Blogging from Inside the New Media Revolution

Anybody who knows me, knows I’m not big on “breaks”, or “vacation time”. It’s not that I have a direct problem with them, but I actually like what I do. Most days, I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else (Also, it’s not like my deadlines go away when I take a break!). I prefer having time to elegantly solve a problem rather than rushing for a solution. The trouble is, as I’m sure you can all imagine, that constantly working leads to burnout.

Last week, I was starting to feel a little out of it. I spent the entire holiday break rebuilding some backend code in Doorbell (Getting it ready for some exciting changes that you’ll have to keep an eye out for ). As usual, the burnout starts to come when deadlines prevent me from being able to take real time off. Luckily, this isn’t the first time this has happened, and I know just the trick which helps me avoid plunging toward burnout.

Variety may be the spice of life, but it is a necessity for the workaholic. For the last few days, I would start each day at a coffee shop. This is usually good, for an hour of clearing E-mails, writing blog posts, planning my work day and writing the first bits of code. I would then head into the office. I would stay for a few hours, and get ALL the work that requires collaboration/input/interaction with anybody out of the way. I would pack up my work for the rest of the day, and head home for an extended (and healthy) lunch. After lunch I would work at various coffee shops for the rest of the day. I still work a full day, and get all my work done. Sure I end up working late each night this way, but it really doesn’t feel like the same old routine.

Sometimes you can’t get away from the work itself, but if your job allows you the flexibility why not vary your work environment for inspiration and wellness. How do you get yourself re-energized about your work?

Photo source: http://psufoodscience.typepad.com