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Books on Burnout

fivebooks.com

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Re: Books on Burnout

#11

Post by scrollaway »

qnsi wrote: post #4
masonic wrote: post #2

All book links are shrouded affiliate links (tag=fivebooks001-20).

I don't really know what's wrong with that. That's one way to monetize this site and I think it's pretty harmless. I find this site very useful to me, maybe not this one he linked, which really looks like book marketing, but idea of experts recommending books is useful

I'm always wary of undisclosed affiliate links. Sometimes it's monetization of genuine recommendations, sometimes it's just "I pulled a bunch of possibly-mediocre books related to a domain I can easily talk about so I can better monetize a blog post".

Re: Books on Burnout

#12

Post by opportune »

bitL wrote: post #10
codesushi42 wrote: post #7

Here is a hint: Stop working so fucking hard on apps/websites/digital junk that helps no one, except by making your boss rich (be it manager, VC, or otherwise). If you engage in meaningful work, then it is impossible to get burned out for too long. Stop being a drone. Take a step back and look at the big picture and ask yourself: what am I coding for? Who is going to use this? Will it help anyone in any meaningful wa…

> If you engage in meaningful work, then it is impossible to get burned out for too long. Most social workers and medical practitioners get a burnout they never recover from. All that because they cared. Your boss who doesn't care and just runs you down for profit never gets a burnout and enjoys superb quality of life.

I think middle managers seem to get burnt out more easily than their employees, at least in the software industry.

Re: Books on Burnout

#13

Post by agota »

codesushi42 wrote: post #7

Here is a hint: Stop working so fucking hard on apps/websites/digital junk that helps no one, except by making your boss rich (be it manager, VC, or otherwise). If you engage in meaningful work, then it is impossible to get burned out for too long. Stop being a drone. Take a step back and look at the big picture and ask yourself: what am I coding for? Who is going to use this? Will it help anyone in any meaningful wa…

I think that doing meaningful work is a privilege that is quite rare.

Usually, the work that one is likely to find meaningful pays less, so there is a trade-off.

This trade-off might not seem significant to a single person without any responsibilities, but I'd imagine that people with families to support often simply can't afford it (though in that case the meaning can be found in providing for the family).

Maybe one can also find meaning in well-paid but meaningless jobs by working towards financial independence (FIRE).

I do agree with you on the whole "producing digital junk" phenomenon, though, and of course meaningful work is ideal.

Re: Books on Burnout

#14

Post by spaginal »

codesushi42 wrote: post #7

Here is a hint: Stop working so fucking hard on apps/websites/digital junk that helps no one, except by making your boss rich (be it manager, VC, or otherwise). If you engage in meaningful work, then it is impossible to get burned out for too long. Stop being a drone. Take a step back and look at the big picture and ask yourself: what am I coding for? Who is going to use this? Will it help anyone in any meaningful wa…

Meaningful work isn't a guarantee that burnout won't happen.

My first small business I owned hit every bullet point in my career wants and desires and I burned out pretty hard on it. The constant state of being turned on, dangling the career carrot in front of myself wasn't healthy. I had a bad relationship with my own business.

Even though I enjoyed the work, the compensation was good, and I used my hands creatively, my own expectations weren't matching the reality and I still found myself becoming oddly dissatisfied with the work and becoming overwhelmed by the grind.

I think it's much deeper than just work being meaningful. My wife sits on a phone all day really doing useless work for a large publicly traded company and makes great money and absolutely loves it.

I think it boils down to each their own.

Re: Books on Burnout

#15

Post by vvanders »

codesushi42 wrote: post #7

Here is a hint: Stop working so fucking hard on apps/websites/digital junk that helps no one, except by making your boss rich (be it manager, VC, or otherwise). If you engage in meaningful work, then it is impossible to get burned out for too long. Stop being a drone. Take a step back and look at the big picture and ask yourself: what am I coding for? Who is going to use this? Will it help anyone in any meaningful wa…

> If you engage in meaningful work, then it is impossible to get burned out for too long.

Yeah, sorry that doesn't work either(spent many years in gamedev doing what I thought was meaningful work at the time).

You know what prevents burnout? Not working insane hours.

