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So, some people in the replies say “depression”, but as someone who experienced this A Lot before this, I’d argue it’s more specific.
A mini-thread on Some Falsehoods Programmers* Believe About Burnout I guess?
*and others https://twitter.com/patrickklepek/status/1314310323596337173
A mini-thread on Some Falsehoods Programmers* Believe About Burnout I guess?
*and others https://twitter.com/patrickklepek/status/1314310323596337173
Burnout isn’t solely caused by overwork. Mine happened without a minute of overtime.
It can also be caused by constant stress without any control over making it stop.
See where I’m going?
It can also be caused by constant stress without any control over making it stop.
See where I’m going?
I’m no doctor or expert, but a key burnout symptom is that your stress response gets completely and absolutely fucked on a physiological level.
Because you’re constantly at an elevated level, the baseline shifts, the spikes get unbearable.
Because you’re constantly at an elevated level, the baseline shifts, the spikes get unbearable.
For me, that manifested in Apparently Sudden Spikes Of Intense Despair (hiding in office bathroom to let the crying fit pass), and days spent in an exhausted haze.
It felt a lot like the numbness of depression but with more brain white noise?
It felt a lot like the numbness of depression but with more brain white noise?
And the fun thing with burnout is that you can’t out-work it, you can’t distract your way out of it, you can’t even easily healthy work environment your way out of it, you need REST.
You need the stressors gone and enough time for your stress response to readjust.
You need the stressors gone and enough time for your stress response to readjust.
A lot of coping strategies geared at anxiety and depression help! Meds can help, especially if you have other brain wonks to begin with!
But in the end, it’s brain damage and the wound needs time to scab over. No other choice.
Right now, well, er, yeah, about that
But in the end, it’s brain damage and the wound needs time to scab over. No other choice.
Right now, well, er, yeah, about that
We can’t remove ourselves from the situation, which is literally the only thing that works. We have to keep going.
So instead we need to find as many opportunities for rest as possible. Expecting anyone to work full-time under such environmental stress is incredibly inhumane.
So instead we need to find as many opportunities for rest as possible. Expecting anyone to work full-time under such environmental stress is incredibly inhumane.
Yeah, socialization and temperament (*cough not gender cough*) can make the spikes manifest very differently.
I definitely lashed out a LOT while burning but lulz like that was going to be remotely noticeable in 2015 Frostbite Stockholm Culture. https://twitter.com/david_hatten/status/1314516998743826434
I definitely lashed out a LOT while burning but lulz like that was going to be remotely noticeable in 2015 Frostbite Stockholm Culture. https://twitter.com/david_hatten/status/1314516998743826434
IN CONCLUSION:
My read is that we’re all burning out. For some of you it’s the first time that it’s this bad.
You will discover new things about your brain and they mostly will suck. It’s okay. It’ll pass. I promise.
My read is that we’re all burning out. For some of you it’s the first time that it’s this bad.
You will discover new things about your brain and they mostly will suck. It’s okay. It’ll pass. I promise.
