How did you deal with getting burned out?

Panzer919

I finished up my ROUTE exam last September, I was ready to take my SWITCH exam in November but things went nuts at work. So after some abuse I changed jobs, and had the normal family issues come up but I have been trying to go back through the SWITCH FLG. Problem is I'm starting to feel burned out. So I was just curious as to how many people have gone through this and how did you overcome it? I need to clear this haze because I am about to change jobs again and this employer will pay for me to get my certifications. Even going so far as to pay for me to fail the CCIE lab multiple times.

Any advise is welcomed

SharkDiver

Hell, I'm burned out now.

I either take a month break, where I don't even touch a book, or just push through. Sometimes, when I feel it may be the material, I switch to another book or jump to another chapter.

It happens, and then it goes away.

vinbuck

It's not easy when you're taking the long road. The best thing to do is get yourself on a routine and set weekly study goals. On weeks that you can't commit a lot of time to studying, be sure and have quick resources like flash cards on your phone or other handy pocket references so you can take advantage of time that would otherwise be wasted (i.e waiting in line at the drive thru )

Once you start to get comfortable with the material and feel like you have a shot at passing, you will get a bit of a second wind - I know that I did. The middle of my SWITCH studies was one of the hardest times in my path to the CCNP.

Best advice:

1) Keep plugging away it even if you only have a little bit of time
2) Take notes/flash cards you can use to review before the test
3) Take a break for a day if you need it and don't neglect the family too much (this is one of the hardest - even though it shouldn't be) it's easy to get in "the zone" and not come out for hours

Use the free Cisco NetAcademy lab manual for SWITCH and be sure to get the Boson EX-SIM questions if you haven't already....

SharkDiver

Once again I have to agree with Vinbuck. CCNP SWITCH was when I felt like throwing in the towel.

Panzer919

I think part of it has to do with the fact that I already went through this once. I put so much time into studying the first go round that now when I look at the book I almost feel resentment towards it ??:

Somnipotent

When I feel burnt out, I take a breather... pop in a game in the ol' PS3 or 360 and grind a bit. Pop open a bottle of wine with the wife. I'm on a kick right now, I haven't been burnt out since the period between ROUTE and SWITCH. I'm sure gonna run into a lot of those when I start labbing for CCIE. So far my studies have been pretty level.

mattau

I am going through this right now and really struggling. I am 1/4 of the way through switch and feel like giving up. I have just had 3 weeks off and I still cant get motivated. It gets me really down and try not to think it would be the end of the world if i did. Do any of you think if all of it is worth it? I mean some of you have jobs in the field but some of us dont (like me ) and taking the long road to try and get into something.

Danielh22185

I agree very much that a good healthy distraction is good. I had to do that plenty of times with CCNA where I felt like it was my second job. My wife also hated it . I would make a dayswhere I didn't touch a thing or sometimes a few days just to give myself a break. I felt I was more determined when I cam back to it. Also, keep in mind the big picture. I find that helps me a lot if I visualize some light at the end of the tunnel and tell myself that "ya, this sucks but what it will allow me to accomplish once I am done makes it all worth it".

Also keep in mind that great feeling of satisfaction when you are done. Its such a great feeling seeing that PASS score at the end!

all_day

I hear you.

I have been studying route, 6-7 months now - 2-3 hours on weeknights, more on the weekends - full time job (systems not networking). I think I'm 85% of the way there - there have been times recently when I feel like throwing in the towel, but I just think of the opportunities it will give me later. I knew it wasn't going to be easy before it started- I try to view my moments of de-motivation and stress as a personal challenge/journey.

My study is a lot more productive when my headspace is right, so I try and make that a priority - I have never been a fan of meditation, but have found simple breathing exercises help keep me calm and more productive study wise. I also keep make sure I go to the gym a few times a week.

Reading the blogs of some of the CCIE guys (noc-ninja etc), helps put things in perspective - the hours those guys put in is insane.

keenon

burn out happens from time to time. I'm just now recovering from my second in the past 3 years. each time can be a different duration from the last. my first lasted nearly a year and the second was only about few months.

grande25

Find what makes you tick. Exercise, work in some games/entertainment between study sessions or as interruptions based on your impulses. Listen to your impulses.. it's what makes you tick. Maybe see how some practice questions or lab problems look to you. If you find yourself breezing through you may have hit a milestone. If you grey out into the haze then you just need to lay off a bit and see where your impulses drive you. That pretty much works for me. Sometimes a 3-mile run leaves me in a better mood and eager to hit the labs/books/etc. Sometimes a hangover makes me appreciate being sober and reminds me that I need to manage my time better.

MrXpert

I have been studying non stop since January last year starting with the A+ last year but i'm sure i'm not the only one. I do feel burned out sometimes but I try to take breaks and just do other things where possible. Look at it in a different way to continue studying for such a difficult thing takes more guts and determination than the average university student(over here in the UK anyway) who gets half term breaks every 3 months yet they still get burned out after such as short period of time. We are the exception yet even we need to take a break sometime. I usually watch a film, read a book or play a game.

