HOW TO AVOID BURNOUTS AS A DEVELOPER
Published: 2020-05-18 12:13:12

Burnout can be defined as the loss of energy, enthusiasm and motivation to carry out a particular task.

Developers are always busy people, they are busy coding, building projects, preparing power point slides for technical talks/seminars, writing technical reports and articles, creating tutorials on YouTube, mentoring other developers, creating blog posts, organizing events and seminars e.t.c. The work of developers is a never ending one's, there's always something to be done once you are a developer.

Funny enough, most of the enormous work to be done by developers comes with a deadline that has to be met. That's one of the reasons why you see many developers always busy working, trying to meet deadlines and as such they put many resources into use just to meet deadlines. 
Some of the many resources they use up includes time, emotions, psychology, money and most times they work round the clock just to make sure that they deliver the best work within the stipulated time frame which puts their health at risk as this can lead to burnout.

Tips on how to avoid burn out as a developer are highlighted in subsequent paragraphs. 

**Begin with the end goal in mind:**
 
It is always a good practice to begin with the end goal in mind when embarking on a project(s) or  carrying out a day's work. The end goal simply involves what you want to achieve in a project after it has been completed. Beginning with the end goal in mind helps to set your mind in the right direction that will in turn help to achieve your goal. It also helps you stay focused on what is important in carrying out the project.

**Set a target for each day's work before you begin a day's work:**

It is vital that you set a target for that day's work. Clearly define what you want to achieve for that day, the duration of time that you need to work in other to achieve your target for that day and strictly abide by the target that you have set out. Setting up a target for each day helps you to track your progress on a project, it helps you to know the amount of work needed to be done to carry a project and the duration it will take for the project to be completed. 

**Take breaks, do not work for long hours at a go:** 

Due to the quest to effectively carry out projects within the specified time frame, developers tend to overwork themselves by working for long hours. working for long hours overwhelms and make one to lose the motivation to work over a period of time. Taking breaks refreshes and allows the mind to be settled and be at peace, taking breaks revitalizes and renews energy to forge ahead. Always take breaks between specific time intervals in other to stay motivated and energized. 

**Only embark on few projects that you can effectively handle:**

Developers are fond with the habit of embarking on a handful of projects. A lot of developers embark on many projects that end up affecting their productivity. When you have too many projects to work, your psychological and mental health is at risk, you end up over using these resources that makes fatigue inevitable. Make a list of most important projects, work on them gradually and only jump on the next project when you are done working on the previous one, remember a completed project is greater than many uncompleted projects.

**Exercise regularly:** 

Physical exercise is of great value to the body, it can help to improve your health and reduce the risk of developing several diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases. According to the better health Channel, below are some of the benefits of regular physical exercise.
     🔵 It help to reduce the risk of heart failure 
     🔵 Physical exercise helps you to feel better with more energy and also improve your sleep pattern. 
     🔵 It helps to lower blood cholesterol levels and manage your weight better. 

**Sleep at least 7-8 hours everyday:**

The importance of sleep has been down played by many professionals. A lot of developers work round the clock because they want to complete a project, watch a tutorial or prepare for a conference talk that they give little importance to sleep. Here are few importance of sleep. 
     🔵 Sleep helps to keep your heart healthy. 
     🔵 It may help prevent cancer 
     🔵 It reduces stress 
     🔵 Good sleep makes you more alert and energized 
     🔵 It also helps to improve your memory. Irrespective of what you do, always do your best to achieve 7-8 hours of sleep for enhanced productivity. 

Burnout is real and it has affected the productivity of many developers. Don't allow it to get to you by applying the aforementioned tips in your day-to-day lives. 

**Thanks for reading.**