I don't know if this is a problem that applies to you but for quite some time I started getting bogged down in problems. I guess I was reaching the Journey Man stage of becoming a programmer and I wanted to start by creating the full architecture of each program before actually doing anything, a kind of top down approach to programming. Recently, I’ve realised that I’m not super human; I start by putting down code and shaping the architecture as the problem evolves. Not that I put up with ‘code smells’, I don’t move on to the next sub-problem until I’m comfortable that the current one is in a reasonable condition. I fund this allows me to actually get started, rather than staring at the problem as a whole and wondering where to start.
Ask HN: Underperforming, feeling stuck
91–100 of 135 posts
Re: Ask HN: Underperforming, feeling stuck
#92Have a checklist of "stupid" health maintenance stuff, not directly related to the problem at hand. Neglecting these may cause poor mental performance. Here are some example items:
- Be aware of how much you sleep, avoid chronic sleep deprivation,
- drink enough water that your urine is clear,
- watch out for blood sugar crashes from eating irregularly or eating refined sugar, these can mess your head,
- go running or to the gym, this will kick up your metabolism, and being in a better physical condition might provide more energy for mental work,
- try some basic dietary supplements, some omega-3 source, multivitamins and calcium seem to be commonly used
Re: Ask HN: Underperforming, feeling stuck
#93It sounds like you don't have any particular goal in life, or that whatever goals you had have been reached. Knowledge and intelligence on their own aren't enough. You also need a mission.
Much of the coding which I do tends to be oriented around a particular kind of goal which I'd like to reach, and which has remained elusive enough to keep me trying and learning different things.
Re: Ask HN: Underperforming, feeling stuck
#94Despite all this every time I sit down to code my brain turns to mush, somehow, and nothing gets done. I can always give my managers an intelligent explanation of why progress is so slow...
Oh, so this happens at work...This exact same thing has happened to me many times and here is what I figured out...
The problem is NOT with you, it's with the work.
Like you I have scored excellently on interviews and tests and have written code so cool I even surprised myself. So we have to believe that we are as good as we think we are. That belief is what enables us to take on the hard projects. That belief is also what turns our brains to mush when our work is too many levels below our capabilities.
Sure, we all do work below our level every once in a while; we have to, that's the nature of the beast. But when you're doing low level work for too long (like at many jobs), you lose energy from the lack of stimulation. We then mistake that lack of energy for many other things: our skill, our commitment, even our health.
Here's what I've done in situations like yours: build something cool on your own time. It will get your juices flowing and you'll be your old self in no time. Of course, you'll want to work on your own project instead of your employer's, but that's another problem.
Re: Ask HN: Underperforming, feeling stuck
#95Do you like what you do? You said you have passion, but that isn't always the same. Programming can be very hard if you aren't actually interested in the work you're doing.
Re: Ask HN: Underperforming, feeling stuck
#96You can be depressed without realizing it. Part of you can think that you like your job, while another part of you hates it. The best way to detect burnout isn't to ask "do you feel burned out?" but to ask "can you get the work done?"
I was stuck in the code mines a few years ago; I'd always find some way to convince myself I was happy about what I was doing, but then I read this blog about SEO and started dreaming about making my own web sites that make money...
At that point my mental health really cracked and I couldn't focus on 9-to-5 work at all anymore. It was a sign that I had to change what I did, and gradually, that's what happened.
Re: Ask HN: Underperforming, feeling stuck
#97What have you been eating and drinking? Does your employer provide you with unhealthy snacks and/or energy drinks?
Are you going out to lunch at restaurants and having big portions?
Are you drinking alot of coffee with sugar and cream in the morning?
Gatbage in, garbage out.
Re: Ask HN: Underperforming, feeling stuck
#98Earlier quoted context omitted.
I second the ADHD check. This sounds like classic ADHD symptoms to me. Once you sort of reach that pinnacle you've been striving for, it's easy to lose the drive when you can relax and quit striving or when things are less challenging. You will find your motivation will wax and wane, week in and week out. You start avoiding the real work so much with distractions that it becomes painful just to face it and your own p…
> I second the ADHD check. This sounds like classic ADHD symptoms to me. Once you sort of reach that pinnacle you've been striving for, it's easy to lose the drive when you can relax and quit striving or when things are less challenging. You will find your motivation will wax and wane, week in and week out. You start avoiding the real work so much with distractions that it becomes painful just to face it and your own…
No, it's normal, and blaming it on a medical condition is dangerous and not helping you fix it. Perhaps in some people it's due to ADHD, but in most it's not.
Re: Ask HN: Underperforming, feeling stuck
#99It could be anxiety in one for or another. I get anxiety in high-pressure social situations sometimes (mainly because I work from home a lot and don't get many opportunities to socialize offline anymore). It's not like I freak out or anything, I just start drawing blanks, mumble, and sometimes stutter. It becomes difficult to complete a thought.
It's no biggie though. There are was of coping and over-coming your issues. As others recommended, exercise helps. If physical activity itself doesn't help, try something with a strong mental or emotional component like martial arts, rock climbing, or dancing. You just need an outlet for whatever you're holding on to.
Re: Ask HN: Underperforming, feeling stuck
#100I've been feeling this recently but had some breakthroughs about it.
A very experienced adult has strong notions of what is possible. If you're around very successful people these notions are lofty.
Sure it's possible to bang out a program in an afternoon. I used to do it. My coworker does it all the time. But I am not doing it now so there must be something very wrong. Maybe I'm too old or depressed or have ADD or ...
I found you just have to really step out of your head for a second. My managers are genuinely happy with my progress even if its slow. They know they can count on me to understand the problem and keep advancing and deliver something that works, even if that takes weeks where it could theoretically be done in an afternoon.
Furthermore, they want me to be relaxed and happy and that means it's fine to play hooky or slack off some days.
So I just focus on my personal relationship with my coworkers, and my mental health, not my "productivity." I am not a robot.