Ask HN: Seemingly unable to recover from burnout. Please advise • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Seemingly unable to recover from burnout. Please advise

#41

Post by maerF0x0 » Wed, Mar 20, 2019, 2:09 AM UTC

1. Sleep like your life depends on it [1]

2. Exercise both cardio and weight lifting in a really generic way. Go hard on them if you honestly love either.

3. Eat the "cleanest" food you can afford. I like Michael Pollan's guide [2].

4. Get a social network, friends, family, dating. Spend at least 2hrs in a 1:1 scenario with someone you care about and cares about you. Spend at least 4 more hours with as many people who care about you that you like (ie 1:1 if you're more introverted, or as a group if extroverted etc.)

5. Live the 40 rules for life [3]

[1]: https://web.archive.org/web/20190306123706/https://www.super...

[2]: https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20090323/7-rules-for...

[3]: https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-most-valuable-things-ever...

Re: Ask HN: Seemingly unable to recover from burnout. Please advise

#42

Post by alexcnwy » Wed, Mar 20, 2019, 2:41 AM UTC

I found a combination of these Ayurvedic herbal supplements taken in the morning before food to be beneficial (do your own research / I am not a doctor / etc): 1. Ashwagandha 2. Gotu Kola 3. Bacopa

I’d also recommend considering a micro vacation to somewhere with a spa and just relax in some hot springs for a couple days.

Also exercise!

Re: Ask HN: Seemingly unable to recover from burnout. Please advise

#43

Post by RikNieu » Wed, Mar 20, 2019, 4:49 AM UTC

charlesdm wrote: post #11

For me, the single most depressing thing in my life was working for someone else. I now set my own schedule (and have set) for years, working on my own products, and live a relaxed life. Six months is nothing. Everything compounds. Working in a toxic environment compounds and takes a long time to cleanse. Good things also compound. You need to find something to work on that makes you happy, suited for your personalit…

That's the dream. I just never seem to be able to come up with products that actually make enough money to replace my salary though.

Re: Ask HN: Seemingly unable to recover from burnout. Please advise

#44

Post by spacecowboy » Wed, Mar 20, 2019, 7:18 AM UTC

Saw your post earlier today and it left me wondering on how to help. Then I came across this tonight, thought it might be helpful in some roundabout way. https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2013/05/22/7-steps-to...

(edited) I went on to discover this article, I found the comments just as interesting. https://lifehacker.com/steve-martins-advice-for-building-a-c...

Re: Ask HN: Seemingly unable to recover from burnout. Please advise

#45

Post by HNLurker2 » Wed, Mar 20, 2019, 9:38 AM UTC

jf22 wrote: post #14

jf22 wrote: post #13

What helped me un-burn myself was focusing on creating as many serendipitously boring moments as possible. I canceled all pre-made plans, stopped pursuing any goal outside of existing, and did things because I was bored and felt like doing them. Our culture is 110% fail-forward, goal-oriented, growth-mindset madness that doesn't give us time to relax and chill out. I'm not talking about pursuing a hedonistic lifestyl…

I find it culturally characteristic one person here said that you should start a new company/product as if that is the answer to feeling overworked.

>Avoid anti-stagnation gamification bs that only exists to make money like meditation apps or fitness trackers. Just be.

I strongly agree we shouldn't gamify life

Re: Ask HN: Seemingly unable to recover from burnout. Please advise

#46

Post by charlesdm » Wed, Mar 20, 2019, 2:23 PM UTC

RikNieu wrote: post #43

charlesdm wrote: post #11

For me, the single most depressing thing in my life was working for someone else. I now set my own schedule (and have set) for years, working on my own products, and live a relaxed life. Six months is nothing. Everything compounds. Working in a toxic environment compounds and takes a long time to cleanse. Good things also compound. You need to find something to work on that makes you happy, suited for your personalit…

That's the dream. I just never seem to be able to come up with products that actually make enough money to replace my salary though.

I must add that I live in a lower cost-of-living area. However, it works for me and I travel frequently.

Unless you're on a SFBay salary, most developers could replace their salary by doing contracting for 3 to 6 months a year. That's how I started, building my first product (an app) on the side.

I don't like developing enough anymore to do it full time. I however do have some specialised skills and will from time to time supplement my product income with some consulting or contracting if something cool crosses my path.

There are usually also some smaller tax advantages. Being able to tax deduct your computer, mobile phone, home office, etc, some office furniture helps with keeping as much of the money you are making.

Re: Ask HN: Seemingly unable to recover from burnout. Please advise

#47

Post by RikNieu » Thu, Mar 21, 2019, 7:02 AM UTC

charlesdm wrote: post #46

RikNieu wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's the dream. I just never seem to be able to come up with products that actually make enough money to replace my salary though.

I must add that I live in a lower cost-of-living area. However, it works for me and I travel frequently. Unless you're on a SFBay salary, most developers could replace their salary by doing contracting for 3 to 6 months a year. That's how I started, building my first product (an app) on the side. I don't like developing enough anymore to do it full time. I however do have some specialised skills and will from time to…

I'm in a low-cost area too, so theoretical I just need to make a couple of thousand dollars a month to make ends meet. That's not as easy as it sounds, for me at least.

I have an app that will be released soon, hopefully that would bring in some extra income. Who knows. Will continue slogging on tbough!