I certainly feel some symptoms of burnout - quality of my work went down, development is no longer interesting, all projects look the same to me. But this is not something sudden, it's been there for years, slowly changing my life. Sorry for such an useless comment, but I'm realizing it will be difficult to recover from this creeping apathy.
I have considered a change, but i'm still looking for a job that wouldn't be too similar to what I'm doing now. Which is quite tricky considering the fact that i'm developing software ;)
If you have the financial buffer, I'd recommend taking some time completely off work. Sometimes that's a "sabbatical", maybe doing an extended period of WorkFromHome, sometimes it's quitting and just re-evaluating life in general.
Taking time off often lets me appreciate my work for the benefits it provides (association with friendly coworkers, the challenge of meeting goals, the recognition of effort taken) after I've had a chance to spend that time off on myself or family.
Anything in excess can be toxic, even if convince yourself you can handle or prefer it (addiction?).
What about trying to work for a different type of company rather than the usual startup/blue-chip/software shop?
I worked for about 6 years in the industry, but I got thoroughly bored in every single job. Either the work was too boring, or I finished it too quickly, or a combination. I never lasted more than a year or two in any job.
For the last 14 years I've been running my own business, which is a lot better (more interesting work, less stress, etc.) However I will admit that I got quite lucky in building a niche product that people wanted to pay money for.
If I had to get a 'proper' job again, I think I would be in the same position as you - there just aren't that many interesting and fulfilling software jobs out there. I would probably consider doing something completely different, like driving taxis, being a commercial pilot, or manual labour.
If you're in a full-time job, consider doing contracting. Depending on what country you live in, it can be very lucrative and easy to find short-term work. The UK has lots of opportunities, Canada and the US less so. Unfortunately most of the work is pretty boring, but at least you only have to do it for a while before moving on.
Also consider taking a lower salary but working in a more fulfilling environment. Maybe working for a non-profit or something along those lines.
Or going to the other end of the scale, consider working for google. You get an incredible salary and work on fascinating projects.
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That sounds like depression, to be honest. As someone who has depression, and is trying to get better, my best advice is to start by at least mentioning it to my GP. Doctors can help!
I think burnout is a kind of depression, but a work-related one. I don't suffer from apathy in my private life, still have some interests and hobbies, but at work i feel i'm going backwards.
BTW thanks, I really hope this is not a depression. And good luck.
That is why its such a difficult situation. when you have depression you may not want help, due to the negative affects of depression controlling your actions. Burn out still allows you to want to get better. The up side of depression is that typically with medication and or therapy you can get better. Burn out really only has two cures: changing jobs which is a pain or your work changing which is usually out of your control.
Most work is the same bullshit over and over. What about personal development at work? Do they have a 1, 2, or 5 year plan for you? If there's nothing for you for the future, get out.
Also think about finding some hobbies. I know that's a tough one, but that's how it gets sometimes. You need to focus energy elsewhere.
I'm near this point right now. I won't get a promotion unless higher ups quit. I'm in a bit of a rut at home. Gotta shake it up.
I've started having this problem lately, and I have <5 years experience in the industry. I work at a web development shop right now, and while I don't plan on leaving soon (still some room to grow as an employee), the problems I find myself solving are largely similar.
A few things that I've found helpful are:
1. Expand horizontally. I've been designing for a while, and it's always a breath of fresh air when I can go design something (in the browser of course, but front-end dev requires so little thought that I barely notice) without restraint. I also enjoy writing, when I can find the time.
2. Experiment with radically different paradigms. I've been diving into Elixir lately, which has been a lot of fun. Still looking for a nail to hit with the Erlang/Elixir hammer, but I've enjoyed building the few toy programs I've worked on to get familiar with the language.
3. Accept the Sex & Cash theory. Hugh MacLeod writes about it in this blog post: http://gapingvoid.com/2004/03/25/the-sex-cash-theory/ Basically, the idea is that you have to internalize that there are things you do for fun, outside of work (sex) and things you do support those things (cash). The cash doesn't have to be enjoyable. By all means, seek opportunities to have fun with the cash side of the equation, but don't get hung up on it: spend your brain cycles enjoying the sex.
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