A promise of spring
We are halfway through 2021 already. The last six months wheezed past like light, isn’t it? Back in 2020, when the pandemic started, I took to attending virtual conferences/events and connecting with some local meetup groups and/or conference organizers in the process. I came to know about a lot of communities fueling open source, technology, and whatnot. Undoubtedly, looking back at it, it was one of the highlights of 2020.
By a fortunate stroke of serendipity, I also received opportunities to speak at such events. Unintentionally, it was one talk per month, to be exact. I ended up maintaining a GitHub repository for keeping track of all such speaking engagements following one of my conference acquaintances. I also started adding links to recordings too(provided they were available publicly) to revisit and improve my speaking skills later. If you ask me why GitHub? The answer is simple, that’s the platform we visit the most as engineers! Well, I, for one, see the platform at least ten times a day(not a lie). It’s easily the best place to collaborate, and most of the projects use GitHub wiki for documentation.
Needless to say, it needed discipline on my end to assemble the resources required for each talk and to devote some time every month for this. As I was getting to learn something new in every event, I enjoyed it; I spoke at and feeling the power of giving back to the community. Be it discussions regarding queries, doubts, general technology, or open-source projects at large, I learned from my attendees. All went well till the beginning of February 2021, when I started experiencing burnout. Life had indeed become a drudgery of routine. I personally feel it’s tough to keep a streak going. Such commitments require dedication and patience with oneself. Hats off to those who have completed #100DaysofSomething streaks.
I took a break from speaking and my ongoing hobbies, including painting and dance, for some time to reflect and clear my mind. It’s not that I disregarded it. I’m incredibly grateful to all the organizers/attendees who confided in me. I sincerely hope I was of some help to them. But there was a need for some change. And in a matter of two months, I was back on track with double the enthusiasm and energy. Thanks to communities like GirlScript Foundation and GirlCode, I got an opportunity to conduct open-source and web development enablement sessions for newbies. Below are some of the things that helped me turn the corner in those two months.
Discovering new music: I started listening to different music genres from other countries, especially Korean and Spanish. Needless to say, I couldn’t understand the language. Still, none can deny that music transcends all sorts of geographical/language barriers. It also took some extra effort to go through the translations of the songs that caught my ears.
Reading blog posts/stories: I took to reading articles/blog posts of people completing #100DaysofCode and how they overcame obstacles, be it personal or professional. Some of them were really uplifting. I believe that’s why it’s essential to pen down your emotions. Be it a story, poem, or just a diary, it helps in deep cleaning your mind. It serves as a snapshot of your mind and a window to your emotions that you can revisit at a later point in time. This is really cathartic. I started blogging back in 2017 because of this, and I sometimes review my own articles and sneak peek into what I felt then. You can choose to keep it private too, but make sure to keep a record. Some of the experiences inspired me to fight back, and I wish to commit to something like #100DaysofDrawing sometime in the future(drawing for the time being!).
Spending time with nature: During the evenings, I started taking strolls on my terrace and noticing flora and fauna in and around me. It helped me calm my mind. Also, my grandmother grew a massive pumpkin in our garden! I never knew pumpkins could grow in the garden soil. I got inspired by the perseverance of my grandmother. She takes great interest in homegrown vegetables.
Refraining from replying immediately: Certainly, one might easily be tempted to reply whenever a notification pops up. But I refrained from answering and only replied at the end of the day when I logged off from work or was highly urgent. This stopped frequent distractions and context switching. Obviously, this segment doesn’t apply to work calls/messages. Don’t ignore them!
Solving puzzles: This greatly helps in improving concentration and memory. I know it sounds childish, but it really does help and is a lot of fun too! Also, it serves as a productive distraction(yes, I know it’s an oxymoron!) from the daily stuff. It also paves the way for the influx of ideas for solving problems in creative ways.
Learning a new language: I had taken to learning French two years ago but couldn’t maintain the learning streak. I attempted to leisurely learn Korean(not writing, just speaking), thanks to my newfound interest in Korean pop music and dramas in recent times. I just couldn’t help but notice the similarities with my mother tongue, Odia. I’m pretty sure there might be resemblances with other Indic languages as well. Even learning new words of a known language helps. As a non-native English speaker, I always note all the new terms and their meanings and use them in daily conversations.
Stopping procrastination: Constant influx of information may lead to mental fatigue and loss of motivation, which leads to a high possibility of procrastination. Choose to at least complete some part of the task that you wish to procrastinate, as soon as you get it, like reading documentation before contributing to a new project. This keeps a record of what you read in your mind, and you can start from where you left off the next day.
Indulging in cleaning and art/starting a new hobby: Sometimes, cleaning around the house helps cleanse the mind (from personal experience). Cleaning and arranging things is an art as well. You can also choose to create drawings/paintings for starters to decorate the house. Even coloring helps a lot in improving concentration. You can also learn to play an instrument(provided you have it), remix music, edit videos or even start photography. Nothing is impossible if you put your mind and soul into it.
Learning the reason behind festivals: In Odisha, there is a festival that celebrates womanhood called Raja. As a kid, I had no idea about the meaning of the festival. When I delved deeper, I found out that it celebrates women and allows them to take a break from their daily responsibilities. There are different stories associated with festivals too. I’m sure learning such stories would kindle your imagination.
Rewarding yourself: It’s essential to acknowledge your own efforts. Pat yourself on your back for everything you’ve been doing to hold up amidst these challenging times. You can choose to reward yourselves with comfort food, especially chocolates(watch out for your teeth, though!) as soon as you finish a task. Make sure you divide a gigantic task into small, doable subtasks to avoid feeling overwhelmed in case of burnout. Don’t be disheartened if you aren’t able to meet your goals. Just take it on your stride and start afresh. It’s imperative to give time to yourself and embrace your flaws.
Learning about a new open source project: I started learning about Keycloak and Quarkus a month back, and it has kept me hooked all this while.
Getting a good sleep: Catch up on that sleep debt and stop straining your eyes.
These were some of the things that helped me bounce back. Hope this helps. Indeed, this is not an exhaustive list. People even resort to workouts, yoga, and mediation, the traditional tried and tested ways to help relieve stress. The world is your oyster. All have their own ways of coping with stress and loss. So, you do you! In other words, do whatever helps you break the monotony. It’s crucial to take a break as burnout is real! Just like some appliances start working after we unplug them, it’s vital to clear ourselves as well.
P.S. Please pardon me for the preaching undertone, I tried to be as real as possible. All the above stuff is tried and tested, at least by me.
Feel free to comment on what helped you bounce back during tough times. Hope we rebound to the “then” normal soon!
