Rediscovering My Passion: From Burnout Back to Excitement
I used to lose track of time coding—pulling late-night sessions just because it was fun. My side projects weren’t even for work; they were pure passion. But after eight years in my last job, I started dreading my IDE. What used to feel like play became a drag, and I’d find myself sighing every time I opened a file. Eventually I realized I had to leave. It took me a couple of years to build up the courage, but quitting turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
The Burnout Trap
It wasn’t one big meltdown—more like a slow leak. Mornings felt like a weight, and solving bugs stopped being exciting. Instead of tackling deadlines, I felt chained to them. I realized:
- Working there drained me.
- Constant context-switching killed my focus.
- It seemed I carried the company, without being valued.
I missed enjoying coding just for the fun.
Hitting Pause (Kind Of)
I spent almost two years unemployed by choice. I didn’t code at all. Some days I loved it—rock climbing, nature photography, and new hobbies filled my time. Other days I hated not writing a single line of code. That push-and-pull helped me figure out what I really wanted.
Back to Reality
After two years, money became a reality check. I had to decide: go back to coding (safe) or switch industries (scary). I started applying and interviewing, but every process felt off—ghosting, weird vibes, nothing clicked. I worried I wasn’t valuable anymore.
A Breath of Fresh Air
Then one company reached out, and the process was different from day one:
- Clear process—no radio silence.
- Genuine conversations—they listened and answered my questions.
- Human vibe—every interview felt respectful.
The technical challenge went great, and in the final round HR asked, “What do you like about the company, and what made you apply?” I was honest: I hadn’t dug into their values yet, but I loved the project’s challenges and the team energy. HR wasn’t thrilled and almost rejected me. Luckily, the team lead and technical lead pushed back, convinced HR I was the right fit, and I got the offer.
Back in the Groove
I started in April, and it’s been amazing. The work is challenging and fun, and my teammates actually care. Now I:
- Enjoy the job again.
- Feel valued.
And my hobby keyboard is back on my desk, and those coding sessions are back.
Takeaway
- Burnout happens—it’s a signal to reset.
- Culture matters—find teams that treat you like a person.
- Take the leap—quitting was scary, but it led me here.
If you’re stuck in a draining role, remember: stepping away can help, and the right opportunity is out there to reignite your passion.
Top comments (27)
Wow! I really resonate with this. I’ve been away from programming for about four years now. I stepped away due to burnout too, and after a couple of years, I made the decision to return but it’s been tough. A lot has changed, especially with AI advancing so fast, and honestly, I still struggle with self-doubt even though I know I have the skills.
There are days I feel like giving up. But I remind myself I have a purpose especially for my daughter. I need to keep going, for her and for myself. Reading your story gives me hope. It's a reminder that it’s okay to step back and that the right environment can help reignite that spark.
Thanks for sharing this. It helps more than you know.
Yeah, it's tough to get back into it, but finding the right place makes it much easier. I've felt that way a lot over the years, but I realised it was just a result of the culture around the profession that makes us feel that way. I'm sure you have the skills; you just need to find a place that values them and makes you feel valued. A tip I would give you is, don't be scared to look for better options, no need to leave the job, but keep looking until you find something better. You will most likely not regret it.
I'm glad it helped out. If you need tips or any guidance, just ping me! I would be glad to help out with whatever I can!
It's great to have you back, and fantastic to hear that you've found your mojo again... I think I sometimes suffer from chronic low-level burnout, ticking along, draining my energy. I'll find another project that ignites something, and the freight train starts rolling again. Without the ability to step away, it's the best I've got!
Hey Mike!! Thanks, it's great to be back again. I've missed writing and being around here. That's how it used to be for me, just not this time. But glad to have recovered and be back more motivated than ever. I think this time I have things a lot clearer and hopefully I don't fall as hard :)
Thank you for sharing your experience through this article. I'm also facing a similar situation currently, as I've been struggling for almost 4 months looking for a job and have gone through numerous interviews and pre-interview tests, which all resulted in rejection. After two years of almost no coding, did you find any difficulties going back to coding? Technologies could have changed drastically after such a long time and I'm curious how did you able to catch up with the latest trend.
Keep going! The industry is in a weird place but I'm sure you'll find something.
Well, it took a little bit of getting used to it again, but things have not changed that much. Trends come and go, but the basics persist. Im not one to jump into new trends, so that has not been a problem for me.
Thanks @nombrekeff for the encouragement. Can u suggest some platforms for coding practice? I've been to Hacker Rank, LeetCode, and Codewars but it would be helpful if there are other platforms that focus on one specific language
I would recommend creating a side project for the language you want to practice. Think of an idea or ask AI about it. I usually prefer working on personal projects, even if they don't get anywhere. I find it's where I learn the most
Thanks for the advice. Would try it.
I think, I am in burnout stage like you. But it was good to read your post and at the end you got what you wanted. Fresh start always feels good.
thanks for sharing
Not a great place to be at, hope you can get out of it soon. Good luck!
Thanks so much for sharing your experience here! I’ve gone through this 2 and a half times now and ultimately chose self-employment as a way to lead with my own values. But that has come with its own set of challenges. I’m glad you found a culture that is working for you!
Thanks for reading!
I also thought about going that route, but did not have the courage or ideas to do so. I'm sure there are challenges, but at least they're yours. Maybe I'll try to go self-employed in the future too!
Nice reflection. It's really difficult to get the courage to leave a job, even more when you have to pay bills and you don't have much money saved, but I agree with you that it's a needed step to get out of burnout.
Love this. Was there a single moment when you realized your excitement was finally back, or was it a slow build after starting the new job?
Almost instantly, I'd say, I think after the coding part of the interview, I already gained the desire to code again, it was interesting. It's like the whole process removed that block from my head. Then, after starting the job itself, the excitement grew even more!!
Heh, what I take from this is: HR in the dev world has become a monster that has nothing to do with finding good candidates anymore 😛
Totally, they seem to focus on the wrong things from my experience. I don't like those questions, they tell nothing about me.
Almost every dev faces this issue in their career. Thanks for sharing
Thanks for reading! Yup, it seems almost every dev I know has burnt out at some point. It's a hard job
Always HR hindering and trying to frustrate one's dreams. Glad that IT people came to your rescue and that you enjoy again!
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