Software Project Burnout: Is It Them Or You? 

Healthy Software Developer I’ve been thoroughly enjoying your videos. Keep up the good work. We need more voices like yours in the industry. I’ve been struggling with burnout for some time now, despite not necessarily working a huge amount of hours on a regular basis, although I’ve certainly done my share of that on occasion. As far as what I’m doing about it, suffice it to say that it’s a process. I made a lateral move in my company to sort of “hit the reset button” and when that didn’t do the trick I returned to my old spot. Presently I’ve been examining my own role in this (I’ve actually went as far as watching a couple of complete college psych lectures online), so I relate to that angle of your talk as well. I’m still working out how much of my problem is the environment and culture of my company and how much is caused by my own behavior. I’m finding that I am the most unhappy when being asked to split my time between separate projects for a variety of reasons that I won’t get into, but I wonder what your thoughts are on this and the perception that employees should be able to “multi task”, especially when dealing with complex knowledge work like software. Thanks again and take care.

Kull thanks for your encouragement, it really helps. My opinion on multitasking is that it sucks. Employers that want to feel they can do more with less people love to get people to do it. It’s been proven time and again though as humans we aren’t designed for it, we waste time as we task switch, and ultimately both projects suffer and don’t receive our best. I’m sorry to hear that you’re struggling with it. Hopefully you’re able to figure out a situation at your current gig that allows you to focus so you can do your best work - and with less frustration!

Thanks, Jayme.

@Chooey Sooares nice! I learned way longer than it should have taken me how much nature helps me recover. Glad to hear you already know!

@F1LT3R I really enjoy being independent, but I don't like having to try to line up my next project while I'm on one. I'm getting better at it, but I have to be careful to prevent myself from being too critical path or overworked otherwise I have no time to put back into selling myself to new clients!

Truth!

Same lol 😂 like exactly I usually do through my week

+Brett Fernandes glad to hear you are already aware of this. Setting boundaries and giving myself proper self care have been a theme in my ongoing struggles to stay healthy in our industry. You’re not alone!

Same man. I love this industry but it seems like the "shit runs downhill" mantra is so prevalent in software and fingers often get pointed.

That’s certainly one cause of burnout! Thanks for sharing.

Thanks Alex. It’s okay I’m in no hurry ;)

@@HealthyDev you could also see it that more people in the field of software development need to have their expectations reset to a realistic level and be able to stand up and defend their boundaries. Over the years (although I haven't been doing this nearly as long as you have) I've arrived at lots of the same conclusions on what the relationship between developer and company should be and how to take better care of myself. (learning from great colleagues, luckily) In essence: More people need to benefit from your wisdom!

@@JakeBastlerZ thanks for the encouragement Jake, it means a lot really! I think part of the problem is trust. Leaders and managers who don't do the work see our desire for more realistic expectations as being lazy or not working hard - when the reality is it gets better results for the business. But unless they trust us, supporting the changes necessary is very difficult. Which is why I often need to first have some "wins" under my belt with a new manager or a client, and have spent some time getting to really know them, before I can have those deeper conversations. Unfortunately many developers don't take the time (or estimate/plan in a way to give them the time) to do this. I hope to do my small part in changing that.

​@@HealthyDev I recently watched Robert C. Martin's clean code talks that were recorded in the Netherlands one or two years ago and inbetween lots of useful bits of information and hearing lots of stuff I agree with out of the mouth of someone with so much experience (convoluted code is rude etc.), the one sound bite that really stuck with me was "Going fast means going well" because otherwise technical debt will slow down development of new features and improvements to a crawl, which gets exponentially worse. To have it put so succinctly is great and managers not understanding this is one of the reasons I quit my last job and switched to my current one, where I have a lot more freedom to enforce standards. In fact it was asked of me and management is actually, get this, grateful for getting structure and professionalism into their development. Well as far as I can provide it, of course I'm far from perfect, but I'm really optimistic about the way it's going and I have lots opportunities to broaden my horizons. I'm really thankful I didn't actually have to show wins or fight for this, but that management listened to my colleagues when they told them it was sort of essential to keep the business running. The way I always put it with the colleagues from my last job, who I'm still good friends with, is this: When you have a huge pile of crap (think triceratops), it's no use putting a little bird poop onto every week and hope it'll turn out good, you've got to get shovelling instead. Not very poetic, but they all seem to agree that this is their biggest issue with their management not understanding that basic fact. Anyway, I hope you'll someday find the uhh ... energy I guess, the vibe, to make some new videos and that you don't feel pressured to deliver, but that it stays as heartfelt and true to yourself. While I understand that anger is no sustainable energy source, I think it'd be great if you continued to honestly voice frustrations, something which a lot of developer youtubers seem to sweep under the rug and dismiss indirectly.

@@JakeBastlerZ sounds like a great gig! That's excellent. The longer I do this, the more I try to enjoy those times and not try to overthink them. Congrats!!

Hope you're able to set realistic expectations and enforce your boundaries. It's good to hear one positive thing you took away from the pandemic is the need to take care of yourself. I hope you find a way to be a valuable developer AND prevent yourself from being a doormat! Hang in there...

Good for you! Setting boundaries is an ongoing challenge for me. I'm always trying to find that balance between doing a good job vs being overextended. Wish I could say I always fall on the right side...

Thanks Sergey! Just sharing what I learned the hard way that I wish other people told me.

That’s a complex topic! But definitely a good one. I’ll see if I can help start a conversation around that in the future. Thanks for the feedback. 👍

You’re welcome glad you enjoy your position! Hope that positive attitude sticks with you through the challenges. Stay strong. 💪

Glad you enjoyed it! I've been there too. Nobody tells you when you're going too hard...

