Overcoming addition to programming

A talk at GDG-MAD's March meetup about being addicted to programming & overworking.

Transcript

1. Overcoming Addiction To Programming Karan Trehan Product Engineer @ gopay - gojek @karntrehan
2. What is addiction? “Addiction is a psychological and physical inability to stop consuming a chemical, drug, activity, or substance, even though it is causing psychological and physical harm.”
3. 5 Ongoing Recovery H ave identified w hat triggers your addiction, and have built a solid support netw ork to turn to w hen you are having diffi culties. 4 Start Recovery They can start to learn new coping skills and healthy dietary habits, and start to focus on living a substance-free life. 3 Recovery Exploration Finding w ays to overcom e the addiction. Aw areness They are gradually realizing how their addictions are ruining their lives. 2 1 Acknow ledgem ent The addict realizes he or she has a problem Steps of Addiction Recovery
4. Are you addicted to programming?
5. Symptoms of addiction • Uncontrollably engaging in harmful levels of habit-forming behavior • Neglecting or losing interest in activities that do not involve the harmful substance or behavior • Profound changes in appearance, including a noticeable abandonment of hygiene @karntrehan
6. Uncontrollably engaging in harmful levels of habit-forming behavior @karntrehan
7. Neglecting or losing interest in activities that do not involve the harmful substance or behavior @karntrehan
8. Profound changes in appearance, including a noticeable abandonment of hygiene @karntrehan
9. Are you addicted to programming?
10. Possible reasons for addiction to programming Positives Instant gratification - Hit Run and Done! Creative pleasure - I created this! Control of outcome - I can do this alone! Ease of access - All I need is a computer! Neutrals Negatives Organization Pressure - My organization rewards it. Peer Pressure - My friends are doing it. Creative block - Can’t stop till I solve this. Pandemic - I have nothing else to do. Passion - It is my passion and I like it. Side Projects - I am using this to learn. Challenges - Lets work this weekend on Compose. @karntrehan
11. How do I stop?
12. Do I need to stop? • Do you have a start time but no stop time? • Are you spending late nights and early mornings in front of your computer? • Is your organization commending “all-nighters” & “weekend efforts”? • Are you not able to enjoy your holidays? @karntrehan
13. Do I need to stop? • Are your weekends exclusively for coding side-projects? • Are you neglecting your social circles because you are too busy coding? • Are you constantly thinking of bugs & issues? • Are you skipping on lunches and dinners? @karntrehan
14. Possible Solutions 1. Develop a non - digital habit 2. Disconnect 3. Talk to peers 4. Talk to your organization @karntrehan
15. Develop a non - digital habit An activity to do daily at a particular time @karntrehan Good Running / Walking Weight lifting Swimming Drawing Horticulture Reading books Board Games Bad Computer Games Netflix / Prime / Alt Balaji Side projects New shiny language New shiny framework
16. Disconnect • Have work mode on your phone which turns off • Keep your work laptop out of sight • Use tools to monitor work apps @karntrehan
17. Talk to peers • Tell them about addiction • Discuss about burnout • Ask them to disconnect @karntrehan
18. Talk to your organization • Quantity != Quality • Ask them for tools to support this • Ask them to have discussions with employees overworking @karntrehan
19. “.. treatment often involves counseling, medication, and community support”
20. Thank you for listening to me! Overcoming Addiction To Programming @karntrehan