WCNYC 2015 — Immaculate Consternation

I discuss burnout and my journey navigating it

Transcript

1. Alex Vasquez | DigiSavvy, inc | @alexjvasquez WordCamp NYC 2015 Tip: Be sure to thank your sponsors, volunteers and organizers Slides: https://goo.gl/ccwO51
2. Immaculate Consternation immaculate: (especially of a person or their clothes) perfectly clean, neat, or tidy. consternation: feelings of anxiety or dismay, sometimes unexpectedly so. Alex Vasquez | DigiSavvy, inc | @alexjvasquez
3. Hi. I’m an Alex Alex Vasquez | DigiSavvy, inc | @alexjvasquez
4. Survey Time! Alex Vasquez | DigiSavvy, inc | @alexjvasquez Do you often say “Man, I have so much extra time to waste?” When was the last time you felt stressed-out/burnt-out? In your professional life what do you fear most?
5. Alex Vasquez | DigiSavvy, inc | @alexjvasquez I Don’t Have the Answers This has been my journey. Your mileage will vary…
6. Why DO We Do What We Do? Alex Vasquez | DigiSavvy, inc | @alexjvasquez
7. Alex Vasquez | DigiSavvy, inc | @alexjvasquez “I’m Great at my job.” - Kung Fury
8. The Expectations Alex Vasquez | DigiSavvy, inc | @alexjvasquez We are expected to be “in the know,” to innovate, create, hone new skills and absorb new knowledge because we do what we love to do. It’s fun… Thus, we are always “on.” If we’re always “on” something is going to break. We need to take a break or risk becoming broken ourselves.
9. The Pressure to Be Awesome And… Alex Vasquez | DigiSavvy, inc | @alexjvasquez Take care of our clients… Make sure our work is up-to-spec Build the next great product or service Pay the rent and all our other bills… Be better than the person next to us at what we do… Maybe get enough sleep
10. Suffering in Silence Alex Vasquez | DigiSavvy, inc | @alexjvasquez Why do we avoid sharing our struggles with loved ones?
11. You’re Not Alone Alex Vasquez | DigiSavvy, inc | @alexjvasquez
12. Alex Vasquez | DigiSavvy, inc | @alexjvasquez You bet! Brandon Dove
13. It Happens. Alex Vasquez | DigiSavvy, inc | @alexjvasquez
14. “Ignoring Something Won’t Make it Go Away.” Alex Vasquez | DigiSavvy, inc | @alexjvasquez — Every Flesh Eating Disease Sage Wisdom
15. What Are the Signs? Alex Vasquez | DigiSavvy, inc | @alexjvasquez
16. What Are the Signs? Alex Vasquez | DigiSavvy, inc | @alexjvasquez Retreating within oneself, avoiding friends and family Feelings of stress and anxiety. Self-doubt, lowered sense of worth. Overall procrastination Little energy to do what needs to be done.
17. What Can We Do? Alex Vasquez | DigiSavvy, inc | @alexjvasquez Take care of numero uno. Yes, YOU.
18. Alex Vasquez | DigiSavvy, inc | @alexjvasquez Create Routines Routines help stifle procrastination
19. Alex Vasquez | DigiSavvy, inc | @alexjvasquez Create Boundaries Have actual “business hours” and “personal hours”
20. Alex Vasquez | DigiSavvy, inc | @alexjvasquez Minimize Distractions Disconnect from your “toys”
21. Alex Vasquez | DigiSavvy, inc | @alexjvasquez Friends and Family Cherish your human connections, not just the ones that connect via USB…
22. Alex Vasquez | DigiSavvy, inc | @alexjvasquez It’s Okay to Say “No” Yeah, really. Burnout happens when there are misalignments in our work, in our relationships, and desires
23. Alex Vasquez | DigiSavvy, inc | @alexjvasquez When You Don’t Have the Time MAKE the Time… At the end of the day, it’s not that f**cking important. Life goes on, so be a participant.
24. Alex Vasquez | DigiSavvy, inc | @alexjvasquez And Here’s a Secret. Everyone is Trying to “Figure it Out.”
25. Resources Alex Vasquez | DigiSavvy, inc | @alexjvasquez http://geekmentalhelp.com/ http://randyfay.com/content/what-can-drupal-community-do-about- burnout http://kentnguyen.com/personal/getting-rid-burnouts/
26. <questions> </questions> Alex Vasquez | DigiSavvy, inc | @alexjvasquez Thank You!