110% Burnt Out (or something else).
Posted by hutxhy@reddit | ExperiencedDevs | View on Reddit | 138 comments
I’m not sure what to do anymore. I don’t know if it’s burnout, depression, uninspiring work, or all of the above. But, I feel no motivation to work anymore. I used to love my career, and used to get great reviews from colleagues and managers – but now I feel like I just do the bare minimum, and often not even that. I feel trapped, I can’t take a sabbatical, because I’m the sole earner in my household, so my family’s financial, health, and leisure dependence is on my shoulders.
I’ve job hopped more than I should have in the past few years, in-part to try to find something that will re-invigorate me. I always end up resenting what I’m working on. I feel like the software is just a mess, the architecture is overly complicated when it doesn’t need to be, the developer experience and quality of life is lacking, and the product is generally just something meaningless without any positive societal impact. I’m often doing repetitive tasks, fixing terrible legacy systems, constrained due to business requirements and business value.
All of this leads me to have a visceral reaction to opening my editor and trying to complete my tasks. I get super anxious on Sundays for the week ahead and dread beginning each work day.
I still enjoy working on my hobby projects like home automation, game development, deep-dives into random tech. I’m driven more by learning and exploring tech than the money, but unfortunately these don’t translate to being able to support myself and my family.
strongfitveinousdick@reddit
Work is work. Just do it and then enjoy the rest of your day.
No need to overcomplicate things.
hutxhy@reddit (OP)
Oof why didn't I think of that? Thanks, I'm cured!
strongfitveinousdick@reddit
You're overcomplicating things that's why you don't understand this simple objective thing.
You can't be happy all the time. Work will be shitty most of the times and there's a reason it's called work and not "beers with friends" or "my trip to Thailand"
You gotta learn to not take it too seriously.
I was like you when I was 3 years in my career.
It's now 12 years already. I do get burnout from projects that extract too much work out of me but in the end the paycheck and the 2 week holiday every year makes it worth it. Also my job is remote so that makes it far more worth it.
ExcellentFrame87@reddit
Ive been feeling this way the past couple of years.
So i decided to make a game in my spare time about building cabins in the mountains so i dont have to do it in real life.
Conversely its inspired and re motivated me somewhat.
hutxhy@reddit (OP)
That's hilarious and amazing. Living vicariously through your video game.
ExcellentFrame87@reddit
Yea haha i drew a parallel with that during development and seems to have somewhat worked
jakofranko@reddit
You basically just described me. I made a similar post on this subreddit recently and got a ton of great feedback. I’m still figuring this out but am making some progress. I feel you 100%. You’re not alone! This is likely just a hard season. I think it’s especially tough as solo-breadwinners…it’s a lonely and often thankless role. But it is an honorable life-giving role too. Here’s some things to consider in no particular order that have been helpful for me to think through:
Mental stuff: - Sounds like burnout; could also be some depression if you feel the same way in your personal life, but it sounds like your personal life is pretty good, just don’t care about work. - if you have been job hopping a lot, and you feel this way at every job, chances are higher that this is a you-problem instead of a job-problem…just something to think about. Have you ever had a job you thought was meaningful? If so, what was meaningful/life-giving to you about it? If not, it may be good to do some introspection and think through that. Maybe a counselor or therapy would be a good option - everything you described about your job is just what software jobs in big tech companies are like. It doesn’t take long for systems to become complex and messy. If you don’t like being a solution to those problems, you might consider looking for jobs in smaller companies. You’ll be building new things, solving real problems etc., but the trade off is the pay/benefits can be worse and it’s inherently risky. Might be the path for you though! All software engineers need to decide what size company they prefer. Talk it over with your spouse, they might have some good insight!
Physical stuff - Above all, make sure your physical health is good; make sure you’re getting around 8 hours of sleep a night, work out regularly (go on walks, gym, run, anything to get your heart rate up for 45 minutes), eat well, make sure you’re getting enough of the right nutrients etc. Maybe you’re not burnt out, maybe you’re just getting 5 hours of sleep a night? Best to eliminate the physical stuff as a potential contributor - I have started taking a high quality vitamin D supplement; a buddy of mine is psychiatrist and he works with a ton of mental health patients. He said vitamin D supplements have a huge impact on depression/motivation. Its been helping with my motivation - substances can also contribute to this stuff; too much caffeine, alcohol, even nicotine. Moderate or eliminate.
Work stuff: - Let’s push into your anxiety a bit. What is making you anxious? Are you falling behind your sprint commitments? Or are goals and expectations ambiguous? If goals are clear, then do yourself a favor and stay disciplined; take care of your stuff as fast as possible and as efficiently as possible so you can go into Monday relaxed. If it’s ambiguous goals and expectations, you should have a chat with your leader, and explain the situation. “I’m not sure what to focus on or what our goals are, and that’s making it very difficult to know how to be most effective” is a very clear way to seek some direction. - There is a chance you’re feeling bad because of larger organization problems. Leadership is notoriously bad in software; lack of feed back, poor communication, zero recognition or reward etc. Do some introspection on what your pain points are at work. - have your responsibilities changed semi-recently! I got extremely burnt out when I transitioned to a tech lead role and my job became red tape and meetings. Talk with your boss about getting back to tasks that are more fulfilling and see if you can get rid of the tasks that you hate - one guy on my team actually doesn’t like programming, he’s trying to transition to more of a product owner role. Have you considered moving away from the tech side? Project management, product owner, tech leadership etc? Could be that you’ve just hit the professional ceiling when it comes to tech…happened to me a couple years ago. You realize it’s all the same kind of stuff. I’m transitioning to management and have been finding stepping away from code really nice. Can do the cool interesting coding for fun in my free time.
Sorry for the book, but I resonated with this so much. Keep your head up! You’ll get through this. And at the end of the day if you can provide for your family, that counts for everything.
ExperiencedDevs-ModTeam@reddit
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Using this subreddit to crowd source answers to something that isn't really contributing to the spirit of this subreddit is forbidden at moderator's discretion. This includes posts that are mostly focused around venting or bragging; both of these types of posts are difficult to moderate and don't contribute much to the subreddit.
valkon_gr@reddit
Similar feelings. I've worked at five companies now, and every job feels the same, and I get bored around 6-7 months in. It's CRUD + a challenging problem that after 3-4 discussions is solved,
Tech stack doesn't really matter.
hutxhy@reddit (OP)
Yeah I'm honestly completely over CRUD apps. Unfortunately they're like what 95% of software engineering is nowadays.
koreth@reddit
Do you mean 95% of software engineering, or 95% of the software engineering positions you’ve considered applying for because you have experience doing what they’re looking for?
There are a lot of CRUD jobs out there, no argument. But there are also a lot of jobs in embedded software, scientific computing, platform engineering, game development, compilers, machine learning, and other domains that don’t involve building trivial CRUD apps.
