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Comment by sbf501 | Hacker News Reader

Burnout always happens, in every job. Solution? Well, first, not everyone has the privilege to do something about it, but you're in tech so: Vacations. Sabbaticals. Gap year. Change jobs. I've had 35+ years in tech and done all of the above. I routinely "burn out" (aka, get bored) after about 5 to 7 years and move to a new group or company. Still love coding, still love leading projects. Just need to change it up.

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I don't really think you can aka burnout with get bored). What I experienced was losing self control, being amazed how uncooperative one's brain can be, inability to get anything done even when trying to the max to get something done. Then being amazed by one's uselessness. It is like living in debilitating pain without the actual pain.

What I think it actually was - strong negative emotions. About the tools, about the organization, about the tasks. And these emotions only got stronger over time and could not be rationalized away.

And looking back, quitting and looking for things I still like was the only solution. Need a certain percentage of work to be exceptional match with what I like to do.

Getting bored is not a burnout.

Ya it's like calling depression "just being sad"

I've burned out and "recovered", getting bored is what I feel like when the monster is peeking over the horizon. It's the leading edge of another one.

I'll be playing cat and mouse with it for the rest of my life probably. So yes I think you sort of can aka getting bored with burnout...

I could have worded that better. I think it is in indication that burnout is headed your way. When you don't want to a do a job anymore that you used to like doing (bored if it) and you are being forced to continue doing it, burnout is about to happen.

It's possible there are many different paths to the clinical end state, but for me burnout had nothing to do with boredom at all. It also didn't feel like being bored when it has set on.

I guess I could have reworded my rewording better. My multiple experiences with burnout were preceded by boredom, but I guess my burnout isn't the same as your burnout, or others' burnout. I define burnout as just not giving a f*ck anymore, not caring if the project succeeds or fails, or if I get fired. I don't know what others' burnout is like.

I had only one episode, it lasted 18 months of complete inability to perform my job (that I was perfectly capable doing before). Full recovery took several years. It was like a firecracker went off in your head and left a buzz that prevents you to stick to your task even for a second - except there's no actual buzzing sound.

The trajectory that took me there was acutely unpleasant but I would not describe any of it as boredom. You ain't getting bored on your death march.

Can't imagine several such experiences, I'd rather change career.

I've heard there is a secondary condition called, "bored out" which is similar, but not a 1:1. I mean, pathologically speaking, I am not sure if bored out exists, but as far as buzzwords for a bundle of emotions, then I think it's quite valid.

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