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Welcome to The Sims!

Have you ever played The Sims? If you have, you know that you can push them too hard. The first signs are that they get really tense, and a bad mood bubble pops up. Then, their energy drops due to the bad mood. We get mood bubbles labeled “Brain Block” and “Mental Fog.” Then, we watch as they have a full-on meltdown, which includes, but is not limited to, starving themselves, wetting themselves, or quitting their jobs.

By the end of it, they either just pass out or set the kitchen on fire while crying over their salad.

A bit dramatic?

Maybe.

We think so, until we realize that it’s how real-life burnout feels. We are often less honest to others (and ourselves) about the situation.

Your Sim’s Needs Are Your Needs

Within The Sims, you have six core “needs” to keep your Sim alive, healthy, and thriving. These needs are: social, hygiene, bladder, energy, hunger, and fun. These needs are displayed as bars that shift between red (danger), yellow (needs attention), and green (fulfilled). When any of the needs drop too low, hitting the red, the Sim’s mood plummets.

Sound familiar?

These needs are similar to ours, especially in the workplace.

• Energy: How much rest are we getting at night
• Hunger: Getting proper lunch breaks and nutrition
• Fun: How much meaning do we find in our work
• Social: The amount of connection we find with coworkers
• Hygiene: Allowing self-care and boundaries
• Bladder: Actually feeling like we have the time for a break

So how do we differ from our Sims? Well, we often ignore our needs. Our need bars turn red, and we turn a blind eye. Our Sims? We immediately try to remedy their moods by taking days off from work, letting them outside for a jog, not pushing them so hard at work, having them browse the internet, read a book, etc. We make time for our Sims to live a healthy and stress-free life. But when it comes to ourselves, we push and push and push until we’re running on empty.

Burnout Signs, Shown By The Sims

Here is a chart to compare and translate our Sims’ signs of burnout to the real world:

Sim Behavior	Real-World Equivalent
Passes out on the floor	Fatigue from overworking
Refuses to complete tasks given	Disengagement from the workplace and/or quiet quitting
Forgets what they were just doing	Brain fog
Cries or gets extremely upset at basic job duties	Emotional exhaustion and feeling overwhelmed
Picking fights with coworkers	Irritability and a decrease in patience
Refuses to go to work	The stress, exhaustion, and frustration hit a tipping point

We always find it humorous to watch our Sims have meltdowns and tantrums like they are three-year-olds. However, we do the same, just not as dramatically (maybe).

How We Get Pushed Into The Red

It’s not hard to get pushed into the red when we work. Sometimes it’s too many meetings that could have been an email. There are no clear boundaries between work hours and non-work hours. There is always a constant state of multitasking due to how many projects are going on at once. This can cause a decrease in focus on the task at hand and a lack of creativity. You may feel a lack of connection between you and your coworkers.

We expect employees to keep pushing, even when their bars are red. This is not sustainable. We quickly dissolve into a state of meltdown: frustration, panic, exhaustion, and pure rage coming out. Heck, we may even cry into our turkey sandwiches during our lunch break. This causes issues not only in your work life, but in your personal life as well.

Control Your Game

In The Sims, there are several things you can do to control the characters’ lives. As the controller, you can give them time off and utilize their days off. You can encourage social interactions, even though these interactions find YOU and can be quite… persistent. You can ensure they go to sleep on time and get enough rest to keep them satisfied. It’s not hard to refill their bars.

When it comes to the real world, the options aren’t so different. You can do these as a peer, manager, or yourself. You can normalize taking regular breaks, even just to stretch or move around. Implement or take mental health days. You can prioritize meaningful work. You can promote flexible working arrangements. Promoting wellness incentives and education can increase knowledge on the subject. You can ensure you get to bed on time and get enough rest.

You should also learn to recognize the signs of someone who is overwhelmed and burned out before it’s too late. These are all great ways to prevent burnout and keep you and your coworkers’ energy bars in the green!

Don’t Treat Your Life as a Game, Burnout Is Real

Sims are literally programmed to demand balance. They are programmed to cry and stomp their feet when their needs aren’t being met. But us? We aren’t. We let ourselves get pushed and pushed until we have nothing left of ourselves to give.

It shouldn’t take full meltdowns and crying in the shower to recognize that your well-being is important. Your job is a major part of your life. It is at least eight hours of your day, not including your commute. We spend roughly a third of our lives working. And that third must be spent well. That third of your life matters for the other two-thirds. And if you are miserable and overworked at your job, the other parts of your life will suffer too. Just like The Sims.

You wouldn’t let your Sim live like this. So why are you letting yourself?