You might be more satisfied working in one of those areas.
jontzbaker@reddit
Just chipping in that embedded jobs are usually not very well managed. Embedded devices usually are accessories to the main product and, as such, are given less attention that required.
New machine needs a hot new controller, with the features? Well, better get the advertise for the product itself or someone actually selling the machine to fetch requirements, because asking the PO for guidance and banging your head on a wall have approximately the same effect on your brain.
And let me tell you: engineers promoted to managers not always make the best managers. They will inspect code and make questions, micromanage, and still miss the boat on the actual features the client needs.
PM_ME_DPRK_CANDIDS@reddit
yeah but everycompany needs a website, 1/1000 companies need any of this stuff.
according to 2024 stack overflow surveys
60% of developers have explicit web dev titles, Frontend, Backend, or Full Stack developer.
62% of developers use JavaScript and 35% Typescript at work
hutxhy@reddit (OP)
I could be totally wrong, and it's probably nowhere near 95%, but i remember reading a while ago that the majority of software positions are web development based.
I'm sure I would, I just need time to hone my skills enough to get my foot in those doors.
rayadam@reddit
Are you me? Couldn’t have put it into words any better. 8YOE feeling the exact same way and trapped because I changed 2 jobs in the last 12 months due to trying to find the “right” thing.
I used to be the person who actively looks for ways to improve things, now I just do the minimum due to being extremely demotivated. Still enjoy person projects though so unsure what it is if it’s not burnout.
brainhack3r@reddit
Do you have anything outside of work that you enjoy?
If not... that's the problem.
You CAN NOT allow your happiness to come just from work.
Life is inherently awesome. If you're not living, you're dying.
Nature always does it for me... no matter what I do, if I can get back to nature I'm super healthy.
TornadoFS@reddit
The problem with the kind of work that he is doing is that it is soul sucking, it sucks the will to do other things on your free time.
I have been feeling it as well, technically I have a great job, work from home as much as I want (even though the office is 30 min away walk) and I average out 6 hours of actual work per day (note that in an office you also don't average out 8 hours, you take breaks and talk to people and stuff, which I do less in WFH).
Problem is that it takes all my will power to do it and by the end of the day I don't want to do anything else. Thing is all that will to live comes back whenever I have extended vacation or a 4-day holiday. I wouldn't mind doing the work I am doing 3 days per week, heck I might even enjoy it. But 5 days per week is too much.
One of the main problems I feel is that every single day feels like the same, if my job had me vary the things I do more I would probably feel different.
brainhack3r@reddit
It's depression...
The "soul sucking" feeling is caused by depression.
The solution is to actually take the time off I was talking about.
I feel you. It feels like a huge weight on you shoulders.
ZubacToReality@reddit
This is a very simplistic way of looking at things. Most high paying tech jobs are exhausting where after 10 hour days + chores + commute, there isn't much time to enjoy things outside of work.
brainhack3r@reddit
It really is that simple... you either make time for living or you're spending your life dying.
I've been able to do it for 30+ years... You can figure it out.
bsenftner@reddit
kids. No, I'm not dismissing you. Try to pace yourselves and for god's sake learn how to do self conversation auditing, because arguing negatively with yourself seems to be the #1 cause of developer burnout. I've been in this shit show of an industry for over 45 fucking years, and let me assure you: it gets no better, the state of the industry is an uncommunicating cluster fuck, and that is very unlikely to change.
hutxhy@reddit (OP)
I'm coming up in 9YOE myself, but have been feeling this way for the past 2. And yep, I used to get praise for being a top performer, now I feel like ever week I'm going to be let go from under performance.
__loam@reddit
I think the industry has actually become a worse place to work in the past couple of years. You have the reality of higher interest rates and more competition post-layoffs, what feels like implicit disrespect by people who think AI can replace you or make you work much faster, and a business class that is increasingly hostile and going off the fascistic deep end.
I don't have the answers on how to square that with your own mental health but you need to find a way to work sustainably or this stuff is just going to keep eating at you. Consider speaking with a therapist.
hutxhy@reddit (OP)
Is it weird that I fantasize about selling off all my assets and moving to some faraway plot of land and becoming a farmer and carpenter?
Kaimito1@reddit
Interestingly its quite common. I even get those thoughts myself (Sailor-variant though)
Something about being in the digital space for so long makes one crave the "created by physical hands" kind of feelings
avioane@reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/ProgrammerHumor/comments/vnmmuo/where_do_you_see_yourself_in_5_years/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=usertext&utm_name=cscareerquestions&utm_content=t1_mg772x5
madhousechild@reddit
Got a workshop?
Friend of mine is having a blast with his CNC machine, making charcuterie boards that his friends and family are buying six at a time! A great hobby that could become more.
hutxhy@reddit (OP)
I do not, but I am pretty handy. Grew up with a dad that insisted I help him whenever he was fixing or building things around the house -- I thank him for that.
franzturdenand@reddit
I have 20+ YOE and this is a daily thought of mine. Or it’s to finally buy that boat to sail and fish the globe.
2introverted4u@reddit
Practically every burned out developer I know, including myself, dreams about this lmao. There was a long time Microsoft engineer who did just that
Staple_Sauce@reddit
Completely normal.
The industry has changed a lot in the last decade. In some ways it's led to better software as we've standardized around best practices and tools. But it's also an endless churn that's taken a lot of the tinkering and discovery, and with it the enjoyment, out of the process for many people. You have to wear a ton of hats, not all of which will be a good fit for your abilities or interests. The constant pressure to churn churn churn and the business making questionable decisions or laying people off anyway. Mental health for a lot of people has been rough since at least the pandemic and for many it still feels like the world is burning. Plus, just getting older. More family responsibilities for some, and decreased brain elasticity making it harder to adapt to (or tolerate) the tech churn.
Humans aren't built for the modern world we've created. Technology has outpaced evolution and it's natural to desire an environment we're equipped to handle. For over 2 million years, earlier hominids basically just used stone tools and barely changed at all. Then came agriculture, and humans mostly farmed and worked with their hands for 10,000 years. Life was manual and slow. You learned a skill, you could use it all your life. That is what our brains evolved to handle. Now we process more information in a day than our ancestors did in a month and blame ourselves for being exhausted.
pseudo_babbler@reddit
It's so common that it was a running joke amongst the entire team at a previous job.. We could just say potatoes as a reference to quitting technology entirely and becoming a peaceful potato farmer out in the country.
__loam@reddit
No, I regularly think about getting a cabin in Vermont and never thinking about front end again.
wowzuzz@reddit
I get Vermont content on my algorithm when scrolling reels. The universe is speaking to us.
sbox_86@reddit
And also tax changes (section 174). It didn't help that this change dropped right in the middle of the fastest Fed rate hikes since Volcker.
forbiddenknowledg3@reddit
I felt that way and confronted my manager about it. He actually said my performance/output is even better.
