Poll: Have you ever felt you had translator burnout? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Have you ever felt you had translator burnout?".
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A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more information, see: http://proz.com/topic/33629
| | | | John Cutler 
Spain
Local time: 14:15
Spanish to English
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| Not bonkers yet | Sep 13, 2007 |
Wikipedia has a good descriptive article on burnout at this address:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnout_(psychology)
I interpreted the question according to the definition of "being exhausted". I answered other because I think I have small bouts of burnout, but they’re not so great that I want to change careers as happened to me after 12 years of teaching English. ... See more Wikipedia has a good descriptive article on burnout at this address:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnout_(psychology)
I interpreted the question according to the definition of "being exhausted". I answered other because I think I have small bouts of burnout, but they’re not so great that I want to change careers as happened to me after 12 years of teaching English. That was real burnout!
Because I have such a flexible schedule, I can let off steam little by little. A short holiday or a long weekend also seems to be enough to keep me from going bonkers ▲ Collapse
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It happened to me once last year. Since then, I haven’t felt any translator burnout because I think that I rest more this year than the previous one. It is a question of sleeping the amount of hours that your body needs.
Best,
Fernando
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An advantage of freelancing is that one is one's own boss .
When necessary, one can strike it lucky and have a self-called time-out for some due rest. However , sometimes a hectic translation schedule makes a let-up too far to expect .
[Edited at 2007-09-13 18:00]
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I'm really burned out of both occupations: translating and teaching English. With no vacation plans in the near future, I would really appreciate some ideas to overcome it. (By the way, I am not working as much as did few years ago, but I'm still overloaded).
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 14:15
Spanish to English
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... because the nearest I've come is working on a stinker of a hangover... you see, like JC, translating keeps me sane. It's my third or fourth favourite activity.
And pax Claudia, EFL is indeed a killer, I only do it now on a learner autonomy basis and at premium rates.
| | | | Steven Capsuto
United States
Local time: 08:15
Member (2004)
Spanish to English
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That's why I switched from I.T. work to translating: This is one of the few activities that I find almost endlessly entertaining.
| | | | John Cutler
Spain
Local time: 14:15
Spanish to English
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| My own solutions | Sep 14, 2007 |
Claudia Aguero wrote:
I'm really burned out of both occupations: translating and teaching English. With no vacation plans in the near future, I would really appreciate some ideas to overcome it. (By the way, I am not working as much as did few years ago, but I'm still overloaded).
Hi Claudia, I recently had a 12-day vacation that was the first in 2 years, so I know what it’s like to not see a vacation looming anywhere on the horizon.
I decided a long time ago that I’d better plan on relaxing in bits and pieces rather than longer holiday periods because I’ve always got something to do. As freelancers, we like to say that we haven’t got the stress and pressure that bosses can cause, but in my opinion every client who pays us is a boss, and if having one is stressful for some people, where does that leave us?
The way I keep going is to let off steam in little ways as often as possible. I find a little time here and there to enjoy a hobby or something that relaxes me. In my case, it’s going to the gym, riding my bike or just taking a walk. Don’t underestimate the power of endorphins released through exercise! I also like watching some TV series or documentaries that I really enjoy. A good series or book helps me disconnect and takes my mind far away from my work. It’s sort of the equivalent to a good drinking binge but without the hangover
If these ideas aren’t of any help, keep looking for a solution that works for you personally. My last anti-burnout solution is almost taboo for some freelancers and one of the most difficult to put into practice. I call it the Nancy Reagan solution: “Just say no”.
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Tatty
Local time: 14:15
Spanish to English
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| Make sure you take weekends off | Sep 14, 2007 |
Hi,
After translating for 3 years, last year I decided that I was totally burnt out, and moved back to England with the idea of staying for a year to see if I could make a career for myself doing something else. But the job agencies there told me that I was a translator and that I should translate, they really wouldn't put my CV forward for any other jobs. I actually missed translating and wondered if there was any point in trying to forge another career when I had worked so hard to... See more Hi,
After translating for 3 years, last year I decided that I was totally burnt out, and moved back to England with the idea of staying for a year to see if I could make a career for myself doing something else. But the job agencies there told me that I was a translator and that I should translate, they really wouldn't put my CV forward for any other jobs. I actually missed translating and wondered if there was any point in trying to forge another career when I had worked so hard to get this one. So here I am again translating.
