Cleanse, Tone, Defrag: Burnout

Posted by on May 26, 2011 in Cleanse, Tone, Defrag, Columns | 1 comment

Tech burnout can be a particularly evil mistress, and not the good, kinky kind making with the leather, Russian accent and whip cracking. Not that I’d know of course, I’m far too British for that sort of thing. Ahem. It’s akin to writer’s block, which in itself leads to all kinds of frustrated — and literal — head-desking. Sadly, this is the trade-off for having a tech-filled life.

It’s a systemic condition that occurs during tired and stressed phases, such as at the end of a less than stellar day, or when your plate is brimming with e-commitments. I had a burnout stretch a few weeks ago brought on by World of Warcraft — to which I already find myself logging on less and less at the moment. When I did, I was met with a guild-chat full of arguments and drama. I immediately logged off because I couldn’t be dealing with it at the time. Then the router decided to play silly buggers and no matter what I did I couldn’t fix it. Then my iTunes thought it would try it on and reorganized and categorized certain songs; and if there is one thing you do not do to me, it’s mess with my music library. Then the Internet went down altogether, and while I’m power-cycling in a futile attempt, I get called upon by a mate to fix their current computer woes…

 

 
Feeling burnt out is perfectly natural and an inevitability, and taking time out for yourself is absolutely fine. While tech is the source of the burnout, it can also be used to ease you back in the groove which helps to go some way to restore your faith in electronics. Just. On-demand TV is always a convenience, and having a whole host of programmes to choose from means finding something that you enjoy and know will take the knots out of your shoulders with little effort. Sometimes couch-time is the best remedy.

Retreating to a darkened room is always recommended in situations like this, but if you’re not a fan of lamenting with the curtains drawn, then consider a light box. Light boxes are prescribed to people who suffer from seasonal affective disorder and other stresses, but the home user can get a benefit from devices such as Philips LivingColors. You can modulate and cycle through all shades and hues. Now couple that with aforementioned couch-time or music (iPod, not iTunes if that’s one source of your grumpies – still looking at you, library) and you’ll soon feel rested.

Playing video-games is another choice de-stressing method, but only if it’s a game that won’t elicit any response from you such as wanting to put your controller through the TV. If you’ve got a Wii or Kinect, preferably using them as exercise can alleviate tension, but be mindful as not all motion-controls are seamless and waving your hand and not receiving the intended result can be frustrating.

At the heart of the matter, the only way to combat tech-burnout is to take things in moderation and make sure that you take time out for yourself either on or away from the computer.

About Rob


Rob Kidman is an aspiring writer, have-a-go designer, avid tea drinker and geek from birth. Oh, and he’s British. What he doesn’t know about Doctor Who, isn’t worth knowing. Sends text messages in full, perfect grammar, no matter if it costs an extra 10p, as he believes txtspk to be an affront to the Queens’ English. Partial to cheese and pickle, random gherkins, and a fan of the miniature sombrero.

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  • http://mousewings.tumblr.com/ Iris

    Recently, I stepped away from a few sites to play “catch up” for a TV show, as I was afraid plot leaks would be posted.

    Oddly enough, I find myself enjoying the time “away” from these sites. There’s no offense meant to my fellow bloggers; they’re lovely and I enjoy reading their posts. I simply found myself overwhelmed by the amount being posted and the catching up I had to do every time I logged in.

    I will be back after I’m caught up.