4 ms·

I've experienced this periodically since my early 20's - generally in hindsight I realise it was: real life getting in the way, burnout, lack of interest (I was

I've experienced this periodically since my early 20's - generally in hindsight I realise it was: real life getting in the way, burnout, lack of interest (I was interested in the idea, but on some fundamental level - not the activity) - also occasionally just a feeling of Groundhog Day (ie. Some code tasks can just feel a little too familiar - even if novel, and that saps my joy) Either way, at the time it was quite worrying - even disturbing - especially when there was work to be done, so think I can relate Generally I was able to reverse it by working on something which really stimulated me - even hacking away on some goofy personal project after hours - and that kind of bootstrapped me back into a place where I could easily attain flow for "harder" tasks. Can't recommend that highly enough, that and realising that I had different stimulus needs to previously - changing up my coding music, or even foregoing it and switching to mynoise.net yielded some excellent results, or reducing distractions (try periodically disabling system notifications) That said, if you're really concerned probably see a doc just to rule out any funny business Ps. Best of luck with it, crossing fingers for you

Buttons840 4y ago
Thank you. Good advice about hacking on some personal projects/experiments. I'm worried that wont rebuild my confidence and abilities fast enough though. I want to make progress on this task today, not next week. Other developers seem to be succeeding, and I'm worried about how I'll look if it takes me weeks do to what others are doing in hours. (This isn't meant to dismiss your advice, to but to give feedback and solicit even more advice.)
- throwaway292939 4y ago
  I don't think there is anything sustainable that will work this fast. Good habits and lifestyle changes take time. The only other option that has worked for me would be drugs like Adderall.
- matwood 4y ago
  In addition to the GP, I'll add there's a certain level of naïveté of being young that makes one feel like they were better than they were. I'm mid-40s and am probably the best I've ever been at writing good code, but sometimes I can get vapor locked knowing all the things I need to account to for. When I was younger I just coded because I didn't know any better. So when I get stuck now, I just start writing code like I would have when I was early 20s.
  - linuxftw 4y ago
    Not in my mid-40s yet, but vapor lock is a great term. I also try to do the same, just write crufty code that works, hopefully clean it up some as I go.
    - peteradio 4y ago
      > I also try to do the same, just write crufty code that works, hopefully clean it up some as I go. I account for this in planning. POC -> POC validation -> Finalv2ForReal -> Finalv2ForReal validation It gives two shakes at a decent solution with some built-in learning. If this looks like too much for business then well I tried I guess I'll do less work for the same amount of money (inevitably the stupid shit that got prioritized goes away). And I documented what I would have done and can point at it when POC as a service is ermmmm ... less than performant.
  - bradstewart 4y ago
    This. I feel this basically every day now. I really miss the naivete, and I struggle mightily to "just start writing code like I would have".
- BlueTemplar 4y ago
  That is just unrealistic ? Some days you just feel down and are barely able to function, others you have seemingly unlimited energy, and this can come from a whole host of factors : how did you sleep, what did you eat, what is the weather, how is your personal life going... And of course things get worse as you age (with quite a lot of variation and personal responsibility in staying healthy).
- josephg 4y ago
  > I'm worried that wont rebuild my confidence and abilities fast enough though. I want to make progress on this task today, not next week. I’ve experienced this a bunch of times too. I’m sorry to say this, but burnout for me never goes away on a convenient schedule. The more I make myself wrong for feeling overwhelmed, distracted and unmotivated, the worse it gets. Or in other terms, problems are rarely solved with the same thinking that created them. For me, I have to really give myself permission to step back, take stock of myself, get some sleep and good food and often take a break from “work” programming tasks for a few weeks. (And I know exactly how inconvenient that last part is). The more I push myself to feel better already, the longer it takes.
- eternalban 4y ago