I think caring less has helped me, as it gives me more 'thinking' time which engineers need.
forbiddenknowledg3@reddit
Same. I think the difference is on personal projects you choose what to work on, how to do it, and who to do it with.
While at work it's just different BS every day. E.g. thrown a random teams incomplete hackathon project that management wants finished (with accurate estimates of course!), writing a meaningless performance review doc (tbf it helps with interview prep), attending retarded meetings, etc.
If management focused on avoiding demotivating people, instead of trying to motivate them, my life would be so much better.
1_g0round@reddit
I see that you all share the same frustrations its very telling. Have any of you looked to develop as a side project provider? Or would this just validate the same issues that you currently encounter?
I ask bc Im not a dev guy (finance background) but as I am approaching retirement I would like to have a blog related to old guys trying to stay fit during retirement years. Feel free to DM - thanks all
throwaway132121@reddit
same, I'm in my 9th, this industry is so fking bad
abrandis@reddit
The reason is because what business wants from you and me as a developer worker bee, is very different than what you want from software being a creative endeavor.
toxait@reddit
I feel this a lot. I've decided to put the best of my work into building sustainable license-based recurring income from software that I enjoy working on. I still go to work, clock in, do the stuff I get assigned, but I do my best to just treat it as severed work.
It's definitely slow going, but I have 38 more people paying for annual licenses now than I did 3 months ago. If I get 1000 people I could just quit tech and pick up a shift-based job at Costco or Trader Joe's for health insurance and spend all of my time working in front of a computer on software that I care about.
darkforceturtle@reddit
That's awesome. I've always wanted to start my own project and generate income because I'm so burned out in the tech industry but don't know how to get a good idea tbh. May I ask how you came up with this?
toxait@reddit
I switched from macOS to Windows back in 2020 and needed a tiling window manager - there wasn't anything that fit my needs available back then, so I built one for myself.
Over the years I added more and more features, and more and more people got to know about it. Since I don't publish my work under open source licenses, I had a lot of requests last year to make a separate commercial use license available for people to use it at work (which I did in January).
Because most people who get licenses for work (for any software) submit receipts for reimbursement to their employer anyway, this approach seems to be working out better than relying on GitHub sponsors etc.
As for working on a project to generate income more generally - I don't think I could work on any project with this kind of enthusiasm if I didn't have a personal need/desire for it. Both a blessing and a curse!
_dekoorc@reddit
I've been looking for something like this as someone who just moved from macOS to Windows for my personal computing needs and I will be trying it out. And trust, I will be donating to your preferred charities if I use it.
toxait@reddit
Hopefully you'll be another happy user :) Drop by the Discord if you have any questions, there are always people around to help in pretty much every time zone these days
darkforceturtle@reddit
Thanks for sharing, glad you found what you like working on. Best of luck.
hutxhy@reddit (OP)
Damn, living the dream over there. Lol, I've even thought about trying to work for Costco as well. Seems like they treat their people well and I might be able to detox in an environment like that.
old_man_snowflake@reddit
Hoo boy, I've been there. I'm 20+ years of experience (jfc) and I'm kind of in the middle of it now. I shifted my role from development to developer support (dev tools, developer experience, developer efficiency). So now I'm working to solve some of those stupid problems for other devs, and it's nice. But something about the last 5 years has just destroyed my will to work. Covid and trump have really just destroyed my desire to be part of this country. My anti-capitalism sentiment has gone into overdrive. My accelerationist side has come out roaring. The country is giving in to fascism and the future looks incredibly bleak.
Unfortunately I think my issue is that I'm still fully remote. I love it with everything I have, and I really don't want to trade it, but the lack of in-person interaction over a long time definitely takes its toll. I know when I go in for a week every few months I feel re-invigorated. Unfortunately that company is 2000 miles away.
hutxhy@reddit (OP)
> My anti-capitalism sentiment has gone into overdrive
I think this plays a larger role than a lot of people realize. The alienation from one's labor really does create this crisis of despair that we see, not just in tech, but all industries.
RabbitLogic@reddit
The social contract has felt broken the world over, not just In the US. Devs are fortunate enough to not struggle with the financial aspects as much
Spider_pig448@reddit
Sounds like you need some serious news detoxing.
burnbabyburn694200@reddit
Why are you the sole earner in your house? What is your partner doing so that you can’t take a sabbatical?
It’s 2025. You NEED two incomes to survive with a family, or you’re going to keep running into this issue.
PragmaticBoredom@reddit
Having two incomes would not change a thing about the OP not enjoying their work. It would enable a sabbatical, but then they're back to single income without addressing the root problem.
Furthermore, this is not a blanket statement you can make. I know many single-income households with kids in this line of work. It's a matter of balancing lifestyle and income. A lot of the dual-income families I know have combined incomes that barely reach the level of 50th percentile SWE pay.
burnbabyburn694200@reddit
Sorry, but you’re dead wrong.
Homie has most likely been the sole earner for a looong time without any sort of break since they’re at this point.
What happens if they were to lose their job and then there’s no income whatsoever?
A sabbatical will absolutely help.
And cut the shit and read the room - I wouldn’t dare have kids in this current economy on a single income. No fucking way.
PragmaticBoredom@reddit
The median family income is higher than the median developer income.
Families everywhere live on less than we make as SWEs.
If you're living in a VHCOL area then you'd have to look at the numbers carefully, but thinking this way is just the Reddit bubble talking.
SituationSoap@reddit
I think you meant "lower" here, but yes you're right.
PragmaticBoredom@reddit
Yep, thanks! Edited.
dllimport@reddit
Haha I am with you and this is just some mild teasing but it could be that that redditor assumed the husband doing nothing! We don't know if OP is male, female, straight, gay, or bi.
I have known many women in my life that have propped up deadbeat men. I've been one of those women.
PragmaticBoredom@reddit
I get it, but the OP mentioned their wife in another comment so I went with that.
ings0c@reddit
I mean, we’re also software developers. It’s a pretty safe assumption.
I don’t know the stats, but we’ve gotta be up there with the top 10 most male dominated professions.
Software developer + has a wife has to be at least a 99% probability of being a man.
madhousechild@reddit
And also referred to xirself as a father. :)
hutxhy@reddit (OP)
> Going to guess it involves taking care of the kids.
