Hi HN, I graduated last year and has been working in the banking industry for a year. The pay is okay, but still in the bottom 40% income bracket in my country. The job itself is fairly technical, involving data management and data analysis. I find myself feeling lethargic and not having any energy after work. Although the job has a decent work life balance as my boss does not contact me after work hours, the stress and anxiety of the job remain. How do I sustain myself working in this job and avoid burning out? How do I maximize my learning and deliver good results while working here? Thank you.
Ask HN: How not to burn out while working 9 to 5 job?
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Re: Ask HN: How not to burn out while working 9 to 5 job?
#2Exercise, maintain a good diet. Find a good hobby that consumes your attention and distracts you from work and phone notifications,
Re: Ask HN: How not to burn out while working 9 to 5 job?
#3In my experience, time boxing helps to manage stressful work. By this I mean to keep strict hours, for example 9-12 with an hour lunch, then 13-18:00, and getting off exactly on time.
Use lunch time to break up your day so that you mentally have progress rather than a uniform slog that you get if you eat at your desk. It also forces you to get stuff done asap and manage your work better.
Outside of work, side projects helped me stay mentally fit and overall happy, energized. Combined with exercise that will help you perform at work over time.
Re: Ask HN: How not to burn out while working 9 to 5 job?
#4Ask for a raise and in the mean-time keep eyes open for the next opportunity - time to make some cash :)
Re: Ask HN: How not to burn out while working 9 to 5 job?
#5If you don't get 8 hours of sleep, drop whatever you're doing that prevents you from sleeping enough, as a matter of urgency! YouTube was my vice, and I cut it out. I still struggle to keep to my sleep times, but it's one less obstacle on the way.
Seek therapy for anxiety. I say this as someone who "didn't need a therapist" until finally reaching a breakdown point.
Re: Ask HN: How not to burn out while working 9 to 5 job?
#6Exercise, maintain a good diet. Find a good hobby that consumes your attention and distracts you from work and phone notifications,
+1. Also known in a somewhat disparaging tone as “have a life”. Friends that you can hang out with, discover things with. Best friends later in life are the ones you explored new stuff with earlier. Learn an instrument, take cooking classes. Do stuff that isn’t work, watching TV or scrolling Hacker News, after you exercise.
Re: Ask HN: How not to burn out while working 9 to 5 job?
#7Don't make more of your job than it is. Give your effort, but not your heart. Show up, do the job, and get paid. Don't get any more involved than you have to be. The job won't love you back, aandyou are not your job.
Re: Ask HN: How not to burn out while working 9 to 5 job?
#8Develop a life away from work.
Why is this important?
If your life is all work, you’ll lose perspective. Small work issues cause outsized emotional responses. You work extra hours to squeeze marginal improvements because work is your only activity and sole source of self worth.
With other activities (social, physical, intellectual) that engage you, you can deal with the many imperfections of your job more gracefully. You’ll laugh them off. You’ll be able to let go and not obsess over every little thing. It won’t stress you as much.
Re: Ask HN: How not to burn out while working 9 to 5 job?
#9Just gotta keep livin man.
Re: Ask HN: How not to burn out while working 9 to 5 job?
#10With experience hopefully you’ll be less stressed as you’ll have seen different situations before and have more confidence..
I’m not sure I understand how you can be in banking and in the bottom 40% salary of your country though.. isn’t banking well paid (comparatively to other industries) everywhere?