  I second GP's recommendations. You stopped working out. Muscles atrophied. A bit more sweat time and you'll be buff again. "even more advice": Issue is likely mental focus (since you have a finite daily mental, emotional stress budget) https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/breaking-the-chains-finding-relief-from-harsh-superego-0426175 https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/breaking-the-chains-finding... - (let go of) mental re(re)view. "This too shall pass". + (embrace) "just do it" && "Don't worry, be happy". ! (remember) chemical dependencies, if any, must be brought under control.
- htk 4y ago
  Your mind will eventually be back at peak performance, but meanwhile you can use pen & paper to help you with this. Write down what are the big challenges/problems, try to break them down and write about it, keep dividing it until you start to see that you can tackle the indidual pieces. I'm 42 and I've been in a mental place similar to yours, but a little more drastic due to a hard time in my life, and it took a while to get back into top shape, but the effort to break down my problems on paper helped me tackle some immediate tasks I had to accomplish.
- yetihehe 4y ago
  > Other developers seem to be succeeding, and I'm worried about how I'll look if it takes me weeks do to what others are doing in hours. That one exact thought is compounding your problem. It's pure anxiety and it makes problem worse, I know from experience. When you think that, try to calm yourself with "yeah, it's just anxiety speaking, it will be fine". Maybe also try magnesium supplements, magnesium citrate helps me (but it typically takes up to a week of supplementation, minimum 2 days).
- pentaphobe 4y ago
  Often the "hack on something personal" just flicks a switch for me, I'm talking within an hour or two - but sounds like you're feeling a bigger sense of urgency than even that would help. .. which honestly sounds an awful lot like the stress of the situation (or concern about cognitive decline) - which isn't going to do your focus any favours! Any kind of reset can help with that: go for a short walk, chuck some binaural beats on headphones and close your eyes for 5 mins, drink a warm (non-caffeinated) beverage and think about something else. Above all else: probably good to just remember everyone has off days, other engineers aren't going to judge you for a day of lower productivity Aside from reducing your internal stress, One key ingredient of finding "flow" is a sense of immediate feedback, perhaps allocate 20 mins to some short tasks which give rapid reward; write a couple tests, draw a diagram, etc.. Binaural beats (use "relaxed"): https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/binauralBrainwaveGenerator.php?l=60000000006000000000&title=Binaural%20Beat%20Machine https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/binauralBrainwaveGenerator... Going for a walk is kind of a lightweight "shower effect", random article link: https://buffer.com/resources/shower-thoughts-science-of-creativity/ https://buffer.com/resources/shower-thoughts-science-of-crea... (Sorry, time zone mismatch slowed my response) Link dump (for reading some other time) - stress and brain function: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6504531/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6504531/ - flow state https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology)
amelius 4y ago
It could also be attention span problems caused by social media.
- hutzlibu 4y ago
  This is totally killing every focus there is for me. My IQ drops to at least 50% when there is a smartphone close by. Eliminating all source of distraction that I can, is essential to get anything done.
  - denton-scratch 4y ago
    Smartphones don't just reduce your IQ; if you use one while walking, it removes all your situational awareness. I constantly have to step out of the way of some zombie walking along the footway, oblivious to the existence of other pedestrians. My smartphone stays at home, on permanent charge (the battery life is severely depleted). I use it only to collect SMS 2FA codes from those organizations that assume that everyone has a smartphone. We call them "mobile phones", but that doesn't mean you have to move if you're using one. That zombie effect applies equally if you're behind the wheel of a vehicle. Please don't ever do that. Of all tasks, driving is the task that requires the greatest situational awareness.
- P_I_Staker 4y ago
  Or ADHD
- sph 4y ago
  And technology in general. There is a video by HealthyGamerGG that explains how using smartphones or computers turns off a crucial part of the brain that knows what is important and you should focus on. The longer you're in front of a screen, the more you lose awareness of yourself and what you enjoy. Taking frequent breaks away from screens is important to stay motivated and restore that drive towards meaningful things. It's sounds wishy-washy how I explained it here, but the video has a more scientific explanation of this phenomenon. https://youtu.be/zBgCRJluWTc https://youtu.be/zBgCRJluWTc

