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Tell HN: Burnout is bad to your brain, take care

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Re: Tell HN: Burnout is bad to your brain, take care

#51

Post by parpfish »

kody wrote: post #47
burningChrome wrote: post #38

Early on in my career (I was a late bloomer and already in early 30's) as a developer, I got burnt out pretty bad twice. After the second time and teetering on a third, I knew I had to do something to change what I was doing and how I managed my work load. I just focused on getting MY stuff done and that was it. I stopped taking on other's people work. I stopped taking on more work once I got my stuff done. I would d…

I'm really curious, how do you factor in time to learn ("up skill")? I'm a self taught dev with 2 young kids. I've always had a healthy approach to work, but now I'm feeling quite a lot of pressure to learn new things on my own time, whether to make sure I'm prepared for the interview circuit if I get laid off, or to patch my skills that are needed at work. I'm starting to feel burnout creep in, getting an hour of st…

If you’re learning a thing that you actually do for your job (eg, new language or tech), do the studying and training during work hours

Re: Tell HN: Burnout is bad to your brain, take care

#52

Post by whoknw »

noobermin wrote: post #30

I've been burned out for two years after moving to a new country to work in one of the worst post-docs of my life. But, I've found I have no one to rely on but myself because employers don't care that you're burned out, they want to keep up their kpis. Sometimes you have to work even if you're already unhealthy. By the way, this isn't a "when the going gets tough" sort-of post, I'm just stating the reality of life.

It depends on where you work, but some employers extend mental health benefits to post-docs as well. Depending on the country, therapists have sliding scales too. The irony of looking for a therapist while you are burned out is that it can be a long process, but there is the chance of it being worth it and to see more options afterwards.

Re: Tell HN: Burnout is bad to your brain, take care

#53

Post by IamTC »

From my own experience of burning out and getting out of it:

Mechanics: it seems easier to get in to burn out but far far longer to get out of.

I know what I wanted to do but could not bring myself to do it.

Though not always, gut health (or the lack of it. My burn out coincided with my IBD episode) could be an early symptom to back off the throttle a bit.

Subjective: I've learnt to remember that look on someone face who's heading down burn out wall.

In long distance cycling, in order to not 'bonk', you must fuel and hydrate sufficiently and consistently over time. With burn out, I feel the same dynamics apply, but with different 'fuel' and 'hydration'. And every person is so different that the rate of replenishment needed should and have a wide variance.

What really helped me get out was, ironically COVID, when I couldn't do anything about my startup and I had to stop it and rest. The bleeding with my IBD just went away during the peak of lockdowns. Started to build and buy stuff, for leisure, that I enjoyed and had postponed away in my hustling years.

On hope: The human body and brain has a remarkable capability to recover and heal itself. But one does need to give it the right input: hanging out with wholesome or wise people, exercise, eating well, getting medical intervention when needed etc.

Re: Tell HN: Burnout is bad to your brain, take care

#54

Post by parpfish »

al_borland wrote: post #50
parpfish wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A related trait is people who tie their self identify up with their job. When your identity is “person who does this job”, it’s hard to see that you’re doing the job too much. And even if you do have that realization, it opens up a new struggle to figure out what you’re supposed to do if you’re not doing the job.

This was (and still is) one of my issues. I had the realization that I need a life, so I stopped working 60-80 hour weeks, but didn’t have anything to fill the time with… and even if I did, I’m too burned out to do anything.

Congrats and welcome to living your life! I know it’s overwhelming to find a new hobby or interest, just throw yourself into something and realize that you’re not going to be good at it

Re: Tell HN: Burnout is bad to your brain, take care

#55

Post by Bayko »

kody wrote: post #47
burningChrome wrote: post #38

Early on in my career (I was a late bloomer and already in early 30's) as a developer, I got burnt out pretty bad twice. After the second time and teetering on a third, I knew I had to do something to change what I was doing and how I managed my work load. I just focused on getting MY stuff done and that was it. I stopped taking on other's people work. I stopped taking on more work once I got my stuff done. I would d…

I'm really curious, how do you factor in time to learn ("up skill")? I'm a self taught dev with 2 young kids. I've always had a healthy approach to work, but now I'm feeling quite a lot of pressure to learn new things on my own time, whether to make sure I'm prepared for the interview circuit if I get laid off, or to patch my skills that are needed at work. I'm starting to feel burnout creep in, getting an hour of st…

Unfortunately when it comes to preparing for interview leetcode is pretty much required at all stages. For that the way that works for me is to never let go of it. I will solve 2 3 problems over a week even when I have a job. That downtime at work when you are at home or waiting for the next meeting...just leetcode. I absolutely hate LC and hate the fact that it is omnipresent but now no longer fear it. Except Dynamic programming. That thing can go f*ck itself. But ya now when it comes to LC I am "always" or rather one week away from interview ready.

