Why do I feel so weak?

I honestly haven't been productive lately, what is happening to me?

Today’s Newsletter is dedicated to people who have several open tabs on their PC but can't do anything, people who are losing or have lost the motivation to code, people who are losing their passion for coding, people who are at the verge of throwing in the towel because they are physically and mentally stressed.

Listen, If you fall into any of these categories, I just want to let you know that you're not alone...Yup! You're certainly not alone, because it happens to so many people.

But before I proceed, I trust you had a great week, please tell me you've been staying safe amidst the chaos that came with 2020 :( Tell me you didn’t forget to wash your hands, wear your nose masks and lend your voice to the fight against police brutality all over Africa and the world at large.

If you did all this, this is me saying thank you for staying safe for your loved ones :) and if you didn’t, you can try again this week okay ;) Now let’s dive right in to today’s topic……

WHAT IS BURNOUT IN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT?

The concept of burnout might be a little difficult to explain to people who haven't experienced it before. However, it is one of the serious and most common problems in tech. In a layman's language, burnout is simply a physical and mental collapse caused by overwork or stress.

Here are some of the signs and symptoms you feel when you’re stressed and experiencing burnout;

• Loss of motivation and passion to work.

• Feeling fatigue mentally and physically.

• Feeling isolated.

• Feelings of anxiety and depression.

• Lack of accomplishment and ineffectiveness.

• Cynicism, sense of doubt, and indifference.

• Feeling and looking tired all the time, mood swings.

• Insomnia, hopelessness, a sense of detachment, loss of interest in things you used to enjoy, a general feeling of being disconnected.

CAUSES OF BURNOUT IN DEVELOPERS

Here are some of the causes of burnout;

• Sitting in front of a computer for 8+ hours daily

Sitting in front of your PC and staring into your screen for too long daily is really not a healthy life style, and as such can cause burnout.

• Doing the same type of work day in and day out

Monotony they say, kills interest. Doing the same pattern of job over and over again can make you loose interest at some point, no matter how enthusiastic you were at the beginning.

• Isolating one’s self from people.

Most times programmers tend to isolate themselves from people and the outside world because of the nature of their job.

• Lack of exercise, adequate sleep and good nutrition.

While some developers are more productive in the day, others are Night Owls and prefer to work at night. It’s really important to note that inadequate sleep leads to low productivity, and burnout.

HOW TO PREVENT BURNOUT AS A DEVELOPER

• Keep things fresh

Explore other languages, and frameworks, build side projects, contribute to open source projects, e.t.c Doing this can help spice things up and help you stay happy, fulfilled and motivated while still doing your job.

• Take breaks

Sometimes it’s always nice to take breaks intermittently. Taking breaks help to ease the strain on your eyes, and increase productivity.

• Take a vacation from coding every few months if you can.

While some developers can’t do this because bills must be paid, I’d advise you spare some time out for yourself. It doesn’t have to be so long, you know. 2-7 days will be just perfect to help you bounce back up.

• Exercise and get enough sleep

Getting enough sleep is directed specifically to developers who prefer to work at night. Exercise not only keeps you fit, it also helps to circulate blood and nutrients around your body. Programmers tend to sit down for hours while working, because of the nature of their job, that is why regular exercise is really important for developers.

• Be around other people

Spend time with your loved ones, go out, meet people, hang out and catch fun :)

• Take some time off.

Like I stated previously, taking breaks once in a while helps to increase productivity. You should definitely take breaks when you feel tired.

• Find a new hobby.

Your entire life shouldn’t be about tech if you don’t want it to be so, you can choose to explore other areas of life. It could be as simple as creating tiktok videos, skating, cooking and trying out new recipes, reading books, watching netflix, whatever rocks your world, just find what makes you feel good and go for it ;)

• Take it slow

When you finally decide to resume work, always take it slow. I would advise you start with a few hours of work (1-2hours) and progress steadily from there. Starting off with 6-8 hours of work might lead to severe cases of burnout where you start lashing out on people around you. You don’t want that now, do you?

Truth is, most developers experience burnout at one point in their lives, so don’t feel bad if you’re currently going through it ok? If you found this mail helpful, kindly give it a like, and don’t forget to share with your friends and to anyone who might need it..

Have an awesome week….

Cheers!!

Kisha cares ;)