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Notes on burnout

Gathering (personal) notes on burnout for a Digital Accessibility Discussion Group session.

Two important steps:

  1. notice it (by looking for classic signs, and personal signs)
  2. do something about it

How I notice burnout

Some classic signs

Recently cribbed from The Accessibility to Burnout Pipeline notes.

  • Misalignment of values
  • Sense of futility or hopelessness (effort disproportionate to the outcome)
  • Having to fight for a seat at the table (the role, and being there)
  • Lack of control (of schedule, assignments, workload)
  • Unclear and changing job expectations (role scope, shifting priorities) (especially when a11y isn’t full time job)
  • Unreasonable and increasing workload (what’s reasonable to be doing)

My personal remix

  1. Make a little list of what I’m like when I’m enjoying work (Not quite “happy”, or “easy”. More like satisfied, doing well.)
  2. Do a regular check on these qualities
  3. When they’re diminished or missing, dig into why

Feedback from colleagues suggests that I’m good at: being empathetic; making it simple; being positive. I tend to be high energy, like a BOA: Bright; Open; Active. When I notice that these qualities aren’t there, these are orange flags.

How I address burnout

I’m in a slightly unusual place with this at the moment. I’ve worked in product companies for a while where my “accessibility clients” were my colleagues. Now, at a consultancy, my clients are external people and organisations.

Big ideas

  • Crab claw: we need both big and small solutions
  • Make things better by subtraction rather than addition
    • Avoid known bads instead of looking for unknown goods
    • Reduce the number of appointments on your calendar
    • Reduce the number of tasks you schedule
  • Remember to tap into some Behaviour change ideas, applied to myself.

Personal

  • Make more distance between myself and work, especially my identity (work in progress! 😬)
  • Set good boundaries with work
    • No work stuff on my phone
    • Finish on time, leave it behind
    • Turn off (almost) all notifications
  • Understand how the work ties into strategic goals

With the team