Hello Kiddos

We all agree that Artificial intelligence will one day take over the world and it’s because AI will be smarter than people. We also know from the Matrix movies that human beings make great batteries. All this is infallible logic, but sometimes young people think they are perpetual motion machines, never needing to recharge – WRONG!

So, accepting that we make great batteries and that the robots have not yet taken over, we should at least take care of ourselves until that happens. We live in a fast paced region of the world and get pulled in many different directions; there is always so much left to be done at the end of each day and never enough hours to do it all. All this can stress us out and burn us out!

You can deny it all you want, but everyone burns out eventually. 

Basically we all have only so much energy in us and we can’t hit the reserve tank all the time, there’s only so much gas in the tank (wait that’s a different analogy or metaphor or simile; should have paid more attention in English class). Alright, lets go with the car thing. Anyway, yes day to day, we all fill the gas tank in our cars and run around, but eventually there’s more maintenance to be done than simply filling up the gas tank; the car has to stop and things must be replaced and replenished: oil, water, air filters, belts, etc. If you regularly maintain your car, it will last a long time and run smoothly. The choice sometimes really is whether to pause and spend $50 and half to get the oil changed or don’t and let the engine blow up. Then you’ll spend $5,000 to replace the motor and be out of a car for a few weeks.

I think we are the same, we run around like crazy each day, but mostly only think about filling up the gas tank and often don’t deal with the other essential maintenance items. We need more than just fuel (food), we need to fill our souls with things that bring us joy, we need laughter, sleep, hope, exercise, relaxation, adventure, a dental hygienist, etc. Like a car, only filling the tank and ignoring the other essentials will eventually lead to a costly repair that will take you out of service for a long time. So take sometime each day to do a little maintenance on yourself, it’s a much smarter strategy than believing you can just force yourself to push past everything in front of you.

What is Burnout? It is  “an extended period of time where someone experiences exhaustion and a lack of interest in things, resulting in a decline in their performance.  It has has to do with experiencing chronic stress.” 

5 signs you may be experiencing burnout:

1. Exhaustion
2. Lack of Motivation
3. Frustration, Cynicism and Other Negative Emotions
4. Cognitive Problems
5. Slipping Performance

What can you do about it?

1. Take Relaxation Seriously
2. Have Life Outside of Work
3. Unplug
4. Get Enough Sleep
5. Figure Out When Enough Is Enough

Real Life: I know there are periods (like around finals) when there just doesn’t seem like there’s enough time to care for yourself. I get it, but if you can’t, then at least plan and imagine what you will do to replenish yourself after it’s all over and follow through on caring for yourself.

Pit Crew Dad – I’m always here to service you guys!

Article on Burn Out