7of9

I get this sometimes, both with work and with exam study. I have a few strategies.

1. What am I not doing that I should be doing?

Often, I get so caught up in projects or exams that I let the little daily things that keep me going slide. If I start feeling burnt out, I look at my diet and exercise and sleep. Am I getting a good amount of all 3 daily? Am I eating junk and staying up too late and skipping workouts? That's the first place I turn to and I get those 3 back into routine.

2. How long has it been since I last had a break?

This one can be tougher. I went through a period where I was doing a lot of contract work and didn't have a vacation for 6 years, just going from contract to contract. Never again! That was a sure path to burnout. Schedule vacation time, even if it's just a long weekend...and take it and unplug during it. Do something completely unrelated to anything technical.

3. What is really bothering me?

Sometimes I find my burnout is a symptom of something else entirely. Maybe I'm unhappy in some other area of my life and it's just making me feel crappy about studying or a project. Maybe it's a interpersonal conflict at work I need to deal with. Maybe it's just one area of the material that I need a break from or maybe it's one piece of a project I need to ask for help with.

4. Where am I at?

If I figure out that my burnout is due to an exam or a particular project, how far along in it am I? If I'm close to the end, it's often best to redouble my efforts, schedule the exam, and knock it out. Or, best to make that last push to finish the project. If that's the case, I schedule some downtime after as a reward and to recharge. If I'm in the middle or earlier, though, it makes more sense to take a break or, if it's a project, perhaps call in the troops.

5. How often has this happened lately?

If the burnout has come on recently, that's one thing, but if I've been having several bouts of burnout over a period, that requires more careful thought. It could be time to change jobs or it could be that I need to shift my focus to a different subject area for a while. Sometimes, taking a break to pursue something different in networking helps renew my enthusiasm, or asking to take on a project in a slightly different area. Sometimes just taking on something new and different helps me get that spark back. Other times, it's just time to evaluate where I'm working or even where I'm living and it might be a good time for a change in either. If I'm consistently fighting burnout, though, that means that something has to change, either with me, or with what's around me.
Oddly, enough, I went through a period of bad burnout just about a year ago. It was returning to my studies and changing jobs that really got me back up and running and reminded me why I love networking. I think I would have kicked the burnout quicker had I not been so resistant to change.

ITtech2010

^^^ I think you hit it on the head about other reasons for the break out. I know I have a similar story.

Last year i was unemployed from my desktop support position. I was shocked about being out of a job. I use to be the "man" there or so i thought and was laid off due to cut backs. No one is untouchable. No matter how good you are in your craft and if people like you. At the end of it all you can get laid off. After I was laid off last August my focused renewed on obtaining my CCNA. What was keeping my hope alive was the fact that a friend of mine knew someone who needed a beginner in networking that wanted to learn. I was hungry. I was dying to get out of desktop support. I've hit that wall for the last 4 yrs and I wanted out so bad. I passed the CCNA last Sept and did not start a network admin job until December of last yr.

Again with Networking starting from scratch I ran into that burnout. It wasn't bad at first until I had to mature more and try to manage projects on my own. I don't want to mess up so at times i second guess myself. Usually whenever i start something new i start out slow because i'm trying to grasp everything. There were times where I didn't think I knew anything like the CCNA didn't teach me anything. I felt like this was out of my league. Then I started studying a lil more and started to grasp things better.

Unfortunately my colleague that got me in the company left. So I had to step up with my co-worker to manage everything. That was another stresser. I was working on migrations with my colleague and honestly my colleague did not take it easy on me either. If i really needed help or wasn't understanding anything he would be a teacher to me and i appreciated that. But I had to push myself through. I'm still a beginner in networking and I won't know everything without time and practice. But sometimes you hit the wall and it's rough to get out of it. The only thing in my life that I want to turn around now is just attracted good women. But that's a whole other conversation lol.

pitviper

Nothing wrong with taking a break – I’m on a bit of a hiatus myself of late. Work (especially when changing jobs) and family can be stressful enough in and of itself. I always give it 120% but end up burning out eventually – so I take a little break from studying, then hit the books/lab harder upon return. It’s very much like strength training in some respects. You’re going to hit a wall at some point – But after the initial shock of “re-entry”, you end up making big strides in the long run.

okplaya

Finished CCNA over a year ago and just now getting around to CCNP lol. I'm studying ROUTE and what has been helping me is to not be so hard on myself and have fun. If your original study plan is boring or making you unproductive, do something else. Some times I do a completely non-CCNP related lab just for fun. Keeps things interesting. Studying isn't the most exciting thing but you have to find a way to keep it fresh.

MrBrian

I get burnt out all the time haha! One time during my ROUTE studies there was probably a good month where I was just not feeling it. For me, I tend to be very motivated and push myself just for the belief of hard work pays off in the end. However, I get down when I spend so much time on a certain topic, and then the next week or however long, I don't feel like I retained much about it. It drives me nuts.

