Overcoming Addiction To Programming Karan Trehan Product Engineer @ gopay - gojek @karntrehan 

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.” 

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 

Are you addicted to programming? 

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 

Uncontrollably engaging in harmful levels of habit-forming behavior @karntrehan 

Neglecting or losing interest in activities that do not involve the harmful substance or behavior @karntrehan 

Profound changes in appearance, including a noticeable abandonment of hygiene @karntrehan 

Are you addicted to programming? 

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 

How do I stop? 

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 

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 

Possible Solutions 1. Develop a non - digital habit 2. Disconnect 3. Talk to peers 4. Talk to your organization @karntrehan 

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 

Disconnect ● Have work mode on your phone which turns off ● Keep your work laptop out of sight ● Use tools to monitor work apps @karntrehan 

Talk to peers ● Tell them about addiction ● Discuss about burnout ● Ask them to disconnect @karntrehan 

Talk to your organization ● Quantity != Quality ● Ask them for tools to support this ● Ask them to have discussions with employees overworking @karntrehan 

“.. treatment often involves counseling, medication, and community support” 

Thank you for listening to me! Overcoming Addiction To Programming @karntrehan