Discussion Thread

  • 1.  Techniques to Overcome Burnout

    Posted 10-10-2019 09:24 PM
    There is no easy way to accept you are burning out at work. We live in a very fast-paced industry where everything needs to be done by yesterday. There is no time to take a breath or even realize you are burnout. This is how I have been feeling for the last two weeks. I have worked almost 50+ hours per week on top of my house and other personal duties. Needless to say, I came to a dead-end without knowing what to do. Then I found an image, here is what it said...

    Hidden Signs of Burnout you Shouldn't Ignore:
    • Inability to concentrate
    • Feeling like you are constantly failing
    • Making careless mistakes
    • Re-upping a bad habit
    • Dizziness and headaches
    ... and I was feeling all of them. It was time to slow down, take a breath, take time to go for walks and be alone to think, and more. 

    I want to hear what you have done when you are feeling burnout? Or if you think you have never been burnout, did these five "sympthoms" make you think differently?

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    Luis Duque EIT, A.M.ASCE
    Structural Engineer
    Broomfield CO
    luis@...
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  • 2.  RE: Techniques to Overcome Burnout

    Posted 10-15-2019 10:04 AM
    I have been there and I know I will be there again in the future. As you mentioned, this is a fast-paced industry and part of the requirement is to be ready for these burnouts. One of the techniques I used to overcome them is to have a talk with my boss and eventually team members. I usually want to set priorities in these talks so we can concentrate on the most "hot" project. This helps me put aside the other jobs so I can concentrate and not feeling like constantly failing. 

    On a personal level, I usually go to my wife and we just talk about the symptoms you mentioned. Expressing the feeling to my wife and just having the opportunity of saying them aloud has helped me overcome them. We usually sit, talk, reflect about them and create a plan of action to overcome them. These plans usually include having a walk in the park, taking a quick weekend getaway. and sometimes cooking together (with some music in the background) and having a nice dinner.

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    Julian Valencia A.M.ASCE
    Project Engineer
    Houston, TX
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