Developers Burnout!
What does burnout mean? Why does it happen and how can we combat burnout?
It has been quite some time since a newsletter was published on The Full Stack, and I sincerely apologise for that. This article is highly relatable to me and many other developers.
A study by Haystack Analytics found that 83% of developers reported experiencing burnout due to the pandemic. The study found that the top reasons for burnout included higher workload, inefficient processes, and unclear goals and targets.
In this post, we will see what burnout is, the major causes for developer burnout, and some tips to identify and tackle them.
What is Burnout?
In 2019, WHO (World Health Organization) defined burnout as “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”
Though there are multiple reasons that can inevitably lead to developer burnout, WHO has mentioned that the top cause for developer burnout is by stressors at the workplace.
An individual experiencing burnout can experience the following symptoms,
Lack of motivation to do activities that they actually like doing.
Chronic mental fatigue
Reduced professional efficiency
Reduced sense of confidence on oneself.
When these factors slowly kick in, we are constantly tired to initiate any activity, irrespective of whether we like it, and also inevitably feel guilty for not performing the activity.
How to identify burning out?
According to me, burning out happens in 4 stages.
1) The excitement stage:
Most of the developers are excited and energised when they take up a new task to accomplish. These tasks can include
Learning a new language / framework
Trying to a solve a problem to create an impact
Start their writing journey
Building a product or working on a side project
All these tasks are exciting and the motivation is elevated as they start working on it.
With this excitement in place, we tend to set high, unachievable targets which will slowly start building pressure.
2) Low fuel stage:
After a certain point in time, developers will start to experience certain ups and downs in their journey of executing these tasks.
The ups and downs in their performance will severely affect their motivation to continue and then begins the self-criticism.
Soon, developer start to experience fatigue and changes in sleep cycles. Sometimes, this will result in trying to find a coping mechanism to combat these feelings of mental fatigue and stress, like binge watching, excessive eating/shopping, etc.
3) Symptomatic stage:
If stage 2 continues, they might start experiencing worse symptoms like chronic fatigue, both mentally and physically. Severe lack of motivation in day-to-day activities, and anger issues.
At this stage, we often try to blame ourselves for not able to accomplish the goals that we set for ourselves. This soon becomes a vicious cycle.
4) Crisis stage:
At this stage, things get more serious. The problems from before happen more often and may become a big issue.
People might start obsessing over work frustrations, feeling really negative about themselves, or try to find shortcuts to escape from any form of responsibilities
It is only at this stage, people usually identify that there is some form of stress that they are trying to combat, but failing miserably.
If we do not act on it soon, we will soon lose the interest in the things that we liked at first, leading to self-hate, anger issues, and even depression.
How to combat?
There are multiple ways to combat burnout at every stage.
TLDR; Acknowledge that you are not a failure and communicate this to trustworthy people.
Burnout is not personal failure:
All these starts with putting ourselves down for the goals that we haven’t achieved, or taking up too many tasks to handle. We need to acknowledge that unable to achieve a target is okay and not failure.
Always measure progress, not perfection.
We cannot be an expert in everything:
As developers, there is always something new to learn. That maybe a new tool, language, framework, technology, or even preparing for an interview to switch jobs.
There exists a baseline expectation to learn everything. This creates pressure leading to setting unattainable goals and overworking.
Recognizing and comprehending our schedule is crucial for establishing goals and incorporating regular breaks.
Keep track of positive events and small wins
Knowing what energizes you versus what drains you can help you figure out which projects to prioritize and what to start saying “No” to. Check out this article if you need help saying “No”.
Refer to small wins and positive events in your upskilling journey during difficult times to remind yourself of the good you’ve done.
According to organizational psychologist Adam Grant, “the strongest buffer against burnout seems to be a sense of daily progress.”
Ask for help from teammates and managers. Be intentional and specific about your requests.
Stress, Burnout, and Depression
The line between stress, burnout, and depression is often unclear, and determining where one starts and the other ends can be tricky. Burnout occurs when stress builds up over time without relief.
While stress and fatigue are typical and usually temporary,
burnout is a persistent cycle of negative emotions and withdrawal.
It stems from investing too much emotionally, intellectually, or physically without taking breaks or pursuing interests beyond work.
Depression is different from stress and burnout because it doesn't always have a clear reason. It can stick around even after the initial stress is gone.
While we can often do things to manage stress and burnout on our own, getting help from a professional might be needed for depression.
Hope this helps you understand what burnout is. Always remember to take breaks and appreciate progress. Aim for perfection but don’t be too self-critical to bring down your own motivation.
Until next time!