How Do You Handle the Stress of Being a DBA?

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How Do You Handle the Stress of Being a DBA?

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Miz Zahan SSC Veteran Points: 222 More actions · Answer 1

it's really stressful that everyone is pointing to DBA just because their applications use SQL server or they find the word "SQL" somewhere in the application error logs, and do not accept our explanation that the problem has nothing to do with SQL Server...

SQLRNNR SSC Guru Points: 281334 More actions · Answer 2

A good hardy laugh is also very useful in keeping the stress at bay.

Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
_______________________________________________
I have given a name to my pain...MCM SQL Server, MVP
SQL RNNR
Posting Performance Based Questions - Gail Shaw[/url]
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Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004312 More actions · Answer 3

CirquedeSQLeil (1/21/2010)
A good hardy laugh is also very useful in keeping the stress at bay.

That's what I normally do although I have been known to accelerate a pork chop or two in the specific direction of an uninformed antagonist. 😛

Sounds like a "bus-man's holiday" but if I've had a really bad day, I always find some "light" on this forum even if it's "Wow! Look at that dude! And I thought I was having a bad day..." :hehe:

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

Eduard SSCommitted Points: 1761 More actions · Answer 4

rudy komacsar - Doctor "X" (1/21/2010)
- Acceptance that your 'circle of concern' is far smaller than 'your sphere of influence'

isn't it:

- Acceptance that your 'circle of influence' is far smaller than 'your sphere of condern' ?

Rudyx - the Doctor SSC-Forever Points: 43695 More actions · Answer 5

aha - someone who both read and digested the statement !

RegardsRudy KomacsarSenior Database Administrator"Ave Caesar! - Morituri te salutamus."

dma-669038 SSCrazy Points: 2773 More actions · Answer 6

I actually wanted to ask if that is what it meant..thanks for clarifying.

crookj SSChampion Points: 14075 More actions · Answer 7

Very Interesting topic!

I try to get at least 2 short walks in on a daily basis. I do longer walks on the weekends. I have a nightly exercise routine that is great. A call to my Father once a week and that is a great stress reducer. Playing with the Grandkids at least 3 times a week is the icing on the cake.

One thing that has caught my attention is....

My Son is an engineer and he and his friends reduce their stress by online gaming. I have yet to see and mention of that in this thread. I still am working thru the posts and currently am up to 3ish yesterday so if I missed one - sorry. Guess DBAs either don't game or don't have the time for it?

Give me a good game of cribbage or pinochle and I am one happy camper!

Joe

dma-669038 SSCrazy Points: 2773 More actions · Answer 8

All the DBAs who are men in my team are gaming almost on a daily basis. Personally i think stress esp for DBAs is due to too much thinking/alertness and a little less stimulating activity is a better stress buster. And it has been proven not to do anything stimulating before you go to bed anyway. I wish more people would play real games - get out there exercise both body and mind with a good game of tennis might help better than an online game.

crookj SSChampion Points: 14075 More actions · Answer 9

dma-669038 (1/22/2010)
All the DBAs who are men in my team are gaming almost on a daily basis. Personally i think stress esp for DBAs is due to too much thinking/alertness and a little less stimulating activity is a better stress buster. And it has been proven not to do anything stimulating before you go to bed anyway. I wish more people would play real games - get out there exercise both body and mind with a good game of tennis might help better than an online game.

Fully agree with the outside games. While my Son does spend some time online - he also belongs to a softball league, basketball league, flag football league, works out 4-5 times a week at his gym, and climbs a not so little hill that we have called the Incline. Getting up in the ages - I prefer to do the non-teaming events such as walking, biking, skiing, etc...

Joe

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004312 More actions · Answer 10

dma-669038 (1/22/2010)
All the DBAs who are men in my team are gaming almost on a daily basis. Personally i think stress esp for DBAs is due to too much thinking/alertness and a little less stimulating activity is a better stress buster. And it has been proven not to do anything stimulating before you go to bed anyway. I wish more people would play real games - get out there exercise both body and mind with a good game of tennis might help better than an online game.

Reminds me of the old "Star Trek" episode where Spock made the observation of "The more complex the mind, the greater the need for the simplicity of play" (or something like that).

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

Rudyx - the Doctor SSC-Forever Points: 43695 More actions · Answer 11

Live long and propsper ....

RegardsRudy KomacsarSenior Database Administrator"Ave Caesar! - Morituri te salutamus."

Matt Miller (4) SSC Guru Points: 124210 More actions · Answer 12

dma-669038 (1/22/2010)
All the DBAs who are men in my team are gaming almost on a daily basis. Personally i think stress esp for DBAs is due to too much thinking/alertness and a little less stimulating activity is a better stress buster. And it has been proven not to do anything stimulating before you go to bed anyway. I wish more people would play real games - get out there exercise both body and mind with a good game of tennis might help better than an online game.

I can attest to that. I was doing MMORPG's for a bit, but the time constraints (and the lack of an ability to "pause" and walk away for a bit) make that less than ideal these days. So - I'm back to single-player games, but still - it's a huge stress buster.

Kind of like Grant's comment earlier: getting to kick someone (virtually or not) cuts down the desire to kick someone while at work....

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your lack of planning does not constitute an emergency on my part...unless you're my manager...or a director and above...or a really loud-spoken end-user..All right - what was my emergency again?

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004312 More actions · Answer 13

Heh... lately for me, a better question would be "How do you deal with the stress of other DBA's?" 😉

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

Ben Moorhouse SSCrazy Points: 2385 More actions · Answer 14

Ha! So true Jeff!

I've been working alongside another person in my team, and I keep having to solve stupid mistakes.

Such as records not being deleted even though I'm using the stored procedure correctly... oh yes, no where clause in one of the checks!

Having said that though, some other DBAs are awesome and it's nice to be able to fall back on their work.

Deanne Pedroni SSC Enthusiast Points: 119 More actions · Answer 15

Not only am I the DBA, but the main application support person/go to person when things go awry. When I'm not here, I try to have things to keep my mind off of work - my family, pets, hobbies for the most part. I monitor - and monitor well, yes, I do get paged when things are not right. When I find something that is misbehaving, not only do I fix it, but I try to determine how to catch it before it becomes an issue - for the next time. Tools are incredibly important in keeping ahead of the chaos that can make your life stressful. It's the job, I enjoy it (most of the time)...:-)

Deanne