Falling Down — The Reality of Developer Burnout
Learn how to identify it and stop it in its tracks
Burnout has become a big problem in this modern and fast-paced age of development. Demand for experienced developers is now higher than ever with increased pressure to always bring their A-game to the table.
People are working more hours for increased profits, but that is being counteracted by increased pressure and stress. Overstretched deadlines and workflow conflicts with co-workers or clients can all add to the problem.
Even though you may live and breathe coding, once burnout hits you will find your appetite for work diminishes to the point where you would rather do anything else than go near your computer. Something has to give way.
“Burnout is when long-term exhaustion meets diminished interest, energy and passion.” — Jill Conyers
Before you can fix it you first have to understand and realize that you are actually experiencing it and not just having a bad day.
Identifying Burnout
According to a 2020 developer burnout survey by Coding Mindfully, the most common experience developers suffered was:
“A lack of the necessary energy to get your work or other coding projects done.”
Around 80% of respondents identified this as the primary symptom of developer burnout.
Other symptoms identified were:
- A new lack of motivation at going into the office or logging in remotely.
- Headaches.
- Chronic tiredness.
- Conflict with co-workers.
- Unfairly doubting co-workers’ competence.
- Feeling cynical about the thought of writing code
- Feeling that you are always behind and overworking to compensate.
- Feeling that all project responsibilities rest on your shoulders.
- Not wanting to adhere to development best practices anymore.
A small percentage of respondents said that they were adopting addictive behaviors to compensate such as:
- Eating too much.
- Substance abuse.
- Excessive drinking.
If one or more of these symptoms sounds like you, then you may be in the process of experiencing burnout.
Burnout can undoubtedly cause problems to mental health including anxiety and depression, which could harm your career. You may feel that you can’t move jobs because it may trigger another burnout episode.
But there are strategies that can be implemented to prevent burnout from happening.
Preventing Burnout
Burnout is not considered to be something that has a permanent effect on life because it can be managed. Most people get through it but it can take time to figure out. Here are some strategies to try.
Rest, exercise, and health
Try to exercise at least two or three times a week and eat more healthy food like fruit and vegetables. Drink plenty of water and make sure you are getting a full quota of sleep. Meditation is another good way of managing stress and resetting your mind. Apps like Headspace can really help with this.
Be open about your burnout to friends and family as their advice and support can be crucial in getting you back on track.
Another strategy is to become an early riser if you are not already. Getting up early can make you more productive while maintaining energy and mental sharpness. You could exercise before work or have a more productive day as a freelance developer. Getting your work done earlier to free up your evenings for leisure is a positive move.
Take time for other interests
According to Coderhood, it’s important to make time for doing things that you like doing. This can include spending time reading books, attending conferences and meetups, listening to development podcasts, or starting a personal blog about the things you enjoy the most. Writing can also be excellent therapy for helping your mind and mood.
Hobbies are another great way to combat burnout. Knowing when to take a break and do something else is an important way to manage yourself. If you feel work is becoming too much to manage, set some time aside to do the enjoyable things that you have been putting off.
It may be that you like gaming, sport, or photography. It’s easy to deprive yourself of the fun things in life. Don’t do that. Fun activities generate energy and that is what you are looking for to create a better life balance.
The main point is equilibrium. There is a time to work, time to sleep, and time to enjoy life with family, friends, and hobbies. Split your time up wisely and you will be a far more content person.
Be sure to self-reflect
According to Towards Data Science, an excellent strategy is to take the time to self-reflect at the end of each day. This can be done using a written journal or an online resource like Evernote. You could even send emails to yourself.
The point is that you take time to look back at what you have achieved that day. This can include passive and active events. Passive events are when something happened without you actually doing anything, such as bumping into an old friend and enjoying a good long conversation.
An active event is when something has been done as a direct action from you. This can be in the form of completing a task on your to-do list such as downloading some software or walking the dog.
The point of self-reflection is to look back at what you achieved but realize that things can happen that you have no control over. These things may have shifted your schedule and set you back.
The trick is to understand that you don’t have full control over everything in life. Things can happen out of the blue, but that’s OK. It’s important to accept that it happens, so don’t let frustration burn you out.
By reflecting you can see what is happening in your daily life and learn about how to adapt your plans as you go.
A Word of Advice for New Developers
New developers often learn to code at a ferocious pace, putting in an insane amount of hours because that’s how addictive learning to code can be. It’s an exciting time with so many directions to take and possibilities to realize. At first, this won’t feel like a problem, but if you are not careful, the vast choice of languages and frameworks can cause confusion and information overload.
A common term for this is called “Magpie Syndrome” where developers are always looking for the next shiny thing to distract them from the path of staying focused and learning things properly. What tends to happen is you bounce around from language to framework which leads to spinning your wheels and ultimate burnout.
This can cause people to quit before realizing their potential. It’s very important to research what you need to learn for your goals and stay on that track until the end. Avoid Magpie Syndrome and all of its distractions.
Final Thoughts
Developer burnout is a terrible thing when it hits. Some developers may not see it coming, but when it does you can suffer an array of symptoms such as a lack of energy to get projects done or chronic tiredness.
Strategies that can help in preventing burnout include rest and exercise. Others include taking the time to enjoy hobbies and pastimes that can bring a better work/life balance.
You must take the time to self-reflect. If things are not going well in life, self-reflection can identify what’s happening and allow you to plan and strategize a way through the fog. Use a journal or email yourself to take stock of your days and see what you can or can’t control.
Finally, if you are a new learner, be sure to not get distracted by all the choices of languages and frameworks out there. If you try to learn them all at once you won’t make it and will burn out quickly, then likely give up. Make a plan for your learning journey and stick to it.
Have you suffered from developer burnout?
