Beating burn out--what do you do to keep yourself motivated and focused? ++

[harrisonfjord]

I am done with my PhD coursework but still have the major milestones to go. I have worked two jobs and have not taken care of myself. I can feel myself hitting the "burn out" wall and I don't really have any outside hobbies outside of school/work. I am trying to get back into an exercise routine, but is there anything you find helpful to prevent yourself from burning out? Are there any things that help you keep your motivation up? 

[TakeruK]

I would say there are two types of things I do to keep from burning out: things that take my mind off of my work and things that are work-related but gets me motivated!

Things that give my brain a break from work:

1. Sports/Intramurals! I like intramurals especially because I get to play fun sports with my friends and colleagues. 

2. Schedule down-time and stick to it. Unless there are deadlines coming up, I try to purposely keep myself from working on the weekend. 

3. Take a vacation! Might be hard to do with limited time and money but I try to do something vacationy and fun at least once per year.

4. Take a "stay-cation". I added a new thing into my routine that I think works pretty well for me now. Once per month, I take one regular work day completely off. Usually it's a Friday or Monday so it becomes a long weekend. It helps me recharge! I find that my weekends are now so busy with errands and other aspects of being an adult that I am at work 5 days a week and then doing chores/errands on weekends means I don't get time for just myself. So, I figure I should take advantage of our flexible schedules and take one day completely off once in a while. (Note: I still work my 40 hours per week on average, so I just work a bit more on other days and take a day off! Many scientists working at national labs work an extra half hour each day and then take one day off every 2 weeks, which was where I got this idea).

Things that are work-related but give me focus/remotivation:

1. Conferences: travel is tiring but I always feel super motivated and excited about my topic when I spent a week at a conference talking to people about my ideas and hearing their ideas.

2. Discussing ideas and papers with colleagues: There are lots of formats where this can happen. Some groups have group meetings, there are "paper reading clubs", or just informal interactions with your friends. When I see an exciting paper, I read it and then bring it to a friend and we chat about it. Sharing ideas and hearing what others are excited about gets me excited too!

3. Teaching or mentoring: TAing is a great way for me to feel like an expert and that is good motivation for slumps and other periods of time where I am stuck in research and feel like I can't get anything right. I also mentored undergraduate researchers in the past and that always motivates me too.

4. Outreach (all ages): Similar to the above, it's nice to talk to people who aren't researchers at all about your work. Hearing their interest and excitement motivates me. And, they often ask insightful questions that make you step back and look at the big picture. This also motivates me as it's easier to forget why you are so passionate about your field in the first place when you are stuck on the minute details.

Overall, what keeps me going is not making work/school all about work. I don't want my office to be a place where I only go to for work! It's a place for me to socialize with others who share interests, a place for me to go and play intramural sports, a place for me to be part of the community (I volunteer on things like student government or other committees). Some people don't like this approach because it messes up their focus---they only want to work at work and do other things at other places. But for me, I always feel happy going into the office because I associate all these positive things with it, not just the tough times when your research doesn't work!

[rising_star]

Spend a day completely unplugged (no internet, no TV, etc.). I try to do this once a week, though it doesn't always happen. I find it helps me focus on things I want/need to do (whether that's cleaning and laundry or reading a book for fun), which really helps with burnout.  Vacations or a road trip to visit a non-academic friend can also help with burnout. Yoga, meditation, regular exercise, etc. are a great idea for a more regular way to prevent burnout. If you're already in the midst of it, then triage is the way to go. Give yourself a few days without doing any work, then do a self check-in to see where you are.

[klader]

I'm not in grad school yet, but something that's always helped me with burn out in general is writing about it. Some people may like to journal, some may like to write on a blank Word document, some may like to draft an email - whatever works for you, do it! Write about what you're feeling, why you think you're feeling that way, and what you think would make you feel happier (i.e., "quitting my job!", "working less hours!", "moving to France and eating escargot!").

It may sound silly, but it helps (at least for me)! I've found that sometimes all I really want to do is vent to someone, so I type up the email (minus the address), let it sit for a few days, and then I feel better. I get my feelings out that way; I'm honest with myself and recognize what's wrong and what I want (but sometimes can't) do to fix it.

To start, maybe you could draft up a more detailed version of this post, sit on it a few days, and then see how you feel after putting a lot of thought into your situation. You might find that you're answering your own questions as you read the post a few days later, and it'll feel good to just be honest with yourself. You'll realize that you want to find more hobbies, exercise more, travel more, etc., and in a few months or so, you can write again and then reflect on your progress and see how you want to continue/improve things.

Hope that helps even a little bit, and I hope you start to feel less burnt out soon!

[harrisonfjord]

Thank you all for these suggestions/your input. This is really helpful advice. After reading this I think a lot of my stress comes from social isolation, so I'm definitely going to make an effort to focus on that. I appreciate you all taking the time to respond. It's always nice to have some outside input because at times, I just feel like I'm going crazy. 

I tend to feel guilty whenever I'm not working, but working all the time is a recipe for disaster. I need to take more time to recharge. 

[Lisa_McCoy]

Try running. It not only keeps you fit but makes your body feel alive. I don't believe in hitting the gym but for past 5 months I have made it a point to run a few miles everyday and I could tell the huge difference it has made on my mindset. Other than running, try reading philosophical or spiritual books. I know they are not everyone's cup of tea but they keep me motivated towards life and keep me away from burn out.