As someone who has worked as a Community Manager for a number of years, it’s safe to say that this role can be challenging at times. It requires keeping up with trends, social media, and handling negative feedback - all while balancing the requests of both the developers and the community.
As Safe In Our World says, the role of the CM can seem limitless and, without clear frameworks and defined expectations, the internal and external demands can be overwhelming. Getting burned out is unfortunately real and can happen to anybody, even the happiest or most successful Community Managers out there.
Productivity culture is nothing new and burnout affects all of us. This article will give you insight into how to prevent and manage burnout as a Community Manager, or those in a similar role.
Signs You Might Be Burned Out
According to Higher Logic, the nature of video game community management is highly susceptible to occupational burnout, defined as emotional fatigue, reduced feeling of accomplishment, and depersonalization incurred from long-term job stress. Community Managers need to wear a lot of hats on a daily basis, and it can take a toll on their mental and physical well-being.
There are plenty of signs of getting burned out, but we’ve summarized them into 5 signs that you need to pay attention to:
1. Unexplained exhaustion
If you begin to feel really exhausted on a daily basis, which makes it much, much harder to get out of bed, your body could be giving you a warning. Despite the activities you do or limit, you can’t help but feel tired all the time. Sometimes, this can also mean you’re getting depressed, and it’s time to see a therapist.
2. You start feeling useless
First and foremost, you need to know that your work is valuable, no matter how small. It’s why you are paid to do what you do. If you begin to feel useless at your job or constantly feel like you’re not doing enough, take a step back and let yourself breathe.
3. It gets harder to sleep
Some people can’t fall asleep because their mind is full of stress. If you notice you can’t seem to have a good night’s sleep for multiple days in a row or your sleep quality has decreased, it’s possible that you might be experiencing burnout.
4. Headaches or intestinal issues
When doctors say that stress can cause health issues, it’s not a myth. If you begin to experience frequent headaches or any intestinal issues, it’d be wise to get yourself checked before it turns into something worse.
5. Withdrawal or isolation
Sometimes, people who experience burnout may begin to withdraw from their friends, families, or hobbies. If you or anyone close to you notice this change of behavior, it’s a good sign to start observing your situation.
How to Prevent and Manage Burnout
Is burnout manageable? The answer is yes. Almost everyone will experience it at least once, but it can reoccur, more often in always-on, high engagement jobs like being a Community Manager. Here are 5 things you (and your team leader) can do to help prevent and manage burnout.
1. Set clear work expectations and boundaries
It’s important to note and apply consistent and realistic expectations and boundaries in your workplace. If it keeps changing, you will feel like the things you did weren’t enough, and you will keep pushing yourself to the point of stress and burnout. This is dangerous, especially if you’re working in a small team, because in these cases, every single person will need to work twice as hard as usual.
2. Seek training opportunities
‘Impostor syndrome’ is a common experience for Community Managers, which is why it's crucial to constantly seek out training opportunities that can be applied to your work. The requirements and responsibilities of a CM in the gaming industry can vary from one company to another. By acquiring additional skills and knowledge, you can boost your confidence and improve your abilities in your current or future roles.
3. Find your balance
It’s not hard to drown yourself in work, especially if you get stressed easily when your work isn’t up to your own high standards (like me). Always remember that you are human, and you need to take care of yourself by setting a schedule for work and hobbies.
4. Practice self-care
Similar to the previous point, self-care is crucial to preventing burnout. Developing healthy habits can take a while, but once you get them, you'll keep them. CMs need to be in their best shape during work, as they will be responsible for shaping the community. If you’re at your limit, don’t be afraid to ask for help and take some time off to let yourself breathe before going back to work. Knowing when to take a break is a form of self-care, too.
5. Connect with other people
Community Managers are the people that players go to when they have problems, whether it’s in-game or sometimes in real life. Not all CMs know who or where to go when they need to talk about their problems or simply just to vent. If you’re working as a CM, don’t forget to seek out friends who work in the same or similar roles. You will feel better if you have someone to talk to who understands your struggles.
Of course, if managing community and social media is becoming too stressful for you and your team, it’s always great to ask for outside help! The team at Acorn will be able to help you with those while you focus on developing your game. Tell us more about your requirements here.