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For me, this is what I do and what has worked for me thus far. Mental preparation. Always have conversations with yourself about your state of mind, be your

For me, this is what I do and what has worked for me thus far. Mental preparation. Always have conversations with yourself about your state of mind, be your own therapist, I tell myself that I'm blessed and working 24/7 is nothing. There are folks who have a much more physical and mentally demanding jobs. There are people who are living in war zone and their job everyday is to survive, to avoid getting shot, blown to bits, find food within that chaos and still do whatever they have to do. There is no timeouts, no rest, the action could begin right while you are sleeping and you have to jump and get back at it. As a software developer, we have it easy. I imagine myself as a survivor in the midst of a war. I won't crack and I'm ready for whatever. Cuss loud if you have to, laugh loud when you have to, have fun within the work, don't be 100% zoned in, while working, crack jokes, laugh, balance it out. You can do it. If you are mentally tough, you will not burnout. The physical toll on your body tho is a different matter, my biggest issue is that of eating right and weight gain. Best of luck.

pibefision 12y ago
"be your own therapist" That's impossible. It's like being your own dentist when you have problems in your teeth.
- SnacksOnAPlane 12y ago
  Actually I've found that reading certain books and watching certain movies makes me very introspective, and I can diagnose a lot of my own problems by journaling.
- david_shaw 12y ago
  > "be your own therapist" That's impossible. It's like being your own dentist when you have problems in your teeth. Sometimes it's possible, and sometimes it's not. To respond to your analogy, I would equate "checking in" with your mental state with brushing your teeth. No, you can't perform a root canal on yourself, just like you can't bring yourself out of spiraling depression or a mental disorder -- you can, however, do some "preventive maintenance," and take care of your mental state. Seek a professional if/when you need one. "Burnout" is a nebulous state. Some people are burned out when they've had a hard week, and others are in an intense state of panic/depression. I think these should be treated (or self-treated) accordingly.

pibefision 12y ago

"be your own therapist" That's impossible. It's like being your own dentist when you have problems in your teeth.

SnacksOnAPlane 12y ago
Actually I've found that reading certain books and watching certain movies makes me very introspective, and I can diagnose a lot of my own problems by journaling.
david_shaw 12y ago
> "be your own therapist" That's impossible. It's like being your own dentist when you have problems in your teeth. Sometimes it's possible, and sometimes it's not. To respond to your analogy, I would equate "checking in" with your mental state with brushing your teeth. No, you can't perform a root canal on yourself, just like you can't bring yourself out of spiraling depression or a mental disorder -- you can, however, do some "preventive maintenance," and take care of your mental state. Seek a professional if/when you need one. "Burnout" is a nebulous state. Some people are burned out when they've had a hard week, and others are in an intense state of panic/depression. I think these should be treated (or self-treated) accordingly.