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Burnout caused by chronic stress is widespread

washingtonpost.com

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Re: Burnout caused by chronic stress is widespread

#151

Post by ethagnawl »

m0zg wrote: post #120
ethagnawl wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Working longer hours for 4 days, avoiding some of that peak commute stress ... You're spot on here. The option to travel before/after the rush makes a world of difference. I'm a freelancer/consultant and I've found that when I'm working as a "vendor", as opposed to a "temporary employee" working on-site during normal business hours, and only need to be on-site for meetings and such, I don't mind commuting at all an…

As a consultant I'd bill my hourly rate for travel to and from the customer's office. This achieves two things: 1. Reduces stress, because all of a sudden your commute is not a total waste of time 2. Makes your client feel better about you working from home

I wish I had the guts to add this sort of stipulation to my (non-existent) standard contract.

Re: Burnout caused by chronic stress is widespread

#152

Post by Tempest1981 »

sgt101 wrote: post #126
Tempest1981 wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why aren't more "knowledge workers" able to work from home 2 or 3 days a week? I know some people have noisy kids/distractions at home, but seems like it would work for many engineers. Yet every company I've been at, I suggest it, and people give me a sarcastic look like, "yeah, right, we can't do that!" Possibly a fear that not being seen at work will hamper advancement?

More commonly it is felt that not being seen at work and plugged in to every decision will make you a target for dismissal.

You could set up a large live display of your github contributions calendar. Or some type of holographic telepresence.

Or just be overly-active in email/chat.

Re: Burnout caused by chronic stress is widespread

#153

Post by TeMPOraL »

dancek wrote: post #122
GordonS wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> playing car upon roads so gridlocked that the terminology car park seems more apt I spent 5 years making a 1 hour (each way) commute by car, a distance of 8 miles (also each way). It was soul destroying ! Wasting 2 hours of my life every workday just felt so meaningless! Eventually I moved out of the city to a small town 10 miles out of the city, and only then did I realise just how awful it had been. I'm now lucky…

When I read soul destroying I was certain the punchline is that you'd later started cycling, making commutes both enjoyable and beneficial. Alas, I was wrong.

> you'd later started cycling, making commutes both enjoyable and beneficial

Some times of the year (in many places, half or less), and only if you have showers in your office.

Re: Burnout caused by chronic stress is widespread

#154

Post by manmal »

_puk wrote: post #38
manmal wrote: post #34

Chronic stress sets you up for so many diseases, where burnout is just an early warning sign in comparison. Cancer, heart disease, stroke - you name it, chances are way higher that you get it if you are under chronic stress. Being a freelancer with 2 little kids, I‘ve had my fair share of stress (and burnout), but I‘m doing quite well nowadays. So, here‘s my personal anti-stress toolbox, from most effective to least…

"Stoic philosophy. Accept that you have control over nothing (only the chance to influence)" You have control over your reaction to things. And I think this is a key component of Stoicism, especially in the modern working world. If you are acting (and reacting) true to yourself, then it is other's reactions to your actions that are failing. This goes a long way to reducing the amount of stress felt. Thanks for the in…

I‘d like to differ here: „You have control over your reaction to things.“.

I‘ve had my fair share of yelling at my kids, and regretting it afterwards. Or writing an inflammatory email response. Obviously, I don’t have full control over my reaction, even though I think I‘m a rather careful person. I do have a strong influence, that’s for sure.

I‘ve stopped beating myself up for knee-jerking something. The unconscious has so much control over what surfaces next. I think it was an article here on HN recently that claimed that decisions are formed up to 12 seconds before they become conscious.

Re: Burnout caused by chronic stress is widespread

#155

Post by manmal »

Eli_P wrote: post #51
manmal wrote: post #34

Chronic stress sets you up for so many diseases, where burnout is just an early warning sign in comparison. Cancer, heart disease, stroke - you name it, chances are way higher that you get it if you are under chronic stress. Being a freelancer with 2 little kids, I‘ve had my fair share of stress (and burnout), but I‘m doing quite well nowadays. So, here‘s my personal anti-stress toolbox, from most effective to least…

I think this methodology is a kind of recipe for detaching from yourself completely, leave out the last two clauses which I do like. But, philosophy of suppressing emotions seasoned with substances which inhibit Default Mode Network in your brain? Sure thing if you have failed or feel stuck as a short term remedy, but ain't you gonna lose yourself if do it regularly?

On the contrary, stoicism helps you re-attach, especially if reality as perceived with your old mindset has become unbearable. Think of it as a way of viewing things, and less of suppressing anything. Emotions are generated as a reaction to your perception of reality - you will be fed up by the stranger running a red light, but your anger will swing to concern if you learn that they are heading towards an emergency room. Emotions are really just communicators of the reality you perceive. Stoicism might help you adjust your perception where it is just plain wrong. That’s BTW also how cognitive behavioral therapy works, just with the aid of a professional.

