Ask HN: How do you avoid burnout in tech (or as a CS student)?
5 comments
Everyone burns out once in a while. Some of us get back to it after a break, others leave the industry altogether.
But you can lessen the possibility of burning out by having a good work-life balance and finding joy outside of work. Develop hobbies and relationships, get out in nature more, spend time away from the screen and in your local community. Build something with your hands, go for a hike, paddle a boat, volunteer for a good cause, play a board game, take someone out to lunch.
At work, it helps to have good coworkers and especially managers who have similar values. If you're in a super cutthroat company, they're probably going to prioritize the hustle over your well-being. But not all companies are like that. Many smaller ones have more sustainable flows where they don't expect you to give 200% every day, more like 70-80%, but do good work and be good to the people around you.
On a day-to-day basis, it's also important to find something you can feel satisfaction over. For me, part of the joy of my work is getting to interact directly with users & customers, seeing that my writing (docs) and code (frontends) have a direct impact on them. Not all CS is user-facing, of course, so it's up to you to find some niche within your own role that lets you be (creative|analytical|detailed|innovative|super-smart) and can bring you little doses of satisfaction and pride every day. And on that note, nobody likes feeling like an invisible cog. If you know your coworker did something well, even if no other dev or user will ever see it... let them know. Let your team know. Those little "thank-you"s and "I see you"s can go a long way, and maybe one day it'll be your turn to need one from a teammate.
I think most importantly, you have to balance all of this yourself in your mind and heart. If you really want to chase the bleeding edge of everything, you can, but chances are you'll always be one step behind. Tech moves faster than any one of us. Instead, you can also choose to just be average and happy. You don't need to change the world, just find your place within it. You know your personality, needs, and dreams the best, so it's up to you to find your own balance between ambition and acceptance. If you're young, it's fine to aim high and pull back a little when you get tired. Do it a few times and find the level that works for you. When you get older, you'll naturally (biologically and emotionally) slow down a bit, and that's ok too.
Just take it easy. You'll probably be working for 40+ years. Make it last :)
But you can lessen the possibility of burning out by having a good work-life balance and finding joy outside of work. Develop hobbies and relationships, get out in nature more, spend time away from the screen and in your local community. Build something with your hands, go for a hike, paddle a boat, volunteer for a good cause, play a board game, take someone out to lunch.
At work, it helps to have good coworkers and especially managers who have similar values. If you're in a super cutthroat company, they're probably going to prioritize the hustle over your well-being. But not all companies are like that. Many smaller ones have more sustainable flows where they don't expect you to give 200% every day, more like 70-80%, but do good work and be good to the people around you.
On a day-to-day basis, it's also important to find something you can feel satisfaction over. For me, part of the joy of my work is getting to interact directly with users & customers, seeing that my writing (docs) and code (frontends) have a direct impact on them. Not all CS is user-facing, of course, so it's up to you to find some niche within your own role that lets you be (creative|analytical|detailed|innovative|super-smart) and can bring you little doses of satisfaction and pride every day. And on that note, nobody likes feeling like an invisible cog. If you know your coworker did something well, even if no other dev or user will ever see it... let them know. Let your team know. Those little "thank-you"s and "I see you"s can go a long way, and maybe one day it'll be your turn to need one from a teammate.
I think most importantly, you have to balance all of this yourself in your mind and heart. If you really want to chase the bleeding edge of everything, you can, but chances are you'll always be one step behind. Tech moves faster than any one of us. Instead, you can also choose to just be average and happy. You don't need to change the world, just find your place within it. You know your personality, needs, and dreams the best, so it's up to you to find your own balance between ambition and acceptance. If you're young, it's fine to aim high and pull back a little when you get tired. Do it a few times and find the level that works for you. When you get older, you'll naturally (biologically and emotionally) slow down a bit, and that's ok too.
Just take it easy. You'll probably be working for 40+ years. Make it last :)
Have Hobbys and a social life.
Avoid tech
[deleted]
Play board games instead of video games, they make very good solo board games these days also, but plenty of groups to join to play with others.
Don’t try to learn everything and jump on every new thing, sure it’s fine to dabble or test somethings out.