Ask HN: I can't work anymore. Burnout? I have no idea. What can I do?

[failingburnout]

I have had a successful solo app business for years, earning a decent income and providing for my family. But something happened. My work output has dropped to zero. I find myself unable to even begin working in the morning. It's after 3:00PM and I still haven't written a single line of code. I can't sit down and write the associated content. I have emails to some freelancers sitting in my inbox. I will probably respond to those after this, but I feel even massive resistance to that task.

I love the business, though. My customers are generally very happy and positive people. I love the niche topic, enjoying reading about it in my spare time. I love to see what comes of the work.

To me, this feels like more than just a question of motivation. I have a lot of tricks to motivate myself. This feels like I lost something. I just "don't do it." What am I facing here? Does anyone know?

edit: I do have a new and interesting project I want to be working on, but the same effect seems to be stopping me. I will also add that I have a child in daycare a few a days a week, ostensibly so I can work. I'm paying someone else to spend time with my kid while I don't work.

[jwarkentin]

If your problem is the same as mine then I think I can help. I find that I often struggle to focus and be productive as well - even to the point of zero productivity. There are four things that I do that help a lot:

1) Eliminate distractions. I don't know if it's ADHD or what but I'm very easily distracted. As much as I love programming, I often find that reading HN or checking my email, browsing Amazon or any number of other things seem more interesting. It's often even just doing things I need to get done, but at a time when I should be focusing on writing code.

For me the solution is to push all my browser windows to another desktop, open only the one I need for testing/research and absolutely ban myself from doing anything else for a period of time.

2) Manage expectations. The other problem I have is that my mind doesn't like to switch focus very easily. I may have been really laser focused on a problem for a while, but then after I finish or something else comes up and it's time to focus on a new problem, my brain rebels and refuses to change focus.

The solution for me has been to manage my expectations, in a sense. I have to close my eyes and clear my mind of everything and just relax for 5 minutes, with the expectation that after that I'm going to open my eyes and focus on the new task. It helps calm my mind and since I'm now expecting to focus on the new task in 5 minutes, but I'm not forcing it immediately, my mind warms up to the idea of doing it in a bit.

3) Have a plan. I've found that when I'm faced with a difficult and vague task my brain wants to avoid focusing just because it seems hard or something.

For this I've found that if I first pause and plan out exactly where I'm going to jump in, exactly what I'm going to do to try and tackle the problem, then it's easier to focus on it. Maybe that means I'm going to sit down with a white-board and draw out the system architecture to tackle a problem or whatever else.

4) Sleep and caffeine. I've found that when I'm too tired, I really just can't focus. Often just taking a 20 minute nap (keep it to 20 minutes, set an alarm) makes a world of difference. Also, I've found that getting some caffeine helps me focus a lot. Of course, it might not be as effective if you use it all the time.

[failingburnout]

Thanks! I'll definitely try variations on these, though it's not too different than what I do now for general motivation. Since this is a throwaway, I'll admit to thinking about trying something stronger than caffeine. Who knows, maybe I actually do have ADHD and just need to balance out something up there.

[vijucat]

Generally, we do our best to not listen to ourselves. Your mind / body are telling you something when they give up. Instead of being a dictator and trying to trick them further into extracting work, I highly recommend doing WHATEVER pleasant things you feel like, especially of the exercise, hiking, long walk variety! :-) For example, when your kid is out, go for a long walk for an hour in a pleasant park.

More directly, as you forget about the problem and take a walk, something, some spark of insight / revelation comes into the mind by itself because your guard is down and you are not torturing with the usual, "You were SUPPOSED to help me work, but you just want a break, huh?!" self-punishment. This is the realm of the genuine Unknown. Allow it.

Hope this helps.

[read]

Have you tried constraining yourself to doing less?

I don't mean taking a vacation or sleeping more. I mean setting as a goal that you'll accomplish less every day, and with zero expectation about what to do with the free hours that open up. Just as you pressure yourself to do more, pressure yourself to do less.

Hypothesis: even if you tried to do nothing you wouldn't be able to. Your mind would start wandering to topics you haven't let it. Like that new challenge in a related niche that you'd love to get off the ground. Try doing nothing and suddenly your subconscious takes over. You discover thoughts you didn't even know were brewing.

The principle at work here is that constraint is no less important than freedom. Constraint is key in creativity. Limit yourself to less, and you start overflowing to a new direction.

Make sure you give it enough time. You need at least 1.5-2hr blocks of time where you can shut off the world and play uninterrupted, and you also need to schedule such unstructured play lots of times. Don't worry about feeling unproductive in the meantime. Worry more about noticing the pattern to your thoughts, and do that at the end of each block of time so you don't feel pressured to be noticing.

I'd love to hear what you discover.

[failingburnout]

I honestly hated this when I read it the first time. I've gotten a lot of intuitive advice in the thread for which I'm very thankful. I'll try variations of most of it.

But this... I read it 5 to 6 times. I have no idea if it will work, but it can't hurt. My next scheduled workday is Saturday and I'll absolutely put this into practice.

Other suggestions to take time off, get outside, etc are great and I will do them (as the Boston deep freeze allows), but I will try this ASAP and see if it helps. Even if it produces a day or two of output, it will be extremely useful. I will respond with results after saturday.

