Trying to Be Everything to Everyone: Let’s Talk About Burnout

The presentation discusses burnout in the computer security industry, its causes, and ways to mitigate it using practical psychology and behavioral change models.

• Burnout is a psychological syndrome caused by chronic emotional and interpersonal stressors on the job, particularly in the relationships with managers and colleagues.
• Stress and burnout can lead to mental fatigue, diminishing focus and performance levels, and negatively impact motivation and engagement.
• Mitigating burnout requires setting healthy boundaries, avoiding guilt, managing anxiety realistically, and engaging in honest self-talk to identify what is needed to refill energy and passion.
• The presentation utilizes practical psychology and behavioral change models to provide a better understanding of burnout and ways to reduce, relieve, and manage it.

The speaker shares their personal experience of starting in the security industry as a high school student attending 2600 meetings and working at security companies like Vera code and Natography. They highlight the need to understand not only the social issues of what happens in a workplace but also the bottom line of a business. They emphasize the importance of studying the impact that technology has on humans, which is the intersection of psychology and technology.

Research shows computer security professionals describe the computer security industry as a high-risk yet high-reward profession with negative effects on the workforce. There is an estimated 805,000 computer security professionals working in the US, but meeting the business demand for computer security professionals would require 62% industry growth. This leaves those in the field understaffed and highly stressed, ultimately leading to burnout. Stress and burnout can lead to mental fatigue, which can negatively impact motivation and engagement. It can also cause diminishing focus and performance levels, and have a negative impact on operational security, satisfaction, and performance, both in the office and at home. This talk will discuss the existing research on burnout in the computer security industry and will discuss what really causes burnout, why it happens, and what you can do to mitigate it, including setting healthy boundaries, avoiding guilt, realistic ways to manage anxiety, and honest self-talk so you can identify what is needed to refill your energy and passion.I will discuss how to recognize burnout in hidden places and explore the root causes of it.I will address what to do about it – going beyond simply meditation, exercise, and healthy eating. If it was that easy, we would all be doing that. This talk is unique in that it will utilize a knowledge of practical psychology to keep it real and use behavioral change models as a guide for reducing burnout. How do you find motivation, appreciation, and time for yourself when it feels like the world around you is demanding you give more? You will leave this talk with a better understanding of how burnout happens, your personal relationship to burnout, and an idea of what to do to help reduce, relieve, and manage it.