{"id":70608,"date":"2022-10-23T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-23T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/?p=70608"},"modified":"2022-10-24T22:58:54","modified_gmt":"2022-10-25T02:58:54","slug":"it-admin-burnout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/blog\/it-admin-burnout","title":{"rendered":"Preventing Burnout: A Peek Into the Darker Side of IT Admin Roles"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Note: this article is a prelude to our upcoming webinar Mental Health for IT Admins: Helping the Helpdesk<\/em><\/a>. <\/em>Join Rick Ginsberb, psychologist, and Ricky Jordan, senior technology manager of Primitiveskate, on November 3rd at 12:00 p.m. EST for tips for how to reduce stress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It was my first job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was 22 years old, and my life looked nothing like a Taylor Swift song<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My \u201cdream job\u201d had slowly turned into a Groundhog Day nightmare.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The prestige of having a downtown parking permit, eating lunch at the state capital, and making media lists at a public relations agency had worn off faster than the heels of my bargain, leather boots. The inconvenient reality: I was approaching burnout. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abruptly switching from the rigors of academia to the monumental<\/em> responsibility of making coffee proved jarring. Feelings of restlessness, boredom, and despondency began to brew. Sadly, I feared bringing up these feelings with my employer. \u201cWhat if they say I\u2019m ungrateful for this opportunity I had enthusiastically rallied for?\u201d I thought. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to a 2022 Microsoft survey<\/a>, my experience wasn\u2019t unique. The survey revealed 48% of employees and 53% of managers report feeling burnt out at work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, I\u2019ll share some information I wish I would have received in my early career. I\u2019ll also share some specific tips for IT admins seeking better work-life balance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Burnout? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The Mayo Clinic <\/a>defines job burnout<\/em> as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A special type of work-related stress \u2014 a state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s important to emphasize that burnout isn\u2019t a medical diagnosis. However, experts agree that factors like depression, personality traits, living environments, and long hours can contribute to its onset. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With that said, Microsoft identified two types of burnout: the first type involves disengagement<\/strong> from one\u2019s job (like in my story) and the second type describes chronic depletion<\/strong> impacting all areas of one\u2019s life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Health insurance provider Cigna says<\/a> major job stress can result from \u201chaving too much work, not enough work, or doing work that doesn\u2019t satisfy you.\u201d Whatever the cause, establishing good mental health habits is crucial for long term well being. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Does Burnout Look Like for IT Admins?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to a 2021 CIO Insights Report<\/a>, 77% of IT admins described their jobs as stressful. Our friend Jake, an enterprise linux systems administrator, certainly did at one time. In this article for RedHat,<\/a> he describes his experience of pushing himself too hard:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI really didn’t notice it taking a toll on me at the time but, looking back, I started showing symptoms of burnout fairly early,\u201d Jake says. \u201cHowever, it was easy to push aside with the excitement of moving to new roles with increasing responsibility and continuing my aggressive pursuit of learning. Before I knew it, several years had passed and I was officially burnt out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jake says one of his earliest signs of burnout was a decreased interest in technology. At the onset of his career as a sysadmin Jake loved tinkering in his home lab to experiment with new products, reading new documents, and applying newfound knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Of course, no job is without its occasional stressful moments. Different roles produce various types of pressure, challenges, and circumstances. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Admins, in particular, may struggle with:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n