Personal experience of non-burning in remote work

I no longer remember when, and under what circumstances, I heard that work needs to be changed every five years. This time is enough to achieve professionalism and ... so that work becomes a chore, boring. This is the first, although not mandatory step to burnout. In any case, boredom has not added health to anyone yet and could have prompted actions with bad consequences. There are exactly two cures for the working routine: either work and hobbies must coincide, or there must be something else in life that gives it a taste and desire to continue living and working. In the end, we live in contrast. We get tired of one and get rest in another.



By the beginning of the "zero" ended the third five-year work experience. It was time to change work again, although the former did not cause any rejection and was almost a hobby. But something moved in the shower and made me look around. And on the sides was interesting! Firstly, the dot-com bubble has grown to such a size that almost no one is indifferent. Secondly, and proceeding from the first, the Russian segment of the Internet began to rage and develop. Thirdly, working without getting off the couch seemed fun.



Not having a programming specialty, he took up his beloved: informational and analytical notes on a specialty that almost covers a significant part of IT. Since October 2000, he began to moonlight remotely. Since November 2001, tripled the pressure, and since the winter of 2004 completely went to a distance. On that same notorious sofa. Another 15 years passed, and the sofa was not only not tired, but it remains a completely comfortable place to work. The word "sofa", of course, should not be taken literally. As for me, lying down is extremely uncomfortable and is unlikely to benefit health. But uncomfortable - it is determining.



Hobbies have become almost 100 percent work. There were no days off or holidays. Health and youth prevented us from seeing the simple thing that such a combination would sooner or later come sideways in everything. At the request of the family, one day off had to be returned, and this allowed working without damage until 2008. The second day off came back with the beginning of the “non-payment” crisis of 2008. There were fewer orders, and one extra day off came in time. It turned out that two days off is cool! Do not deprive yourself of this pleasure.



A little trick helped to restore balance to the swing work-life. Saturdays were announced by workers, keeping the same mood with which most wait for Fridays, and Mondays became days off. The work for presentation on Monday was prepared on Friday and Saturday. A completely free day during the working week allowed me to resolve issues offline, without interfering with the main work.



But this is all a saying. You can effectively work your head from 6 to 8 hours, depending on your health and personal talents. It may take longer, but the efficiency quickly rolls back to decimal places, and a new day drives into a state of procrastination, even if you get enough sleep. You can’t deceive the chemistry of the brain and you will not spur anything. This is another brick at the base of the burnout. No need to recycle, it is better not to be distracted during the working day. Self-discipline, the Pomodoro method or just turning off the smartphone will help to be productive in the allotted time period and for a very, very long time.



By the way, last year I recommended Dorofeev’s book “Jedi Techniques. How to educate your monkey, empty the inbox and save thought ”and I did not find any new things in it. Guided by common sense and his feelings, he had long ago organized a work process in a similar way. In my opinion, each of us can intuitively tune in to the optimal workflow for ourselves. In remote work, of course, this is easier to do. This can hardly be argued.



Working in the office and, which is also important, wasting a lot of time on the way to work and back, “thinking” - physical and mental forces — burns out with a very low efficiency. In this, in my personal opinion, this is the main advantage of remote work. Save time, effort and money that go to get to work and then return home.



Having free time from trips to and from work, you can devote yourself to your loved one, even having a family. Moreover, abstract and non-working activities will help to restore the taste of life and make work a chain in its movement through life, and not a chain around the neck. Finding something to your liking is not easy, but someone who is not looking for it will definitely not find it. Cooking gives a good space for maneuver. You can start with a simple one. With a bread machine.



With a bread machine you do not need to bother with dough, flour and other garbage. The device will knead everything according to the recipe, just put the right ingredients. To work, a minimum of space is required and almost nothing needs to be washed after that. And so that baking does not harm health, interval nutrition will help or, simply, do not eat after six in the evening. Experiments and delight in owning a bread machine will help to take evenings, and knowledge of the subtleties of baking will always be helpful if you do not know where to start a conversation with a girl. Double profit. My bread machine changed the second bucket and mechanics and remains my best friend, and the collection of recipes continues to grow.



For those who are older, an interesting occupation may be moonshining (exclusively for personal use and strictly in doses that are not harmful to health). This is a whole world that can be infinite and which you will never fully recognize. Today there are many offers of distillers and columns for any wallet. The process control uses sensors and programmable microcontrollers.



The process of selecting and setting up equipment alone can be a pleasure, but there is also chemistry that is akin to mysticism. Barrels, aging, organoleptic. For making great bourbon, if you did not know, corn flakes from a nearby supermarket are best suited. Finally, the results of your experiments can always be discussed with friends and, as you gain experience, you will be treated with increasing respect. This is the same handmade and hobby is no worse than others. If the process is frightening, you can start with a simple, but no less interesting, tincture. Finally, it is just delicious. And, of course, the above examples do not limit the list of activities that restore peace of mind and give the brain a break from work. For yourself, the main thing is to know that without this, sooner or later, you will peddle even at your favorite work.



All of the above you have repeatedly seen, heard and read in one form or another. The recommendation of a job change is a banal truth that, from this, does not become something impossible, impossible, or implausible. She really works.