What do you do if you notice signs of burnout in yourself and your teammates?

For me, it's been not sleeping well, not being able to concentrate, and not wanting to go and do anything. That was the most obvious signs that something was wrong

A couple to points from me: • this is not medical advice and should not replace medical assestment. • consider individual differences and contextual factors when assessing burnout. • speaking from my own experience, other signs of burnout could be: difficulties in expressing an idea, problems concentrating, being erratic, overly emotional, being tired for long periods of time with no apparent reason, getting easily stressed or worried.

Look out for signs like constant tiredness, lack of motivation, and feeling detached from work. If you notice these signs, it's important to address them. Encourage open communication within your team so everyone feels comfortable discussing their feelings. Encourage individuals to take breaks, set boundaries, and seek support when needed. By recognizing and acknowledging burnout signs, you can take steps to prevent further issues and promote well-being in your team.

Além do reconhecimento dos sinais de esgotamento, é fundamental criar um ambiente de trabalho que promova o bem-estar. Em jogos educativos, onde o objetivo é ensinar e capacitar jogadores, é essencial que os desenvolvedores sejam inspirados e motivados. Isso pode ser alcançado por meio de oportunidades de desenvolvimento profissional contínuo, políticas flexíveis de trabalho e uma cultura de apoio e colaboração. Ao priorizar o bem-estar dos colaboradores, podemos criar um ambiente no qual eles possam prosperar e contribuir de forma significativa para o sucesso dos jogos educativos.

Based on my experience, noticing burnout in some people could be very hard, as not everyone reacts to long periods of stressful work in the same way. These are the three signs I believe are red flags that require immediate action: - Less productivity: Team members may start to produce work at a slower pace or struggle to meet deadlines. Also, the quality of their work may also decline due to a lack of motivation or focus. - Loss of Passion: Team members will lose their passion for your project, causing them to be less participative and have disillusionment towards their work. - Less social interactions: Burnout makes people withdraw socially, avoiding interactions with colleagues or disengaging from team activities.

Probably the most important way to ensure the health, happiness and efficiency of your team: having a policy of transparency and openness. This is a team effort and the responsibility of having this type of work environment doesn't sit with only one person.

Initiate conversations with your teammates in a supportive and non-judgmental manner, creating a space where everyone feels comfortable expressing their concerns. Encourage teammates to share their experiences and feelings openly, and listen attentively to their perspectives. By discussing burnout openly, you can collectively identify potential sources of stress and collaboratively brainstorm solutions to alleviate the workload or improve team dynamics.

Para fomentar o diálogo aberto sobre burnout, sugiro a criação de sessões de "check-in" regulares, onde cada membro da equipe possa compartilhar seus sentimentos e desafios. Essas sessões devem ser estruturadas de forma segura e confidencial, permitindo que os colegas se expressem abertamente sem receio de julgamento. Além disso, é essencial utilizar técnicas de storytelling para criar narrativas envolventes que retratem as experiências e lutas dos profissionais afetados pelo burnout. Essas histórias podem ajudar a humanizar o problema, gerar empatia e incentivar conversas abertas sobre soluções viáveis.

Load balancing is very important not only for a good work-life balance but also for the successful shipping of a project without compromising the quality. It's a good idea to seperate the project in smaller milestones and also have some space between the deadlines for each milestones.

If signs of burnout become apparent in yourself or your teammates, it's essential to consider adjusting the workload. Start by assessing current tasks and deadlines to identify areas of potential overload. Prioritize tasks and consider redistributing responsibilities to ensure a more balanced workload among team members. Communicate openly with your team about workload concerns and be willing to delegate tasks or extend deadlines as needed. Encourage flexibility in task assignments and offer support to team members who may be struggling to manage their workload.

Because I don't want to freely contribute to LinkedIn's AI, normally when I see early signs of burnout, I ALWAYS double down; I quit my job, sell all my earthly possessions for holographic Digimon cards, and remind everyone that their answers here are being scraped for datasets to be sold to the highest bidder.

The key to promoting balance on a team is not just talking about it, but modeling it. If you as a leader work during holidays, respond to emails at every hour of the day, only talk about work and nothing else, and don't showcase you are taking time for other activities then your team will do the same. They will think this is the norm and what is expected of them to grow in their careers. To promote balance you need to talk to your team about taking this time while also showing that you live what you are talking about. If you are on PTO, you are actually on PTO and not responding to emails (unless incredibly urgent). If you are telling them not to work late and on weekends, then you are not sending emails late evening and on weekends.

Encourage yourself and your teammates to prioritize self-care by setting boundaries between work and personal life. Advocate for taking regular breaks throughout the workday to rest and recharge. Additionally, foster a supportive team culture that values work-life balance and encourages individuals to pursue activities outside of work that bring them joy and fulfillment. Encourage open communication about workload and stress levels, and be willing to adjust deadlines or redistribute tasks to ensure a more manageable workload for everyone.

A major risk of working with what you love, as I believe is the case for many people in the gaming industry, is surpassing a healthy boundary and turning work that should be enjoyable into a burden. Keep in mind that balancing work moments with fun and rest is the key to staying productive and sharp in actions and decisions. Now, if you're the entrepreneur, the studio founder, or the game director, it's very common to feel "obligated" to work more than others, seven days a week, for as long as you're awake. This is a big mistake and will only lead you to burnout and portray a poor image to the team. Learn to lead by example in balance, starting with your own actions.

What truly turns a group of people into a team is the ability for one to help the other. Often, the signs of burnout are not easily noticed by the individual themselves, which is why having a structured feedback system is so important, one that can guide the person without offending or potentially worsening the problem. Burnout in game development is real, so if you manage or participate in large teams, consider preparing this system in advance.

As painful as it may be to admit, in the vast majority of cases, the cause of a workload so intense that leads to burnout within parts of the team is management. Whether it's due to scope creep, poor planning, or inaccurate estimations, nothing should justify the physical and mental exhaustion of the team. Developing games is, for many people (myself included), a passion, but we cannot let this passion surpass physical limits. Remember that rest is also essential for maintaining productivity and keeping the mind prepared to solve problems.