Certain times when I study, things seem to really click! I read about how it's supposed to work, I do some labs on it, and sure enough I get the visual evidence of what the book says, and it's a great feeling. I think I get "addicted" to that and want every study session to be a success, but the cold cold truth is that often times I have long study sessions and I never get those aahhh moments. It's just a confusion fest. I've become better at just embracing that confusion feeling because I realize if I stick with it, I'll understand with time.

I'll share a tip that works in my situation... I feel like I'm very driven, and I have the desire to push myself. If I haven't studied or read for a few days in a row, I start laying a big guilt trip on myself, thinking I am being lazy or what not. But the problem that prevents me from studying most of the time, is the thought of "if I put in 4 hours of reading/labs right now, I might not gain that much and still be confused." However, if I knew that I would just fire up the lab and have a bunch of ooohhh aaahhh moments of clarity, I'd really look forward to it. And it's not that my wheels aren't spinning well, as if I couldn't focus well, but I think it was that I had to let some of the info I was cramming in settle a bit. I had to let my mind digest it a little. So what I'd do, and still do, is read about other types of technology. For example, cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells, or how "this works, or how "that" works. Just so I could spin my wheels on something else, and take my mind of routing and switching for awhile, haha. Then I just come back when I'm ready. But yea it's not easy sometimes. I feel like I'm aware of when I'm getting close to burnout, and what is good for me to overcome it, but even then it's not always easy! Best of luck

mattau

wow that sounds just like me ^

astrogeek

I'm glad I'm not the only one, I've been taking a break for about a month and feeling guilty for doing it.....but it's really helped me clear my mind and re-focus myself. Pretty soon I'll be ready to hit the books again and spend some good, quality labbing time. Everyone seems to say Switch is the hardest but this is actually the one I'm most interested in. I'm hoping I don't get too confident then shatter my ego with a horrible score.....I really want to pass that one the first go around!

SteveO86

I'd say just take break for a couple days and then come back to everything. I'd had a few rough weeks at work but taking a few hours to myself or just chilling out with some friends having a few drinks and BS'ing tends to clear my head up.

instant000

Take breaks when necessary. After that, get back on focus. Use the burnout on the current thing to focus your energy on something else. For example, if you're burned out on SWITCH (come to think, I need to be taking that one myself sometime within the next month or so) then review some other material on multicast, or QOS, or BGP or whatever. It'll all still be useful and good material, and it'll keep your mind active.

If you're burned out on study, read for recreational reasons, at least it keeps your mind more active than TV.

Also, physical activity helps a lot. Try to keep some type of normal exercise regimen. Even something as simple as taking a walk can be a great boost.

I recently calculated, and I see sunlight only three times an average day: morning break, afternoon break, and heading home in the afternoon. After realizing that, I made a point to get out for a walk in the evening today, and it helped a lot.

I cover my windows at my apartment, so I never know what time of day it is, unless I check the clock .... and no, I don't look like some pale mad scientist!

Speaking of checking the clock, time to hit the sack! Hasta Manana!

nerdydad

I bought a motorcyle and built a deck, now after going for a nice ride I don't mind as much sitting on the deck relaxing and doing a bit of studying. I'm taking my SWITCH exam in one week, so we will see how that has worked for me. I am hoping that having ROUTE and SWITCH done will give me the motivation to complete TSHOOT pretty quickly, I have already completed the Networking Academy class for it.

Roguetadhg

Gotta take breaks. There's a ton of material to learn, a lot to absorb. Some may be able to pound out the studying day in and day out. Between work drama / politics, I find it hard to get in the mood for any studying. My break consisted of beating Diablo 3 with two characters. Just stopped playing. Honestly, I'll probably never touch it again!

Although, I got myself Grand Toursimo 5, and been driving around like a maniac. I'm enjoying it too much and it's taking the edge off the "I need to sell my Jetta". I'm bribing myself with a Fanatec Porsche 911 GT3 wheel (Route) and the CSR Elite Pedals (Switch) as a reward for passing those exams. Expensive, but cheaper than shelling out cash for a performance car.

Taking care of personal issues that's been hounding me. Trying to get my head clear again.

ciscoman2012

Roguetadhg wrote: »

Gotta take breaks. There's a ton of material to learn, a lot to absorb. Some may be able to pound out the studying day in and day out. Between work drama / politics, I find it hard to get in the mood for any studying. My break consisted of beating Diablo 3 with two characters. Just stopped playing. Honestly, I'll probably never touch it again!

Although, I got myself Grand Toursimo 5, and been driving around like a maniac. I'm enjoying it too much and it's taking the edge off the "I need to sell my Jetta". I'm bribing myself with a Fanatec Porsche 911 GT3 wheel (Route) and the CSR Elite Pedals (Switch) as a reward for passing those exams. Expensive, but cheaper than shelling out cash for a performance car.

Taking care of personal issues that's been hounding me. Trying to get my head clear again.

That wheel is SICK! I love how real it looks.

I play Forza 4 on the 360 and it's a great distraction Always there to take my mind off Cisco lol