This is a big reason. My kid has gotten a bit older now, and doesn't require as much "care", but I'm also in a situation where my partner had a decent career overseas and it hasn't translated stateside for a number of reasons.
hutxhy@reddit (OP)
I totally get this, and would love to be in a situation where I can fall back on another source of income to cushion me while I take a break, but unfortunately -- for now at least -- that's just not possible. I won't go into too many details, but it is a huge reason I've been thinking about leaving the country. My partner was a very successful professional abroad, but hasn't worked here in the US, so I was thinking we go back overseas and I take a sabbatical for a bit.
Oldmanbabydog@reddit
Feeling the same way. Passed up for promotions, watching everyone get laid off around me, absorbing their work and tech debt. Still little to no effort in retention of remaining employees. Management acts like we are lucky to still be here and should be grateful. Coworkers are leaving at an increasing rate and I’m not far behind. Talking to my teammates they are looking to leave as well. It almost feels like we are being forced out rather than laid off. I don’t know if I should stay and coast out of spite or hit the applications harder and get out of there now.
stdmemswap@reddit
Try to see:
What emotional need do you think is not fulfilled by your work?
From what frustrated you, which one is under your control? Which one is not?
What would drive your hobby, if not the financial gain from your work?
mxvvvv@reddit
You say you can't take a sabbatical – find a way to make that happen before it affects your health.
I resigned last month after years of trying to make burnout work, and I only regret not doing it sooner.
hutxhy@reddit (OP)
> before it affects your health
Too late, lmao. The problem is, especially with health insurance being tied to employment here in the US, I literally cannot afford to take a meaningful break :/
I do fantasize about resigning and just burning down my savings for a few months, but I feel like it'll end up stressing me way more in the medium-term.
Spider_pig448@reddit
COBRA is a thing. Remember that an experience software engineer in the US is among the highest paid positions on the planet. You are financial capable of taking time off.
mykecameron@reddit
I did this. I regret doing this. I am also the sole earner in my house. I also felt my work was meaningless and struggled with motivation. I found a new gig pretty easily on the timeline I had planned for, but I still feel guilty about the financial security we lost by spending so much of our savings, and it did not magically fix stuff for me.
Look for a new job if you want. There's mission driven work out there, I work in healthcare for that reason. When you get an offer, tell them you can't start for a while and take a breather if you think it would be helpful. Use the time to get the ball rolling on help for your health issues.
DudelyMenses@reddit
yeah I took a sabbatical as well. It's been awesome in every way but financially.
I'm back trying to look for a new job now and it fucking sucks again though
No-Original-7936@reddit
That resonates so hard with me.
I love programming, but working at a big communication company that isn’t really "in tech," per se, is so frustrating. On one hand, there’s something to do and the conditions are decent. On the other hand, I feel completely tied down.
There’s barely any room for creativity. Every attempt at refactoring is met with resistance and unwillingness. Especially when I try to take initiative—put in the hours, think about DX, UX, and come up with comprehensive solutions—I get bombarded with: "Why the hell did you do that?" "We need you focused." And then they just dismiss everything I did.
Now, there’s some truth to their side, and I get the corporate logic—but most of the tasks right now are so mind-numbingly boring: fixing some stupid color or chasing a questionable GTM event that isn’t firing.
So yeah, I feel you. It wears you down. Slowly kills your spark. Until you become another corporate zombie, just waiting for retirement so you can watch TV in peace… and then die.
APock@reddit
Guys I regret to inform you, but this is how the industry work for SWEs, we go through an 8-15 years of carreer growth until we finally realise that software sucks and nothing that we do is "fun" or contributes positively to society. We then either burn out, or we move into management, hopefully with the intention of not being as terrible as previous managers we've had, or to try and steer to company towards "the light" of good practices.
Most of us just become farmers.
taylor__spliff@reddit
I feel this right now. Although my main problem is I literally just want to be able to actually develop but I’m not able to because I’m inundated by distractions all day and night.
Hand-holding non-technical people at the company, hand-holding someone on my team now, large portions of my days in meetings (or spread out meetings with 30 minutes in between, so not enough time to do meaningful development), and then at 8 PM when I finally am getting into a problem, my terminal freezes up because the file system is screwed up or there’s a misconfigured computer host for the 48383th time because the HPC admin seems to think the infrastructure failures I’ve been repeatedly reporting and that didn’t exist before he joined the company are user-errors (I suspect it’s because I’m a female).
I’m burnt out because most of my day is wasted to nonsense and I can’t actually do my work. I used to actually be excited for Monday but now all I do is complain.
BanaTibor@reddit
I was in the same boat a good half a year ago. I felt nauseous every Monday, I dreaded to log in and start working. In my case the code was only a small part and thankfully I had the chance to take a sabbatical. What you are experiencing is definitely burnout.
You can not escape, and can not hide so you have to fight. What I mean is, estimate more time to each ticket than it probably would, add some more, blame it on the overcomplicated architecture and start refactoring, one piece at a time. Otherwise start looking for a new job.
traderprof@reddit
Your point about legacy systems and architectural complexity resonates deeply. What I've found interesting is that the problem often isn't the technical debt itself, but what I call "context debt" - the accumulated cost of lost organizational knowledge.
When you mention "the architecture is overly complicated", it usually stems from missing the crucial context of why certain decisions were made. This creates a vicious cycle: - Lost context → increased complexity - Increased complexity → harder to document - Harder to document → more knowledge loss
We've been addressing this by implementing a framework that preserves institutional knowledge while maintaining agility. The key insight was treating knowledge preservation as important as the code itself.
Some practical steps that have helped: 1. Embedding architectural decisions directly in the codebase 2. Creating clear links between business requirements and technical implementations 3. Maintaining living documentation that evolves with the code
The results have been surprising - even "boring" CRUD work becomes more engaging when developers understand the full context of what they're building and why.
Would be interested in hearing if others have experimented with similar approaches to making legacy work more meaningful.
Narrow_Macaron5913@reddit
I think this is what my lead senior feels too haha I am still a junior and wow reading these give me more perspective on the career ahead.. I am already burnt out too as a junior since the company pushes too much and is understaffed for dev team tbh
1234away@reddit
Got 15 years. I had to quit recently because I just couldn't take doing it anymore. My mental health was terrible, almost no energy, hated the work. Now I have some savings and I actually moved to a lower COL location just to be able to have some breathing room. Feel the best I have felt in years.
I love programming and engineering, and not sure what I am going to do next. I have a family as well, so I will need to do something for work. But my family is happier having me be a happier better member, so I will do anything to find something that keeps me in that state.
Sounds like you are suffering from something similar, and a lot of us are. If you can find a way to take some time off for an extended period of time I highly recommend it.
traderprof@reddit
Your point about legacy systems and overcomplicated architecture hits home. What I've observed as a CPTO is that burnout often stems from what I call "context debt" - the accumulated cost of poorly preserved organizational knowledge.