Re: Tell HN: Burnout is bad to your brain, take care

#56

Post by al_borland »

XorNot wrote: post #19
dgllghr wrote: post #13

This is a psychological issue, but everything psychological is also physical. It’s all one interconnected system. So please see a doctor and have your bloodwork done. Doing that was the first step to escaping my burnout. I wish I had done it sooner.

I would somewhat caution against this: you're much more likely to get told everything is fine, then be told it's not. And even if you're told it's not, it may not solve any problems: I lost a bunch of weight, got fitter, and deflected myself (so far) off a path to adult-onset diabetes...hasn't helped the burn out at all. These are all good things to have done, but the secret hope of everyone once they walk into the d…

> the secret hope of everyone once they walk into the doctor's office is to get told "take this drug and you'll be back to feeling like you're 24 and just graduated college".

The fear of this attitude, which is all too common, is what keeps me away from doctors.

I had a doctor several years ago who was amazing. She actually focused on lifestyle and would even host classes for her patients at night. Best doctor I ever had. Sadly I moved away, and I don’t know how to find another doctor like that. She was like a unicorn.

Re: Tell HN: Burnout is bad to your brain, take care

#57

Post by gfody »

"burnout" can be anything from mental exhaustion to stress induced psychosis, and should be treated like any bodily injury - like you're not going to be playing tennis soon after a severe ankle sprain, and possibly never again at the same level after a nasty wrist break. mental injuries are real and take time to heal but when you don't realize this you just keep playing tennis on your sprained ankle and turn a small injury into a big one.

it feels like you can't learn, can't work, can't remember - this is just your body protecting itself, your ankle is wrapped. you have to listen to your body and give your mind a break before it takes one.

Re: Tell HN: Burnout is bad to your brain, take care

#58

Post by morkalork »

Ever since I snapped at a C-level exec and more or less told them to fuck off and stop asking me for shit, in more polite words, when they are categorically _not_ in the chain above me, I've been feeling a lot better. I may have completely burnt any and all bridges I have though, I don't know yet.

Re: Tell HN: Burnout is bad to your brain, take care

#59

Post by AnimalMuppet »

Bayko wrote: post #55
kody wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm really curious, how do you factor in time to learn ("up skill")? I'm a self taught dev with 2 young kids. I've always had a healthy approach to work, but now I'm feeling quite a lot of pressure to learn new things on my own time, whether to make sure I'm prepared for the interview circuit if I get laid off, or to patch my skills that are needed at work. I'm starting to feel burnout creep in, getting an hour of st…

Unfortunately when it comes to preparing for interview leetcode is pretty much required at all stages. For that the way that works for me is to never let go of it. I will solve 2 3 problems over a week even when I have a job. That downtime at work when you are at home or waiting for the next meeting...just leetcode. I absolutely hate LC and hate the fact that it is omnipresent but now no longer fear it. Except Dynami…

> Unfortunately when it comes to preparing for interview leetcode is pretty much required at all stages.

I have never had a leetcode-style interview in 40 years. (I may have had one such question, maybe - hard to remember for sure.) So, no, it is not required at all stages.

Disclaimer: I'm in embedded systems, which is very different from FAANG.

Re: Tell HN: Burnout is bad to your brain, take care

#60

Post by senectus1 »

swatcoder wrote: post #27

Many of us have experienced what you describe and it sucks. I hope you're able to sort it out and feel better about things sooner than later. That's generally the case. But you and others should keep on mind that "burnout" is not a very precise or actionable word and thinking of your current challenges as being products of burnout doesn't give you much traction on what you can do about not feeling well or what extern…

You missed one of the most important things they may not be doing, excersize.

This has an incredible "freeing" effect on the mind and "soul". You dont need to be a HIT or cross fit fanatic. just get out and active reguarly. This will also help with sleep and eating better.

Get into regular tiring excersize. It will help with so much.

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