Unfortunately, it’s becoming more and more common that people are burning themselves out at work. This is true in all careers, including frontend developers. Sometimes, granted, it just ends up being tiredness rather than burnout, but there are a few ways to tell which one it is.
Signs of burnout for developers include feeling as though coding is no longer enjoyable, and you’re having a hard time being able to focus. Burned out developers also feel an increasing sense of irritability and experience feelings of depression. Generally, these are things that aren’t felt if you’re just lacking a little sleep.
When you’re starting to feel the effects of burnout, there are a few things you can do to help yourself recover and overcome this feeling.
Cut Down on Coding
As hard as it may be, the most effective thing you can do to overcome burnout is to lay off on the work hours you’re putting in. That is, of course, one of the main contributing factors to why you’re in this situation right now. Even if you absolutely love coding and the work you do every day, it’s important to step away from it and have a life outside of that, with other things you enjoy doing.
If you work 40 hours a week at coding, then spend your off-work hours coding for fun, chances are you’re going to overload yourself and start to feel burnt out from the overwhelming hours you’re putting in. “I actually really enjoy coding, but I had to learn that it’s actually alright to have things you enjoy outside of coding, even if that’s one of your favourite things to do. There’s got to be a balance reached, and you can’t be doing coding at all hours of every day,” says tech expert Warren Munoz of LastMinuteWriting and Writinity.
Keep Your Health as a Priority
Sitting in front of a computer typing for hours on end is, surprisingly, not the healthiest activity you can participate in. For this reason, programmers tend to generally be somewhat unhealthy. There are different devices you can buy to help keep you moving and active while still sitting at your desk, but unless you’re totally committed to using them, they’ll likely end up collecting dust under your desk.
It’s much more effective to grab a friend and partner up at the gym or make improvements to your diet. Making changes to your diet helps change the way you’re fueling your body, which can have a significant impact on your overall outlook and wellbeing. Working out your body can also help you feel mentally more at ease, allowing thoughts and coding to flow more easily.
Switch Up Your Routine
Life can get boring sometimes, and if you find yourself in the same routine day in and day out, you may fall into a rut where you’re not feeling motivated and feeling as though you’re stuck. Adding in just a little variation to your regular routine can change things up just enough to spark a new energy. This could include anything from setting aside time to read each night to making date night plans every weekend or taking a course to learn something new.
Is There Anything That Can Be Done If You’re Already Feeling Burnt Out?
Sometimes, as hard as you may try, you still end up in the situation where you are depressed, feeling trapped and burnt out. It’s never too late, and even when you’re in this situation, there are still some highly effective things you can do to get yourself out and to help prevent getting back to this spot.
Be Patient & Listen to Those Who Love You
When you’re in this situation, it feels like you’re helpless and hopeless. You feel as though you can’t do anything because everything feels pointless and you’re too tired to do anything anyway. You’ll go through a slew of thoughts and feelings in a short span of time, including a huge amount of negativity and self-doubt.
“Your loved ones are your best source of support through this time. If you’re honest and tell them how you’re feeling and what you need to get through, they will almost certainly be there to help you,” explains Jessica Gingras, tech writer at DraftBeyond and ResearchPapersUK.
