Ask HN: Is there anything I can do to prevent burnout?
So quite recently at the company I work for I've been noticing that I have been at the point where the coding I need to do is just like a brick wall. I know what I need to do, yet when typing out even a few lines to accomplish stuff I find myself just staring at the screen most of my time. Worse yet, I find that during the management side of my job, I'm becoming more short-sighted and terse in my decisions and I hate that because that's not fair to others. I've definitely already started to lose the drive here, but the company is fairly decent and I don't want to reach full burnout here yet (or maybe I already have). How have those that experienced similar feelings dealt with this? Responses greatly appreciated :)
7 comments
[ 4.7 ms ] story [ 30.0 ms ] threadThe 5 minute journal is also a good way to get some perspective.
Having something non computer like hiking or gardening I find also helps.
If its really bad, a vacation to some country with a vastly different culture helps.
2) How much management responsibilities do you have along with your development responsibilities? How much of these can you delegate. Perhaps you've got too much on your plate and your attention is divided too much to really think/focus on your duties. Perhaps you can't complete anything because you have too much and that's what's stressing you out. You could code another 100 lines today, but you know or feel that that's still not enough to complete the task. Find a way to divest yourself of some responsibilities/obligations in a way that still lets the work be done (rather than being undone and in your queue).
3) Counseling. It's not a four-letter word. Someone to talk to, voice your concerns to, and trust. If you're religious, your priest or minister. If you're still close to some friends outside your company, perhaps from college or something, that can be your confidante, then that's a good option too. But I still prefer the counselor approach. They're trained to help you.
4) Like tmaly said, something outside work that's not programming/computering/managing. Being able to shut your mind off for an hour or two while going for a hike or a jog or cleaning out weeds in the garden is remarkably restorative. It pairs well with things like meditation. In fact, once the act becomes rote then it becomes meditative. The mind is free to wander while a minimal portion of the brain focuses the body on the act.
I don't know why, but at first read counseling just put a negative thought into my head, but on further thinking it sounds like a really good idea and would compliment delegation of tasks to reduce stress or at least help me deal with it.
Thanks for the reply, this helps!
However, I recommend it heartily. A bad counselor is bad, get out of that situation. You may have to seek out a few before you find one you're productive with. But a good counselor offers a nice sounding board for life and work, and can help you develop coping strategies for dealing with stress/anxiety. Time management, task management, etc. Prioritizing tasking at work and your work/life balance. They're also a good, trusted person to go to just to say things to, not even to get a response from. Being able to voice what's going on in your mind and concerning you is a remarkably good way to relieve a lot of your burden. Sometimes, just the act of describing what's going on is what you need to help kick yourself in the pants and reorient yourself.
A journal, again like tmaly suggested, is a good way to do this in a private fashion for those things you still don't feel comfortable discussing with another person.
As noted a vacation is a good idea. You may not be able to take a big vacation, but just getting away. Going on a drive for the weekend, or stay somewhere else. The idea is to reset yourself. This is a short term fix, then you need to figure out how you got to this point. This weekend I went down to my parents and just helped around the house. It was a simple way to reset.
Back to being satiated. If your not satiated work will just seem like a drag. It's not just tech, sometimes you need to satisfy the creative side of your brain. Indulge in arts, try a new hobby, go to some new spots. Do something you never thought you would. If work isn't satisfying and you find it almost monotonous. Hence staring at the screen how can you rectify it.
Addressing and preventing burn out is a multi step process. First you need to recoop enough energy to make a long term goal. This sometimes sets you a bit back. But once you take a step back, regroup. You can objectively look at what started this process.
I've been through several bouts of burn out. It's tough but it gets better.