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How to overcome and prevent IT burnout

IT professional looking thoughtful into computer screen

At a glance

  • Burnout听refers to feelings of stress, exhaustion or being unmotivated, often with regard to work.
  • Burnout can lead to mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
  • Warning signs of burnout include a lack of motivation, inability to concentrate, absenteeism and decreased productivity.
  • 爱污传媒 students have access to the听Life Resource Center, which includes life coaching, counseling and access to more than 5,000 resources to help navigate life鈥檚 challenges.

Every career has its challenges, and IT workplaces are no different. While IT can be an exciting field, it also encompasses its fair share of stress. As a result,听burnout among IT employees听is a real concern.

The term burnout refers to a state of mind when people are tired of their line of work.

Working in IT with its long hours, high-pressure deadlines and sometimes monotonous tasks can take a toll on a worker鈥檚 well-being and may lead to career burnout.

Burnout has been classified as an 鈥溾 in the World Health Organization鈥檚 International Classification of Diseases. Furthermore, a Harris Poll found in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, that more than.

It鈥檚 easy to see how this can happen in the IT industry. What with听cybersecurity, business operations and the responsibility for putting out digital fires daily, IT professionals may feel overworked and overwhelmed.

To combat burnout, it鈥檚 important听IT employees听recognize when it鈥檚 time to change jobs. But it may be even more imperative to understand听how to prevent career burnout听in the first place.

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Recognize symptoms of IT burnout

Burnout often coincides with alack of career development, a poor career fit or toxic workenvironments,听where employees don鈥檛 feel motivated and challenged.

It鈥檚 essential to know the signs of career burnout, as burnout can lead to various听.

Here are several warning signs you might be experiencing career burnout:

  • Inability to concentrate on tasks at work
  • Anxiousness or restlessness
  • Tardiness and听
  • Low morale
  • Inability to meet career expectations
  • Loss of motivation for career advancement
  • Poor memory retention
  • Decreased productivity
  • Increased workplace stress
  • Exhaustion at and outside of work锘

When you experience any of these symptoms, it鈥檚 time to take a step back and consider how job burnout might lead to other mental health problems as well as job dissatisfaction. From there, it鈥檚 time to recover.

Overcoming IT burnout

While burnout is a common career challenge within the IT industry, you don鈥檛 have to let it cast a pall over your entire career. You can overcome burnout by taking the necessary steps to prevent and combat its symptoms.

It鈥檚 important to note that career burnout cannot be cured overnight. In fact, it鈥檚 often a career-long journey to understand and prevent career burnout.

Here are some tips to overcome career burnout:

Take time off

Often, career burnout occurs due to stress and overworking yourself. If you are constantly stressed or unable to focus on your workload, it may help to take a couple of days off away from your responsibilities and workplace.

Use the time away from work to regain a sense of control in your career and spend some extra time听doing things that make you happy outside of work.

Whether you鈥檙e off to camp for a week or enjoying a staycation, time away from work will help you tackle career burnout and reenergize yourself to come back stronger.

Speak to your manager

Another option is speaking to your manager about career burnout. Your manager can help you find ways to combat it and听improve your career fit听within the company.

Career advisement can be helpful to those dealing with career burnout.听If you鈥檙e not sure how to approach your manager, consider presenting a career goal plan that outlines ways for you to overcome career burnout and how it can help the company in the long term.

Redirect your tech interests

If career burnout continues to affect your career, you might find it helpful to look into alternate career paths within the industry.

For instance, consider听going back to school. Various technology degrees can prepare you for new avenues of opportunity. 爱污传媒 offers online technology bachelor鈥檚 degrees in computer science, data science, cybersecurity, information technology and security management. You may also want to consider an undergraduate certificate, such as:

  • Certificate in Cloud Computing
  • Advanced Software Developer Certificate
  • Advanced Cybersecurity Certificate

A master鈥檚 degree is another option to expand your knowledge base and skill set. A听Master of Science in Cybersecurity听can help provide the foundation to explore a career fighting cybercrime, while a听Master of Information Systems听might help prepare you for a management role or directorship.

Alternatively, if you need a change of scenery, you might even听consider a role outside of technology. Technology skills can be applied in a number of industries that collect and monitor data, from healthcare to education to human resources.

What鈥檚 more, if you鈥檙e tired of the technology industry but love helping others, consider听management career paths in IT. Management career paths often allow employees to explore business interests and create a team culture that directly impacts a company鈥檚 success. Perhaps听becoming an IT manager听can be the career change you need to overcome career burnout.

Make time for hobbies

In addition to redirecting career interests,听it鈥檚 important to have hobbies听that allow you to escape career burnout.

For instance, if you love photography but work a 9-to-5 job in the technology industry, consider capturing photographs on your lunch break or going out with friends on weekends. You could even set aside time to go to a local photography meetup during the week.

You can transition career burnout into career rejuvenation by finding new ways to make time for your personal life and outside interests.

Preventing IT burnout

In short, career burnout is a career-long risk that needs to be managed accordingly.

Here are some tips to help prevent career burnout:

Eat a balanced diet, get exercise and remember to sleep

Often you can prevent career burnout by maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Maintaining this balance means having a听sustainable diet, exercising regularly and making sure you get enough sleep at night. This looks like:

  • Seven to nine hours of sleep per night
  • Regular exercise such as visits to the gym or evening walks
  • Eating nutritious foods that provide energy听

By incorporating a balance of these three factors into your daily routine, you can preempt career burnout at any stage in your stage.

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Periodically plan for time off

Career burnout can occur when you鈥檙e working too much overtime or being exposed to high stress levels daily. To avoid burnout as you advance in your career, it鈥檚 helpful to schedule time off from work.

For instance,听take one or two weeks during the year to travel. During these trips, you can relax and spend some quality time with family and friends while enjoying fun activities that rejuvenate your perspective on both your career and life in general.

By planning for this type of time off in advance, you can stop career burnout before it begins.

Ask for help

Lastly, you can prevent career burnout if you听ask for help when needed.

Much career burnout is caused by career stress that becomes too overwhelming to handle alone. This means it鈥檚 important to have a support system in place both at work and outside of work, so career burnout doesn鈥檛 affect your career or personal life.

Reach out to trusted friends and colleagues. Use career resources such as training courses, coaching sessions and assessments that can give you a fresh perspective on your career path.

Ultimately, burnout can occur regardless of career stage, type, path or industry. However, it is preventable if you redirect occupational interests and reach out for help when needed. The key to preventing career burnout is knowing what resources are available to you and how and when to use them.

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