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Comment by andyakb | Hacker News Reader

This misses the point of the article.

The author's premise is that you burnout because you do not spend time on the things that truly fulfill you, whatever those may be. It is very possible, and maybe even probable, that people who do not "work so hard" can still experience burn out because they do not use their free time to do the things that fulfill them.

If you are working so hard that you simply cannot find any time to fit in fulfilling activities, then yes, you should not work so hard.

If you are being taken advantage of and pressured into working too hard without adequate compensation, then you should find a better job.

However, "not work so hard" is not an answer to the problem as outlined by the author and seems more like a response to the headline than to the article itself.

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I'm not missing the point of the article. I'm disregarding it. When you're working so hard that you burn out, we shouldn't be discussing how to mitigate the effects. Just stop working.

This author tries to pretend the cause of burnout is not too much work, but too much "unfufilling" work. As if working from morning till midnight is perfectly fine, as long as you convince yourself the code you write in this half-asleep state is making the world a better place (and not just lining the pockets of your boss). This is exactly the attitude the tech industry needs to erase.

Yes, programming can be fun, but everyone needs a break, even from fun things. Furthermore, having a fulfilling job doesn't mean your time is free.

Hours worked doesn't always contribute to burnout. I can easily feel burnout working 40 hour weeks filled with unsatisfying work (e.g. bureaucratic paperwork, interruptions for unimportant issues, unchallenging problems, etc). Conversely, if I am actually able to code and develop an application that is semi-interesting, I could easily go past 40 hours a week and not feel any burnout because it is fulfilling and/or enjoyable. I could also stay at 40 or a little below.

The key consideration is (perceived) fulfillment. Time spent is involved in determining this, but isn't the only variable - importance of work, enjoyment/satisfaction, sense of accomplishment, etc.

You're right. It's not just a matter of hours worked. Fufillment plays into it too. But even a job you love can burn out if you do it for too long. What's more, most of you consider programming a fulfilling career. So if you're burning out, it's probably due to your long hours. And we know programmers work long hours. So do the math.

I can corroborate this. My last job was not very intense[0], but I still experienced burnout symptoms after a few months. After a while, I just hated going to work. I got a new job, and I was suddenly energized. I started staying late to work on things not because they were past due, but because I was interested in them. I found a sense of accomplishment and self-fulfillment in doing them.

[0] Typical 8-5, fairly laid-back atmosphere, significant amount of freedom.

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