Here’s A Blog For Developers Who’re Willing To Prioritize Their Mental Health!

I personally know many who consider mental health issues as an excuse for hard work. Now, as disheartening as the statement might appear, we all know that it’s a common belief. But here at Techugo, we are totally against this ideology.   

App development is a demanding field that could easily impact one’s mental health. If you are experiencing something similar, then I would suggest that rather than ignoring the issues, you follow some easy steps to emerge from it. 

Here are a few tips to get you started!  

1.  Stop Comparing Your Behind-The-Scenes With Someone Else’s Highlight Reel

Developers usually spend a lot of their time engaging with online tech communities. Coding can become overwhelming at times; even for experienced developers. Therefore, being a part of such communities allow them to fetch guidance from others in the industry.    

Do you too? 

Communities like GitHub, Stackoverflow are studded with people who spend most of their time learning, coding, building side projects, running their own business, and whatnot. It is very casually expected of us to have a super active social media platform, YouTube channel, blogging profile, etc. But it’s not everybody’s cup of tea.     

While reaching out to the community does have a positive impact, comparing yourself to others does not. 

We look up to senior developers in these communities and quite easily perceive that anything less than this is a failure. It does us more harm than good. Having such grueling standards of success for yourself can negatively impact your mental health. You’ll eventually end up with a jarring feeling of inadequacy. 

If you are a better developer than you were 10 months ago, then consider it a success.     

Don’t get me wrong here. I am not against you having aspirational goals. But I want you to have ambitions you want for yourself. They should never be based on other’s expectations!   

2.  Disconnect To Reconnect

In order to be successful, you have to grind!

I get it. Sometimes we do need to push our boundaries to become better developers. But it is completely okay if you want to take a break.   

The communities do push the idea of *Constant Grind*. But this perception makes us feel guilty, as we are constantly pushed the idea of being productive 24*7. For the feeling of fulfillment and satisfaction, you need to divide your time into two parts. One where you push yourself to gain maximum productivity, and one where you are finding happiness.

This will not only help you to rejuvenate your mind, body, and soul but will also improve your skills as a developer. With motivation, you will surely be able to work productively.

3.  Focus On The Present

Planning your future is crucial for gaining an understanding of the direction you want to move forward in. But this can get complicated if you spend most of the time thinking about the future, and not being attentive to the present.     

This not only makes us anxious about the future but also refrains us from enjoying the present. I want you to enjoy the moments. If you are failing at this then I would suggest meditation. It doesn’t have to be the conventional form of meditation. You can also attain mindfulness by doing any creative activity you love.    

Through meditation, you will be able to enjoy your present and feel more satisfied.  

I really hope that these tips help you to improve your mental health as a developer. I also recommend that you reach out to a professional in case you want a more guided approach. 

Always remember to not compare yourself with others, take a break and focus on the present. Keep growing.   

Good luck!