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Life Hacks during WFH | How do you avoid burnout?

Life Hacks during WFH | How do you avoid burnout?
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Investment Banking Forum
doobry666 January 12, 2021 - 4:56am

Hi Monkeys!

There has been a lot of posts about how the WFH situation has impacted juniors and what banks can do to improve their lifestyle.

However, instead of focusing on what banks can do (which even if happens will take long time to be implemented) why do not look at what Analysts/Associates can do to cope with it? 

What are some life hacks that you use to remain sane these days?

 
  • doobry666
  • IB
  • Rank: Neanderthal
  • 2,655
Jan 12, 2021 - 4:56am

Cocaine.

"If it is on WSO, it must be true" ~ old Jewish proverb.

  • 2
 
  • IB
  • Analyst 1 in IB - Ind
Jan 12, 2021 - 5:33am

I do try to reserve some time for myself.

I do not send the file immediately when finished unless super urgent, but i let it bake off for 10-15 mins that i use as break. This way i can have a second look being fresh and spot some errors and then send the file.

Second thing I do, is don't caring at all about the "active" status. I do everything that needs to be done and in the most efficient way I can, and as if I were in the office I would have gone round for a small walk, sometime I just have a 15-20mins walk and then come back. Again, I don't do this if I know tasks are really urgent with deadlines in the next hour, but try to do it whenever possible.

I'm always reachable via phone anyway and even so, if the VP or the associates call me and I'm out for some markups or things I don't mind telling him "can I call you back in 10 mins?". Just speak out, people don't see you but do understand and the world has not gone mad if they had to wait 10mins on a non-urgent task.

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  • falconeagle
  • IB
  • Rank: Baboon
  • 139
Jan 12, 2021 - 12:51pm

SB'd as 100% agree with the not caring about "active" status. In the first few months I made sure to stay online all day at all times (I was paranoid people would think I was slacking off wfh), but after a while just staying in your bedroom all day (where my home office is) really takes a toll on your mental health. Plus I put on some weight through being completely inactive.

Now I always make sure to go for an hour run in the middle of the day (workload/meetings permitting obviously). If something urgent comes up I can always rush back home, and equally if someone calls me I can say I'll be home in 10. Just getting outside and exercising/getting fresh air has really made a big difference.

Also this is reinforced by the fact that if anything everyone is working that much harder compared to pre-Covid. So taking an hour out of your day for your sanity won't matter in the long run.

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  • wolfofthecity
  • IB
  • Rank: Baboon
  • 112
Jan 12, 2021 - 8:32am

Work in sprints and take a 10m break every 45m or so. Game changer for me.

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  • Angus Macgyver
  • CO
  • Rank: Neanderthal
  • 3,994
Jan 12, 2021 - 8:53am

Wireless headset. That way I can take a shit while in one of these thousands of useless meetings that we are having because "working from home means we have to work harder at staying connected as a team".

Not even really joking.

Authored by: Certified Consulting Professional - ConsultantCertified Consulting Pro
  • 2
 
  • willois
  • O
  • Rank: Senior Monkey
  • 93
Jan 12, 2021 - 9:51am

Second this. Just have to be doubly sure to mute

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  • dickthesellsider
  • HF
  • Rank: King Kong
  • 1,009
Jan 12, 2021 - 12:08pm

"What you think of this deal?"

(sound of toilet flush ...)

Follow me on Instagram: @dickthesellsider

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  • HF
  • Investment Analyst in HF - EquityHedge
Jan 12, 2021 - 9:03am

I got hit by WFH cabin fever as badly as anyone via the combo of never leaving my apartment, and hours and work volume spiking overnight. My realization several months in was that pre-covid, I was very serendipitous and spontaneous in social activities (i.e. waking up on a Sunday morning and deciding to buy Broadway tickets for the matinee). Since that's no longer really possible between the elimination of most activities and the encroachment of work into all waking hours, I had to become more intentional and structured in separating work and life. Sounds robotic, but I fell so easily into the WFH slump that I had to take regimented action to force myself out of it.

1. Take a deep breath. I'm extremely guilty of being "on" all the time. I always strive for inbox zero, and that can include 20-second response times on emails, pulling even longer hours to finish backlog tasks just to get them off of my queue, and dropping non-work priorities halfway through (think cooking, working out) to answer work questions. The best thing you can do for yourself, and admittedly also the hardest thing, is to develop a mindset that most things can wait 10 minutes. I read this on a different thread years ago, but the phrase stuck with me: you need to develop a healthy respect for yourself and your time. I think a common perception of senior managers is that they're sitting by their computer waiting for your email back, waiting for your pitch deck, waiting for your answer. No doubt, there are sporadic tasks that require such urgency, but usually, as the low man on the totem pole, you have 1-3 things that require immediate attention, and your staffer or VP or MD has at least 25. They aren't going to notice 10 vs 20 minutes of turnaround time.

