7 Subtle Signs of Developer Burnout — And How to Recover From It

Burnouts are inevitable in a long career in tech.

These 7 signs will help you in identifying it early and love your work again

Let’s dive in ↓

TL;DR

• You feel isolated
• You regularly miss deadlines
• You don’t get proper sleep
• You are being overworked
• You constantly lack motivation
• You don’t take breaks
• You often feel distracted

You feel isolated 😓

1 in 5 people deal with workplace loneliness.

Feeling disconnected from peers is a terrible feeling.

Make new connections and find opportunities to collaborate.

Volunteer and rise by lifting others.

You regularly miss deadlines 🤦

We all suffer with optimism bias.

That makes us underestimate time and roadblocks in completing the tasks.

Schedule buffer time and cut yourself some slack.

While planning, assume the worst.

You don’t get proper sleep 🥱

You find yourself in a state of stress — or have poor sleep habits.

Lack of sleep costs you more than just drowsiness.

For better sleep:
Avoid large meals
Get some exercise
Limit Caffeine

Most importantly, make time for sleep.

You are being overworked 😥

Ever felt that you lack energy for simplest tasks?

That’s because your mind is overwhelmed.

Take time to plan and set realistic expectations.

Value health before sickness.

You constantly lack motivation 😕

So you feel you are NOT making progress.

Revive your motivation by:
Learning new things
Side projects
Collaborating

Have goals, not chores.

You don’t take breaks ☕️

By not taking breaks,

You are starving your body and mind from recharge.

Add effective breaks to your work routine:
Standup and stretch
Breathing exercises
Short walks

Learn to rest your mind.

You often feel distracted 😖

You are constantly bombarded by:
Messages
Notifications
Interruptions

Identify and eliminate distractions from your work environment.

Block time for what needs to be done.

Focus and win.

Wrapping up 📝

That's it!

I hope you found these tips helpful.

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Also, share how do you avoid or recover from burnout in comments 👇