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Ask HN: Is it 'normal' to struggle so hard with work?

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Re: Ask HN: Is it 'normal' to struggle so hard with work?

#11

Post by Joe-Z »

I'd suggest taking a look around you and maybe ask that question to people you know in person. I know this feeling myself, especially when starting out with work after college. Always beating myself up over how I don't have any side-projects, if I'm going to cut it at work and basically why I'm not on the same level as Linus Torvalds, or some other genius programmer already.

I think the truth is that I was heavily influenced by e.g. sites like HN, where it's always touted as the ultimate virtues to have these side-gigs and basically be working all the time. When I looked around though I realized that this is just not the reality for the overwhelming majority of people. Most people are happy just working their 8 hours and then _do something else_

So, my advice would be to 'stop trying so hard'

Re: Ask HN: Is it 'normal' to struggle so hard with work?

#12

Post by wjnc »

zinckiwi wrote: post #5

I'm familiar with this. There's no magic solution, sadly, but I'll share one thing that has helped me and may apply at least to some of your situations. I realised a while ago that my main issue was with nebulous tasks -- that is, the more concrete, defined, and _meetable_ a task was, the less trouble I had with it. So I started to break down large tasks, which never got started much less finished, into smaller ones,…

I'll second this and on top of that would advise you to try to get some more insights into your personal drivers / personality (I fell for Meyers-Briggs or MBTI, but have to be honested that personality science feels somewhat hand-wavy.). It might be that being a freelancer is not the best fit for you and perhaps being on a team or in a team-lead role would fit your personality better. For me external demands and a corporate environment where there is quite a lot of appetite for thinking outside the box gave me a lot more energy than my studies and first job(s).

Re: Ask HN: Is it 'normal' to struggle so hard with work?

#13

Post by riekus »

pieperz wrote: post #7

I always thought I was ADHD, then I started a business, turns out I just like to do things my way and lead not follow. I've struggled to "focus" my whole life I'm a jack of all trades and master of none. When you find the right thing you'll know. I would do what I do now for free or if I was worth 100 Million because I love the game.

And what is it that you do?

Re: Ask HN: Is it 'normal' to struggle so hard with work?

#14

Post by stuaxo »

I've often felt similar. As well as peoples other suggestions that are useful, I've found wearing glasses helps, I don't usually, but when I do concentration is definitely easier.

Only first had to wear them from a few years ago so the prescription isn't strong.

But yeah, do tend to flit between tasks a bit.

Re: Ask HN: Is it 'normal' to struggle so hard with work?

#15

Post by mwidell »

I just read a book about ADHD, and what you describe is exactly what the book says work can feel like for someone on the ADHD spectra. (the book is a Swedish one, called "Fördel ADHD" by Hansen)

Read up on ADHD, and learn good "tactics" to cope with work, such as regular workouts (increases dopamine and makes you able to focus for longer periods), short term goals (just 2 hours into the future perhaps), varying your tasks and work setting often, etc. Something I have found very helpful is the Pomodoro technique.

Re: Ask HN: Is it 'normal' to struggle so hard with work?

#16

Post by closeparen »

I always felt this way about schoolwork, and never about professional work. You mention that you're a freelancer - do you have a home office? I found that the context switch of physically being in the building and at my desk made work the most natural and effortless thing in the world, while I struggle with "work from home" days. Is there a way you can create this kind of "work mode" context switch for yourself?

Re: Ask HN: Is it 'normal' to struggle so hard with work?

#17

Post by contingencies »

Things to try:

- get more sleep

- time off to recharge / re-motivate

- meditation / yoga / exercise

- try to stop using stimulants (includes caffeine/nicotine/sugar) or try using different stimulants (eg. arecoline)

- absolutely do not smoke marijuana, it is known to make many people lazy and demotivated

- control your environment (quiet, no phone, phone off, offline)

- clean your environment (zero clutter)

- change your environment (fresh space)

- remove all distractions (visual, audio, etc.)

- try different times of day (eg. sleep early, wake then work early AM before sunrise)

Re: Ask HN: Is it 'normal' to struggle so hard with work?

#18

Post by MIKarlsen »

Without blowing this out of proportion, I think this can also be a slight case of depression. At least, lack of motivation (perhaps from some sort of "non-joy" in your work-environment and tasks) and "there's just no point in doing it" along with your negative self-thoughts, are all part of depression as an illness.

The "I'm a complete failure"-part resonates with me, and perhaps, it could be something as simple as being so afraid of failing, that you never even try.

I don't know if this is helpful advice at all, but it might give you an idea of what you can do to help yourself (CBT for instance).

Re: Ask HN: Is it 'normal' to struggle so hard with work?

#19

Post by modernerd »

I have felt the same way. Some things that helped me:

1. Do the “Productivity” sessions in the Headspace app. I was really skeptical about guided meditation, but have found them very useful in maintaining focus. It teaches you to be aware when your mind wanders and helps you bring focus back to the task at hand. https://www.headspace.com/

2. Force yourself to break big tasks down into tiny chunks. When things seem overwhelming, it's easy to put them off.

3. Consider using an app that divides your working day into chunks that you can work on in 30-minute intervals. I use http://focuslist.co/ to set my agenda for the day early on, then work through the list.

4. Read “Deep Work” and “So Good They Can't Ignore You” by Cal Newport.

5. Reduce social media. I dropped Facebook and removed all twitter apps from my phone. This is a good guide: http://humanetech.com/take-control/

6. Exercise for 20 minutes every morning. I bought a speed rope from http://rpmtraining.com/ and now skip every morning while listening to podcasts / audiobooks.

7. Consider getting a full-time job, or a contract with one company for 20-30 hours a week. Having co-workers to compare yourself with and managers to be answerable to is a natural motivator.

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