The H.A.C.K.E.R. Project

Mental Health is Important

Mental health is important. It is just as important as your physical health. In many fields of work, there are often things that are tolls on your mental health, and the technology field is no different. Perhaps it is those few lines of code that look like they work but end up causing multiple bugs and exceptions. Maybe that one device you are repairing is missing a part that won’t come in until next month, but the job needs done by tomorrow. Possibly it’s the fallout from a SQL-Injection attack that just dropped an entire database table. Or the printer jammed for the hundredth time.

You may also be suffering from Impostor Syndrome. Impostor Syndrome is “persistent doubt concerning one’s abilities or accomplishments accompanied by the fear of being exposed as a fraud despite evidence of one’s ongoing success” (Miriam-Webster Dictionary). In simpler terms, you feel like you aren’t actually good at something, even though you are. According to Lawson, “imposter syndrome is a common challenge for software engineers due to the ever-changing nature of their job”, and I believe that this can apply to any in the tech field.

No matter where you are in tech (or, as a matter of fact, the world at large), there will be stressful moments, and these moments can all take a toll on your mental health (especially if they happen frequently). Thus, it is important to have some tips on how to keep yourself mentally healthy. I’ve compiled a few together here from various other websites. Even if you aren’t in the tech field, these tips can still be of use to you!

Eat

Eating is a crucial part for survival, but “a good diet … [is one of the] foundations of good mental health” (De Moor). Eating- especially healthy meals- gives you the nutrients you need to be productive and feel good. Even if it is more convenient to just eat snack foods, make sure you take the time to have more fulfilling meals. Further, don’t skip meals. Sure, skipping breakfast or lunch may give you extra time to finish your project, but you’ll likely feel worse off in the long run.

Drink

Drinking is just as crucial as eating. Even though certain beverages like coffee or soda pop may give you a quick boost, they end up being more detrimental in the long run. They “block the A1 receptors necessary for neurochemical signals to work in the body” (Lawson). Sure, it may wake you up for now, but “[the] feeling of sudden ‘high’…[is] only short-lived and not good for mental health” (Lawson). Of course, water is always a good choice to drink, but if you feel you need something more, try decaffeinated tea or juice.

Sleep

A good amount of sleep is important to remaining healthy. As noted by Oscar, “Funny as it may sound, sleep is a really good technique to refresh our minds and bodies”. Yes, sleep takes away time that you could be working. But you have to take a step back. It is not worth it to sacrifice your sleep. You shouldn’t “feel as if you need to burn the midnight candle because ‘that’s just what it takes.’ Long working hours might make you feel more productive, but it can lead to burnout, during which you won’t be productive at all” (De Moor). Make the time to sleep. Similarly, you can try and learn how much sleep your body needs to function efficiently and feel rested. Some people need less than the average 8 hours, others need more. Do what works for you. But “don’t get into the habit of sleeping” each time you get stressed as “that will become counter-productive” (Oscar).

Exercise

Exercise is crucial for those in the tech field who spend countless hours sitting in front of a screen. Exercise provides plenty of benefits, including an improvement of mood, a boost to energy, and a healthy heart (Lawson). There are plenty of exercise styles to choose from: go for walks or jogs, use workout equipment, lift weights. Try and develop a routine if possible; exercise routines “can give a sense of accomplishment” (Lawson).

Yoga

Yoga is a relaxing practice that “helps us quiet our minds” (Oscar). Just like an exercise routine, you can begin a yoga routine, or even work it into an exercise routine to give yourself some variety from day to day. Further, yoga is more than just stretching; it is a way to center yourself in the current moment and hone your focus in on your movements. According to Oscar, yoga has many benefits; these include “improving memory, learning abilities, social-emotional processing, sensorimotor processing, and many other cognitive functions” (Oscar).