Buttons840 4y ago

Thank you. Good advice about hacking on some personal projects/experiments. I'm worried that wont rebuild my confidence and abilities fast enough though. I want to make progress on this task today, not next week. Other developers seem to be succeeding, and I'm worried about how I'll look if it takes me weeks do to what others are doing in hours. (This isn't meant to dismiss your advice, to but to give feedback and solicit even more advice.)

throwaway292939 4y ago
I don't think there is anything sustainable that will work this fast. Good habits and lifestyle changes take time. The only other option that has worked for me would be drugs like Adderall.
matwood 4y ago
In addition to the GP, I'll add there's a certain level of naïveté of being young that makes one feel like they were better than they were. I'm mid-40s and am probably the best I've ever been at writing good code, but sometimes I can get vapor locked knowing all the things I need to account to for. When I was younger I just coded because I didn't know any better. So when I get stuck now, I just start writing code like I would have when I was early 20s.
- linuxftw 4y ago
  Not in my mid-40s yet, but vapor lock is a great term. I also try to do the same, just write crufty code that works, hopefully clean it up some as I go.
  - peteradio 4y ago
    > I also try to do the same, just write crufty code that works, hopefully clean it up some as I go. I account for this in planning. POC -> POC validation -> Finalv2ForReal -> Finalv2ForReal validation It gives two shakes at a decent solution with some built-in learning. If this looks like too much for business then well I tried I guess I'll do less work for the same amount of money (inevitably the stupid shit that got prioritized goes away). And I documented what I would have done and can point at it when POC as a service is ermmmm ... less than performant.
- bradstewart 4y ago
  This. I feel this basically every day now. I really miss the naivete, and I struggle mightily to "just start writing code like I would have".
BlueTemplar 4y ago
That is just unrealistic ? Some days you just feel down and are barely able to function, others you have seemingly unlimited energy, and this can come from a whole host of factors : how did you sleep, what did you eat, what is the weather, how is your personal life going... And of course things get worse as you age (with quite a lot of variation and personal responsibility in staying healthy).
josephg 4y ago
> I'm worried that wont rebuild my confidence and abilities fast enough though. I want to make progress on this task today, not next week. I’ve experienced this a bunch of times too. I’m sorry to say this, but burnout for me never goes away on a convenient schedule. The more I make myself wrong for feeling overwhelmed, distracted and unmotivated, the worse it gets. Or in other terms, problems are rarely solved with the same thinking that created them. For me, I have to really give myself permission to step back, take stock of myself, get some sleep and good food and often take a break from “work” programming tasks for a few weeks. (And I know exactly how inconvenient that last part is). The more I push myself to feel better already, the longer it takes.
eternalban 4y ago
I second GP's recommendations. You stopped working out. Muscles atrophied. A bit more sweat time and you'll be buff again. "even more advice": Issue is likely mental focus (since you have a finite daily mental, emotional stress budget) https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/breaking-the-chains-finding-relief-from-harsh-superego-0426175 https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/breaking-the-chains-finding... - (let go of) mental re(re)view. "This too shall pass". + (embrace) "just do it" && "Don't worry, be happy". ! (remember) chemical dependencies, if any, must be brought under control.
htk 4y ago
Your mind will eventually be back at peak performance, but meanwhile you can use pen & paper to help you with this. Write down what are the big challenges/problems, try to break them down and write about it, keep dividing it until you start to see that you can tackle the indidual pieces. I'm 42 and I've been in a mental place similar to yours, but a little more drastic due to a hard time in my life, and it took a while to get back into top shape, but the effort to break down my problems on paper helped me tackle some immediate tasks I had to accomplish.
yetihehe 4y ago
> Other developers seem to be succeeding, and I'm worried about how I'll look if it takes me weeks do to what others are doing in hours. That one exact thought is compounding your problem. It's pure anxiety and it makes problem worse, I know from experience. When you think that, try to calm yourself with "yeah, it's just anxiety speaking, it will be fine". Maybe also try magnesium supplements, magnesium citrate helps me (but it typically takes up to a week of supplementation, minimum 2 days).
pentaphobe 4y ago
Often the "hack on something personal" just flicks a switch for me, I'm talking within an hour or two - but sounds like you're feeling a bigger sense of urgency than even that would help. .. which honestly sounds an awful lot like the stress of the situation (or concern about cognitive decline) - which isn't going to do your focus any favours! Any kind of reset can help with that: go for a short walk, chuck some binaural beats on headphones and close your eyes for 5 mins, drink a warm (non-caffeinated) beverage and think about something else. Above all else: probably good to just remember everyone has off days, other engineers aren't going to judge you for a day of lower productivity Aside from reducing your internal stress, One key ingredient of finding "flow" is a sense of immediate feedback, perhaps allocate 20 mins to some short tasks which give rapid reward; write a couple tests, draw a diagram, etc.. Binaural beats (use "relaxed"): https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/binauralBrainwaveGenerator.php?l=60000000006000000000&title=Binaural%20Beat%20Machine https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/binauralBrainwaveGenerator... Going for a walk is kind of a lightweight "shower effect", random article link: https://buffer.com/resources/shower-thoughts-science-of-creativity/ https://buffer.com/resources/shower-thoughts-science-of-crea... (Sorry, time zone mismatch slowed my response) Link dump (for reading some other time) - stress and brain function: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6504531/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6504531/ - flow state https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology)

amelius 4y ago

It could also be attention span problems caused by social media.

hutzlibu 4y ago
This is totally killing every focus there is for me. My IQ drops to at least 50% when there is a smartphone close by. Eliminating all source of distraction that I can, is essential to get anything done.
- denton-scratch 4y ago
  Smartphones don't just reduce your IQ; if you use one while walking, it removes all your situational awareness. I constantly have to step out of the way of some zombie walking along the footway, oblivious to the existence of other pedestrians. My smartphone stays at home, on permanent charge (the battery life is severely depleted). I use it only to collect SMS 2FA codes from those organizations that assume that everyone has a smartphone. We call them "mobile phones", but that doesn't mean you have to move if you're using one. That zombie effect applies equally if you're behind the wheel of a vehicle. Please don't ever do that. Of all tasks, driving is the task that requires the greatest situational awareness.
P_I_Staker 4y ago
Or ADHD
sph 4y ago
And technology in general. There is a video by HealthyGamerGG that explains how using smartphones or computers turns off a crucial part of the brain that knows what is important and you should focus on. The longer you're in front of a screen, the more you lose awareness of yourself and what you enjoy. Taking frequent breaks away from screens is important to stay motivated and restore that drive towards meaningful things. It's sounds wishy-washy how I explained it here, but the video has a more scientific explanation of this phenomenon. https://youtu.be/zBgCRJluWTc https://youtu.be/zBgCRJluWTc