What do you do cure burnouts?
I think I'm currently in a burnout. Plans have been drawn for my project and I've researched what I'll add to it, but I feel like I just crashed. Everything just seems so difficult/annoying. I usually just watch anime for a few days then I'm back on the horse. What's a more positive way to cure burnout?
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Hmm … interesting question. I also take days off when I need it. Usually so I can recharge and refocus. So far this has been helpful. I’m still trying to get better at being proactive about taking test days. Sometimes I’ll work really hard for a long period of time and then crash and burn. After that I’ve got to “get back on the horse”. I think it’d be better if I planned rest days in advance.
Another solution that comes to mind (as I type) is to set clearly defined goals or tasks for your study session. For example, I will set a timer and study for 1 hour. Then when the timer ends I will stop studying and do something else (ideally something that’s good for your overall physical/mental health like exercise or socializing or another hobby).
Another thing to consider is how you feel about what you’re working on. Assuming it’s a project of your choosing, if you feel like you have to “drag” yourself to it to work on it, then maybe you need to consider a different project.
If you’re finding parts of it challenging, then break down what parts your struggling with and find out how you can learn more about those parts.
Those are my ideas. If you or others have other ideas, I’d be interested in hearing them. 😊
I don't think burnout is something that can be "cured" but rather something to rest and recover from. I'd be very skeptical with ways of dealing with it that don't involve some form of rest and recovery.
This article from psyche.co is one of my favourite resources on this, it's worth a read.
I've known rest is important but have struggle to integrate into my routine in any reliable way. This article has given me some ideas on how to better incorporate rest into my work/study routine. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for that!
Unfortunately, nothing of notable value would ever get done if this were the approach to software development. Sometimes the only solution/option is to stubbornly plow through all of the problems head on but the decision to have that mindset has to be internalized and permeate the deepest depths of the person. It's not something that can be taught or forced upon someone.
I do agree that every software project can be broken down into tasks and those tasks can further be broken down into subtasks once they are being worked on. It isn't a good idea to prematurely break down tasks into subtasks or the list of tasks will be overwhelming to look at. Smaller victories over a longer period of time lead to completed tasks and completed tasks ultimately lead to a completed project.
Thank you very much for your astute input. It's really got me thinking of my entire process.
I'm the same as you in the fact that I'll go really hard for a period of time and when I eventually burnout I get a repulsive reaction from even looking at VSCode.
The project I'm doing is completely interesting to me because it's the first complete ReactJS project in doing. I think I just take long strides that eventually get me tired.
I'll definitely draw up a schedule I can use per day to lessen the effects of my burnout. Thank you🙏🏾
You’re welcome ☺️ I’m glad you found my thoughts 💭 helpful. Your insightful question has given me pause and allowed me to self-reflect in my own study habits so thank you 🙏🏼 for that.
My pleasure bro🤝
Continue slaying and doing the things you do🔥
The best cure for burnouts is of course preventing them. Surprisingly, you can do this with the very same methods you can use to heal from the burnouts - except you avoid the crash and get to keep your creativity flowing.
I wouldn't say watching anime is necessarily a good cure (or a cure at all). If anything, it just lets you pass time until you recover. Of course it's important to slack off from time to time. As long as it's something you need.
But if I were to say what actually heals burnouts, it's staying productive but differently.
For example, go exercise. It's very healthy anyway, grab those endorphins. If you already do exercise, schedule extra sessions and spend that bonus time doing exercises you really enjoy, so you feel it's rewarding.
Maybe learn a new language. This requires you to adapt your mentality slightly and I found that learning languages broadens my perspective bit by bit. An hour a day is more than enough to learn. You can also pick up any other skill - cooking, instruments, writing...
Then, there's the activities that help you "re-center" yourself. I've seen meditation already mentioned, that's a great one. You can also do yoga, it does help tremondously - not only your mind but also flexibility.
