You Need A Break - Women Who Code Mobile Summit, Online, July 2022

A lightning talk about the things I told myself to avoid taking a break, and the benefits when I finally took one.

Transcript

1. You Need A
   Break
   Women Who Code Mobile Summit | Online | July 2022
   Ellen Shapiro | @DesignatedNerd | DesignatedNerd.com
   

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2. Recent Resume
   

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3. Recent Resume
   → Apollo GraphQL (6/19-2/22)
   

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4. Recent Resume
   → Apollo GraphQL (6/19-2/22)
   → ???? (2/22-6/22)
   

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5. Recent Resume
   → Apollo GraphQL (6/19-2/22)
   → ???? (2/22-6/22)
   → Gusto (6/22-present)
   

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6. ???? (2/22-6/22)
   

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7. Pandemic + Extrovert
   =
   Miserable Extrovert
   

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8. March 2020
   !
   

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9. January 2021
   !❄
   

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10. April 2021
    !❄#
    

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11. August 2021
    !❄#$
    

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12. Later in August 2021
    !❄#$!
    

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13. December 2021
    !❄#$!!
    

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14. January 2021
    !❄#$!!❄
    

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15. I was depressed
    

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16. I had
    !
    burnt out
    

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17. Attempted fix:
    !
    Vacation!
    

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18. "I feel so much better now.
    

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19. "I feel so much better now.
    everything's gonna be fine!"
    

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22. I had
    !
    burnt out
    (way harder than I ever had before)
    

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23. !
    Red Flags
    I wish I'd recognized
    

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24. !
    Red Flags
    → Doing basic tasks was exhausting
    

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25. !
    Red Flags
    → Doing basic tasks was exhausting
    → Using sleep to avoid emotions
    

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26. !
    Red Flags
    → Doing basic tasks was exhausting
    → Using sleep to avoid emotions
    → Doing work brought me zero joy
    

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27. Considered fix:
    Leave of absence
    

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28. Terrible excuses
    I gave myself for not taking leave
    

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29. "This is just the pandemic.
    I'll be fine when it's over."
    

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30. "What if I can't start again
    when I said I'd come back?"
    

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31. "What if I can't stop
    thinking about work?"
    

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32. "What if it doesn't
    help me get better?"
    

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33. "What if it makes things
    much worse?"
    

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34. Actual fix:
    Take five months off
    

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35. Privilege check
    

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36. Privilege check
    → Had substantial savings
    

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37. Privilege check
    → Had substantial savings
    → Did not have kids
    

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38. Privilege check
    → Had substantial savings
    → Did not have kids
    → Live in a lower-cost area
    

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39. Privilege check
    → Had substantial savings
    → Did not have kids
    → Live in a lower-cost area
    → Have a lot of experience
    

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40. So what helped?
    

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41. Step 1:
    Do Nothing
    

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42. Step 2:
    Search for joy
    

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43. Step 3:
    Start looking early
    

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44. Step 4:
    Don't start immediately
    

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45. Obligatory Summary Slide
    

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46. Obligatory Summary Slide
    → Burnout sucks. Try to catch it early.
    

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47. Obligatory Summary Slide
    → Burnout sucks. Try to catch it early.
    → Do not assume the world outside your control
    will get better at the rate your sanity needs it to
    

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48. Obligatory Summary Slide
    → Burnout sucks. Try to catch it early.
    → Do not assume the world outside your control
    will get better at the rate your sanity needs it to
    → Consider your options for time off, and look
    carefully at why you're saying no when you do
    

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49. Obligatory Summary Slide
    → Burnout sucks. Try to catch it early.
    → Do not assume the world outside your control
    will get better at the rate your sanity needs it to
    → Consider your options for time off, and look
    carefully at why you're saying no when you do
    → If you take serious time off, try to really have a
    hard reset of yourself away from work
    

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50. !
    Thank you for listening
    

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