Workplace burnout is something that I’m very much familiar with. Like everyone else, I’ve also experienced it, being caught in the vicious cycle of working for money and not having the time to do the things that I love. I love writing, but there was a period where I almost hated it. Because I was doing it simply to make money, writing things I would never have attempted, and what I wasn’t even enjoying just because I needed the money.
That wasn’t one of my best moments, I have to say. Because I had to force myself to deliver. Normally, I’m very picky about the kind of jobs I take, because the last thing I want is take on a job I won’t enjoy. The only way I can guarantee a client premium quality writeup is when I actually enjoy writing it myself. Anything else and I’ll just be forcing myself to do the job. And I don’t like it.
The last time I experienced this burnout was during my final exams. Matter of fact, for the duration of my last year in school, I was basically running on fumes. I needed the money, so I was ready to do just about any gig just to make the money so I could offset my bills. I was always working, and when I wasn’t, I was in school taking lectures. And when that wasn’t the case, I was reading or trying to answer one complex assignment.
Nothing was fun for me. I was just always busy and always tired. I stopped taking care of myself, I didn’t shave my beards or cut my hair, I was looking so haggard because I couldn’t even make out the time to visit the barbershop. That was just how bad it was for me during that period. But then, what could I do? I needed to make my grades, so studying and the assignments were important. But I also needed to pay my bills, so the job was also important.
I had to push through. I only started getting some relief towards the end of the semester when we were approaching exams. By then, we had covered almost everything we needed to and I didn’t have to go to school every day. I used the extra time to read and prepare my project, but I was also able to curl out time for myself.
My final days in school has to be one of the longest I ever went without seeing a movie or TV show. Prior to that, I always watched something during my breaks because it helped me relax. So, by watching movies to relax, I was also updating my movie list. Basically killing two birds with one stone. However, during that period, I didn’t.
The main relief though, it came after the exam. I was so spent that I took a few days off work and even my project just to do nothing but rest. I slept like a corpse and I watched movies till my brain rotted. I also went out to do other things besides work. It was then that I finally paid a visit to my barber and got my haircut. By the time my project defense rolled around, I was all shades of ready for it.
Thankfully, all the sacrifices and pain I had to go through wasn’t in vain. But all that stress is not something I look forward to going through anymore. The thing is, for many of us who work freelance and remotely, we’re nothing like those who do 9-5. At least, when you leave work, you know that you’re not getting back to it until the next day. For us, that’s not the case. We deal with deadlines, and the more deals you close successfully, the more money you make.
This mentality has us working late into the night, while others would be sleeping, would be punching keyboards like madmen just because we’re trying to meet deadlines. It’s not easy, but it’s the life we choose. If you want to avoid this burnout, you have to be intentional about it. And that’s what I choose, to be intentional.
I won’t be going above and beyond anymore. I’ll take on clients that won’t stress me, and if you try stressing me, I’ll give you your money and go my way. Life is not that hard at all. There are clients that if you’re not careful, they’ll bash your head against the wall and berate you for bleeding. I’m not going through that anymore.
With the way things are going in the country and life is getting hard, it might be too difficult to stay sane and keep the stress away. But it’s very important to know your limit. Because if you’re not careful, you’ll only end up blaming yourself.