So, take walks through natural environment. Even a park can suffice. Leave your airpods at home and phone on mute in your pocket. Focus on the outside of your head instead. Hear the noises, birds chirping, wind rustling through the tree crowns. Enjoy the sights, maybe pull out that phone to shoot some photos and start an album of interesting perspectives of your mundane world. I love doing urban photography. Just leave those notifications alone.
Maybe pick up a small ritual. For example I usually drink instant coffee because I'm a lazy twit, but I often do a ritualistic brewing. I use my special mug, clean my kitchen first. I grind the beans manually, boil the water and let it cool down a bit... then drink it with intent. It takes about 15 minutes to make a coffee this way.
Also, avoid using the electronics when you're doing something else. A lot of our stress and burnout comes from not only our work but also constant stream of distractions. Don't take your phone to the loo, don't watch TV when eating dinner. Be mindful of your current thing instead. Start to see the things you do and be more present in the now. Slow down, take a breath, then move on.
I'd try taking some planned time off to do something completely unrelated. Even better if it's something you very rarely do, or always wanted to try. I find that whenever I feed my brain new experiences, and emotions, I get more excited about life in general, and that always results in a reborn enthusiasm towards my projects. We start them for a reason, most often because we really like the idea, the process, or just something about it. Step back and that excitement will resurface.
As a more positive strategy in general, I'd suggest adding some variation and rest days to your life so you don't go hard and end up hitting the wall over and over again. I find projects are like marathons, slow and steady finishes the race.
You can't cure burnout. It's an inevitable byproduct of doing similar tasks over and over for extendend periods of time.
Watching anime for a few days isn't a negative way to survive it. Giving myself permission to do something else that isn't for work while working helps me (even if its for just an hour). Also, setting up a routine for getting into and out of focus helps me zoom out and zoom in without feeling overwhelmed.
Meditation witch is calming down, i do 10 min every morning like a "reset"
And split task in small pices, do one and then a break.
Use penn and papper to nots thing when working to help the brain.
And i takes time..
Combination of what’s listed below and breaking up tasks if not able to get proper rest. You’ll have to actively cut you’re self from the habit of wanting to return back if your in rest, but you’re recalibrating your mind to have a better work/life balance. Another tip is to find equally exhaustive hobbies; for me, the gym, or taking on a new recipe has given the same cognitive capacity without the same mechanics as coding. It helps create new venues to put that same energy into without getting back to burnout.
Finally, respect your work life balance. Don’t go the extra mile post burnout, it can create a backdraft. Commit to attempting your goals for the day in the time allotted and stop in that timeframe. The longer you try and do “just one more thing,” the fast you are back/continuing into burnout. Which leads to the final aspect, forgive yourself. We’re some of the luckiest professionals in the world with accommodations only other industries dream of. DO NOT TAKE IT FOR GRANTED. If your job offers a abundant vacation policy, have a friend force you on holiday, or join a group trip. While the work can be fulfilling, it’s not the end all be all. What good is all the earnings if you’re killing yourself to get enjoy your efforts? Ensure you’re giving yourself breaks just to allow yourself to pause and reflect. If you’re profession isn’t life or death related, do not treat your work the same way. You’ll have down periods and you’ll have a windfall of uptime, it’s the ebbs and flows of life.
Oh PS, Notepads are friends. While your brain can have “flashes of brilliance” do not allow it to pull you in your off time. Jot it down and continue your leisure, keep the line between work and life strong.
was expecting people to say:
drinking
drugs
prostitutes
gues i was wrong...
Same bro😂😂I had everything booked and ready🥴
These ones would be the worst things to do when you are burnt out. IMO I will change my daily routine a little bit. No work, just go out, have a good meal and relax.
If you have the time and money I would definitely advice you to visit a professional to avoid misdiagnosis of, for example, a depression. Both have symptoms in common at least from my current knowledge. Until you figure this out I would do sports where you can, active lifestyle and avoid passive activities such as gaming or watching TV. Wish you all the best and hope you get well soon and please think about visiting a professional.
Testing
Thank you all very much for responding to this post🙏🏾 ❤️I appreciate you all and wish the best for yall✌🏾