When you mention "fixing terrible legacy systems", it's usually not just about the code itself. It's about missing the crucial context of why certain decisions were made. This creates a vicious cycle: - Poor documentation → anxiety about making changes - Lost context → overcomplicated architecture - Knowledge silos → increased burnout
We've been addressing this by implementing a framework that preserves institutional knowledge while maintaining agility. The key insight was treating knowledge preservation as important as the code itself.
Would love to hear if others have experienced this connection between knowledge loss and team burnout.
beachcode@reddit
When I have periods when it feels like this I focus on making my spare time count. Do something fun and crazy.
Things I do,
I go out to the ocean and nude bath with some friends, or alone. Sleeping for a bit outside is wonderful.
I have hobbies like painting and art. Go to a museum, or try to paint something.
Cook something, or bake something.
Go to a concert or just a pub with a theme. Like a metal pub, or a synth pub.
And I try to not be overwhelmed by negative feelings that I was bad at work. This is hard.
Habanero_Eyeball@reddit
Have you tried a low carb, high fat diet?
This may sound silly but Dr. Christopher Palmer, a Harvard trained psychiatrist, believes that the root of all mental illnesses and disorders start with the metabolism. In fact he's had many patients who have had miraculous turn arounds simply by eating a high fat, low carb diet.
I can't tell you how much my mental health has improved since Jan since I started on the diet. It's amazing and I feel fantastic most days. Like many days I walk around thinking "man I really feel amazing" and that's one of the hallmarks of this diet.
If you're interested - there are a TON of interviews with this guy but Here's one that I thought was amazing - if that doesn't appeal to you just search his name.
Dr. Annette Bosworth is an internal medicine doctor whose practice is centered around family health and she has a TON of vids about the keto diet. It's really amazing what she offeres for free because there are all kinds of different opinions on how to do this diet....but she seems to have one of the best approaches. Here's her channel
It really blows me away how much better I feel on this diet.
attrox_@reddit
It looks like you are using vacation times doing chores? I suggest taking a real vacation. Doesn't have to be grand but takes minimum a week or 2 for actual fun times with the family. No thinking of work or doing chores. Be honest with your wife that you are feeling drowning and really need time to unwind everything so she doesn't push you for doing major chores in your vacation time (if you decided not to go anywhere).
_dekoorc@reddit
I'd even suggest finding a grandparent/aunt/uncle/etc to watch the kids for a week or two and going somewhere far away and experiencing new things.
It's a lot to ask of someone to watch the kids for that long, but it'll be worth it all around. I don't always end up feeling not burnt out anymore after a vacation (honestly, two out of the last three were that way because I had responsibilities around a friend's wedding and had to deal with lots of different personalities on a group trip), but a solid two week trip somewhere cool almost always gets me un-burnt.
hutxhy@reddit (OP)
Yeah this is a great piece of advice. I do feel like I just need a solid few days of being a complete couch potato degenerate, and then spend the rest of the vacay doing active -- but fun -- stuff.
dcr42@reddit
I booked a wonderful 2 week long vacation in mexico with my family where i didnt even bring my work laptop or touch my phone.
It was amazing. I recommend something similar if it’s within your means. But it doesn’t work. This all comes right back on day 1 back at the desk
Sensitive-Ear-3896@reddit
I was you until I got a 100% in office job being around people and sticking to a schedule was the shot in the arm I needed. I like the idea of remote work but I tend to procrastinate and work late every day as a result. I was remote for 6 years but adult supervision is helping
hutxhy@reddit (OP)
I'm afraid this might be me, but I also love my remote life 😭
Sensitive-Ear-3896@reddit
Everyone is different of course, but I was pretty surprised by how much I liked the change, I’m sure in 2 years I’ll be wanting to go back to remote again
gomihako_@reddit
"one must imagine Sisyphus happy"
hutxhy@reddit (OP)
Lmao, that's a good one! I have not heard that one before.
gomihako_@reddit
It's absurdism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Myth_of_Sisyphus
chatgpt summary:
That's the famous closing line from Albert Camus' The Myth of Sisyphus. It's a powerful idea—that even in a world without inherent meaning, we can find freedom and joy in embracing our fate, no matter how absurd or repetitive it may seem.
Camus argues that Sisyphus, condemned to roll a boulder up a hill only for it to roll back down for eternity, becomes a symbol of the human condition. But by choosing to accept the absurdity and own his task, Sisyphus transcends his suffering. Hence, one must imagine Sisyphus happy—because he is no longer a victim, but a defiant creator of his own meaning.
PragmaticBoredom@reddit
Very sorry to hear that. Some questions:
What do you do on the weekends to refresh yourself? The evenings? When did you last take a vacation?
Your story shares some common themes with a lot of burnout stories. One thing that jumped out:
What other hobbies do you have? Things that get you away from the computer, or away from screens altogether? Working on computers all day and then coming home to sit on computers all evening, then again on the weekend, is a recipe for burnout.
hutxhy@reddit (OP)
Thank you for the thoughtful response. To answer a few of your questions/points:
> What do you do on the weekends to refresh yourself? The evenings? When did you last take a vacation?
I have some time to myself some nights, but I feel like it's never enough. I am a very involved father that drives my family around to do activites after work and on the weekends. My vacations generally don't feel like vacations as I'm catching up on things like doctor visits, housework, taking care of family's vacation needs, etc.
> What other hobbies do you have?
My main hobbies are: reading (I love sci-fi novels), watching TV shows with the wife, playing video games, and programming related things. I do workout 5-ish times a week, but I don't enjoy that.
> but you can't expect your job to be invigorating and intriguing for an entire career.
I know this is true, and i know you mean well by bringing it up. I just don't know how to reconcile with that. I'm not sure how to find that happy medium.
> don't be afraid to talk with doctors if you think depression
I have been seeing a psychiatrist, but it feels like a game of whackamole. We're just trying out different drugs and combinations to see what works.
ZubacToReality@reddit
I'm by no means some nautro hippie but you got put on psych meds because you hate your job? Hopefully it's not that... that is messed up
hutxhy@reddit (OP)
I think it's probably more common than we think. Granted, I'm not sure if we ever pinpointed it being my job that caused the depression or my depression that caused my shitty outlook on my job. Regardless though, it does feel like I'm just trying to "mask" the fundamental issue.
ZubacToReality@reddit
So you just started taking meds cause you were a little sad and your shrink told you to? You understand this causes a lifetime of brain chemistry changes right?
ikeif@reddit
I feel this - and it's a process. But just keep working on it, and maybe seek counseling as well (you know, just to "talk" not "talk about what medications will help me.")
madhousechild@reddit
I wouldn't recommend that path. It just creates more problems.
