
Books on Burnout - whatami
https://fivebooks.com/best-books/burnout-work-exhaustion-josh-cohen/
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Jaygles
I've been a developer for about three years now but before that I worked in
food service for about eight years. One habit I've had to break is the
constant looking for something to do attitude that you absolutely need to keep
an orderly kitchen.

The pool of tasks to complete doesn't replenish in software like it does in
food service. When you've suitably completed a task and the next task lacks
the definition needed to be completed, just read a blog or go on a walk while
the other people working with you do their thing to get you in a position to
complete the next task.

~~~
pm215
That's an interesting take, because my experience has generally been that
there's an inexhaustible pool of tasks -- bugs that could be fixed, minor but
nice-to-have features, little refactorings and code cleanups, closing stale
bug reports -- in any largish codebase. Mostly these don't get done because
major feature work or fixing bugs users complain about takes priority, but
I've pretty much never found myself on a Friday afternoon thinking "no, there
is nothing at all I could do for the moment".

~~~
Jaygles
I guess it depends on a team's or even just a single dev's priorities. Does
something need to be perfect to be considered complete? I like to stay on top
of bugs but things like little refactorings or code cleanups I've been
avoiding more until it's directly affecting what I'm trying to do.

I used to refactor and try and improve every file I needed to work in, but
more and more I've been trying to make as little changes as possible in order
to complete my goals. Leaving the code just a bit cleaner in each commit.

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codesushi42
Here is a hint:

Stop working so fucking hard on apps/websites/digital junk that helps no one,
except by making your boss rich (be it manager, VC, or otherwise).

If you engage in meaningful work, then it is impossible to get burned out for
too long.

Stop being a drone. Take a step back and look at the big picture and ask
yourself: what am I coding for? Who is going to use this? Will it help anyone
in any meaningful way?

What is "meaningful" is up to you. Just make sure it matters to you and own
it. Don't let someone else own it and dictate it to you.

Set yourself free, and cast off the 24/7 toxic work culture of SV that's keen
on producing useless shit for problems no one has. Don't let yourself be
consumed by the entropy emamanting from startup land. You don't have much time
on Earth. Don't give it to unworthy efforts and assholes.

~~~
bguerra
What would you recommend for things like school work?

I do full time development work but I'm self taught. When I was hired the
company agreed to pay for part of the tuition to get a degree. I'm still a
couple years away from completing all the courses, but I just can't handle a
lot of the material. Much of it is outdated and a lot is biased based on the
instructors past work and experiences. Last year I had to take a class on
ASP.NET (web apps, not MVC). The school's introductory database class used MS
Access.

I know there are benefits to these from a historical standpoint. Understanding
where the technology came from. Access may also be easier for absolute
beginners to jump into. Much of it just seems like a waste of my time though
since I know these systems have been replaced. Having to work full time _and_
study technology that I know isn't commonly used has worn me down quite a bit.
I no longer have the drive to learn that I once did. The obvious answer would
be to find a better institution to attend classes, but I have a limited budget
to spend on tuition annually and few colleges will allow for the schedule I
need to continue working.

~~~
thanatropism
You're allowed to cut your losses and drop out, you kow.

~~~
bguerra
I appreciate that input as that's the point I'm reaching. Senior devs that
I've worked with have said the same thing. However, I haven't found a
convincing argument for upper management.

~~~
codesushi42
Two years is not that long.

Power through it.

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pbasista
Related: I have recently watched a video by Louis Rossmann whose title
suggests that it is about eliminating procrastination:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UwOdFzPTH4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UwOdFzPTH4)

In the video he analyzes why people procrastinate and mentions that it is a
natural response against oppression. He suggests that the first step against
it is to realize that you are a free person and can do whatever you want. He
adds a lot of context and examples.

It seems to me that procrastination is one of the symptoms of burnout and that
the suggestions Louis mentions in the video may also be helpful when dealing
with burnout.

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musha68k
For a scientific/brutal reality check I would also recommend reading "When the
Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress" by Gabor Maté.

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EsssM7QVMehFPAs
Chade-Meng Tan wrote an excellent book about practicing and teaching
meditation and mindfulness at Google - "Search inside yourself".

Meditation has helped me immensely to cope with heavy burnout and find a
balanced approach to work.

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chrshawkes
I find the most peace when I simply don't care about the outcome. Nothing I've
worked on in my professional life is going to be important on my deathbed. No
books will help you power through it. Learn to take care of yourself and not
have such a vested interest in work related things of little importance.

I literally just walked by some guy sleeping at his desk.

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masonic
All book links are shrouded affiliate links (tag=fivebooks001-20).

~~~
qnsi
I don't really know what's wrong with that. That's one way to monetize this
site and I think it's pretty harmless.

I find this site very useful to me, maybe not this one he linked, which really
looks like book marketing, but idea of experts recommending books is useful

~~~
scrollaway
I'm always wary of undisclosed affiliate links. Sometimes it's monetization of
genuine recommendations, sometimes it's just "I pulled a bunch of possibly-
mediocre books related to a domain I can easily talk about so I can better
monetize a blog post".

~~~
cma
It's disclosed on the site.

