Stress and Burnout in the Translation Industry

One of the oft-cited perks of freelancing is that you get to be your own boss, but is that really true? As the Managing Director of an LSP, I am accountable to literally hundreds of people, from my staff and my linguists to our clients and partners. As much as I’d like to, I can’t just drop everything and take a spontaneous spa day whenever I want.

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Freelance translators, similarly, have to consider the other pieces of the puzzle that make up their business. They need to respond promptly to job requests and take on work where it’s available. And often they’ll find that assignments come in floods and droughts, all depending on the often opaque whims of end clients several degrees of separation away.

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These pressures can build up over time, and in the worst cases they can result in stress, depression and burnout. Let’s take a closer look at some of these challenges and freelancers in the localisation industry to manage them.

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Ebbs and flows

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Studies have shown that despite high levels of job satisfaction, translators tend to experience relatively high levels of occupational stress due to perceived unfair treatment by agencies, poor remuneration and uncertainty about the future. At the core of all these concerns is one key factor that we can all understand – the need to bring home enough money each month.

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The problem here is that assignment flows are rarely steady. End clients come and go – some may switch to other agencies, hire an in-house team or stop ordering translations altogether. This has a knock-on effect on both the agency and ultimately on the translators who make up the team for that account.

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Sometimes it may be that an individual PM has a close working relationship with a particular linguist, and so their departure causes the translator to fall between the cracks. Or it might be that the agency has introduced a new work-flow management system, perhaps one that sends out job requests on a first-come-first-serve basis. And with that, suddenly a steady gig is spread across a dozen other linguists as well.

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Sources of stress

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For the translator on the other end of the chain, a sudden decline in job offers can raise a lot of questions: Was it something I did? Will things ever pick up again? Am I going to hit my targets for the month? These doubts and uncertainties can then in turn give rise to much anxiety, and it can be hard to know how to deal with them.

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Different translators handle this problem in different ways. Some lower their rates, giving themselves a better chance of being at the top of the pile when new work comes in. Others accept jobs even when their schedules are full, working evenings and weekends during times of feast to prepare for the inevitable famine. Some may also be tempted to accept jobs they know they are not qualified to take on, and will have to spend inordinate amounts of time researching in order to complete.

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There are problems with all of these options. Besides often entailing a compromise on our professional standards, they also sacrifice work-life balance and cause us to take on more work than we really should. Over time, this can lead to higher levels of stress and in the worst-case scenarios, to illness and burnout.?

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What is burnout?

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The term burnout has been in use since the 1970s and has been recognised by the World Health Organisation as a syndrome resulting from chronic work-based stress. The basic physical symptoms are initially the same as those of stress and depression, making it easy to downplay the risks and write off the manifestations as something less severe. But what sets burnout apart are the following:

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-?????? Feeling like every day is a bad day

-?????? Feeling tired or drained most of the time

-?????? Feeling mentally distanced from or negative towards your work/career

-?????? Self-doubt

-?????? Procrastinating or taking longer than usual to complete tasks

-?????? Feeling overwhelmed

-?????? Changes in appetite/sleeping patterns

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Burnout is brought on by an overload of responsibilities and the sense that we are losing control. Work responsibilities continue to pile up, emails stream in and we begin to feel like we are letting everybody down. Eventually, the pressure becomes too much and our brains start looking for other outlets and ways to release the valve. Mental pressures can begin to manifest physically, and we may end up becoming ill or too fatigued to properly function.

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When burnout happens, it is important to take action and to try and break past any feelings of shame or embarrassment you may have. Talk to a psychologist or a friend and be kind to yourself as you climb down and rediscover your baseline.

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How can we prevent burnout?

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There are a number of steps we can take to keep burnout at bay, even if this may feel a little like a Catch-22 situation. ?We need to work to make ends meet, but if we work too much, we might risk burning out. There’s no denying that solving this problem is a bit of a tightrope act – but one that are all capable of performing, just so long as we remember to balance.

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There are lots of different things we can do and some will work better for certain people than for others. The important thing is that we all find the right mix that works for us. Here are a few things to try:

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Good financial planning: Make sure you know how much money you need each month. Build up some savings and reserve funds, and set targets for how much you need and how much you would like to earn. This can help build some predictability into your schedule and keep you on the right track.

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Communicate with PMs: If your favourite end client seems to have dropped off the face of the Earth – ask why. Gather information and plan accordingly. Don’t fret about telling your PMs when you are busy and when you are available, and correct unrealistic assumptions about what you can manage. At the end of the day, this information helps PMs place jobs, so sharing it is a win-win for everyone.

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Don’t put all your eggs in one basket: When freelancers find an agency they really gel with, it can be tempting to give them priority over everyone else. But it’s important to give yourself more than just one leg to stand on. At the same time, though, trying to keep up with job requests from dozens of agencies can be tiring – so think carefully about where you want to draw the line.

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Stick to your standards: Avoid the temptation to take on work you aren’t qualified to do, as this will only lead to more stress in the long run if things go wrong. Take pride in your work and refrain from taking on jobs if you know you haven’t got the mental capacity to give them your all. Make sure your rates are competitive, but don’t try and undercut other translators by sinking below what’s fair.

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And remember that if things seem like they’re getting out of control and you’re feeling backed into a corner – there is always a way out. Burnout and mental health issues still face a lot of stigma, but by talking openly about them and seeking help when we need to, we can help build a better work environment for us all – whether we’re business owners, employees or self-employed.