No more than the usual half a week at a time every now and again.
It probably helps that I got fed up with the low SNR on my Twitter and Facebook ages ago and stopped bothering to check them.
Ask HN: Are we all burned out?
11–20 of 158 posts
Re: Ask HN: Are we all burned out?
#12It is important to remember that we have a bias towards painting the past with "rosy retrospection". Life can just be hard and we tend to forget that about past events. It's quite possible you were just as worried about other stuff then.
That being said, yes, there certainly are some particularly hard things going on right now. However, I wouldn't use external factors as an excuse to not address the legitimate feeling of burnout that you are experiencing. [I think it is a dangerous trap people fall in to say "I feel bad because of X external factor" rather than taking control of what they can control to make themselves feel better].
Personally, I think arming yourself with tools to better cope with that life stuff in general is useful no matter what. CBT therapy, in particular, I find can be helpful.
Re: Ask HN: Are we all burned out?
#13Get off your phone. Get off the news. They're doing nothing for you. Jump in some cold water. Feel reality for what it is. Don't use any products that simulate dopamine (phone, tv, video games, junk food), they're killing you from the inside.
Seconded getting off the news or your phone. I learned to embrace blissful ignorance.
Re: Ask HN: Are we all burned out?
#14> All I want to do is look at my phone and consume more content
This will contribute to and/or perpetuate your burnout.
If you're overwhelmed and burned out, the last thing you need is to spend more time in front of screens and more time consuming endless streams of content. News content and outrage bait is especially bad at burning people out. It's easy to spend 30 minutes on Reddit or Twitter and feel like the world is collapsing around you.
Put down the phone. Do literally anything else. Meditate with your eyes closed in a quiet room, or go outside and go for a walk. The more often you do this, the better you'll feel.
And to answer your question: No, we're not all burned out. I have noticed that burnout-prone people tend to cluster together in bubbles where everyone amplifies each others' cynicism and pessimism. The rest of us prefer to build some distance between the chronically cynical people so we don't get brought down, too. Make a point to break out of your bubble and find people who are more like how you want to be.
Re: Ask HN: Are we all burned out?
#15Quit drinking, lift weights, do some cardio even just zone 2, get proper sleep, and above all stop looking at your phone and play with your kid!
When I'm feeling stuck with tech work, I go take a moderately brisk walk for 30-60 minutes while I think about the problem, sometimes with a buddy. It works very well for getting me unstuck.
Re: Ask HN: Are we all burned out?
#16Get off your phone. Get off the news. They're doing nothing for you. Jump in some cold water. Feel reality for what it is. Don't use any products that simulate dopamine (phone, tv, video games, junk food), they're killing you from the inside.
Seconded getting off the news or your phone. I learned to embrace blissful ignorance.
But you are commenting on a news site, probably while on the phone.
Hnews is not different, I come here for the same dopamine hit
Re: Ask HN: Are we all burned out?
#17No, I don’t want to sound cold but I’m sorry to say… this is called “life.” Our parents had tough times, and their parents had tough times, and so on throughout history. People have dealt with famines, wars, oppression, economic struggles, disease and death for thousands of years. I’m not suggesting the feelings of burnout aren’t real. I’m just saying that every generation experiences some level of hardship and it’s…
Yeah that's true, I think there's a lot going on in the world right now, but there is some truth in what you say. Things in the past were a lot worse than they are now. The constant threat of nuclear war, more sickness, various wars around the world, etc.
The difference now is that we all just get too much information about what's going on in the world, we have access to information about ALL of the world's problems all the time. It's just too much and is difficult to deal with for many people.
It takes real self-discipline and self-awareness to tune it out.
Re: Ask HN: Are we all burned out?
#18If this guy is you:
https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/386:_Duty_Calls
that can explain burnout, as the internet is an endless source of errors.
Re: Ask HN: Are we all burned out?
#19Nah. I’m good. Life is good. Work is good. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
But if you need therapy, get it. No problem there, everyone could probably stand a tune up.
Re: Ask HN: Are we all burned out?
#20Same mate! I cope with legal herbel essences and the gym. Ironically both do a great job of keeping me sane. I tried not smoking herb and working out but that just brought out my perfectionist tendencies. Smoking before bed helps me roll with the punches .