Can following my passion lead to burnout?

Product
Engineering Manager
States of mind
Pursuing my passion
Emma on cord

Emma, Engineering Manager

over 6 months ago

Can following my passion lead to burnout?

I think if you're really passionate about what you're doing, for me in particular, it's hard for me to sometimes stop at the end of the day and not think about work. But then especially I have limited energy supplies. I could then end up burning out as a result because that can get quite overwhelming if you are taking energy from the next day, and then eventually that energy's going to run out. I think also, you should always be able to do meaningful work with purpose, but your purpose should also lie away from work as well. You need a balanced life. So I've got balance in other things of my life that work's not the be all and end all.

And I think if you are passionate about something, there is that fear that it could sometimes encompass too much of your life and you need to go, "Hey, actually, remember I've got this I need to invest time in, this I need to invest time in." And that's a good way to get perspective. I find I do that quite often by going out of London. It's a really good way to get more perspective and balance, and as soon as I kind of leave that London bubble, I feel like, "Ah, okay, remember there's other things around." And like that's a really good way I found of kind of trying to remember that your work is meaningful, but it's only one lens in one part of your life as well.