Burnout as a Developer: Experience, Symptoms, Prevention and Cure 
Tags: discuss, productivity, webdev, watercooler
Published: 2020-08-14 13:41:00

Before we start, I want to state that I recently experienced a Burnout as a software developer. 
I wanted to share my experience about how it felt and how I cured it.
(And there are going to be a lot of memes, I am sorry in advance &#128514; )

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<center>
# :scroll: **INDEX** :scroll:

**[I recommend you to start from here](#starthere)**
**[Introduction](#intro)**
**[What is Burnout?](#definition)**
**[Signs and Symptoms of Burnout](#symptoms)**
**[Prevention and Treatment of Burnout](#cure)**
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<a name="starthere"></a>

<center>
> *Raise your hand if you have ever sacrificed physical, mental and/or emotional health to overwork yourself to an extremely depressive state of mind that takes days to recover from.*

![Developers raising hands](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/y5y58w40jl8bzjs8cju8.jpg)
</center>

---
<a name="intro"></a>
# <center>Introduction</center>
Burnout is the type of thing that slowly creeps in and you only start to notice it when your insides have already deteriorated by 30% and your insanity stat has reached level 10.


![Minecraft meme](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/u7z4l126vq446tnpzq98.jpg)


## <center>My recent experience</center>

I noticed that I’ve been slowly losing my sanity from overworking myself ever since I entered the final year of my engineering degree.

<center>
### But what was the problem?
### I was just working hard?
### I am supposed to work hard! Right?
### Then I asked myself, “What is my daily schedule?”

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<center>It was 
Waking up in the morning :sunny:
Working &#128104;&#127995;&#8205;&#128187;
Breakfast :coffee: :bread:
Working &#128104;&#127995;&#8205;&#128187;
Lunch :fork_and_knife:
Working &#128104;&#127995;&#8205;&#128187;
Exercise &#127939;
Working &#128104;&#127995;&#8205;&#128187;
Dinner :fork_and_knife:
Working &#128104;&#127995;&#8205;&#128187;
and then 
Going to sleep &#128564;	

### I think you can see what was my problem 
**The weird thing is that this schedule is very common among developers**
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---
<center>
> _Working hard is really admirable. No Doubt.
But when you start forfeiting self care in place of hard work, that’s when you start crossing into the realm of pain and uncontrollable suffering._

![Hell Meme](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/mrvrph8z0v5jr7ijwrym.jpg)

> _Yeah, but enduring the pain and pushing forward is super strong. 
Right_ ?
**NOOOOOOOOO!
It is not**</center>
<a name="definition"></a>

# <center>What is burnout?</center>
<center>
definition from helpguide.org
> **_Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress._** 
> *It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands.* 
> *As the stress continues, you begin to lose the interest and motivation that led you to take on a certain role in the first place.*
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---
<center>
**_Everyone knows overworking is not good. 
But at the same time it is also glorified.
The best examples are in school or work environments._**
</center>


**Dude 1:** 
> I had six hours of homework last night and didn’t get to bed until 4 am.

**Dude 2 :** 
> Pfft! I was finishing a project and so I pulled an all nighter 

**Dude 3:** 
> I have not slept for a week 

<center>_**Dude 1 :clap: and Dude 2 :clap: claps for Dude 3**_</center>
![Exclusive picture of dude 3](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/zu6v43k7brlaveui6nj5.jpg)

---
>Admiring something that’s supid and unhealthy isn’t commendable. 
Instead of encouraging it, tell your brain. 
“Hey! Nooo bad!”

![Meme](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/inemrxpquy5jtptzflm5.jpg)

---
<a name="symptoms"></a>
# <center>Signs and Symptoms of Burnout</center>

## <center>Physical Signs</center>
- Feeling tired and drained most of the time.
- Frequent illnesses.
- Frequent headaches or muscle pain.
- Change in sleep schedule.
- Change in eating habits.

## <center>Emotional Signs</center>
- Sense of failure.
- Sense of self-doubt.
- Feeling helpless, trapped, and defeated.
- Loneliness
- Loss of motivation
- Increasingly negative outlook
- Decreased satisfaction and sense of accomplishment

## <center>Behavioural Signs</center>
- Isolating yourself from others.
- Withdrawing from responsibilities.
- Procrastinating.
- Using food, drugs, or alcohol to cope.
- Taking out your frustrations on others.
- You snap more at things that aren’t big deals.
- Skipping work

---
<a name="cure"></a>
<center>
# Prevention and Treatment of Burnout

> Here are my tips and suggestions to not be emotionally damaged for a week after overworking yourself:

### _**Don’t do too much of the same thing without any sort of change whatsoever**_ :x:

Mix things up.
Switch to something different if you are stuck somewhere. Learn something new.
_Doing the same thing over and over and over and over and over and over is a formula for absolute misery._

*Imagine you love pizza. :pizza: = :heart:
But if you only eat pizza, you’ll end up hating it for some reason* :pizza: = :broken_heart:

### _**Take time for self care**_

Spend time with yourself. Do something that will refuel yourself.

### _**Take a break from social media**_

This could be hard, but it worked for me. Tell your friends you aren't doing fine and you need time for yourself.
They'll be supportive (hopefully) and if they are not then yaay you spotted some fake friends.

### _**Stick to a healthy sleeping schedule**_
![Healthy sleep meme](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/8fbq92px8w76fy58ma2d.jpg)

### _**Reach out to those closest to you**_
Trust me. YOU NEED HELP during a burn out.

### _**Talk to new people**_

### _**Push yourself to always be trying something new or focus on improving.**_
![Self care meme](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/7ggegs2lf7aix2ne9dou.jpg)

### _**Nourish your hobbies**_
![It defines who I am ](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/lt79153l94dn7qtf73uy.jpg)

### _**Make exercise a priority**_
![Exercise meme](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/9yuodexhcfthlmcy6srk.png)
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> **I am no doctor or a therapist, but I found [this](https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/burnout-prevention-and-recovery.htm#:~:text=Burnout%20is%20a%20state%20of,unable%20to%20meet%20constant%20demands.) amazing (free)article on [Burnout Prevention and Treatment](https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/burnout-prevention-and-recovery.htm#:~:text=Burnout%20is%20a%20state%20of,unable%20to%20meet%20constant%20demands.) by helpguide.org
Check it out. It could be helpful.**
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###<center> :confetti_ball: :tada: Congratulations :tada:  :confetti_ball: </center>
<center>You have gained the knowledge to fight burnout

**If you liked this article consider supporting by Liking and Sharing this article.**

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If you want me to make a tutorial on any computer science concept then leave the topic down in the comments.

Any feedback is appreciated
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### REFERENCES
[jaidenanimations](https://youtu.be/Mt-YuVhsvpY)
[helpguide.org](https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/burnout-prevention-and-recovery.htm#:~:text=Burnout%20is%20a%20state%20of,unable%20to%20meet%20constant%20demands.)