[anigbrowl]

Maybe you need a vacation if you haven't taken one. Guilt vacations where you don't get anything done for a while aren't as good as deliberate ones where you post up 'no support for two weeks, snoozing on beach/gone fishing/Vegas Baby.'

But if you're still into the niche, then maybe the answer is to stop writing code and and focus on business development & QA. You don't need to be always working at the coal face yourself. Perhaps get the freelancers to start maintianing your code base and switch your attentions to product and busines development, plucking the most promising contracters to become employees?

Whichever, don't beat yourself up. It's Thursday now, so I suggest clearing your urgent emails and then taking the rest of today, tomorrow, and the weekend off (ie away from the computer and preferably from your home) to think about what you'd like to be doing each day of the week. Lots of luck!

[failingburnout]

Vacation would be difficult at this point. I have made promises to my wife and myself that I would make progress on certain things. I am supposed to be working right now. I don't feel I have the freedom to take a vacation. It wouldn't impact the bottom line, but I'd take a hit in other ways. I'd have to know it would break the block I'm having.

I do have other projects and aspects of the business that I can work on, but I think I would be working on them if I could work. Weird, I know. It's not something I'm choosing to do... smack talk myself on NH vs. working. It's just gotten that bad that I don't know what else to do.

[matheweis]

"I don't feel I have the freedom to take a vacation."

This is a sure sign that you need to.

[anigbrowl]

OK, but you're no good to anyone if you get stuck, and since you don't know why you're stuck, exhaustion is a possibility. At the least I would recommend changing your environment for the weekend. Good luck again.

[ninja2789]

You know, I faced something similar when I felt I have finally found "success". It was a difficult time to get motivated not only because of the lack of any more challenges, but also because I felt I had lost a worthwhile goal to pursue.

In any case, it seems that you're financially successful, love what you do, and right now may be looking for the new challenge.

I would definitely recommend you take some time to think about what are new challenges you'd like to tackle. Brainstorm and don't let reason hold you back from making big and daring goals. Then review your resources and see what you need to work on to start on another path.

Hope this helps. Obviously a lot of other great recommendations in this thread, so I definitely recommend you start writing down your thoughts and how you're thinking through things. It'll help you keep track of your progress.

[failingburnout]

Thanks! This is pretty accurate. I did something like this last year and found a new challenge in a related niche that I'd love to get off the ground. It's not even coding or anything... it should be fun. I face the same resistance to moving forward on that too, though. It's like my work brain shuts off.

[talas9]

Q: "What am I facing here?"

A: Ennui.

But you probably knew that.

Had a vacation lately?

Have you explored the notion of developing another career?

A former boss told me once, when I was in a fit of pique over something related to work, "Relax man. Everyone has two or three careers in them. You're on your first."

FWIW I went through something you could call a major bout of ennui regarding working in the internet tech sector several years ago. Came out the other end of it just fine, but I work fewer hours/wk as a result by choice, spend more time outdoors, and frequently invest some of it in learning new things. Friends joke that I am going to wind up being that guy in the Dos Equis commercial...

Caveat: I don't have a family to support. Woodshedding and shifting gears is great if you have the financial flexibility. YMWV.

At least take up gardening or something.

[lazyjones]

In addition to the other suggestions posted here, go see a doctor, have your blood levels checked to exclude the possibility of some deficiency or illness (it's easy to ruin your body without noticing by working hard for many years).

[failingburnout]

I'll do that, thanks. I will also talk to my doctor about this in case it turns out it's a sign of something else going on.

[framebench]

I think you need a challenge.

You're happy, content with how your business is going, you love whats happening around you. So I believe you're losing motivation to go on. Why not take up a small challenge to yourself which is not related to your business at all? This usually freshens my mind and gets me thinking on some other things. Some simple ideas you could try: 1. Grow an audience for you twitter handle (Don't know anything about it, just go ahead anyway) 2. Code something for your wife/girlfriend and surprise her?

Let me know what you think. You probably just need a distraction on the side to push you through this phase. All the best mate!

[matheweis]

It sounds to me like you just need to take a break. Try for a week long vacation in the mountains or on the beach. If you have the money, somewhere even better like Hawaii.

Most importantly, during that week, TURN OFF YOUR PHONE. Don't read the news. It will all be there when you get back.

Can't do that, because your the only one in your solo app business? Then it's a sure sign that you need to. Find a friend to take over for a week, or hire someone (maybe permanently, if the workload can justify it).

[Mz]

Let me suggest this:

1) Clean your office. Do a very thorough job (like "spring cleaning"). Stick to non-toxic cleaners.

2) Take extra vitamins and/or improve your diet.

3) Start taking a daily walk for exercise.

4) Clean wherever you sleep. Again, think "spring cleaning" type cleaning.

In short, look to your health.

[lem72]

+ 1 for exercise. I was in this headspace, started regularly exercising and have been on a massive productive boost.

I also find that if I write down little check boxes with the task broken down into smaller steps, it makes it easier for me to start and stay focused.

Good luck!

[esw]

Yeah, I've been there. For me, the solution was just setting a new, completely outrageous annual revenue goal. Having that seemingly unattainable number scrawled on a sticky note put me back in the right mindset.

[passubuy]

Have you thought about taking a sabbatical? I just spent 4 months in Spain and it really helped me to come back refreshed and ready to launch my next product!

[SnacksOnAPlane]

Go hiking for a week.