191–200 of 534 posts
I've experienced this periodically since my early 20's - generally in hindsight I realise it was: real life getting in the way, burnout, lack of interest (I was interested in the idea, but on some fundamental level - not the activity) - also occasionally just a feeling of Groundhog Day (ie. Some code tasks can just feel a little too familiar - even if novel, and that saps my joy) Either way, at the time it was quite…
It could also be attention span problems caused by social media.
Others have already mentioned this but I think it's important to reiterate sleep quality. I learned I was not getting enough oxygen at night due to congestion when I went to the doctor for problems with tiredness and brain fog. Taking nasacort each night before bed completely changed my life.
What I do is log virtually everything I'm doing in an editor window that I keep open all the time (one file per project/task). If I get disturbed by a call or a colleague, I can do a quick recap and get back to where I was. Likewise if I lose the plot several levels down my stack. It also helps if I need to switch projects for a while, or overnight.
It's like a running log of my thought processes:
- Need to add feature x to module y
- What docs have I got?
- How to file in d:\projects\docs...
- Log file from 13/03/2021
- a,b,c...
- Looking at A
- I'm thinking of adding a new parameter
- Who else calls this?
- Routine F
- The mod would be straight forward there.
- Routine H
- This is called by S
- This needs more thought, it might be chewy
- What SPs are involved?
- UpdateCustomerTable(CustName, Address1...)
- I've backed up the database to ADB_20230110_1501.BAK so I can test.
I keep the log files, which go back over 20 years and can be invaluable next time I have to look at the same project months later. Reading the code AND my notes helps me re-build my mental stack much quicker. It also helps with any bugs that I introduce.
Good luck. It is possible to be productive at an advanced age, and still enjoy it too.
I don't know you personally but I doubt cognitive decline has anything to do with this. As we age, we usually end up with more and more life responsibilities, beyond just the work we are doing. All of that is input to the brain and requires energy in response. The brain is not infinite. I often feel as you do, but then I have periods where I am as light and agile in my productivity as 20 years ago, maybe even more so…
Since I retired, I have suffered a cognitive decline; everything takes longer. But, you know, I'm retired, and work expands to fill the time available.
Sleep is a game changer in cognitive abilities and it can swing either way.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Also, our standards improve as we age. I wrote a lot of high-energy seemingly clever code when I was younger, but it was nonsense and terrible to read. Now I would not allow myself such indulgence, and so I work differently, maybe at times more slowly, and it might seem this is due to less abilities, but actually it is due to wiser experience.
It turns out the same dynamic is at play with songwriting - your standards get higher, what seemed novel when you were 20 now seems boring. I’m sure it is the same across disciplines. The irony is, it kills creativity.
Could be burnout, could be ME/CFS, could be Long Covid… could be something else. Have you noticed a limited working memory or loss of enthusiasm? You might notice things like forgetting why you walked into a room, or abandoning hobbies and activities you no longer enjoy. I have ME/CFS from hEDS (far more common than people think, especially here on HN, and double especially those here on HN with ADHD) so I ended up t…
I don't know you personally but I doubt cognitive decline has anything to do with this. As we age, we usually end up with more and more life responsibilities, beyond just the work we are doing. All of that is input to the brain and requires energy in response. The brain is not infinite. I often feel as you do, but then I have periods where I am as light and agile in my productivity as 20 years ago, maybe even more so…
> As we age, we usually end up with more and more life responsibilities As somebody who far away from 40, how is one supposed to "look forward" to getting older given this likelihood?
It's just the mind's way of coming up with problems when there aren't any.