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Ask HN: Tips to relearn how to care about my job?

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Re: Ask HN: Tips to relearn how to care about my job?

#61

Post by badpun »

fasterik wrote: post #5
vellum wrote: post #3

You don't have to care about your job. Most people have about four good hours of work in them. Just do your four hours, and take the rest of the day off. No job is worth burnout.

Or find something to work on that you actually care about. I don't have any trouble working on something for 12 hours a day when I find it intrinsically interesting and meaningful.

Most people don't care about anything that strongly. Among those who do, most of them care about things that others won't pay for (e.g. obscure open source project, or making a hobbit-like garden etc.).

Re: Ask HN: Tips to relearn how to care about my job?

#62

Post by badpun »

softfalcon wrote: post #24
fasterik wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or find something to work on that you actually care about. I don't have any trouble working on something for 12 hours a day when I find it intrinsically interesting and meaningful.

No matter how much you love it, 12 hours a day will never be healthy long term. This is what pro level athletes do to compete and get into the Olympics and they regularly burn out after a few years of it. I strongly urge you to take the time to establish a long term pace that will allow you to regularly decompress from work, learning, and stress every single day as well as whole “step-away” moments for weeks at a tim…

> This is what pro level athletes do to compete and get into the Olympics and they regularly burn out after a few years of it.

I believe this is a myth. Excercising for 12 hours a day is not the best strategy to get your body and mind in shape for the Olympics. Internet sources claim that Olympics athletes train 5-7 hours a day. Pro football (soccer) players at top level, with absolutely insane amount of competition constantly breathing down their necks, usually train from morning till lunch and that's it. Doing more would only do harm.

Re: Ask HN: Tips to relearn how to care about my job?

#63

Post by softfalcon »

badpun wrote: post #62
softfalcon wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No matter how much you love it, 12 hours a day will never be healthy long term. This is what pro level athletes do to compete and get into the Olympics and they regularly burn out after a few years of it. I strongly urge you to take the time to establish a long term pace that will allow you to regularly decompress from work, learning, and stress every single day as well as whole “step-away” moments for weeks at a tim…

> This is what pro level athletes do to compete and get into the Olympics and they regularly burn out after a few years of it. I believe this is a myth. Excercising for 12 hours a day is not the best strategy to get your body and mind in shape for the Olympics. Internet sources claim that Olympics athletes train 5-7 hours a day. Pro football (soccer) players at top level, with absolutely insane amount of competition…

Oh I know it’s a myth, you’re not wrong. I was simply using the myth we keep hearing as a foil for how bad an idea this is. It’s a perfect example of imbalance that results in burn out.

I do appreciate you pointing out that this is a myth. It’s important people don’t think this is somehow manageable, even for “just a few years”.

All that being said… you’re still going to keep hearing it on the news, in books, from movie stars, etc…

Re: Ask HN: Tips to relearn how to care about my job?

#65

Post by 3qz »

fasterik wrote: post #5
vellum wrote: post #3

You don't have to care about your job. Most people have about four good hours of work in them. Just do your four hours, and take the rest of the day off. No job is worth burnout.

Or find something to work on that you actually care about. I don't have any trouble working on something for 12 hours a day when I find it intrinsically interesting and meaningful.

Terrible advice when he lives in a high cost of living area.

Re: Ask HN: Tips to relearn how to care about my job?

#66

Post by jollybean »

The value you add is not a function of how cool or curious your work is. Try to derive some satisfaction out of the fact you are doing something needed and useful and that your 'micro contributions' matter probably to a lot of people.

Also, take a vacation for a bit it helps to add perspective.

Finally, if you get thrust into a crap situation, you'll learn to count your blessings quickly.

Re: Ask HN: Tips to relearn how to care about my job?

#67

Post by deanmoriarty »

Wojtkie wrote: post #64

Take a vacation, seriously. I took 2 weeks off earlier this year and it did wonders for my motivation and accruing burnout.

What if one takes a vacation of two weeks and, after having had a wonderful and relaxing time, comes back even more burned out about their work situation, and the question “wtf am I spending my finite time like this? I just don’t want a job!” comes up in their head even more frequently than before? Asking for a friend.

Re: Ask HN: Tips to relearn how to care about my job?

#68

Post by pesfandiar »

UncleOxidant wrote: post #20

It sounds like you're burned out. Take a vacation ASAP. Take that time to rest. Beyond vacations, make sure you take one day/week where you rest - actually rest . Eschew productivity on that day. This was called sabbath in the past and was connected with religion, but there's much to learn from that tradition of a weekly rhythm of rest to create a secular sabbath. Disconnect - turn off the phone, get away from screen…

In this case, they're bored more than they're overworked. Trying to find more meaning within their day job may be more effective than completely cutting off. Sometimes working harder but on a more meaningful project could reverse a burnout faster than avoiding the problem.

Re: Ask HN: Tips to relearn how to care about my job?

#69

Post by mxuribe »

UncleOxidant wrote: post #41
mxuribe wrote: post #13

Firstly, YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Beyond the Great Recession and the Great Resignation, i firmly believe i'm beginning to see the Great Malaise everywhere! Its not just here about jobs/careers, but many places that i look, and with many people that i speak. With that out of the way, and at risk to your cognitive load (by adding something else to your life), have you considered taking up a hobby/interest that is unrelated t…

> i firmly believe i'm beginning to see the Great Malaise everywhere! Indeed. It's in the air. I think we underestimate the trauma of living through a pandemic for the last couple of years. There's a collective, societal trauma that we're witnessing. It's causing people to rethink what they value as well as leading to upheaval in various spheres (personal, cultural, political...)

I could not have said it better myself; fully agreed!

Re: Ask HN: Tips to relearn how to care about my job?

#70

Post by brailsafe »

I've been working on trying to do the same, but I've mainly stopped trying to learn things unless it's really compelling. I've been trying to do a little quality work, and then mainly do anything but work, and that's imo how time should be spent. Feels great.

The important thing to realize is that life is already sufficiently challenging and complicated, working more takes away time from basically everything else that matters more.

Working and learning for the sake of both is unimaginative and kind of a dead end imo

Edit: Not that these aren't worhy pursuits, but you need to consider that they need to contribute to your overall wellbeing. Do you have a good social life, do you have a lover, a community, non-tech hobbies, great health and fitness, good relationships with your family and yourself?

If I had not been forced to step away from programming a few times in my twenties, I'd be pretty depressed by now/still. I have vague interests that are tech related, but outside of my duties I literally couldn't give a shit about working more; it'd be a crutch if I ran out of other ideas.

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