Stress Management Guide For Programmers
Coding is tough! And hence life of a coder is tougher!
Why not take baby steps into changing the perception about this topic?
Programmers work hard and dedicatedly, with sole focus on creating bug-free codes. This requires complete concentration and hence this adds up to the stress and anxiety in their lives. Sitting on a desk for consecutive 8+ hours daily can also cause other complications, such as neck and back pain, weak vision and affected body physique.
Let’s talk about some of the ways which are guided by the professionals and have helped the software engineers around the globe.
Break Down a Big Task into Smaller Sub-Tasks
Dividing the task into smaller sprints can help you get your job done in a more convenient and efficient way. Accomplishing small sub-tasks not only motivates to do more and reduce stress, but also helps in making estimates more accurate and timely-achieved.
Take an example of constructing a building. It always starts with laying down blocks one by one, and eventually it reaches to the shape of a big empire.
Working in smaller sub-tasks is always less daunting, and it will eventually help out in reducing stress and procrastination.
Take Breaks
Have you ever noticed that long uninterrupted hours of work cause your energy level to drain away and make you feel tired before time?
This happens when you don’t give your mind and body the time to rethink and reponder. Long hours of work can make you feel physically and mentally tired. Therefore, it is suggested to take 5 minutes of break after 25 minutes of work. Meanwhile, look around your surroundings, take a quick walk and talk to your colleague, hydrate yourself or scroll through the digital world to stay updated. Return to work with boosted morale.
Prioritize
Prioritization is the key!
Make a day-start plan for your whole day with estimated time per task and strictly follow that plan with no context-switching. List down the to-do list and highlight high-priority tasks and finish them first. This will relieve much of your stress.
In most of the cases, there is only 20% of the tasks left which is on top priority. Usually 80% of the tasks are those for whom we were taking stress and turned out that they can be delayed for some time.
Practice some Stretching
Physical exertion has a very major role in reducing stress and anxiety levels, not necessarily for software developers, but for every profession.
Prolonged sitting is tiring. It not only puts on extra weight, but can make you feel lethargic. Try to take breaks between your work. Our bodies are not designed to stay 8 hours per day sitting still. It was designed to move. Also, innovative and great ideas hit when you are away from the main job. This can give you a new perspective.
Play or Write
Help others
One of the best ways to reinforce your learning curve is by teaching what you know, so as your skills improve, helping others who are stuck where you once were, can be beneficial for both you and them.
Use sleep-aid apps
Did you know that having a good night sleep starts during the day? For most people, it’s hard to sleep well (or sleep at all) after a very stressful day.
Taking sufficient sleep is always suggested and should be taken serious. Human brain requires a switch off mode to function properly.
In this digital world, every problem has an app, and so does sleep issues have! There are many sleep apps which have proved to help in better sleeps by experts. These apps help in keeping a track of your sleeping hours and helps in sleeping fast. Many people have said that sleep-aiding apps actually do the work.
