How to deal with burnout

I have a confession. It is hard for me to turn the work part of my brain completely off. There, I said it—I am a workaholic.

I care deeply about my company and my team, and it’s easy to get completely engrossed when I’m working. To some extent it may be the Silicon Valley culture—we work around the clock when we’re passionate about innovating. While passion is good, working non-stop is not.?

Burnout is a huge problem, especially in tech. From our high-achieving, always-busy culture to blurred boundaries between home and work, burnout is increasingly a fact of life. Exhaustion can turn even the most dedicated employee into a shell of themselves. Burnout leads to turnover, and is absolutely a contributor to the Great Resignation.

Many of the strategies that prevent burnout are the same strategies that ensure our mental and physical wellbeing across the board: taking breaks, exercising, exploring hobbies, and incorporating meditation and mindfulness into our routines. Incorporating daily routines and enforcing work-life boundaries are especially helpful for those who work from home. I understand that these strategies are easier said than done, but the benefits are well worth the effort required to put them into practice.

I prevent burnout for myself by practicing what I call “digital detox” every Saturday. I spend a whole day working on creative things in the analog world— painting, hiking, and cooking. I carve out time on weekends to connect with friends and loved ones, often over a hike or a home-cooked meal. And I’m always exploring new hobbies—my latest is jewelry making. I find the beauty of natural gemstones and the deep focus required when hand-making a setting to be a wonderful break from my work, which often requires long hours in front of screens.

I encourage my teams to do the same, but as a leader, you can’t prescribe how your employees should spend their weekends. Instead, I focus on helping my team build healthy habits during work hours. At Fable we incorporate what we call microbreaks into our days, and have even provided short audio recordings of poems, stories, and meditations to encourage moments of reflection and mindfulness. Encouraging employees to take advantage of paid time off is also wise. At Fable we have an unlimited PTO policy, which is possible because we trust each other to work hard and to take time when needed. And, of course, I encourage reading whenever possible—the mental health benefits are well-established and powerful.?

Burnout is a tough problem, but there are ways to prevent it. How do you prevent burnout for yourself and your teams? Let me know in the comments.