Five Tips for I.T. Workers

I.T. work can be a stressful job and not many technicians talk about it very often. There are very few mental breaks throughout the day and all day, every day consists of fixing things that are broken or not working right. It can be exhausting if not managed properly.
5 tips for I.T. professionals to deal with stress:

1. Disconnect.
   If you’re unfortunate enough to have to give out your personal cell phone number, utilize the “Do Not Disturb” function from time to time. Yes, clients will text you at 3 am when their computer won’t turn on. They’ll call and demand that you fix something while you’re “glamping.” Everything is an emergency and they want it done NOW.
   Another alternative is to ask your employer for a softphone and a DID. This will allow for easier management of company calls vs. personal calls.
2. Detach yourself from their problems.
   I.T. issues can be really heavy. Tech problems are stressful and range from “I can’t send these emails” to catastrophic server meltdowns and there’s no backup. Even though you emailed your client six months ago and suggested a backup solution, they didn’t do it and now you’re the one that has to fix it. Remember, these are not your personal problems and all you can do is try your best to fix it.
3. Celebrate your victories.
   Sometimes trying to solve some of the worst problems can break your day (or week) completely. If you’ve solved a complex problem for a client and no one died, you should celebrate your victory. Hopefully you’ll at least get a “thank you,” but depending on the situation, you probably won’t get the recognition you deserve.
4. Set some boundaries.
   Tech issues happen all day, every day- including while you’re just trying to take a shower! If you utilize a ticketing system, remind clients that is the best way to get help. If it’s a total nuclear meltdown, an occasional call or email might be OK, but those methods of communication often get lost in translation. Even more so, if you’re an internal I.T. tech or outsourced, the addition of things like Slack and Teams can make it even worse to lose track of issues and requests.
5. Go on a vacation that has no internet connectivity.
   One of the biggest reasons why I enjoy cruising is because I have to pay for internet and I just won’t do it. Turn off your phone for a day or two and just disconnect. The constant connectivity and being bombarded with problems will drain you faster than an iPhone with an old battery.

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