Preventing Burnout

Preventing burnout

Picking up burnout cues is much harder when you’re remote. Lack of visibility, schedule creep, and high-stress makes a perfect storm - one that if you’re not careful, can derail your team.

When burnout hits, there isn’t really a guaranteed curative approach. So the key is to identify symptoms and take a more preventative approach.

Introduce these exercises from GitLab to any team member who may be suffering from impending burnout.

😴 Symptom 1 - Excessive fatigue

Use brain breaks to divide up the flow of the workday • Pepper your day with 5-20 minute breaks (meditation, walking, cooking) • Put them in your calendar like you would a meeting. These are not optional!

Use recovery breaks for more intense relaxation • Plan for a 30 minute break after you sign off work. • Prepare a calming activity for yourself (reading, writing, bath)

Both break styles lower stress hormones and keep our fight-or-flight response from kicking in.

😫 Symptom 2 - Unproductivity or cynicism about work

Burnout loves perfectionists. Train yourself and your team to avoid perfectionism through these grounding mantras:

• Done is better than perfect. • This is a challenging situation that’s rooted in factors I can’t control.

You can also encourage a team member struggling with this symptom to write them down and keep them close to their workspace as a reminder.

⌛ Symptom 3 - Lack of time with loved ones

Don’t let work become the main architecture of your days.

Encourage your entire team to book events with friends and family like actual events. Put video calls, dinners, or dates into calendars and treat them as priority meetings.

This will force you to sign off and focus elsewhere.

Lend a helping hand

While it may seem like your team can protect themselves from burnout on their own, it’s more likely that they need a little help from you.

By modeling some of these behaviors yourself and making sure that you speak up when you see a team member flagging, you’ll encourage a healthier culture that will help your team win in the long game.