$30 off During Our Annual Pro Sale. View Details »

Field Guide to Caring for a Developer (2.0)

Allison Tarr
September 23, 2017

Field Guide to Caring for a Developer (2.0)

Surrounded by constant workflow advancements, new frameworks, and version updates, tech culture often makes exhaustion a badge of honour. How do we best take care of ourselves when faced with obstacles like burnout, isolation, and uncertainty?

Whether you’re a remote employee, freelancer, or working within a larger tech team, the issues of mental health are important. In this talk, we’ll examine the state of mental health awareness within tech and discuss strategies and resources to improve it on both a personal and community level.

Allison Tarr

September 23, 2017
Tweet

More Decks by Allison Tarr

Other Decks in Technology

Transcript

  1. FIELD GUIDE TO
    CARING FOR A DEVELOPER
    WORDCAMP SALT LAKE CITY 2017

    View Slide

  2. TODAY’S JOURNEY
    ◇ The Stats
    ◇ The Why(s)
    ◇ How we can work towards change as a
    community

    View Slide

  3. I’M ALLISON.
    Feminist. Writer. Mental health advocate.
    Front-end developer.
    @allisonplus

    View Slide

  4. CONTENT DISCLAIMER
    aka “You Do You”

    View Slide

  5. WHY THIS
    MATTERS TO ME

    View Slide

  6. HULA HOOPER.
    CANADIAN.
    MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATE.
    FEMINIST.
    FRONT-END DEVELOPER.
    ASPIRING BANJO PLAYER.
    DAUGHTER. WRITER.
    TRANSPLANTED CALIFORNIAN.
    VEGETARIAN.
    AVID READER.
    DOLLY PARTON FAN.
    INFJ.
    INTROVERT.
    PARTNER.
    SISTER.
    AUNT.

    View Slide

  7. THE STATS

    View Slide

  8. 1 in 5
    people living with a mental health
    issue

    View Slide

  9. Over 500,000
    people miss work each week due
    to mental health issues.

    View Slide

  10. $50+ billion
    estimated annual cost of
    absenteeism + lost productivity

    View Slide

  11. WHY DON’T WE TALK ABOUT IT?
    ...being treated differently
    ...exclusion
    ...judgement
    ...being labelled
    ...being viewed as less competent

    View Slide

  12. {AWKWARD
    AUDIENCE
    PARTICIPATION
    SECTION}

    View Slide

  13. Has your employer ever formally discussed mental health
    (for example as part of a wellness campaign or other official
    communication)?

    View Slide

  14. ...discussing a mental health disorder
    with your employer would have
    negative consequences?
    ...discussing a physical health disorder
    with your employer would have
    negative consequences?
    DO YOU THINK THAT...

    View Slide

  15. WHY THIS
    APPLIES TO TECH

    View Slide

  16. THE TECH INDUSTRY AS A WORKPLACE
    ◇ Compressed deadlines
    ◇ Ambitious goal setting
    ◇ Constant review and approvals
    ◇ Communicational chaos
    ◇ Independent work
    ◇ Expectations of being available outside
    of hours

    View Slide

  17. I totally understand all the latest
    technologies, systems and
    workflows within my industry.
    —No One

    View Slide

  18. WHAT IS BURNOUT?
    Physical, mental or emotional exhaustion caused by
    long-term stress.

    View Slide

  19. TECH INDUSTRY
    can make this seem like the status quo.
    THE

    View Slide

  20. GOOD JOB RESOURCES
    ◇ participation in decision
    making
    ◇ task variety
    ◇ job automony
    ◇ potential for
    qualification
    ◇ support from
    colleagues/family/peers
    ◇ lack of social support
    ◇ low job control
    ◇ poor performance
    feedback
    ◇ time pressure
    POOR JOB RESOURCES

    View Slide

  21. THERE ARE WAYS OF KEEPING
    UP THAT DON’T INVOLVE
    BURNOUT.

    View Slide

  22. STRATEGY
    SUGGESTIONS

    View Slide

  23. PUT ON YOUR OXYGEN MASK FIRST
    ◇ Setting boundaries
    ◇ Know the perks + benefits available to
    you and your rights as an employee.
    ◇ Take your vacation
    ◇ Communicate empathy.
    ◇ Improve your self care strategies

    View Slide

  24. 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE GIVING*
    1. Prioritize the help requests that come your way — say yes when it
    matters most and no when you need to.
    2. Give in ways that play to your interests and strengths to preserve your
    energy and provide greater value.
    3. Distribute the giving load more evenly — refer requests to others
    when you don’t have the time or skills, & be careful not to reinforce
    gender biases and who helps and how.
    4. Secure your oxygen mask first —you’ll help others more effective if you
    don’t neglect your own needs.
    5. Amplify your impact by looking for ways to help multiple people with a
    single act of generosity.
    6. Chunk your giving into dedicated days or blocks of time rather than
    sprinkling it throughout the week. You’ll be more effective — and more
    focused.
    7. Learn to spot takers, and steer clear of them. They’re a drain on your
    energy, not to mention a performance hazard.
    *Adam Grant & Reb Rebele, Harvard Business Review

    View Slide

  25. FREELANCE STRATEGIES
    ◇ Setting aside time for learning (½ a
    day every Friday, etc.)
    ◇ Client boundaries re: communication
    ◇ Join a biz support group or ‘power
    pod’

    View Slide

  26. EMPLOYED STRATEGIES
    ◇ #5ftf
    ◇ Lunch n’ Learns or ongoing training
    sessions
    ◇ Create a dialogue with HR + bosses
    ◇ Extracurricular activities not revolving
    around work or drinking
    ◇ Enforcing reasonable work hours
    ◇ Providing clear expectations

    View Slide

  27. WHAT CAN WE DO AS A
    COMMUNITY?

    View Slide

  28. EMBRACE NEURODIVERSITY
    CHALLENGE THE STIGMA AGAINST TALKING ABOUT
    FEELINGS
    REDUCE STIGMA BY EDUCATION AND
    DISCLOSURE
    SUPPORT OTHERS IN A SUSTAINABLE
    FASHION

    View Slide

  29. https://osmihelp.org
    Open Sourcing Mental Illness

    View Slide

  30. DON’T ACCEPT THINGS
    IF THEY’RE NOT
    WORKING FOR YOU.
    YOU DESERVE TO BE
    HAPPY AND HEALTHY.

    View Slide

  31. WE’RE NOT JUST CODE,
    WE’RE COMMUNITY.

    View Slide

  32. ◇ Open Source Mental Illness: osmihelp.org
    ◇ WPHugs: https://wphugs.org/
    ◇ IMAlive (online crisis network): https://www.imalive.org/
    ◇ National Alliance on Mental Illness:
    http://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/English/national-standard
    ◇ Mental Health First Aid: http://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.ca/
    RESOURCES

    View Slide

  33. ANY QUESTIONS?
    @allisonplus
    [email protected]
    Presentation template by SlidesCarnival & Photographs by Unsplash

    View Slide