Ask HN: Why can't I work many hours? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Why can't I work many hours?

3 pointstheprotocol10 comments

Relevant: I am in my 30s. I do have chronic health issues related to digestion and I am usually a bit fatigued and somewhat sleep deprived.

I find that I can only seem to do 2-3 hours of work before needing a large break. My work is all software-related. I run some servers for clients, manage their web apps, and do their IT. I occasionally write automation software. It sounds routine, but it's actually intellectually challenging, because the people I work with always have exotic and highly situational demands.

I bill hourly, but the granularity is minutes, so I make sure my brain is firing on all cylinders whenever I'm on a task in order not to shirk while on the clock. I am an intense person, and while I don't rush, I do make an effort to "keep my eyes on the prize" and not waste time.

Is what I am experiencing relatively normal, or does it seem my work-stamina could be so far below average because of other factors (such as my health)?

I would love to hear from a self-described "normal" person whether they can actually work 8 full hours in a day, and how many hours of intense intellectual work they can stomach before burnout - and whether they could return to do another 2-4 hours on the same day after a long break. Personally, a 1-hour break does not recharge me enough.

Come to think of it, I do feel I could do 6-8 hours of moderate non-intellectually-challenging work in a day.

> I am in my 30s. I do have chronic health issues related to digestion and I am usually a bit fatigued and somewhat sleep deprived.

Are you me? (Chrohn's in my case).

Sounds normal to me, I'm productive compared to a lot of programmers I know who don't have health issues and have a decade on me.

You need to be kinder to yourself, stressing about not been able to work for extended periods just makes it harder to concentrate - It just becomes a self-reinforcing downwards spiral.

In my case my hobbies are what keep me sane (you don't mention those), Chess for mental focus that isn't work (and social life) and Cycling for getting away from screens.

Otherwise the usual advice applies, try to eat better (hard with digestive issues I know) and get more sleep.

Thank you for the advice.

I'm working remotely now so it is indeed a self-reinforcing thing.

But the reason I work remotely now is that I was constantly being watched when working in offices and it burned me out very, very fast having to keep up the appearance of working after a 2-3h run, or else be penalized.

One of the things I do is split all my programming tasks into two categories, requires concentration and (necessary) scutwork.

Then I work on one or the other entirely dependent on how I feel that day, so I'm productive even when I'm not mentally at 100%.

Good things for scutwork are documentation, updating dependencies, automating manual processes, checking backups, organising issues on the backlog etc, things I can comfortably do without requiring complete focus.

It definitely helps since I don't feel like I'm just present in front of the computer but getting things done (and things that are important to boot).

Agreeing with other comments here, it is relatively normal to have only 2-4 hours of measurable or direct productivity in an 8 hour workday.

You write that you 'only' seem to be able to do 2-3 hours of work before needing a large break. That is quite impressive! Furthermore, a large break is likely warranted at that point. Perhaps you could experiment with taking breaks more frequently?

Also, do not underestimate the value of doing something unrelated to stimulate your problem-solving ability...

Actual workplace productivity in one UK study of office workers was 2:53 in an 8:00 day. The rest was spent surfing the web, socializing, eating.

I think 3-4 hours of daily deep focus is average, 5 is exceptional. Not all in the same chunk. It sounds like you are in the normal spectrum.

Sleep deprivation will do that to you. Have you looked into improving the quantity and quality of your sleep?

I'm working on it, but it's very challenging because of my chronic illness, which unfortunately is worse at night.

Have you tried a whole-foods plant-based diet? It has been shown to be effective in treating and in some cases even reversing digestive issues:

https://nutritionfacts.org/2012/09/13/dietary-treatment-for-...

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/natural-health/vegan-health/ib...

Other than that, since you work from home, maybe you could see if polyphasic sleep works for you. I haven't tried it myself, but I've heard good results from others.

https://www.polyphasicsociety.com/polyphasic-sleep/beginners...

I would also suggest getting your bloodwork done to rule out any hormonal issues or nutritional deficiencies that could cause or exacerbate your fatigue, if you haven't already. Taking B12 and Vitamin D supplements might also help.

Ultimately, I don't think you're as unproductive as you think you are, but it's always shitty to feel like you're not reaching your full potential. Be aware of the symptoms and consequences of over/underworking (burnout/boreout). Good luck!

Missed your post. Thanks for the advice, although I must say I am skeptical of plant-based. I will research it some more though.

I’m sorry, that sucks. I do suspect, though, that the sleep deprivation is at the root of your focus challenges. I hope you’re able to find a solution!

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