How to Deal with Burnout
Tags: programming, productivity, mentalhealth, beginners
Published: 2023-03-19 05:30:00

## Introduction

Coding is exciting! You love to do it. But one day, the excitement suddenly vanished. You don't feel like doing it anymore. What happened? You still love coding as much as you did earlier. The motivation or the willingness to code is just not there. This is known as 'burnout'. Every person has faced it at least once in their life.

In this situation, people tend to delay beneficial tasks that will reward them in the future and do things that will immediately reward them but are highly anti-beneficial. This is known as the act of choosing 'cheap dopamine' over 'delayed gratification'.

Of course, this act does not seem right and it indeed isn't. You should always choose delayed gratification over cheap dopamine. It helps you to be physically and mentally healthy.

Okay, enough about the post-burnout phase. What should you do to avoid experiencing burnout in the first place? Here are some things that you need to keep in mind to prevent yourself from getting burned out:

### Take Breaks

Without a doubt, one of the most common causes of burnout is a failure to take breaks. When you are motivated and working in full flow, it's easy to get carried away and keep working for hours without taking a break. This is an example of hard work without smart work. Working for a long time without a break not only reduces your work efficiency but also tires you out. This is not something you will want.

Hence, take breaks! Break your 2-hour-long sessions into 30-minute-long sessions. When you do that, you make yourself more relaxed and efficient. Taking breaks clears your mind and makes you ready for upcoming challenges. In my opinion, this is one of the first things you should do to avoid getting burned out.

### Stay Healthy

Your physical and mental health determines your performance. The more healthy you are, the better you are. An interesting fact is that our mental health is dependent on our physical health. You need to be active. You can do anything. You can go for a 30-minute walk each day (like I do), exercise, or do any other activity that requires you to be active physically. This will make your day better by energizing your mind with positive thoughts. Give it a try and see the magic happen!

### Learn In Public

A useful way to stay motivated is to learn in public. When you do that, you shake hands with millions of others around the world who are in the same stage as you. You can connect with them and learn together! Share your doubt with the community. You are bound to get a handful of explanations that will help you progress further.

Plus, you can also explain concepts that you have fully understood but other people haven't. This way, you will not only have the opportunity to learn from the community but also have the privilege of teaching something to the community. Join a community right now and start learning in public!

### Sleep Well

Being tired is not something that you want if you want to be efficient, and not getting a good night's sleep is one of the main reasons behind this. Sleeping well rests your mind and body. It energizes you and makes you feel refreshed. This is why you should consciously take steps towards having a good sleep.

Now, good sleep is not only the 8 hours you get during the night. A 30-minute nap will also help you get back into a productive mindset. Hence, take a good amount of time out each day and reserve it for your sleep. If you do sleep well, you will see a big change in your life.

### Don't Sweat It Out!

It's a simple notion. Don't sweat out small tasks. Often, small tasks take less time to complete but have the ability to drain you. So, pick one task at a time. Complete it, then move on to the next task. Stay relaxed. If you are not able to complete the task in less time, leave it and move on to the next task. This way, you will check off more boxes on your to-do list.

When you are done with your work, take on the incomplete tasks and try to complete them. Consequently, you are utilizing time to its fullest. You are not only getting more tasks done but also getting some free time to complete complicated tasks. This allows you to not only manage your time more effectively but also relax and organize your mind.

## Conclusion

Burning out is common in the tech industry because several aspects can overwhelm or demotivate you. I went through the burnout phase, and it was quite difficult to get out of it. That is why I have shared some preventative measures to avoid burnout in the first place so that you do not have to go through that difficult period. Keep these things in mind, and you are bound to lead a physically and mentally healthy life.

Bye bye!