2. Incorporate physical activity into your routine, and stick to it. Morning stretching routine? 10 minute walk each way to pick up lunch? Late-night Peloton sprint? Find something to incorporate habitually. It becomes part of your daily schedule, and it helps clear the mind.

3. Invest in your home. You'd be surprised at how many people are still holding out on spending personal money on their WFH setups and apartments, 10 months into this situation. Yes, it's annoying, but you need to take the view that you aren't going to miss the marginal $1k, $5k, $10k on home improvements. Now that you spend 18 waking hours per day here, you should make it as comfortable and convenient as possible. There are tons of ways to do this:

  • Food and beverages. Buy any (healthy) snacks you like online and keep them stocked. Get a high-end coffee or espresso maker, or a Sodastream with flavorings. Upgrade your glassware and home bar offerings.
  • Fitness. Anything from bands to dumbbells to a Peloton, as long as it encourages you to work out.
  • Desk setup. Do you have a standing desk yet? What about an ergonomic office chair (Herman Miller and the like)? Large monitors and monitor stands? What about your sound situation? This could be a good chance to invest in quality speakers or headphones.
  • Bedroom / sleep. Are you happy with your mattress? Should you install blackout curtains? Any interest in something like Eight Sleep?
  • General home ambiance. Hang a couple pieces of art. Install those color-changing smart lights. Set up an Alexa or other to integrate with everything. Buy a more comfortable couch. If you have any musical instruments, buy proper stands for them and keep them on display.
  • Comfort purchases. This can be anything that makes you happy and eliminates a little bit of stress. You probably aren't wearing your watches as often as you used to -- purchase a watch gyroscope to keep them set. Do you have time to go to Chelsea Piers on the occasional weekend? Grab a new driver. Get a bespoke blazer or suit for when the world does open back up.

Again, you're going to be spending a good chunk of money here, but you'll be much happier to be working from home when you can turn around and enjoy your own office perks, so to speak. Moreover, these purchases will last you for years, and they'll pay unexpected dividends. What if you decide to start an ecommerce business in a few years and suddenly find yourself working a few extra hours at nights? You'll be happy you have the standing desk and office chair. And anyway, you'll make the money back pretty quickly.

4. Host friends. This by itself has done a ton for me. Have your close friends over on Friday or Saturday nights! It's not like anyone really wants to do outdoor drinks and dinner in January. The beauty of this is twofold: if you've invested in your living setup, people will want to come over, and if any work fire drills come up, you can handle them without ruining your night. I've enjoyed having people over for cocktails (thanks to that home bar investment I made), for example.

You'll notice that most of these don't relate to the work itself. IMO, there isn't a ton you can do about the actual tasks. What you can do is keep your general mood and affect as positive and healthy as possible. In short, I essentially found myself optimizing along two axes: one, making the job as comfortable as possible, and two, deliberately creating room for my mental and physical health.

Authored by: Certified Hedge Fund Professional - Investment AnalystCertified Hedge Fund Pro
  • 18
 
  • WhateverWorks
  • IB
  • Rank: Baboon
  • 113
Jan 12, 2021 - 11:07am

Jerking off usually makes things easier 

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  • IB
  • Analyst 1 in IB-M&A
Jan 12, 2021 - 11:08am

Any particular frequency that you would recommend?

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  • WhateverWorks
  • IB
  • Rank: Baboon
  • 113
Jan 12, 2021 - 11:13am

After each useless VP-call

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  • IB
  • Analyst 1 in IB - Gen
Jan 12, 2021 - 11:43am

Quitting

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  • Pizz
  • ER
  • Rank: Neanderthal
  • 2,817
Jan 12, 2021 - 12:18pm

Just curious, how many hours are you guys actually working? Like Monday through Friday 8am to midnight and then more hours Saturday? What does it look like? Just want to know what's making this whole WFH difficult  

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  • IB
  • Associate 3 in IB-M&A
Jan 12, 2021 - 12:36pm

MDs no longer have to travel for meetings and can schedule 30% more over zoom. In addition, everyone is home all of the time, giving seniors more time to work since they don't have vacation or family events they'd normally be offline for.

As a junior this means

- emails start coming in at 7am instead of 9am

- MDs don't send comments until 8pm or later because they don't have any time in between meetings (used to get comments or check ins throughout the day as they're traveling between meetings or waiting for a flight) which makes your night that much later

- your weekend that used to be a half day of work is now a full workday because your MD doesn't have to get to that soccer game in the afternoon

- your only interaction with seniors is very direct, often pissed off emails. They are no longer casually circling up the team to talk through something or having lunch with the juniors. The mentorship aspect is gone

- while you may be home to cook meals you are still expected to be responsive at all times and this can mean dropping your half-cooked meal to hop on the phone - in the office, people can see you're eating and you finish that before starting their project

- no bullpen camaraderie, you are sitting in your home all day with 0 human interaction

Etc

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Life Hacks during WFH | How do you avoid burnout?

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