The pressures of the job
Heather VanCura: Burnout is always a risk with any job, especially in tech. There's constant pressure to keep doing more. I try to be conscious of my stress levels because your body will tend to give you signals that you're doing too much.
You should also listen to your support system. If you're hearing that you look really tired, you need to listen. I've never been at the point where I can't function, but I've heard of that happening to others.
You should look at what's really essential and peel away all the extra things because, as an advocate especially, you can be tempted to say yes to everyone. In reality, you just can't do that. Be conscious of how much you can actually do as one person. Part of being in a community is asking people for help.
I hardly ever take vacation. Most of my vacation time is spent visiting family, but it's nice to be at home sometimes. I'm planning on spending some time at home this...