Try out different hutxhys first.
https://theonion.com/plan-to-straighten-out-entire-life-during-weeklong-vaca-1819566088/
__loam@reddit
Psychiatric drugs can take a while to work and work better with consistent therapy. It can feel like quackery but all that stuff provably works and can help you identify the source of your feelings much more precisely, but you gotta trust the process. Unfortunately it can take time which sucks if you're heading for a crisis in the immediate future.
hutxhy@reddit (OP)
I've been toying with the idea of doing psychedelic therapy. The research out there seems super promising, but I also don't want to pin my hopes and dreams on that being a panacea.
__loam@reddit
I'd start with consistently seeing a therapist haha.
I actually have done some weird stuff like gut hypnotherapy which helped with a specific issue I had, but that was after talking a lot with my doctor and therapist.
hutxhy@reddit (OP)
Lol, alright I'll give it a shot. I'll try out a few until I find one I gel with decently.
wuzzelputz@reddit
I‘m very impressed by all the things you are doing. I dont‘ know your situation in detail, but to me sounds like i wouldn‘t stand a few weeks of yours. Have you considered doing nothing at times? Like, going for a walk alone, no electronics, just you? Feeling your body, your feelings, your wishes etc… I wonder if you are way beyond your personal limit. But if your pace feels ok to you, nevermind.
hutxhy@reddit (OP)
> I‘m very impressed by all the things you are doing.
Thanks... I think, lol.
> But if your pace feels ok to you, nevermind.
It definitely doesn't feel okay to me. My problem right now is figuring out how to slow down without sacrificing my quality in all things i do across the board: work, parenting, being a good partner, etc.
PragmaticBoredom@reddit
If you want my suggestions (take with a grain of salt):
Start making more time for yourself. You're going to have to find the balance between doing things for others and doing things for yourself.
Grinding yourself into a depression isn't doing your family any favors.
This will involve saying "no" from time to time and asking other people to pick up more work. Get comfortable with that.
A suggestion: Reduce time spent on programming-related things outside of work to zero. Try it for a few months.
If you can, cut down on TV and video game time, too.
Between work, programming as a hobby, watching TV, and playing video games your screen time must be excessively high. Start by cutting it down. Fill the void with anything else. Try to put some emphasis on leaving the house when you don't know what to do.
Try a therapist, too. Try multiple therapists. Trying different things is fine. Keep expectations realistic. You're not going to find one pill or one therapist trick that solves all of your problems. It's a contributor to moving in the right direction, not a solution in itself.
hutxhy@reddit (OP)
Thanks for the thoughtful responses, mate :). You've provided some great insight and advice. I do think you're right about all of this and will try to incorporate it more into my daily routine.
TransCapybara@reddit
24YOE, in a dead end software eng job (ineligible for promotions or pay raises), underpaid for my position. I can’t take a sabbatical either because I am the primary breadwinner of my household. It’s pretty hard to stay motivated when I’m not going to get properly compensated for my work.
__loam@reddit
I was in a very similar situation and now I'm taking a break after getting laid off earlier this year. I think you need to find a way to take a break, but I know it's not always practical.
hutxhy@reddit (OP)
> it's not always practical.
This is the part I'm trying to figure out. I feel like I just need my main stressor/responsibility for a while to be "how do I work on myself and get myself back to a healthy spot?"
__loam@reddit
I kind of got forced to do that and it's working for me, but my partner works. I would talk to your partner and figure out a way to save up some money and secure healthcare for a few months so you can take a break. If you quit your job, you can keep your healthcare through cobra. Maybe you can find a new role then delay your start date so you don't need to worry about getting a new position during your break.
hutxhy@reddit (OP)
Yeah this is a great point. I just hate the fact that taking time off means I'm going to speedrun burning through my savings.
noodlebucket@reddit
Hey - so I’m a working mom. While my family could technically live on my salary, we don’t, because only having one income, mine, is psychologically too stressful for me. Have you talked to your partner about what it might look like for them to also contribute to the household income? It feels like some of what you describe might be alleviated by just having less personal responsibility.
__loam@reddit
Think about it like an investment in your future earning potential. If you're running on a broken leg, you can do more damage that might require a longer recovery period. Burnout is a physical illness that sometimes needs to be addressed with rest to heal correctly. You can't win the bread if you have a nervous breakdown.
But ultimately this is a discussion you need to have with your partner and possibly a therapist to figure out the best approach to maximizing recovery and minimizing the financial impact.
ikeif@reddit
I've struggled to write an adequate response, because I definitely have felt this way in the past.
Coding, for me, is a hobby AND a job. When I'm engaged with work, I'll blow through it, because I'm engaged. When work gets slow, or tedious (and I can't automate the boring stuff away) I lose steam/focus/drive.
What about your day job do you not like?
It sounds like you're not engaged - the problems you're fixing aren't bringing you "joy"—in that "I completed a puzzle" way. Is your dread because you cannot do the work, or because you are bored with the work?
Depending on that - you might try talking to your manager/team mates about changing projects/focus.
I DO think it's a good idea you take some time off - even a 3-4 day weekend if you have PTO, just to give yourself some time to decompress. That won't be a permanent solution, but maybe give you some time to hone in on your "issue" with work.
You said you're seeking medication, but I'd recommend counseling as well (if your psychiatrist is doing a good job at counseling, then nevermind).
For me, looking back, a lot of my "burnout" was not being engaged with the work - which reminded me of school when I felt "burnout" because the schoolwork was boring as fuck and I couldn't engage with the material. I did well, I just could not get myself to care about it, unless it was art/video production.
Past jobs, I tended to leave when I felt I wasn't growing anymore. I wasn't learning, I wasn't being pushed to find solutions, I was just "going through the motions" (like those videos of putting shapes into slots… you know what to do, but fuck… again?)
I found that creating my own fun and being able to tie it in to work was valuable - when I could sell work on a POC or an experiment based on what I had seen/developed, help reinvigorate my excitement for work.
I still struggle with engagement at times now - but I do love my company, so I'm trying to do my best to fight it a little better even on the "bad days" because I know "good days" can happen at any moment.
I don't have a solid answer for you, just know you're not alone, and we're proud of you for seeking additional help and just talking about it. And way to make your family a priority - that helped me in the past when I was frustrated with work, because I got so many hugs from my kids that bad work days didn't matter some times.
hutxhy@reddit (OP)
This is a great and thoughtful response, thank you. To answer some of your questions and comments:
> Is your dread because you cannot do the work, or because you are bored with the work?
It's a vicious cycle that I wrap myself in: I get extremely unmotivated and bored, so I procrastinate. Since I procrastinate I'm not delivering in an adequate time and fear giving the same updates of "still working on it".
> I'd recommend counseling as well
A few others have mentioned this. I should try to seek out a good therapist because I've had two in the past and neither really scratched that itch for me.
