If it takes you weeks to recover from a burn-out you haven't burned out - yet.
Burn out is a serious issue and some people never fully recover from it. If you're working hard and you need a break after a few months of hard labour that's normal, but it's not the same as being burned out.
Otherwise a great piece and nice to get some insight in to what goes on behind the scenes of backtype.
Years ago I suffered what I would now call "burn out" although at the time I didn't know what was happening. I found this essay to be an accurate description of my experience, but I think a doctor would be a better source of information on this topic:
http://www.stressdoc.com/four_stages_burnbout.htm
At the worst point I was experiencing anxiety, paranoia and depression. My only strategy for coping with stress and difficult situations at the time was to put my head down and work through it. I thought if I was having problems getting the job done, I would just put in more hours. This turned out to be a terrible idea. I worked 80 hour weeks for months at a time in highly stressful situations. Initially this work ethic bought me promotions and raises, but you can't work these kinds of hours under a huge load of stress for years and not suffer consequences. In two years I gained 40 pounds and became a pack a day smoker. When you never put a limit on how much you work you eventually break down.
I nearly ended up quitting and going to seminary. Instead I just got a new job with less hours and responsibility on the other side of the country. After a few years I'm finally getting to the point where I can handle stress like I used to: until now any moderate level of stress has caused me to spiral into anxiety and paranoia again. I was worried I was permanently damaged, but thankfully I'm getting better.
EDIT: I haven't smoked for two years. I've lost over 40 pounds and I'm running my first 5K on Thursday. I got better but I had to drastically change my life.
I've found exercise to be one of the best ways to help prevent burnout. Especially exercises that put one into a meditative state. (Running, rowing, swimming, yoga, etc.)
A good relationship, kids, and general family life also seems to help people survive high stress, but high stress often leads to a bad home life which can make it worse yet.
Real burnout is something like losing confidence in your own ability, or the overall system or world. It doesn't go away with time, per se, but requires a real change of your life....like getting a manual labor type job for a few years, going back to school, etc.
Absolutely. I burned out at a tech job in 2000, and spent several subsequent years working as a climbing instructor, outdoor gear retail clerk, cable technician, etc. ... anything that didn't require the use of a computer.
There's a difference between simply needing a vacation, and being completely and absolutely disgusted with your field and everyone in it.
As totally cheezy as it sounds, I "gradually woke up one morning" and realized what it was that I wanted to accomplish with my life. My newfound goal was going to require more resources than I could ever accumulate by selling backpacking gear, so at that moment I decided it was time to get back into the tech industry. (I still have fond memories of my time away from it though.)
I haven't felt anything close to the same burnout since. Although I'm often stressed out over one thing or another, for the most part I'm pretty happy with the way everything is now.
Burn out is a serious issue and some people never fully recover from it. If you're working hard and you need a break after a few months of hard labour that's normal, but it's not the same as being burned out.
Otherwise a great piece and nice to get some insight in to what goes on behind the scenes of backtype.