If you have experienced your energy levels get depleted, motivation to work is nonexistent, that excitement to create and innovate is gone, then my friend, you have experienced classic symptoms of the "development burnout!"
I am going to give you some tips that have helped me stay on track and continue to perform at great levels in every job and project that I have worked on. Some of these may seem a little prescriptive and imposing but trust me they work.
Conclusion TL:DR
It all boils down to discipline and self-care. You are your most important asset. If you are not well taken care of, you may be able to perform and deliver some work, but at what cost? I can understand some of these tips seem very hard to do. At some point, they did for me as well. I know some things can be completely outside of your control, but if you focus on what you can control and make it your goal to succeed without making up excuses, I am here to tell you IT GETS BETTER, but you need to do your part.Start the day working out
I told you some of these tips were going to be prescriptive or imposing, but if you do not workout, you are seriously missing out on lots of amazing benefits. Working out early in the morning has this awesome effect of giving you energy for the rest of the day. Honestly, I have no idea why. It may be the adrenaline rushing through your body, but the important part is that it is a game-changer. No more dragging yourself to work on that extra-large Starbucks drink. No more energy drink after lunch to keep going. Not only is that detrimental to your health, but you simply won't need it. Now, I can already hear some of you saying: "but Cai, I am not a morning person!" Oh trust me, neither was I. Ask my wife how many years I would set up my alarm for 6:00 am and never wake up. I made my goal a little more realistic. Today, I can easily wake up between 6:45 am and 7 am so I can be at the gym ready to go by 7:15 am - 7:30 am. Of course, it helps that I work from home, but you can adapt this time to suit your needs. The type of workout you wanna do is up to you. The goal is not to be a fitness model (unless you want to). The goal is to start the day active and have the effects last all day. Also, another plain and simple benefit is your health. Everyone knows living an active lifestyle can lead to better and longer years of life and peak performance.Take Frequent Breaks
I really can't believe the number of people that are glued to their chairs for more than 2 hours. How about those meetings that are 2 to 3 hours long? Your brain simply cannot focus on a single task for that long. You have to take frequent breaks. I usually use the Pomodoro technique while doing focused work. The Pomodoro technique is very simple. You need a timer and something to keep track of the intervals. I use an app on my iPad or PC. Essentially you divide the focus work into intervals. The classic amount of time is 25 mins, but I find myself adjusting it to 30 or even 40 mins per interval; totally up to you, but I would not recommend making it any longer. During this time you need to focus and keep any distractions out of sight. Put on music on your headphones, turn your phone off or put it on vibrate, close all of those tabs with memes you wanted to share, etc. After 25 mins (or your selected timeframe) stop everything you are doing and take a break. The classic break time is 5 mins, but I sometimes do 7 mins. Again, w.e works for you just don't make it so long that you lose momentum. In fact, I am about to take my break right now, so BRB...Ok, I'm back. During this short break, you can get up and stretch, then do nothing. Don't look at your phone, put it down! Go get some water or simply rest your eyes. I often close my eyes and do eye resting exercises. Sounds silly, but your eyes are one of the most precious organs in your body and we often do not take care of them. If you are interested in such exercises, just google them up.
Now, back to another focused work interval. You repeat this process 4 times and after the 4th focused work session, you take a long break. This can be 25 mins or a little more. Use it as you please, but try to stay away from electronics.
All of this process makes 1 Pomodoro:
- Focused work (25 mins)
- Short break (5 mins)
- Focused work (25 mins)
- Short break (5 mins)
- Focused work (25 mins)
- Short break (5 mins)
- Focused work (25 mins)
- Short break (5 mins)
- Long Break (25 mins)
If you follow it properly and do a couple of Pomodoros a day, you will not believe how much you can get done and how fresh you will feel.
Eat Well
I don't believe in diets, because they are temporary. You need to have a healthy eating lifestyle. Something that you can do for the rest of your life. Not everyone is the same and what works for me may not work for you, but the goal is to have a decent body weight and body fat to keep your energy levels strong. I personally do intermittent fasting to maintain my caloric intake in check and I do not cut out any macros, I eat carbs, fats, and protein alike. Again, that may not work for you so consult with your doctor for any diet and exercise needs.Have side projects or hobbies that don't involve coding
I know this may be a little tough if you are thinking about doing a software company or something along those lines, but if you are not, then go do something else after work. Spend time with your loved ones, play a sport, watch a show or a movie, play some video games, read a book. Let your mind rest.Take frequent and short vacations
I am fortunate enough to work at a company where my team and boss understand the importance of work-life balance. I get a generous amount of PTO and I can take it as long as the team is capable of functioning properly in my absence. I often try to take a couple of days off every 3 to 4 months. If I could do it every 2 months I would. I am a father of 3 so traveling often becomes pretty hard, so I normally just take this time to rest. Playing soccer, working out, sleeping in, spending time with my family, playing video games, are often the activities you will find me doing.Discipline
I am going to be brutally honest with this last one. If you lack discipline, you will never see amazing results in anything. Remember that feeling of excitement when you started that new job, or side project, or that new workout routine? How long did that last? A couple of weeks? One month? Maybe for two months? However, you started to get bored, felt like the motivation wasn't there anymore. It happens to everyone trust me, most of the time the fault is our very own. Once that fuzzy feeling goes away, you have to be in full control of your emotions and keep going. You need to be resilient and have grit! I am not saying this is easy. This is the hardest thing you have to endure mentally and physically, but if you really want it, you can do it and it will take you places! Without discipline all of the previous tips I shared with you mean nothing. Waking up early to work out? You will snooze the alarm and keep sleeping. Breaking up your work in intervals? Either you will take extremely long breaks or take none at all and exhaust yourself. Eating well? You will end up at McDonald's every other day. Discipline and grit are the keys to your success.
In the end, it's all about finding that delicate balance between pushing yourself to excel and taking care of your well-being. Remember, you're your most valuable asset. By prioritizing discipline and self-care, you pave the way for sustained success and fulfillment in both your professional and personal endeavors. So, embrace these tips, stay committed, and watch as your resilience and determination propel you to new heights. Keep going, and remember, it only gets better from here! Happy coding and let's continue to achieve peak performance!