I recently listened to Oliver Burkeman speak on Ezra Klein's show about burnout. Burkeman is like a meta-time-management guru—not just doling out tips and tricks but diving deep into our limitations as humans and how we approach our time. Here are some key takeaways:
- No matter how much we accomplish, there will always be more to do. Burnout often happens when we try to clear every task, which is an inherently unattainable goal.
- Many people equate their value with their productivity, leading to overcommitment in both work and personal obligations.
- Burnout stems from trying to control every facet of our time, striving for perfect efficiency, only to be confronted with life's unpredictability and uncontrollability.
One of his suggestions that resonated with me—and this is my interpretation—is using self-imposed micro time constraints for work. I've been experimenting with this myself, and it’s been surprisingly effective.
Lately, I’ve started setting up mini work sessions, usually 30 to 60 minutes, focused on a single task (I’m a die-hard Todoist user). The challenge, I’ve discovered, isn’t starting these sessions but stopping when the time is up. The urge to keep going because you’re "so close" to finishing is strong. But here’s what I’ve learned:
- It’s rarely true that you’re actually close to done.
- The burnout from spending too long on one task in a single sitting is very real.
- Over the long run, I’ve found it actually takes more time overall when I don’t honor these boundaries.
I’ve been sticking to this approach for a couple of weeks now, and the impact has been pretty positive. When I respect these self-imposed time limits, I end my work sessions feeling more energized and focused, rather than drained and frustrated. If you’re battling burnout or just feeling overwhelmed, this might be worth a try.