Re: Books on Burnout

#16

Post by bguerra »

codesushi42 wrote: post #7

Here is a hint: Stop working so fucking hard on apps/websites/digital junk that helps no one, except by making your boss rich (be it manager, VC, or otherwise). If you engage in meaningful work, then it is impossible to get burned out for too long. Stop being a drone. Take a step back and look at the big picture and ask yourself: what am I coding for? Who is going to use this? Will it help anyone in any meaningful wa…

What would you recommend for things like school work?

I do full time development work but I'm self taught. When I was hired the company agreed to pay for part of the tuition to get a degree. I'm still a couple years away from completing all the courses, but I just can't handle a lot of the material. Much of it is outdated and a lot is biased based on the instructors past work and experiences. Last year I had to take a class on ASP.NET (web apps, not MVC). The school's introductory database class used MS Access.

I know there are benefits to these from a historical standpoint. Understanding where the technology came from. Access may also be easier for absolute beginners to jump into. Much of it just seems like a waste of my time though since I know these systems have been replaced. Having to work full time _and_ study technology that I know isn't commonly used has worn me down quite a bit. I no longer have the drive to learn that I once did. The obvious answer would be to find a better institution to attend classes, but I have a limited budget to spend on tuition annually and few colleges will allow for the schedule I need to continue working.

Re: Books on Burnout

#17

Post by thanatropism »

bguerra wrote: post #16
codesushi42 wrote: post #7

Here is a hint: Stop working so fucking hard on apps/websites/digital junk that helps no one, except by making your boss rich (be it manager, VC, or otherwise). If you engage in meaningful work, then it is impossible to get burned out for too long. Stop being a drone. Take a step back and look at the big picture and ask yourself: what am I coding for? Who is going to use this? Will it help anyone in any meaningful wa…

What would you recommend for things like school work? I do full time development work but I'm self taught. When I was hired the company agreed to pay for part of the tuition to get a degree. I'm still a couple years away from completing all the courses, but I just can't handle a lot of the material. Much of it is outdated and a lot is biased based on the instructors past work and experiences. Last year I had to take…

You're allowed to cut your losses and drop out, you kow.

Re: Books on Burnout

#18

Post by Jaygles »

I've been a developer for about three years now but before that I worked in food service for about eight years. One habit I've had to break is the constant looking for something to do attitude that you absolutely need to keep an orderly kitchen.

The pool of tasks to complete doesn't replenish in software like it does in food service. When you've suitably completed a task and the next task lacks the definition needed to be completed, just read a blog or go on a walk while the other people working with you do their thing to get you in a position to complete the next task.

Re: Books on Burnout

#19

Post by bguerra »

thanatropism wrote: post #17
bguerra wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What would you recommend for things like school work? I do full time development work but I'm self taught. When I was hired the company agreed to pay for part of the tuition to get a degree. I'm still a couple years away from completing all the courses, but I just can't handle a lot of the material. Much of it is outdated and a lot is biased based on the instructors past work and experiences. Last year I had to take…

You're allowed to cut your losses and drop out, you kow.

I appreciate that input as that's the point I'm reaching. Senior devs that I've worked with have said the same thing. However, I haven't found a convincing argument for upper management.

Re: Books on Burnout

#20

Post by hinkley »

spaginal wrote: post #14
codesushi42 wrote: post #7

Here is a hint: Stop working so fucking hard on apps/websites/digital junk that helps no one, except by making your boss rich (be it manager, VC, or otherwise). If you engage in meaningful work, then it is impossible to get burned out for too long. Stop being a drone. Take a step back and look at the big picture and ask yourself: what am I coding for? Who is going to use this? Will it help anyone in any meaningful wa…

Meaningful work isn't a guarantee that burnout won't happen. My first small business I owned hit every bullet point in my career wants and desires and I burned out pretty hard on it. The constant state of being turned on, dangling the career carrot in front of myself wasn't healthy. I had a bad relationship with my own business. Even though I enjoyed the work, the compensation was good, and I used my hands creatively…

True.

Hang out where people talk about volunteerism for very long and you'll run into conversations about managing and preventing burnout.

When something matters to you it's easy to overextend yourself. Lots of people join a group for 10-24 months, do lots of useful work and then vanish. The work isn't done, but they are.

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