> For me, looking back, a lot of my "burnout" was not being engaged with the work
I certainly feel that this is a large part of it. Something about CRUD applications just don't tickle my fancy anymore. Especially when it's to build out yet another "fintech" payments solution.
> I still struggle with engagement at times now - but I do love my company, so I'm trying to do my best to fight it
I feel this in my core. I've definitely left a couple companies that I regret leaving. They were overall pretty great, I had a great team, but ultimately I just sabotaged myself into believing I needed to leave.
> we're proud of you for seeking additional help and just talking about it
This means a lot! I feel like I don't really have any meaningful friendly relationships anymore. So being able to talk about stuff like this and have people understand me and virtually embrace me is a great feeling!
DaRubyRacer@reddit
I'm feeling pretty much the exact same way, and can't really give any advice other than what I'm going through as well, and what I find hope or sustenance in.
I’m really struggling with feeling disconnected from my work right now. I don’t have any personal projects I’m passionate about, and I honestly don’t want to program any more than I absolutely have to. Mondays have become a real dread, especially when I end up working weekends to deploy things because of the Client's schedule. The systems I’m working with are misconfigured, and I feel like I’m spending all my time doing custom development and patches just to keep things running. It’s starting to feel like I’m stuck here, almost gaslighted into thinking I’m incapable of doing anything else.
The lack of drive for my work is another huge issue. I often find myself running late, which is embarrassing, and it’s hard to get motivated to get up and get to work. I’ve definitely improved this year, but Mondays are still hard after a weekend of distractions, trying to find something meaningful in an otherwise dull routine. And I feel abandoned when I get thrown into projects without proper onboarding—it's like no one cares to set me up for success. It makes me resentful, especially with the way these systems have been in disarray for over 15 years. I’m doing the job of cleaning up other people’s messes, and it’s frustrating because I don’t want to sacrifice my own standards for a quick fix.
There’s also this deeper frustration tied to the whole “sacrifice of interest for productivity” that I think Capitalism demands, whereas I've seen different ideas of Marxism within my career (Some people do the work because they can, and others use it because they need it) It’s been eating at me for a long time—why I never followed my passion for History, why I rushed into the workforce with minimal debt and an Associates degree. It’s this constant feeling of giving up my own interests for the sake of a job, and I can’t help but feel it’s slowly draining me.
But on the flip side, it’s not all bad. The people I work with are cool. The senior is giga cool, and smart and is just a plethora of advice. I mean, is it really so bad to work with these people on these projects? My employer is solid—honest, reliable. I don’t have to worry about being paid, and I honestly don’t think they’ll fire me unless I really mess up, and even then they still might now. The flexibility of working from home is great, and I’ve got a good wage. I know that if I didn’t have this job, I’d be wondering what I’m doing with my life in just a few days. And despite the terrible systems I’m dealing with, there’s something rewarding about fixing them. It’s a battle, though, between improving things and wanting to just throw in the towel.
The only real source of motivation I find is in my personal commitment to this profession through reading and discussing and being a part of a community at large, backed by intellect and a desire to share and help one another.
It’s a tough balance, and I’m still figuring it out. There are many things I love about this career and I'm sure we're just both overthinking about the negatives.
Good Luck
hutxhy@reddit (OP)
You've touched on some really good points. And I share similar beliefs. I do believe capitalism enshittifies everything. I mean heck, AI is making art while we're working "on spreadsheets" that's ass backwards. I have gotten a lot more familiar with Marxism in recent years, in large part due to this sense of despair and alienation I feel in my day-to-day.
ds9329@reddit
This hits home, beautifully written too. No advice, just solidarity
hutxhy@reddit (OP)
Thank you :')
matthedev@reddit
Could be burnout, could be ennui (but is that just French for burnout?). I also think whether the role and the company and team's culture are a good fit makes a big difference.
With the economy tanking because of tariffs and other factors, a sabbatical seems especially risky, especially if a whole household depends on your income. It's understandable that, when others depend on you, you can't think only about what's best for yourself.
I'm kind of feeling similarly about my job right now.
A friend was recently talking about a personality test—a little navel gazy, but sometimes it happens—and I did end up taking it. Apparently, this one rated me as 71% extraverted although, in the past, other tests had rated me somewhat-to-slightly introverted. My present job is overwhelmingly heads-down tactical coding. This adds some numbers to my dislike of excessive coding time. I also don't think it's a fluke: My interests and preferences have gradually changed, which means the way I like to work, what I like to work on, and how have all changed with it (aside from just raw skill and experience).
A second factor is opportunity cost. There are all these things a person could be doing, but a job eats up much of their waking hours and energy. After recovering from COVID-19 a couple of months or so back, it screwed with my sleep hard, and I was waking up after three to five hours of sleep a night. All of a sudden though, that meant I had a ton of extra time to pursue my own hobbies and interests, and what else is there to do when everything is closed and most people (around you) are asleep? My sleep has returned to a more consistent seven to eight hours, and it does suck losing that time. Among other things, I was starting to work with LLMs and generative AI locally, and obviously, something new is going to be more interesting than a day job that's much like what a person has been doing for ten or twenty years already. The opportunity cost is going to be back of your mind when you're trudging through some tangled technical debt or an uninspiring "user story."
A third is social. Where I live, there is a bit of a tendency for people to stick with who they've known going back to high school or college rather than branching out. It takes significant effort to get things like good friends you really click with and good dates out of it (well, if you like beer and baseball, it's probably a lot easier). You have to be able to commit both time and energy to socializing and trying a whole bunch of groups and events—and even trying them again if they didn't pay off right away. Demanding jobs, which are common in tech, can make that harder (because even if you find the time, if you're feeling burnt out, lethargic, rushed and exhausted, or irritable, people can tell).
A fourth is that seeming trolley dilemma you alluded to; a spouse, children, pets, and sick or aging parents can all be people it's right to look after, even at some cost to immediate personal happiness. If you're more generous of spirit, you may even feel some sense of responsibility towards an even wider circle of friends, family, neighbors, and community. For example, you may not want to see a friend or relative wind up homeless. Sometimes solving the trolley dilemma means trying to get them better able to support themselves, even if it takes time.
For me, I know it's certainly not depression. When 5:00 hits, I beeline out to do the things that do bring me happiness: a run, a bike ride, grabbing dinner with friends. Things like that.
Other commenters here have already suggested a stoic approach: making peace with the need to work, even when it's often not enjoyable. In the micro, that makes sense; there are a lot of factors that are hard for any one individual to influence. In the macro though, I think it's a self-fulfilling prophesy. Obviously, there are things that need to get done that few would find thrilling, but things haven't in the past and certainly won't always in the future work the way work works now.
Radinax@reddit
Same, only time helps sadly.
