Programmer burnout and stress - what to do next?
Published: 2021-11-12 14:12:22

Programmers are some of the most **creative** and **productive** members of society.

And yet, companies often abuse their good nature, **push** them over the limits, and then **discard** them mercilessly.

Besides, we've all heard stories about tech layoffs to the tune of thousands or tens of thousands over Zoom calls.

Sometimes people don't even show up to those early morning (surprise layoff) calls because they were coding late into the night... putting overtime... bleeding for the company... and then they're history... just like that.

It's even worse when you reach a breaking point... where you can no longer keep up (physically and mentally) with the ever-increasing demands.

I guess you're no longer part of the "company family" once you're broken and cannot be (ab)used.

So how can you prevent this, and what should you do if it happens to you?


## PREVENTION

<mark>Realize this: the company is temporary, you are not!</mark>

Companies openly proclaim how they're looking for people who go the **extra mile** and who go above and beyond.

But... are they also paying above and beyond?

Do they double your salary when the profits double?

Especially if you've been consistently putting in **60-hour weeks** for months on end to reach impossible deadlines and **helped achieve these record profits**?

NO.

Simple, yet painful answer.

<mark>Your reward is you're exhausted, sick, and you're fired.</mark>

Too drained to find another job, too fired to cover your medical bills, and too abandoned to be loyal to another company ever again.

Remember: you can replace your company, but not your body.

So take care of yourself.


## WHAT TO DO NEXT?

Whether you're already burnt out or you're thinking ahead of time, the solution is the same - **you need a contingency plan**.

<mark>Your livelihood cannot depend on a company that doesn't care if you live or die.</mark>

Besides, look around you. Can't see a lot of old programmers, right? This is because you only have 15 years of coding in you, counting from your first day on the job. So use it wisely.

**Never overwork and overexhaust** yourself on the job.

Why?

Because you need this energy to build a future for yourself and your family.

<mark>One thing you do have is **leverage**!</mark>

Whatever you end up doing... any kind of project or business... you will need the code.

You can always be faster and more agile than people who don't know how to code.

And this gives you an edge.

Personally, I'm using my skills to [build an algo-trading hedge fund from scratch](https://programmermoney.com).

I also used my coding and automation skills to create a website with nearly **2 million pages**... which would be impossible to do manually.

**The bottom line is...**

<mark>You need to find your own path... compatible with your unique experiences.</mark>

## BUSINESS/PROJECT IDEAS 

This is the first thought that crosses people's minds: *"I need an idea"*.

There are many things you need, but business ideas are not one of them.

Because you're already creative, and you are already able to come up with something cool and unique.

But you (physically) can't do it in this condition where you're **overworked** and **exhausted**.

Even if you found a **perfect idea**, you probably wouldn't even recognize it.

What you really need are:
* time
* and energy

Both of these are **completely gone** if you exhaust yourself on your job (and especially if you're not even paid to do so).

<mark>You need time and energy to find new opportunities.</mark>

For example, learning a new coding language... like Dlang, which is [the best programming language for finance](https://programmermoney.com/blog/the-best-programming-language-for-finance/)...

...or acquiring new skills that might supplement the income from your job, like the [AI For Finance Course (FREE)](https://programmermoney.com/blog/ai-for-finance-course/)...

...or any number of other skills and opportunities unique to your situation.

<mark>I usually started getting those ideas towards the end of my vacations.</mark>

I was finally **rested enough** for my brain to start working again... and then I'd get thrown back into the corporate machine...

...and everything would be lost.

<mark>So don't worry about finding ideas; they're already inside you. Just make sure the company doesn't rob you of your future while you're slaving away in the present.</mark>

Wish you all the best,

Will