I am now paranoid about getting burnt out. I tell the agent that I can't start it until the next day, and under no circumstances do I work weekends, this make a big difference. I used to teach a translating class once a week and an interpreting class once a month too, this time I didn't take them on. I don't recommend teaching and translating at the same time as it is like having one and a half jobs.
I try to get myself out more, by going to the gym, making arrangements with friends and keeping them. I think my agents have pretty much got the message.
BTW, I don't think saying no was the problem, it's just that clients always want the same translator to do the follow-up translation, or its the second part of the one you did last year.
I also don't accept any rush jobs, actually I never have done. There is no point from where you are standing. You work like crazy for 2 days, and day 3 you are too tired to work so day 3 is unpaid, and you would have been much better off working, from a pschological point of view, at a normal speed for 3 days. The same thing happens in the longterm too. But the worst of it is that life is passing you by while you work yourself into the ground.
Well, there we go, a few scattered thoughts on the topic. ▲ Collapse
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Hello,
Reading your different comments, a question came through my mind: Do free-lance translators work on weekends? is there a rule or is it a personal decision?
For myself, I do work on weekends when I have to, but I don't have so much work so it doesn't happen often.
| | | | | Would make a good poll topic if nobody thought about it before ... | Sep 14, 2007 |
Nisreen Barakat wrote:
Hello,
Reading your different comments, a question came through my mind: Do free-lance translators work on weekends? is there a rule or is it a personal decision?
For myself, I do work on weekends when I have to, but I don't have so much work so it doesn't happen often.
| | | | | Almost exactly the same :) | Sep 14, 2007 |
John Cutler wrote:
I answered other because I think I have small bouts of burnout, but they’re not so great that I want to change careers as happened to me after 12 years of teaching English. That was real burnout!
Only I voted "Never" as I don't count those small bouts in.
And I must have been more resistant as a teacher - it took me full 23 years to burn out completely and start hating the very idea of explaining the rules of Present Continuous to a new generation
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Rebecca Garber
Local time: 08:15
Member (2005)
German to English
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| make time for hobbies | Sep 14, 2007 |
Claudia Aguero wrote:
I'm really burned out of both occupations: translating and teaching English. With no vacation plans in the near future, I would really appreciate some ideas to overcome it. (By the way, I am not working as much as did few years ago, but I'm still overloaded).
Claudia,
I agree with John. Make little pieces of time for yourself.
Several months ago, my daughter talked me into trying stage combat. It's like fencing combined with dance, as it's all choreographed, no one gets hurt, but it looks really cool. The first few weeks I had a hard time convincing myself that I could afford to take a 3hr block of time off. Now I find that I'm more productive for doing it.
And I've also learned to say no. No rush jobs. No jobs that pay rediculously low amounts. No jobs that *require* that I work weekends. If I choose to, that's my decision, and those jobs are usually for clients I personally like, and jobs that I find interesting and relatively easy.
Hope you find something you like doing and feel less stressed soon.
| | | | | Total burnout three years ago | Sep 14, 2007 |
The annual report season is my toughest season - I average 80 hour weeks from about the beginning of February to mid-June. Three years ago I wasn't pacing myself and just said yes to everything, which had me working round the clock several nights running, weekends, you name it I did it. Cigarettes 1-1½ pack/day and gallons of coffee kept me going and my dog kept me sane.
All of a sudden I noticed a problem - which I naturally attributed to Word. All three-letter words were spelt b... See more The annual report season is my toughest season - I average 80 hour weeks from about the beginning of February to mid-June. Three years ago I wasn't pacing myself and just said yes to everything, which had me working round the clock several nights running, weekends, you name it I did it. Cigarettes 1-1½ pack/day and gallons of coffee kept me going and my dog kept me sane.
All of a sudden I noticed a problem - which I naturally attributed to Word. All three-letter words were spelt backwards - eht, dna, yhw - without fail, every single English word I typed came out backwards. It wasn't Word. It was me. My brain short circuited.
Obviously, first you laugh. Then you cry. Then you tell everyone you're taking a 7-day break to try to restore some order to your health.
I quit smoking. I've lost my dog so I compensate with horseback riding, tennis, etc. I try to schedule a work-free weekend at least once a month when I go to museums, theatre, shopping, dinner with friends. I even say "thanks for asking, but I have to say no." These days I know that when I start feeling irritated with customers, when it's 1.30 in the morning before I turn of the computer and I awake at 5 a.m. stressed about meeting a deadline, it's time to schedule a work-free weekend. So burnout these days is restricted to feeling cranky. ▲ Collapse
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