Ask HN: How many days do you take off to recover from burnout?

15 points by gymshoes 4 years ago | 23 comments

forgotmypw17 4 years ago |

It took me a couple of years to recover, but I never went back to the industry.

Fuck unrealistic deadlines and unnecessary stress.

Fuck shipping half-assed unfinished products.

Fuck working on shit which is a net negative on the world.

Fuck using stupid-ass "frameworks".

I'd rather be a beggar than do that shit again.

recvonline 4 years ago | |

What are you doing now?

forgotmypw17 4 years ago | | |

After taking a break for a year or two, I returned to what I loved to do before: Writing software for myself to use and enjoy and to share with others, taking the time to think it through, do it right without cutting corners, and enjoy and rejoice in the gift of the process.

softwaredoug 4 years ago |

Depends what you mean.

I believe burnout comes from forgetting who you were before you learned your professional vocation. For me the little kid that likes legos and video games, where “computers” are some weird abstract thing in the lab at school. Putting my work-self before that kid leads to disaster. I’m a human being before I’m a programmer. I can allow myself to change: to even dislike programming, to explore other ways of being and playing.

How do you fix that? Of course depends on the severity:

- A solid vacation leaving your work laptop at home.

- getting into hobbies and interests away from work so you get some perspective

- taking an n month sabbatical

- deciding to switch careers entirely…

temp234 4 years ago | |

I like this answer a lot, particularly the point about hobbies... options are power, OP, if you're feeling burnt out try to frame this much broader than just needing time off. Things that can be part of feeling better are: self care, fixing your sleep, eating well, drinking water, thinking about the substances you use, different habits, change of place, time with people you love, going to your doctor for a check up, maybe considering therapy. If it feels cringe it may be particularly worth investigating. For the longest time I thought being really disciplined about sleep was just a meme for uncool people but no, it's the best

q-base 4 years ago |

It took a good 3-4 months for me find any remote joy in getting back to work. I was lucky not to be in a financial situation where I needed to work, so I could take some months off early without any real consequence.

trilinearnz 4 years ago |

For me, a week off work combined with the following:

1. Seeing my GP and going back on antidepressant medication (burnout may be a symptom of an underlying condition).

2. Taking up the offer of set of six free counselling sessions offered by my state.

3. Continuing to apply my own personal coping mechanisms (e.g. mild exercise, adequate sleep).

4. Recognising that burnout / depressive feelings / anxiety can sometimes re-occur for a while despite your best efforts and the above practices, and that is OK.

In my opinion, it's important to acknowledge that relying on just one of these points exclusively may not be enough for you to stave off burnout. My mistake was thinking there was a silver bullet, and tackling that would be enough to 'fix' myself. Instead, a multi-pronged, long-term plan was necessary for me.

I wish you all the best :)

ponyous 4 years ago |

3-4 days. I really just need an extended weekend where I don't think about work. Maybe I need so little time because I sense when I am getting burned out and I just take 3 days off as a precaution and this happens quite often - multiple times a year.

If I take a year off I forget how to think and work I think.

literallyaduck 4 years ago |

Recovery is a long road. First you need to break ties with your abuser. Stop working 40+ weeks and set limits on "on call" work. Don't check your phone on down time. A day measurement will be different for everyone, but I'd recommend going camping for two weeks without a phone, bring it but don't turn it on.

Don't bring anyone else and take time to figure you how you got there and where you want to go in life.

Remember most code is meaningless, and unless you happen to work where people's lives depend on you getting it right, relax.

mathematically 4 years ago |

2 years and still recovering.

snicky 4 years ago |

What is a solid definition of a burnout? Asking, because as a teenager and in my early twenties I was quite sensitive / "self-reflective" and always expected that spending dull days working for other people will kill me mentally, but in the end it never happend. I'm in IT for 10 years already and changed jobs a couple of times, usually when some processes in companies where pissing me off, but I don't think this is what you're talking about.

lnwlebjel 4 years ago |

Proabably 20 days, scattered over 6 months. For me it was more about distributing the work load, so that I wasn't coming back to the same forces that induced the burnout. Improving stress management also helped a lot, which mostly amounts to regular, weight-bearing exercise (leading to a calmer mind, better sleep, better eating ... etc).

I'm about 5 months out of it now and feel like a normal human being for the first time in years.

high_byte 4 years ago |

about the average of everyone else here. I'm glad I'm not the only one. no wait, I'm saddened for us all. we're doomed!

psyc 4 years ago |

500-600

wikibob 4 years ago |

1 to 1.5 years.

yulaow 4 years ago |

at least 2 month, it's the bare minimum if you really fully relax

RNCTX 4 years ago |

early 2007 until today.

boksiora 4 years ago |

It takes few years

kody 4 years ago |

2 weeks. I become listless beyond that.

admissionsguy 4 years ago |

A large dose of shrooms

high_byte 4 years ago | |

a medium will do for me

throwaway180118 4 years ago |

I never recovered, OP.

ffwacom 4 years ago |

200-300