Have you ever woken up with a headache so bad you could barely function? For me, that became the norm. It was a sign of burnout, fueled by my 'always-on' mentality at my previous job. I had taken on so much responsibility, driven by a desire to learn and grow, that I eventually hit a breaking point.
Do you know that according to statistics, more than 44 percent of workers experience burnout each month? This is a very high number and this stat is just based on limited response by workers in US. Imagine how high it will be if the stats is world wide and especially in developing countries in Africa and in India.
Let me tell you my story.
I was working with a Real Estate Company managing a couple of apartments as an AirBnB property Manager and Host.
I joined the company like an intern. I knew nothing about Real Estate and to be honest I didn't even know about the existence of AirBnB style apartment services.
I had interest in the real estate industry and decided to explore, learn and then earn, so I googled and listed out all the Real Estate companies in my city (Abuja, Nigeria) and cold called all of then asking for an opportunity to work and learn.
Many asked for my CV and some laughed at me because of my inexperience and educational background (B.A in Religious and Cultural Studies) but then this start-up real estate company gave me a chance.
I started not as a property manager but as a General Assistant to the Co-founders. That is an errand boy.
In the early days, I had all the free time in the world, as I was only called upon when there was something my bosses wanted me to handle. I was bored and wanted to quit the following week because of lack of engagement.
I was eager to learn and so because of my ambitions, I took on every opportunity that came my way. I quickly became the go-to person for everything, from handling bookings to managing social media and even assisting with interior design. I took up these responsibilities whenever I saw an opportunity and worked tirelessly, even showing up on weekends without asking for overtime.
My bosses appreciated my initiative and willingness to learn. They provided me with the space to grow and make mistakes, while offering guidance and mentorship.
Seeing this as a unique opportunity to learn and grow, I handled the business as if it was mine.
As the company grew and our property management portfolio increased, my bosses needed an AirBnB property manager and a Host. Since I was already doing majority of the work, I took on the responsibility. I saw it as an opportunity to become an insider. This is after working with the company for about seven months.
My bosses were so pleased with me and they sang my praise every day.
We were a small team. So while my bosses focused on other aspects of the business, I handled bookings, property maintainance, social media, customer relationship (enquires and complains), financial reports, assisting in/ organizing interior decoration and furnishings, among others. It was a big learning opportunity and I took full advantage it.
I was putting in the hours. I had an official 9 to 5 working hours, but for the two years and four months I worked with the company, especially from my second month, I worked all round the clock. In my head I didn't have a resumption or closing time as I got to respond to customers all round the clock (even at midnight). I took no time off, nor had a holiday nor break. I worked every weekend and holiday. My phones were always on, and I couldn't afford to silence them, even at night, because I needed to respond to inquiries and complaints.
All through this, I never complained nor show any sign of dissatisfaction. Each day, I focused on handling my responsibilities and satisfying our customers.
Then after working with the company for about a year and six months, I began to experience dissatisfaction and burnout. I was over working myself. At first I didn't realize it. The reality was that I was sacrificing my well-being for the sake of my career.
Every morning, I'd wake up with a pounding headache that seemed to worsen as the day went on and I couldn't focus on my personal projects. Though I am an introvert and had little social life, yet it affected it as I had no time for it. I was hurting myself.
I had been trying to learn Full Stack Web Development as I have a dream of becoming a developer and then use my skills to build and become a tech entrepreneur, but I always never could. Whenever I wanted to learn, there must be a disruption. The only time I could squeeze out to learn was early mornings between 4am and 7am. But then most times I couldn't as instead I will just sleep.
I neglected learning because I believed that disruptions would always interfere. Whenever I had free time, I would end up watching Netflix instead.
To be honest, I benefitted immensely from taking up all those responsibilities- financially, in knowledge, skill and experience.
Eventually, I realized that I needed to make a change. I had reached my limit. I became overly fraustrated and depressed. Although I was still handling all my responsibilities, I lost interest in my job and the company as I was seriously hurting within. Because I don't like complaining, I said nothing to my bosses. Then towards the end of last year I noticed it had began to affect my productivity and my relationships.
I found it hard to speak to someone or to seek professional help. So I kept my issues to myself and my dairy.
Then towards the end of last year, I made the difficult decision to quit and just focus on building my dreams - learning Full Stack Software Development, build projects, monitize and then turn my projects into companies.
So on Friday the 8th of December 2023, I had the long overdued discussion with my boss and she understood and offered to help me in any way I wanted. I informed her of my decision to quit and then gave the company six months (until May 31st 2024) to get someone to replace me. The company ended up employing 3 people to take up the workload I was handling and then I left the company on the 31st of May, 2024.
After leaving the company, I took a much-needed break. I focused on self-care, and reconnected with friends. Then I deactivated my social media and just disappeared. Now I have regained myself and rediscovered my passions. Now I focus full time each day on my studies, productivity and building my mindset.
Looking back, I learned valuable lessons about the importance of setting boundaries, prioritizing self-care, and communicating openly with your employer. Burnout is a serious issue, and it's essential to recognize the signs and take action before it's too late.
If you're feeling overwhelmed or stressed at work, don't hesitate to reach out to your employer or seek professional help. Remember, your mental health is just as important as your career.
This Blog post was inspired by a comment I made yesterday here on dev in response to an article on getting unstuck. So I decided to repurpose it and share it with you.
Happy Coding ❤️
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