Finding a balance (in the times of CoVid-19)

If there is one thing I have always struggled with, it’s finding a balance between being a full time software engineer and being an open source contributor & maintainer… and a human being. In this new status quo where most of us are going fully remote, this balance may be even harder to reach; what’d I’d like to share with you are a few macro- and a few micro-actionable concepts that helped me. And I hope they’ll help you, too.

Transcript

1. ⚖ FINDING A BALANCE (in the times of CoVid-19) @kelset @FormidableLabs #esnextconf
2. I AM 2 •Software Engineer @ Formidable (London) •React Native core maintainer •ProvidedAsIs (London) organiser @kelset @FormidableLabs #esnextconf Lorenzo Sciandra - @kelset
3. – Fred & Drew from Pika “How do you see the JS/dev community 5 years from now?” 3 @kelset @FormidableLabs #esnextconf
4. 4 KINDER @kelset @FormidableLabs #esnextconf
5. CURRENT DEV SPACE 5 @kelset @FormidableLabs #esnextconf
6. CURRENT WORLD 6 @kelset @FormidableLabs Couldn’t find the original authors for attribution, sorry #esnextconf
7. FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL 7 To be a better community We need to take care Of ourselves as individuals @kelset @FormidableLabs #esnextconf
8. I AM 8 Open Source maintainer Experienced burnout 2 times (and a half) Been seeing a therapist for over 2 years Also: not an expert in mental health! This talk is highly subjective and you should reach out to a therapist if you feel that you are struggling. @kelset @FormidableLabs #esnextconf
9. WHAT I WANT TO DO 9 3 Macro Concepts + 3 Micro Actionables = ♥ @kelset @FormidableLabs #esnextconf
10. LET’S TALK MACRO CONCEPTS 10 @kelset @FormidableLabs #esnextconf
11. MACRO #1 11 “THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT.” - the MIT license. And all the other ones. @kelset @FormidableLabs #esnextconf
12. #1 PROVIDED AS IS 12 As a maintainer: You don’t owe anything to anyone. But respect your community. As a citizen: You are not entitled to any support. Be more proactive. Read more at: Open Source Maintainers Owe You Nothing @kelset @FormidableLabs #esnextconf
13. MACRO #2 13 You are WORTH @kelset @FormidableLabs #esnextconf
14. #2 CELEBRATE YOUR VICTORIES 14 Stop chasing the GitHub stars to feel that what you have done is good. @kelset @FormidableLabs #esnextconf Own your actions and be the first one to celebrate:
15. MACRO #3 15 “We are more hurt by our own expectations of other people than by their actions” @kelset @FormidableLabs #esnextconf
16. #3 SENSE OF SELF 16 A lot of issues in open source are caused by people “turning off” their sense of self. Try being more aware of your feelings and emotions, and try to understand where they are coming from. This is hard. Having a therapist helped me a lot with this. @kelset @FormidableLabs #esnextconf
17. 17 Some may be polarising takes, please be kind @kelset @FormidableLabs #esnextconf LET’S TALK MICRO ACTIONABLES
18. MICRO #1 18 Remove (almost) all notifications @kelset @FormidableLabs #esnextconf
19. #1 ALL THE NOTIFICATIONS 19 (that are just noise) No emails No push notifications Exceptions: Whatsapp, Telegram @kelset @FormidableLabs #esnextconf
20. MICRO #2 20 Do open source in small bursts within hours of daily work (if you can) @kelset @FormidableLabs #esnextconf
21. #2 SMALL BURSTS 21 Don't dedicate full hours (unless strictly necessary). Normalise to yourself that it’s actual work. (and you don’t do it on weekends!) Reduce the risk of “tunneling” because of the boundary. @kelset @FormidableLabs #esnextconf
22. MICRO #3 22 Free time !== Open Source time @kelset @FormidableLabs #esnextconf
23. #3 OUTSIDE CODING 23 Do Tai Chi in VR Watch Bojack Horseman Make your bedroom a phone-free zone Sleep at least 8 hrs per night Exercise Watch Matt D’Avella, Anna Akana, MPJ, Mayuko vids on YouTube Meditate Take a note of something that bothers you then set it on fire Take vitamines Get a pet Burn candles & incenses Play video games Learn something not CS-related @kelset @FormidableLabs #esnextconf
24. TO SUM IT UP 24 @kelset @FormidableLabs #esnextconf These are challenging times Take care of yourself A better you => a better community ♥
25. MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES 25 Please take care of yourself. If you are struggling, reach out to someone. US http://samhsa.gov/ http://psychologytoday.com/ UK https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/public-mental-health https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/ https://seizetheawkward.org/ @kelset @FormidableLabs #esnextconf
26. SEE YOU IN 5 YEARS! 26 #esconfnext Reach out! @kelset (open DMs) notkelset@kelset.dev Thanks to: Fred & Drew from Pika @FormidableLabs (hopefully sooner!)