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I never found vacations to be useful for burnout. What does work for me is having a 40 hour work week. If I'm doing the same job for 50+ hrs/week, I start to d

I never found vacations to be useful for burnout. What does work for me is having a 40 hour work week. If I'm doing the same job for 50+ hrs/week, I start to dread the work. That said, this is drastic, seems like something other than burnout is going on.

jcadam 5y ago
switching to a new project (or job) is generally the best thing for burnout as a dev. But a vacation is good for other reasons.
- timeandmoney 5y ago
  > switching to a new project (or job) is generally the best thing for burnout as a dev. This works for me, but it is a very short term solution, about 6-12months in it always seems to creep back.
  - jcadam 5y ago
    I know what you mean. Just gotta keep switching, I guess. My current job has me working short duration R&D projects, which seems to help.
missedthecue 5y ago
whenever i go on vacation the first day or two are fun and relaxing but eventually i spend the rest of the week wishing i was back at work
- 55555 5y ago
  I feel this, but for me that means I haven't gotten fully into vacation mode. The goal is to not think about work at all, and don't do any. Once that feeling goes away, you're on vacation. It takes me ~2 eventful fun days. I can tell I've gotten into vacation flow when I go back to work and the first 2 days back are just as difficult.
- nicbou 5y ago
  I read similar stories from early retirees. After some time they get bored and return to work. I honestly don't get it. I have never experienced that feeling. I'm now on my second year of working significantly less, and you'd have to drag me back kicking and screaming.
kilroy123 5y ago
Maybe not a short vacation but enough time will do the trick. Source: just came off a 2 1/2 year break
- philangist 5y ago
  I’m at the start of an extended break for now. 3 weeks in and I’m not sure how long it’ll be but I have enough saved up to take 2-3 years off. How’d you spend your time off? And what brought you back?
  - kilroy123 5y ago
    I tried to self-fund a startup that crash and burned. I'll never do that again. What an expensive lesson to learn. I traveled the world. I went to all seven continents and fucked off big time. I partied when I wanted to. I went where I wanted to go. I was a bit hedonistic at times. No regrets. Eventually, I ran out of money, so I'm back again. I honestly didn't want to come back to tech, but that big paycheck, and I'm good at it.

jcadam 5y ago

switching to a new project (or job) is generally the best thing for burnout as a dev. But a vacation is good for other reasons.

timeandmoney 5y ago
> switching to a new project (or job) is generally the best thing for burnout as a dev. This works for me, but it is a very short term solution, about 6-12months in it always seems to creep back.
- jcadam 5y ago
  I know what you mean. Just gotta keep switching, I guess. My current job has me working short duration R&D projects, which seems to help.

missedthecue 5y ago

whenever i go on vacation the first day or two are fun and relaxing but eventually i spend the rest of the week wishing i was back at work

55555 5y ago
I feel this, but for me that means I haven't gotten fully into vacation mode. The goal is to not think about work at all, and don't do any. Once that feeling goes away, you're on vacation. It takes me ~2 eventful fun days. I can tell I've gotten into vacation flow when I go back to work and the first 2 days back are just as difficult.
nicbou 5y ago
I read similar stories from early retirees. After some time they get bored and return to work. I honestly don't get it. I have never experienced that feeling. I'm now on my second year of working significantly less, and you'd have to drag me back kicking and screaming.

kilroy123 5y ago

Maybe not a short vacation but enough time will do the trick. Source: just came off a 2 1/2 year break

philangist 5y ago
I’m at the start of an extended break for now. 3 weeks in and I’m not sure how long it’ll be but I have enough saved up to take 2-3 years off. How’d you spend your time off? And what brought you back?
- kilroy123 5y ago
  I tried to self-fund a startup that crash and burned. I'll never do that again. What an expensive lesson to learn. I traveled the world. I went to all seven continents and fucked off big time. I partied when I wanted to. I went where I wanted to go. I was a bit hedonistic at times. No regrets. Eventually, I ran out of money, so I'm back again. I honestly didn't want to come back to tech, but that big paycheck, and I'm good at it.