
Ask HN: Is there anything I can do to prevent burnout? - CorvusCrypto
So quite recently at the company I work for I&#x27;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&#x27;m becoming more short-sighted and terse in my decisions and I hate that because that&#x27;s not fair to others. I&#x27;ve definitely already started to lose the drive here, but the company is fairly decent and I don&#x27;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 :)
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Jtsummers
1) Consider a vacation. A week away, maybe less. Put yourself in a totally
different headspace. One that's relaxed and peaceful and missing stress.

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.

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CorvusCrypto
I have some things that fall into the category of #4 though I have been
getting more stressed and losing time and motivation for them which makes your
#2 advice seem extremely attractive to me. And of course vacation, as I
replied to tmaly, is in the back of my mind also.

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!

~~~
Jtsummers
There's a strong anti-counseling stigma in the US. We're seen as weak
(especially for men) if we pursue it.

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.

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soulnothing
Are you satiated, at work and after. When looking at burnout it's not just the
hours at work. It's the time after as well. To perform you need to be happy,
in all areas.

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.

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tmaly
Try an app like headspace, the free 10 sessions were a great help for me.

The 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.

~~~
CorvusCrypto
Vacation is a word I hear a lot these days. I definitely have been itching to
plan a week or so out of country as you suggest. Will also checkout the
headspace app, too, thanks! :)

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sitkack
Don't go as hard. Only Jack Reacher can go that hard, for that long.

