Burnout is sneaky. Since it seems to be a condition that accumulates over time, it can take a long time to realize it is happening to you.
I dealt with this exact issue recently. I felt as though the harder I tried to get work done, the harder it became to actually do it. Even thinking about work brought on a sense of dread. It wasn't the fault of my company, or even the job I was doing. I had to deal with a lot of illness and death in my family this year, and combined with the pressure of work, it led me to end up in a state where it felt like I just couldn't get anything done.
So, I resigned two months ago. Trying to work while I seemed to have lost the ability to be productive didn't seem fair to myself or my employer. At first, I wasn't sure that I'd ever want to write another line of code again. I'm just at the point now where I'm interested in working on some side projects to build up a decent portfolio that I can use to start looking for work again. On that note, do any HN readers have favourite meetups in Toronto for developers? I've recently returned here after living in Ottawa, and I'd like to get to know some other devs in the city.
In the end, I feel that even if I have to work a retail job for a while before I end up working as a developer again, I made the right choice. It's hard to put a price on health and happiness. Having been though this once, I now know what to watch our for in the future.
> Burnout is sneaky. Since it seems to be a condition that accumulates over time, it can take a long time to realize it is happening to you.
Analogous to dehydration during exercise. A lot of athletes and coaches will tell you "if you get thirsty, it's too late, dehydration has set in".
Taking in fluids regularly, even if you believe you don't really need them yet, will prevent dehydration — taking regular, significant breaks from work will prevent burn out.
> I felt as though the harder I tried to get work done, the harder it became to actually do it. Even thinking about work brought on a sense of dread. It wasn't the fault of my company, or even the job I was doing. I had to deal with a lot of illness and death in my family this year (...)
Spot on. I had a milder episode of stress in 2008, where economic troubles combined with a very well paying job during a limited time. Naturally, I wanted to work as much as possible while the getting was good.
Burnout is sneaky. Since it seems to be a condition that accumulates over time, it can take a long time to realize it is happening to you.
I dealt with this exact issue recently. I felt as though the harder I tried to get work done, the harder it became to actually do it. Even thinking about work brought on a sense of dread. It wasn't the fault of my company, or even the job I was doing. I had to deal with a lot of illness and death in my family this year, and combined with the pressure of work, it led me to end up in a state where it felt like I just couldn't get anything done.
So, I resigned two months ago. Trying to work while I seemed to have lost the ability to be productive didn't seem fair to myself or my employer. At first, I wasn't sure that I'd ever want to write another line of code again. I'm just at the point now where I'm interested in working on some side projects to build up a decent portfolio that I can use to start looking for work again. On that note, do any HN readers have favourite meetups in Toronto for developers? I've recently returned here after living in Ottawa, and I'd like to get to know some other devs in the city.
In the end, I feel that even if I have to work a retail job for a while before I end up working as a developer again, I made the right choice. It's hard to put a price on health and happiness. Having been though this once, I now know what to watch our for in the future.