Ask HN: I think I’ve burnt out. What should I do? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: I think I’ve burnt out. What should I do?

#71

Post by stillwater56 » Mon, Jan 27, 2020, 10:18 PM UTC

I can only speak from my personal experience with burnout, but I found that one of the hardest parts of recovering was the fact that it simply takes time. I quit my job and tried to make immediate, drastic lifestyle changes expecting immediate, drastic improvements, but burnout takes a while to develop and a while to recover from.

For me, the best thing was to find some stability (spending more time with my SO and exercising—albeit extremely simply, literally just going for a quick run each day) was key.

Re: Ask HN: I think I’ve burnt out. What should I do?

#72

Post by Ididntdothis » Mon, Jan 27, 2020, 10:22 PM UTC

codingslave wrote: post #22

Here's what I would advise. Do not under any circumstances quit your job. I've lived through a similar scenario, and while I had a ton of savings, quitting my job resulted in chaos. Poor sleep schedule, dropping motivation, etc. I would get a therapist. Secondly, if your job is stressful, try and find another developer job at a large slow moving, mediocre paying corporation. Mostly recovering from burnout takes time,…

Totally agree. Unless you have a lot of money already, having no income adds a new level of stress. The only way I could see this work is to go to a cheap place where money lasts longer. I once did this by staying at a yoga ashram. I could enjoy the time there because I had no expenses

Re: Ask HN: I think I’ve burnt out. What should I do?

#73

Post by core-questions » Mon, Jan 27, 2020, 10:22 PM UTC

AdrianB1 wrote: post #29

I am not a therapist, so my opinion is not medical advice, but this what I would do: take a few vacations of 2-3 weeks each and travel on the continent; nothing fancy, just a disconnect. I have a few friends that I take for a very long bike ride, if you have anyone that can join you it's a great thing to do; the purpose is to disconnect, so the destination does not matter, just the activity. The second activity: get…

This all sounds great, except what do I do with my wife and kids during this time?

Vacation is not vacation for those of us with a young family - it's actually more work than being at work is, sometimes. Good work, rewarding, but also severely draining sometimes.

Re: Ask HN: I think I’ve burnt out. What should I do?

#74

Post by elliotec » Mon, Jan 27, 2020, 10:22 PM UTC

codingslave wrote: post #22

Here's what I would advise. Do not under any circumstances quit your job. I've lived through a similar scenario, and while I had a ton of savings, quitting my job resulted in chaos. Poor sleep schedule, dropping motivation, etc. I would get a therapist. Secondly, if your job is stressful, try and find another developer job at a large slow moving, mediocre paying corporation. Mostly recovering from burnout takes time,…

I'm not sure I agree with this. If OP is able to catch up on the personal responsibilities they mention, and has the funds to be able to float for a while (admittedly a big one), taking a break might help them quite a bit. Could even boost up their personal brand a bit or make an LLC and do some consulting here and there to not have a resume gap and create their own hours.

Quitting something you don't like can be totally liberating and the time off can have a positive impact on mental health if used wisely.

Re: Ask HN: I think I’ve burnt out. What should I do?

#75

Post by derekp7 » Mon, Jan 27, 2020, 10:24 PM UTC

codingslave wrote: post #22

Here's what I would advise. Do not under any circumstances quit your job. I've lived through a similar scenario, and while I had a ton of savings, quitting my job resulted in chaos. Poor sleep schedule, dropping motivation, etc. I would get a therapist. Secondly, if your job is stressful, try and find another developer job at a large slow moving, mediocre paying corporation. Mostly recovering from burnout takes time,…

The biggest thing that fixed my burnout was actually getting laid off during the recession (09). And being unemployed for a few months. Fortunately this was in the summer, and I spend many days up at the camper (we had an already paid for seasonal spot about an hour away). I found myself sleeping so hard during the afternoons that I slept through several recruiters calling me back. Then when I finally landed a new job I hit the ground running so hard, that I was an instant hit.

Problem is, after more than a decade I find myself constantly tired and unmotivated for anything. I fear that burnout is starting again, but can't afford another break in employment (and this job is actually really good -- very intense, but I don't have that feeling of dread going into work every day [like I used to experience with high school], just exhausted).

Re: Ask HN: I think I’ve burnt out. What should I do?

#76

Post by golemiprague » Mon, Jan 27, 2020, 10:25 PM UTC

I find changing physical locations to help, like working from a different location if possible, hanging out in some different cheap country for a month and actually doing some work from there. From some reason changing physical location helps

Re: Ask HN: I think I’ve burnt out. What should I do?

#77

Post by WhompingWindows » Mon, Jan 27, 2020, 10:28 PM UTC

core-questions wrote: post #73

AdrianB1 wrote: post #29

I am not a therapist, so my opinion is not medical advice, but this what I would do: take a few vacations of 2-3 weeks each and travel on the continent; nothing fancy, just a disconnect. I have a few friends that I take for a very long bike ride, if you have anyone that can join you it's a great thing to do; the purpose is to disconnect, so the destination does not matter, just the activity. The second activity: get…

This all sounds great, except what do I do with my wife and kids during this time? Vacation is not vacation for those of us with a young family - it's actually more work than being at work is, sometimes. Good work, rewarding, but also severely draining sometimes.

I think you know the answer: you need to leave them at home if it's necessary to disconnect. If you can't disconnect with your kids and/or wife in tow, for their sake, you need to hire help or have family stay while you recharge your own batteries.

Re: Ask HN: I think I’ve burnt out. What should I do?

#78

Post by xupybd » Mon, Jan 27, 2020, 10:30 PM UTC

Do what you can to find happiness again. Rest is important. Lower your stress levels.

Talk to a professional before quitting your Job. HN is great but not able to tell you what to do here. A therapist can help you come up with a plan. They can help you evaluate if it's working.

Re: Ask HN: I think I’ve burnt out. What should I do?

#79

Post by dajohnson89 » Mon, Jan 27, 2020, 10:31 PM UTC

gjmacd wrote: post #18

Dumb question: But have you taken a longish vacation? And I mean one that's 3-4 weeks or more that has nothing to do with work?

OP is canadian but in USA, the normal amount of vacation time is 2 weeks per year.

Re: Ask HN: I think I’ve burnt out. What should I do?

#80

Post by jfitzpa22 » Mon, Jan 27, 2020, 10:37 PM UTC

See a therapist if you have not done so already. A therapist can help you develop healthy coping strategies, work through the significant trauma you have experienced over the last year, and possibly refer you to a psychiatrist for drug treatment if deemed therapeutically necessary.