Also get hobbies outside of a computer helps.
almost_a_hermit@reddit
I previously was burning myself out every 6 months or so. Work things that have helped me: * Write down every single thing you do at your job. Every recurring meeting you attend, every recurring update you give, amount of time you spend on incidents, bugs, feature work, planning, ticket prep, code reviews, off squad technical discussions, pairing, teaching junior devs, ect. * Bold the items that you get fulfillment out of. * Mark the items that you don't enjoy or don't gain fulfillment from. Of those you don't enjoy, which could be delegated to others? Delegate. * Of the work you enjoy, what could you change in your daily work to get to do more of those? Talk to your PM and/or manager. If you are burnt out to the point where nothing is enjoyable, take a week or two off work.
Non-work things that have helped me: 1. You've mentioned you have kids. If possible and they are old enough, send them to grandparents for a week and take a relaxing vacation just yourself and your partner. We've done 3 trips like this. Kids get spoiled for a week and we get a week to sleep in and relax. If you can't do this, take a week or two off work and stay home but continue to send the kids to school/daycare. 2. Have someone come in once a week and clean the house. I'm a much happier person when I have a regularly clean house. 3. Meds. I have bad anxiety and meds have made my life so much easier.
VorSiecht@reddit
Do you have short term disability, sometimes paid for by the employer? If so, you can combine that with FMLA and get paid for the duration you’re out. Only requires a doctor’s recommendation for up to 12 weeks. It’s usually not 100% of your pay but better than no pay. Plus you should be able to keep insurance and other things you need for your family.
Not sure if your company is big enough or you’ve been at the job at least a year but worth a try.
bwainfweeze@reddit
Spend as much time as you can afford to divert without comment onto things that piss you off.
Make sure you're using the vacation and comp time that has been afforded to you. Stop working overtime for things that get you no appreciation or personal satisfaction.
There are some three day weekend opportunities coming up quite soon. Put in vacation requests to make them into 4.
freshhorsemanure@reddit
Yeah i feel pretty similar. I've gone from highly motivated and curious to absolutely hating my job, maybe even the industry as a whole. Management feeds us this culture bullshit of how they want engineers to have a voice, but when you say something negative about how the way things are going there is always some excuse.
I think the most demotivating factor for me is being a high performer consistently for a number of years that i've been at this company, and still making less than junior engineers i've mentored.
But what do i do? The world is fucked thanks to the idiots that voted in Trump for a 2nd term and we're diving headfirst into a global recession. Do i risk giving up my seniority to go be a newbie at a different company, and risk getting laid off?
i_wanna_get_better@reddit
For the last 3-4 years, there were stretches of time where I flirted with burnout. I love my career and work, but it was difficult to find motivation. It frustrated me because I had the ambition to excel and deliver results and grow my career, but I couldn't execute on it. My job performance was satisfactory, but it wasn't moving upwards. I felt stuck.
Generally, I'm of the opinion that we can't sustain a consistently productive career over 30-40 years unless we keep ourselves healthy. And that starts with the fundamentals: sleep, diet, exercise. I think this gets even more important as our bodies age.
But even during those 3-4 years, I consistently maintained good habits: 7-8 hours of sleep, a good diet, vitamins, 3-5 days of vigorous exercise per week. I had gone to therapy. I journaled my feelings every day. I used various productivity tools and methodologies. And yet I still struggled with low motivation, and I kept trying different things to find a breakthrough.
Two months ago I experimented with cutting out alcohol. I had been drinking on average 1-2 drinks a day (not every day -- that's just what the average came out to be). I used my journal to track my mood and productivity at work (I measured it in the number of "deeply focused hours" worked -- and I wanted at least 5 per day).
In the last two months, I have been more focused, clear-headed, energetic, and passionate than I have been in 4-5 years. It's like I struck oil -- but instead of oil gushing from the ground, it's self-confidence.
My hypothesis is that alcohol negates the benefits of healthy habits like sleep and exercise. I think of it like a 20% debuff on all stats AND experience gain. If I were are playing a video game, I'd do anything to remove a 20% debuff. So why would I do the same in the real world?
Cutting out alcohol is a specific tactic in that it won't generally appy to everyone. Not everyone drinks as much or as often as I did. But I think it's worth calling out in case you do drink regularly.
The general principle is to have a healthy lifestyle -- and that does apply to EVERYONE. You can take time off work to get healthy, but I think you'd be better off figuring out how make these habits work alongside your career and your family life. If you have a healthy lifestlye and you still feel burnt out -- as I did -- try other things until something clicks into place.
Also, be honest with yourself when assessing your "healthy lifestyle." Eating a salad once a week for lunch does not make you healthy. Going on a walk once per week does not make you fit. I had to be honest with myself. I thought 1-2 drinks per day was low enough. But it turns out that it wasn't.
jonmitz@reddit
Therapy. Go try it
hutxhy@reddit (OP)
I know you're right, but I just haven't had great experiences with it in the past.
jonmitz@reddit
It’s hard to find the right therapist. There are many different approaches and different personalities
angrynoah@reddit
It's like looking in a mirror...
Raunhofer@reddit
I'm pretty much alike. The projects that truly motivate me are rare and I often feel like an odd one in sw houses. I'm currently tech, product and design lead, essentially pushing an entire product family forward against big global competitors and it keeps me barely satisfied. Being passionate doesn't mean everything goes.
But here's unfortunately where reality kicks in. Not every gig can or will be interesting. If you can't find yours I believe it's time to kick off your own thing.
Good luck!
hutxhy@reddit (OP)
> If you can't find yours I believe it's time to kick off your own thing.
god I wish. Just need to figure out what to do.
runescapefisher@reddit
Thought this was me…
complexitorjohn@reddit
Are you a full-stack developer? Maybe you could look at DX Engineer roles - then you'd work to fix exactly the stuff you despise, and companies that have such role cares way more about engineering quality.
hutxhy@reddit (OP)
Not sure why you're getting downvoted, but I have tried to pivot to a more "platform"-like role. I find I enjoy working on more system stuff and developer tooling than CRUD applications, but it feels like being an entry level engineer again: people want me to already have 10+ years of experience in managing K8s clusters :/
lunacraz@reddit
you could try joining a smaller startup that you can bring your expertise in, and then slowly work on that kind of stuff - everyone at a small startup needs to do a ton of different things
then get into the infra/tooling side
then after a year or two of that, become an "experienced" version of that :)
IXISIXI@reddit
I feel this - it's like a catch 22. You want to work with these systems at scale but need a job doing that but to get a job doing that you need experience working with these systems at scale.
SpaceToaster@reddit
The problem it seems isn’t the career in general just your current gig. Put out feelers for better opportunities, both in developer experience and/or compensation. They are out there.
hutxhy@reddit (OP)
Yeah, i do love all things related to software, but it just seems like so many jobs out there are just very blah.