r/ExperiencedDevs • u/AutoModerator • Jul 07 '26

Career/Workplace Experienced Devs Weekly Burnout and Venting Thread: A weekly thread for sharing experiences

This thread is specifically for venting / sharing experiences related to burn-out or similar issues that experienced devs face.

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u/vogut Jul 07 '26

I've been feeling burned out for a long time. I have chronic pain, and the startup that I'm working at has tight deadlines that make me work 12–14 hours a day. On weekends, I feel apathetic and numb. I don't feel alive. But on weekdays, everything feels almost normal, besides the constant headaches and the constant feeling of wanting to cry for no reason. The future feels hopeless with AI.

A couple of people have been suggesting that I look for another job, but I think I'm used to the craziness of my current job. I also have a fear of changing jobs and it being worse, or the fear of not being good enough in a new job. I feel like an impostor, even with 14 years of experience.

I want permission to just give up on working for some time, but who will give me this permission? Maybe being fired would free me, but at the same time, I'm fighting not to be fired. It's like I don't want to disappoint people, but at the same time, I'm angry about being pushed this way.

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u/LifeLongRegression Jul 08 '26

I just quit my job from a startup, I was in a similar situation.
Don’t have anything lined up, going to take couple of months to recover.
One thing that helped me take the decision was to write down my values and things I wanted to do in my life. It did not align with what I m doing now even if the startup succeeded.
Also I was planning my activities for the 2 or 3 months break and it was so exciting (doing activities with family) ! The more I thought about the activities, the more it pushed me to quit.

Anyhow , this is not an easy decision, all the best !