{"id":14286,"date":"2015-09-11T08:00:03","date_gmt":"2015-09-11T12:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simpleprogrammer.com\/?p=14286"},"modified":"2015-09-09T14:54:04","modified_gmt":"2015-09-09T18:54:04","slug":"a-programmers-guide-to-managing-stress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simpleprogrammer.com\/a-programmers-guide-to-managing-stress\/","title":{"rendered":"A Programmer’s Guide to Managing Stress"},"content":{"rendered":"

I almost lost my mind once. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. <\/span>\\n\\nI almost lost my mind because I wasn\u2019t taking care of it. Way too much crunch time for an important project, coupled with some ongoing issues in my personal life, pushed my ability to cope with day-to-day life into the red. <\/span>\\n\\nI was super, super stressed.<\/span>\\n\\nMy heart raced. My mind raced. My ability to think clearly<\/span>\u2014<\/span>so important when you\u2019re trying to get working software out the door<\/span>\u2014<\/span>went through the floor.<\/span>\\n\\nIt affected everything, including how I felt, my relationships, my sleep and appetite, and especially my ability to do my job. It wasn\u2019t a good place<\/span>\u2014<\/span>I was on the edge of somewhere nasty. Burnout.<\/span>\\n\\nIt was the best thing that ever happened to me because, while navigating my way back from the edge, I learned a whole heap about how humans work. In particular I learned about our mental and physical limits, the nature of stress and anxiety, and most importantly, how to take care of myself so that I could stop this happening again.<\/span>\\n\\nIt\u2019s valuable information, and it applies to everyone. Programming often scores well in terms of job satisfaction<\/a>, but programmers are humans and are subject to the <\/span>same limitations as anyone else<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\\n\\n<\/p>\n

How stress works<\/b><\/h2>\n

\\n\\nProgramming culture emphasises excellence and ability. This can make it difficult to admit to ourselves or others that we might be having an issue with stress. <\/span>\\n\\n<\/p>\n

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\\n\\nHowever, it\u2019s literally baked into our neural and physical circuitry, so everybody has to deal with it at some point.<\/span>\\n\\n<\/p>\n

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Stress in the mind and body<\/b><\/h3>\n

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\\n\\nStress is a series of <\/span>physiological and mental changes<\/i><\/b> that happen when our body and mind perceive a <\/span>threat or challenge<\/i><\/b> in our environment. <\/span>\\n\\nThe stress response<\/span>\u2014<\/span>also known as <\/span>fight or flight<\/i><\/b>\u2014<\/span>kicks in when we process information that indicates we\u2019re <\/span>under threat or facing a challenge. The physical symptoms can include:<\/span>\\n\\n<\/p>\n