I‘m not sure what you mean with Default Mode Network inhibition. CBD is a cannabinoid, and those are present in all mammal bodies - it’s just an aid for faster repair, especially nerves and brain. You might find your brain working better and clearer, because it regenerates faster.

Re: Burnout caused by chronic stress is widespread

#156

Post by geezerjay »

FranzFerdiNaN wrote: post #73
escapecharacter wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Crazy idea: what if management was a licensed, regulated career, like traditional engineering, or being a nurse. Like if you have more than 5 "direct reports", you need to get a certification?

Crazier idea: don’t make management the only route to higher salary, pushing loads of incompetent people into it for purely monetary reasons. Reward highly skilled employees for their skill set and experience.

The thing is, highly skilled employees are only effective if they work in a coordinated manner towards a common goal, and the people in charge of coordinating the teams are... Managers.

To put it differently, in a 6-man team each employee is responsible and held accountable for around 1/6th of the productivity, but the team manager is responsible and accountable for 100% of the effort.

Hence managers earning higher salaries.

Re: Burnout caused by chronic stress is widespread

#157

Post by manmal »

bigbigs wrote: post #82
manmal wrote: post #34

Chronic stress sets you up for so many diseases, where burnout is just an early warning sign in comparison. Cancer, heart disease, stroke - you name it, chances are way higher that you get it if you are under chronic stress. Being a freelancer with 2 little kids, I‘ve had my fair share of stress (and burnout), but I‘m doing quite well nowadays. So, here‘s my personal anti-stress toolbox, from most effective to least…

stoic philosophy is no good for the mind. actually feeling your emotions is healthy. it's stuffing them down that makes people crazy or likewise numbed out. this is a difficult truth to understand. vaping is a poison - clearly. addictions just keep you on the cycle. real acceptance is powerful but it comes from a place of being connected to yourself which means your emotions. trying to suppress them isn't living sinc…

In a healthy mind, there is a causal hierarchy: Reality > your perception of reality > emotions (strongly simplified!). You are suggesting that stoicism means manipulating emotions, at the bottom of the hierarchy. What (to me) it means is manipulating the perception of reality. I agree that shoving aside emotions won’t do you much good, except in the short term (e.g. not punching the boss in the face). Long term emotion suppression will make you depressed. Stoicism doesn’t tell you that you must not be angry. It tells you that your boss is actually not in control of the situation herself, and also does not control your own destiny - her bad decision is suddenly only an annoyance, and not a life-threatening event. And your emotions will adjust accordingly.

Vaping nicotine 20 times a day is obviously a bad idea and might lead to cancer. Vaping 2 draws of CBD (a non-addictive substance) 2-3 times per week might also have a negative long term effect, but I’ll take it. I don’t use propylene glycol, but only vegetable glycerine to minimize risk.

Re: Burnout caused by chronic stress is widespread

#158

Post by dragonwriter »

manmal wrote: post #157
bigbigs wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

stoic philosophy is no good for the mind. actually feeling your emotions is healthy. it's stuffing them down that makes people crazy or likewise numbed out. this is a difficult truth to understand. vaping is a poison - clearly. addictions just keep you on the cycle. real acceptance is powerful but it comes from a place of being connected to yourself which means your emotions. trying to suppress them isn't living sinc…

In a healthy mind, there is a causal hierarchy: Reality > your perception of reality > emotions (strongly simplified!). You are suggesting that stoicism means manipulating emotions, at the bottom of the hierarchy. What (to me) it means is manipulating the perception of reality. I agree that shoving aside emotions won’t do you much good, except in the short term (e.g. not punching the boss in the face). Long term emot…

> In a healthy mind, there is a causal hierarchy: Reality > your perception of reality > emotions (strongly simplified!).

That's certainly the conceit of rationality, but realistically the last two have a complex two-way relationship where often, perhaps most often, the reverse order of those two elements dominates.

Re: Burnout caused by chronic stress is widespread

#159

Post by sgt101 »

Tempest1981 wrote: post #152
sgt101 wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

More commonly it is felt that not being seen at work and plugged in to every decision will make you a target for dismissal.

You could set up a large live display of your github contributions calendar. Or some type of holographic telepresence. Or just be overly-active in email/chat.

Those things do not matter to the kind of people targeting other people on this irrational basis. What matters is that they have a vague feeling that you are "around" and "a contributor" and "one of us" (feel free to be a bit sick in your mouth at this point).

Re: Burnout caused by chronic stress is widespread

#160

Post by dancek »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #153
dancek wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I read soul destroying I was certain the punchline is that you'd later started cycling, making commutes both enjoyable and beneficial. Alas, I was wrong.

> you'd later started cycling, making commutes both enjoyable and beneficial Some times of the year (in many places, half or less), and only if you have showers in your office.

YMMV. I live in Finland, and I ride a bike almost every day of the year. Last winter the temperatures went below -20˚C and I still took the bike, and enjoyed it. Granted there are maybe three months a year when it takes dedication. And yes you do need a shower unless you have an electric bike.
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