How to Avoid Burnout
Your life outside of work & school matters
We work to live, not live to work. I want you to think of goals you have within yourself to achieve and continue to work through those. Prioritize your personal aspirations, your emotional & physical health, & the connections you have with others. Who are you when you're not at school or working?
Balancing School, Work, & Life in Architecture (or any profession)
As I reach the end of my academic career, I’m reflective of my past and the amount of time it took me to get here. I’ve been in architecture school for seven years, 5 years for my undergraduate degree and two years for my masters professional degree. I have also always worked a job while attending school. This gets to be a lot, especially when trying to prioritize having a personal life and maintaining good relationships. I have heard it all, that it’s impossible to have a social life, it’s impossible to have a healthy relationship, and we will never have time for anything we are passionate about. I’m here to call BS and let you know, you can do whatever you allow yourself to! I prioritize my physical & mental health, relationships with loved ones and friends, and I make time for my passions outside of work and school. Of course, there are times when some sacrifices have to be made in order to hit important deadlines, but I’m here to tell you, it’s possible! Coming from someone who works at a firm and goes to school full time, let’s dive into how you can avoid burnout & maximize your life outside of school and work.
1. Prioritize your life outside of work or school
Ask yourself these questions:
What's motivating you?
What are you interested in outside of work and school?
What inspires you to wake up everyday?
Your life outside of work & school matters! We work to live, not live to work. I want you to think of goals you have within yourself to achieve and continue to work through those. Prioritize your personal aspirations, your emotional & physical health, & the connections you have with others. Who are you when you're not at school or working?
I want you to make the absolute most of your day and not feel like you live to work. Instead, ask yourself these questions:
Things to do before work to put yourself in a good mindset for the day:
Stretch
Listen to a podcast
Do Yoga or meditate
Read a book
Listen to your favorite song
Things to do during your lunch at work to get a mental break:
Go for a walk around the building
Call a loved one
Go to lunch with a coworker or friend
Things to do after work to deflect or clear your mind:
Get in a work out
Watch the sunset
Go on a walk
Try a new recipe
See that movie everyone's raving about
Things to do on the weekends:
Figure out your passions outside of school & work
Work towards your personal aspirations
Spend time with loved ones
Prioritize your home environment
2. Establish Boundaries
While it's important to meet deadlines, it's also important to take of your overall wellbeing. In 2021, a study was conducted asking architects and designers if they felt burnt out within the profession. A whopping 96.9% felt burnout (1). When will the profession decide that this is an issue?
Burnout is REAL. The body & mind only have so much bandwidth. It's happened to me plenty of times that I would get sick or fall into a depression because of how worn out my mind and body were. The architectural profession is known for the grueling hours and demanding deadlines, but at what point is it too much? Establishing boundaries, switching areas, or taking mental breaks are adequate responses of concern to burnout.
Academics are important. I have always prioritized my education, loved ones, and well being over all else. We are only here for so long, why live a pessimistic and tense life of stress? If you’re like me, and have always had to have a job while in school, it’s important to establish boundaries and ask yourself this question:
How many hours can I work without reaching burnout?
If you know you have approximately 30 hours of schoolwork, you may not want to work a full 40 hour week and could benefit from a part time role. For me, I have been lucky enough to work at firms that let me take a day off to prioritize school. If I worked a full 45 hour week plus my 30 hour a week school schedule, it would be difficult for me to prioritize time with loved ones and my passions outside of work. Instead I work roughly 32 hours a week combined with my 30 hour a week school schedule. This may not work for everyone, find what works for you!
My main piece of advice is this: Don't be afraid to establish boundaries. Know your capability to juggle school & work. Have an open line of communication with your boss or team, and let them know when you've reached your bandwidth. 1 on 1 meetings are a great way to see how a team is doing and to communicate their work loads.
3. Control Your Caffeine
Trust me, i'm guilty.... I'm a coffee addict! In this profession, it's too familiar that getting the work done is prioritized over health. Let’s change that! Caffeine, while sometimes we feel like we need an excess amount of it, can cause more issues than we'd like. Limit yourself to 400 milligrams of caffeine a day, drink teas & stay away from energy drinks. An excess amount of caffeine will make you feel restless, anxious, and jittery, and no one wants to feel like that. Instead, let your mind rest from time to time and opt for more sleep. You won’t be able to sustain the rate you’re at if you feel yourself burning out.
4. Prioritize your Physical & Mental Health
Mental & Physical health are so important in any profession, I can't express that enough. Find ways to not think about work, revit, or that deadline you have coming up. Prioritize calming your mental & physical and see how much of a difference it makes in your daily life. Not only is it a way to calm the mind, but it's a great way to take a step back and deflect. Here are my recommendations:
Journaling
Drawing
Yoga
Meditation
Working out
Outdoor walks
Talking with loved ones or friends
Stretching
Traveling
Getting enough sleep
5. Have Creative Outlets
We are creative people, never forget that! Once we leave school & enter into the profession we live in a digital world of Revit & Autocad that we forget where we started from. Learn to love drawing, model making, or photography! Learn about fashion, build a brand for yourself or find a love for writing! Never forget that you are a creative & driven person who entered into architecture & design for a reason! Never stop dreaming & always prioritize yourself and your goals!
If you have questions, comments, or topics of discussion for future blog posts leave them in the comment section!
All the good vibes,
Elisabeth
(1) “The State of Burnout in Architecture (2021) - Monograph.” RSS