Chris Short @Chris Short (Twitter/Mastodon) chrisshort.net Burnout++

chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort TRIGGER WARNING This talk will make references to… ● Divorces ● Cults ● Military service ● Sexual assault ● Falling out with parents ● Disability ● Mental health ● Medications ● Drugs ● Burnout

Slides Available chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort

chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort

>59% American workers are experiencing at least moderate levels of burnout Source: Aetna Employee Well Being & Mental Health 2023-2023 chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort

100% Of people speaking on this stage have suffered from burnout (multiple times) chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort Source: Life After DevOps'ish

What is burnout? 🔥 #1 ● Exhausted ● No energy to do things ● Doing good work is hard Source: A Two-Minute Burnout Checkup chrisshort.net @ChrisShort chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort

#2 ● Cynical ● Negative attitude ● Disassociation What is burnout? 🔥🔥 Source: A Two-Minute Burnout Checkup chrisshort.net @ChrisShort chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort

What is burnout? 🔥🔥🔥 #3 ● Feel ineffective ● Feel like you're doing less ● Hard to be productive Source: A Two-Minute Burnout Checkup chrisshort.net @ChrisShort chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort

Who? Everyone even kids deals with burnout chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort

chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort

Definition: Being burned out, with or without realizing it, while having another burnout inducing event occur ● Military service ● Injuries ● Kids ● Alcohol/substance abuse Burnout+ ● Open Source Contributions ● Side hustles ● Missed opportunities ● Additional duties outside work/family ● chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort

An early life encounter with Burnout+ ● The week before 9/11 ● Grandmother died ● I was hospitalized overnight with flu-like symptoms ● I lost one of my best friends

UNC Senior Found Dead; Officials Suspect Drug Use Involved Student's Death Still Unexplained Report Finds Drugs In Student's System Death Was Result of Overdose chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort

chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort

The entire world changed. My life suddenly had a new purpose. 9/11

Went through a lot the first 30 years ● Parents Divorced (8) ● Mother joins cult (9) ● Sexually abused (9) ● Mother marries cult member (9) ● Legally forced custody change to father (12-13) ● Got into Tech (15) ● Cut ties w/ mother (15) ● Dot-com bubble (18) ● Graduate HS (19) ● Join US Air Force (19) ● Have daughter (20) ● 9/11 (21) ● Permanently injury (23) ● Divorced (27) ● Medically separated from USAF (age 30) chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort

chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort

chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort Source: Mortality Rates and Life Expectancy of Veterans

chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort

Overall average age at death for all 100% service-connected U.S. veterans (in years) 67 chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort Source: The Mortality Rate of 100% Service-Connected U.S. Veterans

Definition: Being burned out, with or without realizing it while having multiple burnout inducing events occurring at the same time ● Having a kid ● Global pandemics ● Toxic family members ● Career ambiguity ● Job opportunity lost ● Layoffs ● Miscarriage ● Buy/Selling Home Burnout++ chrisshort.net @ChrisShort chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort

Don't be like me. Don't learn the hard way chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort

chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort

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Getting myself out of Burnout++ chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort

A SIG Lead, a colleague, and a friend chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort

chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort

chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort

Source: This Graphic Perfectly Shows How EMDR Can Help You With Trauma chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort

● Met wife in NC (29) ● Engaged (30) ● Bought first house (30) ● Got Married (again; 31) ● Have son (35) ● Cut ties with father (35) ● Started newsletter (36) ● 1st Speaking Gig (37) ● Moved to Michigan (37) Getting out of Burnout++ ● Miscarriage (37) ● Mental breakdown (37) ● Begin therapy (38) ● Disabled Veteran (39) ● Pandemic (39) ● Work @ Red Hat & AWS (38-43) ● Here with you today chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort

Are you burnt out? burnoutindex.yerbo.co Assess Burnout chrisshort.net @ChrisShort chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort

Detroit is my refuge chrisshort.net @ChrisShort chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort

chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort

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Medical Conditions Can Occur Due to Burnout ● Increased anxiety ● Paralyzing panic attacks ● Fatigue ● Repetitive use injuries ● Mood swings ● High blood pressure ● Cognitive challenges (fog) ● Communication challenges chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort

Acceptance The sooner you accept the situation you’re in the sooner you can improve it It's okay chrisshort.net @ChrisShort chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort

Forgiveness This is not entirely your fault ● Give yourself some grace ● Reach out to a friend ● Accept who you are ● This will get better chrisshort.net @ChrisShort chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort

Make a List Lists help you figure things out ● Work was life and vice versa ● Physical AND mental health compromised ● Experienced many traumatic things chrisshort.net @ChrisShort chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort

I needed help Do you? ● Having a therapist and psychiatrist is normal ● Some things we've been through are traumatic ● Don't wait like I did ● We almost lost me to the VA chrisshort.net @ChrisShort chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort

Moving Forward Keep yourself organized and let go of things ● You need to be able to communicate effectively ● What’s happening to you and what you’re going through ● Find habits that bring you peace or happiness ● Let go of your fears chrisshort.net @ChrisShort chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort

Sources ● https://burnoutindex.yerbo.co/ ● https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/high-octane-women/201311/the-tell-tale-signs- burnout-do-you-have-them ● https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/burnout/art-20046642 ● https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/burnout-prevention-and-recovery.htm ● https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279286/ ● https://www.verywellmind.com/stress-and-burnout-symptoms-and-causes-3144516 ● https://www.forbes.com/sites/learnvest/2013/04/01/10-signs-youre-burning-out-and-what- to-do-about-it/#6389dff9625b ● https://www.thoracic.org/patients/patient-resources/resources/burnout-syndrome.pdf ● https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/burnout ● https://globalnews.ca/news/3639388/burnout-syndrome-symptoms-stress/ ● https://www.theguardian.com/women-in-leadership/2016/jan/21/spot-the-signs-of-burnout -before-it-hits-you ● http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/academy/4244782.stm ● https://devopsish.com/292/ ● https://chrisshort.net/life-after-devopsish/ ● https://hbr.org/2023/04/a-two-minute-burnout-checkup ● https://hbr.org/2023/05/when-your-employee-tells-you-theyre-burned-out chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort Slides

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Corgi in Hot Dog Costume chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort

Thank You chrisshort.net @ChrisShort thechrisshort