6 ms·

What kind of massive memory problems? I might have this but didn't think to attribute it to burnout.

by griffiths 1y ago

mrbombastic 1y ago
Also asking for a friend…
- bluefirebrand 1y ago
  Really sorry to hear that All I can suggest is see a doctor as soon as possible and talk to them about it
ModernMech 1y ago
When I burned out I experienced skill regression and short term memory loss. Like, an inability to remember specific events of the day before, inability to perform skills I had done for decades like play an instrument. Took over a year to stabilize and return to normal.
- bluefirebrand 1y ago
  Yes, this is extremely similar to my experience I cannot remember events, conversations, or details about important things. I have partially lost my ability to code, because I get partway through implementing a feature and forget what pieces I've done and which pieces still need to be done I can still write it, but the quality of my work has plummeted, which is part of why I'm off on leave now
  - ModernMech 1y ago
    Hang in there, it gets better and the skills come back. From my github: 2,350 contributions in 2021 2,661 contributions in 2022 381 contributions in 2023 <--- burnout 794 contributions in 2024 <--- recovery 1,632 contributions in 2025 (so far) My recovery took about 18 months. It took time, and a lot of rest. I'd have to sleep like 12 hours a day sometimes.
    - bluefirebrand 1y ago
      Thank you for the kind encouragement I hope my recovery doesn't take that long, but if it does it does I would rather give myself the space and time to really get better, rather than simply rush back to work and burn out again
  - cultofmetatron 1y ago
    was going through something similar. here's my anti burnout protocol thats kept me functional all the way to my current position as founder and CTO of a profitable startup. 1. 1 tablespoon of cold extracted cod liver oil EVERY MORNING 2. 30 min of running 3-4 times a week 3. 2-3 weight lifting sessions every week 4. regular walks. 5. cross train on different intellectually stimulating subjects. doing the same cognitive tasks over and over is like repetive motion on your muscles 6. regularly scheduled "fallow mind time." I set aside an 30 min to an hour everyday to just sit in a chair and let my mind wander. its not meditation. I jsut sit and let my mind drift to whatever it wants. 7. while it should be avoided, in the event that you have to crunch, RESPECT THE COOLDOWN. take downtime after. don't let your nontechnical leads talk you out of it. thinking hard for extended periods of time requires appropriate recovery. the human brain is a complex system and while we think of our mind as abstract and immaterial, it is in reality a whole lot of physical systems that grow, change and use resources the same way any other physical system in your body does. just like muscles need to recover after a workout to get stronger, so too does your brain after extended periods of deep thinking.
- griffiths 1y ago
  Mine is more of a long term memory loss. Inability to recall some memorable events from months or even a year ago. I’ll definitely check or go talk with someone.
bluefirebrand 1y ago
Difficult to explain because it's inconsistent But I am struggling to remember things I did not used to struggle with Going to an event on a weekend with my wife and completely forgetting that we ran into a friend there. Not just "oh yeah I forgot we saw them", like feeling my wife is lying to me when she tells me we saw them. Texting them to ask and they agree we saw each other These are people I trust with my life so I believe they would not gaslight me, my own memory has just failed Many examples like this, just completely blacking out things. Not forgetting everything, but blacking out large pieces of my daily life. Even big things

What kind of massive memory problems? I might have this but didn't think to attribute it to burnout.

mrbombastic 1y ago

Also asking for a friend…

bluefirebrand 1y ago
Really sorry to hear that All I can suggest is see a doctor as soon as possible and talk to them about it

ModernMech 1y ago

When I burned out I experienced skill regression and short term memory loss. Like, an inability to remember specific events of the day before, inability to perform skills I had done for decades like play an instrument. Took over a year to stabilize and return to normal.

bluefirebrand 1y ago
Yes, this is extremely similar to my experience I cannot remember events, conversations, or details about important things. I have partially lost my ability to code, because I get partway through implementing a feature and forget what pieces I've done and which pieces still need to be done I can still write it, but the quality of my work has plummeted, which is part of why I'm off on leave now
- ModernMech 1y ago
  Hang in there, it gets better and the skills come back. From my github: 2,350 contributions in 2021 2,661 contributions in 2022 381 contributions in 2023 <--- burnout 794 contributions in 2024 <--- recovery 1,632 contributions in 2025 (so far) My recovery took about 18 months. It took time, and a lot of rest. I'd have to sleep like 12 hours a day sometimes.
  - bluefirebrand 1y ago
    Thank you for the kind encouragement I hope my recovery doesn't take that long, but if it does it does I would rather give myself the space and time to really get better, rather than simply rush back to work and burn out again
- cultofmetatron 1y ago
  was going through something similar. here's my anti burnout protocol thats kept me functional all the way to my current position as founder and CTO of a profitable startup. 1. 1 tablespoon of cold extracted cod liver oil EVERY MORNING 2. 30 min of running 3-4 times a week 3. 2-3 weight lifting sessions every week 4. regular walks. 5. cross train on different intellectually stimulating subjects. doing the same cognitive tasks over and over is like repetive motion on your muscles 6. regularly scheduled "fallow mind time." I set aside an 30 min to an hour everyday to just sit in a chair and let my mind wander. its not meditation. I jsut sit and let my mind drift to whatever it wants. 7. while it should be avoided, in the event that you have to crunch, RESPECT THE COOLDOWN. take downtime after. don't let your nontechnical leads talk you out of it. thinking hard for extended periods of time requires appropriate recovery. the human brain is a complex system and while we think of our mind as abstract and immaterial, it is in reality a whole lot of physical systems that grow, change and use resources the same way any other physical system in your body does. just like muscles need to recover after a workout to get stronger, so too does your brain after extended periods of deep thinking.
griffiths 1y ago
Mine is more of a long term memory loss. Inability to recall some memorable events from months or even a year ago. I’ll definitely check or go talk with someone.

bluefirebrand 1y ago

Difficult to explain because it's inconsistent But I am struggling to remember things I did not used to struggle with Going to an event on a weekend with my wife and completely forgetting that we ran into a friend there. Not just "oh yeah I forgot we saw them", like feeling my wife is lying to me when she tells me we saw them. Texting them to ask and they agree we saw each other These are people I trust with my life so I believe they would not gaslight me, my own memory has just failed Many examples like this, just completely blacking out things. Not forgetting everything, but blacking out large pieces of my daily life. Even big things