Thanks Patrik! It makes me super happy to hear this stuff is helping you. 🙏

Watch my video on leading software developers better by letting go. It’s not a silver bullet (nothing is!) but some of the things I share there really helped me get to a more sustainable way of working. Hopefully there’s something of value for you in there: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Fp5oQyNV_ws.html

@@HealthyDev That sounds very promising, thank you! I'll watch it asap.

You’re welcome. Thanks for the feedback. 👍

We’re hanging in there. Hope you’re doing well too. Thanks for the encouragement Kyle!

Thanks for your feedback and question. If I find myself starting to burnout it’s usually either the anxiety of trying to meet someone’s unrealistic expectations, my own unrealistic expectations for myself, or I’m not treating myself right (personal lifestyle and relationships). I’m sure there are many different causes but not sleeping enough, diets too low in protein (or fat if doing keto), too much caffeine, and unresolved personal problems have made me feel extra exhausted when it’s not something specifically at work. That’s just been my experience.

I’m exactly like you

:) Thank you. Now after two years from when I asked the question, I'm in a much better shape. Yes, there were social life issues that got resolved eventually, but also my most profound finding was that the diet was making me feel like poop. Once I went strictly low carb, my work stamina went up to the roof, and even the mood enhanced significantly. Almost nothing else changed in my environment. I recommend taking the diet effects seriously. May I also mention that I wasn't a coffee drinker, but now I exploit the benefits of a little coffee every while and then..

Professional software developer know that you should not code for more than 4 hours a day (net). That way you never get burned out.

Did you find a better job in the software industry, or get out altogether?

Definitely. Good observations!

If I were you (and I’m not, so take this with a grain of salt), I’d consider asking for an additional resource or finding a job where you’re not the only developer. I can do jobs when I’m the only developer if I have to but I’d much prefer having at least one other person who’s capable of everything I am for backup.

I hear you. That's really hard. At this point in my career, I create status reports with big red flag indicators on anything blocked by bad requirements. They get circulated to leadership every week so there's no denying who's to blame if things aren't moving forward...

Hey Mikhail I’m so sorry to hear about your struggles. I don’t have a video exactly about that, but tons of things can happen making it hard to work even 8 hours. It sounds like something happened either at your current job or in the past that has you concerned about being let go. If you don’t feel safe, you probably need a better job but I know how easy that is for me to say since I’m not in your shoes. I hope you find a better opportunity, or some way to trust in the future enough to lower your anxiety. Better diet, exercise, and sleep are essential for me coping with stress. But even then sometimes a situation is too toxic and I have to move on. Hoping you have the discernment to find the best path forward and come to peace soon!

we don't even have UAT env, from laptops straight to prod... today I said "I do not work like this anymore, I don't work weekends and nights" - managers and directors went silent. I turned off my laptop and went for a long walk.

@@Meritumas fuck it man worst case you’ll end up somewhere better, always happens.

Well we developers screw up sometimes too (we’re all human). The difference for us is we work more when we or others screw up. :/

+1 I am sick of Indian managers and directors in IT sector in US. What they do, they kiss asses all the time and broadcast a lot of BS. I am done with working for US big corpos.

When you say out loud where - amongst colleagues at a company etc?

@@HealthyDev just in general. The thought of someone being a dev for only a year now and already feeling burnt out.

@@GorillaDev417 I can understand it, I don't think there's anything wrong. It's a tough job. Honestly (this is just my opinion), one of the best things you can do for yourself is to accept that this job will always have things you aren't good at since we learn all the time. You'll get better the more you're exposed to, but feeling out of your league isn't a bad thing - it's just normal in this profession. Hang in there!

If my coworkers' inability to set healthy boundaries for work/life balance actually result in a threat to my employment, they are just as toxic as a micromanager. Get out!

All good points. It started out me just wanting to do a good job but over time there was definitely carpet walking ;) I’ve since learned better but I hope other people deal with this better from considering some of the stuff in these videos!!

@@HealthyDev Yea man agree 100%

@Gabriel Liwerant The team is not worth my health, they're just coworkers, not family. This is not fighting a war or something, its just software. Having to work 80 is an upper management project planning failure, why should I pay with my health and well being for their poor management. No no no, you didn't let the team down, upper management let the team down, you're just one person who wants to be healthy and happy, and that takes priority.

@Gabriel Liwerant I understand what you're saying Gabriel, but I guess I got to a point where I won't let others' inability to control themselves impact me. I've had to tell people "if you are willing to sacrifice your personal relationships for the job go for it, but I've done an honest day's work and me staying here longer isn't going to make a big enough difference to get us out of this hole through sheer will. We need to work smarter and not harder". If they can't see that, they can be disappointed with me. I don't see any reason to let people who can't set boundaries influence how I feel about myself.

@Gabriel Liwerant thanks, I appreciate your feedback too - it helps me understand what people are up against from multiple angles. Good insights!

Dude this is real I know what you’re talking about

Why’s that?

@@HealthyDev because of all the tech in MPLS

Ah. Yeah I wanted warmer weather for one thing, so that took Minneapolis off the list. I have friends who live there and love it though, sounds cool.

It's not ok work 10h a day... unless you have nothing else to do in your life

I have not seen anybody being able to perform well after 3 intensive days. I typically find myself having brain fart, hating my job and tend to avoid doing the task because of my body and mind are too tired and need a change. After rest (a weekend, for example), it typically takes moments to solve what has been taking hours on a tired brain.

Is this sarcastic? That’s the worst advice I’ve ever heard for a sustainable career.