important to share. I did a version of this as a talk at Open Source 101
this week in Columbia, SC with about 50 attendees and it went over very well. Very attentive and
engaged audience. I'm very excited to share this story at SCALE 18x
(https://www.socallinuxexpo.org/scale/18x/presentations/10-things-i-wish-i-
knew-experiencing-burnout) tomorrow and see their reaction and questions.
C Lopez on 06 Mar 2020 0

In my experience burnout is usually due to the worker bearing the load of a dysfunctional organization
and/or bad management. These days, the key to a happy work life is to not give sh!t about anything. Just
make sure you're buddies with management so you can give each other good reviews when it's 360 time.
At least that's what the other 90% of the people are doing, when they're not lounging around, checking their
social media, or chatting right smack in the middle of the open concept office.
Amol Khiste on 06 Mar 2020 0

Either i am at earlier stages of a burnout, or am able to manage/avoid it. I don't see most of the signs
mentioned. However, it is definitely taking a toll on my health. I need to restart exercising.
David Both (/users/dboth) on 07 Mar 2020 2

I suffered burnout a few years ago, myself. I was having night terrors, panic attacks, nightmares, hated
going in to work, and was totally wiped out all the time. I was in a horribly toxic environment while in that job
and it took a major toll on me. I got some professional help and leaned heavily on my wife. I was fired from
that job because I stopped putting up with the crap and things got better almost immediately. It took some
time to completely recover but I retired after that job and am glad I did so. Now I can just do what I want and
don't have to worry about little stuff like leaving for home one minute before 5pm.
Thanks, Jason, for talking about this.
Anderson Silva (/users/ansilva) on 09 Mar 2020 2

Thank you for sharing! I bet it will help many people!
Comment now
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3/31/2020 How I learned about burnout the hard way | Opensource.

How I learned about burnout the hard

Image by : Internet Archive Book Images. Modified by Opensource.com. CC BY-SA 4.0

More open source career advice

Three things to know about burnout

Know the signs of burnout

Do you drag yourself to work?

You can check your own burnout risk at BurnoutIndex.org (https://burnoutindex.org/), an

The second lesson is to identify ways to prevent burnout

There are three different levels of paid time off (PTO):

What you need to know about burnout in open source communities

Topics : Careers (/tags/careers)

About the author

Learn how you can contribute (/participate)

Drew Kwashnak (/users/dragonbite) on 06 Mar 2020 3

Jason Hibbets (/users/jhibbets) on 06 Mar 2020 2

Don Watkins (/users/don-watkins) on 06 Mar 2020 2

Jason Hibbets (/users/jhibbets) on 06 Mar 2020 2

C Lopez on 06 Mar 2020 0

Amol Khiste on 06 Mar 2020 0

David Both (/users/dboth) on 07 Mar 2020 2

Thanks, Jason, for talking about this.

Anderson Silva (/users/ansilva) on 09 Mar 2020 2

I'm not a robot

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