Meditation / Mindfulness

Often paired with yoga, meditation and mindfulness practices can go a long way to help improve your mental health. Lawson states that meditation “is a simple practice that can increase calmness and clarity, reduce stress, and boost happiness” (Lawson). There are a variety of ways you can meditate and plenty of guided meditation tutorials and apps that you can find online. In a similar vein, mindfulness deals with noticing, identifying, and addressing the thoughts that go through your head and the feelings you experience. For example, De Moor states that when you start to experience negative thoughts such as not feeling good enough, you should “capture these negative thoughts and parry them with a positive thought” (De Moor). Sure, it is easy to say to just think positive thoughts; it can be quite difficult if you have depression or other mental illnesses. But it is always worth a try.

Practice Gratitude

Another way you can help improve your mental health is to try and identify things that you are thankful for. Even if these things are trivial or you aren’t truly thankful for them, De Moor believes that practicing gratitude can go a long way in staying mentally healthy. “Smile, even if you don’t feel like it, and look around” (De Moor). Again, it is easy to say, but can be hard to do. But, as said before, it is always worth a try.

Reward Yourself

It is important to “learn to commend and treat yourself at times” (Lawson). As much as some glorify an “all-work, no play” sort of lifestyle, it is truly important to reward yourselves now and then. Do something you don’t get to normally do or go somewhere special. Buy that new video game you’ve had your eye on. Go to that restaurant that you’ve been craving. Plan a night out with your friends. Whatever it is that makes you happy, go for it! Within reason, of course.

Hobbies

Hobbies are a great way to offset the stress that accumulates from work or school. As said by Lawson, time spent on your hobbies should be a “guilt-free, do-whatever-makes-you-happy time of the day. You can use this time to read books, make music, play games, basically anything that makes you happy” (Lawson). This ties in nicely with the above point of rewarding yourself. Why not reward yourself with some time spent towards your hobby, such as a fishing trip on the weekend or working on that crochet blanket? It is possible, however, that you aren’t quite sure what you enjoy doing as a hobby. If that’s the case, then “make it your mission to figure it out” (De Moor). Try new things! Maybe you’ll discover you really enjoy something you never would have considered.

Listen to Music

Listening to music can be a great way to get the momentum going. I personally enjoy listening to music while I work as it helps keep me energized and focused. Try and find those songs that get you pumped up and put them together in a playlist. That way, when “you feel mentally and physically exhausted, listening to [these] songs that remind you of your dreams, goals, and visions… can energize you and make you want to keep going with your work” (Oscar). On the other hand, music can help you to destress and relax. You can always put on some calming music if you are having a tough day or just need a quick break.

Change Your Environment

Similar to how music can influence your mood, so can your environment. Doing the same exact routine in the same exact place can sometimes wear you down, so switch it up! It can “reset your mind and help you through some hurdles you have been struggling to get past” (Oscar). Of course, you may not be able to relocate your entire desk depending on your job, but you can simply “choose to change your sitting position”, or if you are able to, “move to a different corner of your office or working space” so that you have a new view of the area (Oscar). You can also choose to redecorate your workspace. Hang up some new pictures or get a potted plant. Even the smallest changes can go a long way.

Go Outside

Another great way to help your mental health that ties in with changing your environment is to go outside (or, if possible, even work outside). Oscar states that “exposing yourself to fresh air allows you to get more oxygen to your brain which helps improve the performance of the brain” (Oscar). Plus, you’ll get to enjoy the scenery outside of your workspace, be it trees, buildings, or both.

Take Breaks

When you have a stressful project, it may seem more worth it to just keep pushing through until you figure it out. While this may work occasionally, it can take a toll on your mental health. Learn to take breaks now and again. Get up and walk around for a few minutes, take a moment to step away from your work and stop thinking for a bit. Honestly, “you shouldn’t refrain from taking breaks when you feel frustrated because of errors and tricky bug fixes you encounter” (Lawson). Sometimes, that break is just what you need to get that eureka moment.

Planning

Another way to help manage your mental health and stress is to manage your agenda. Some are able to go forward without planning exact details or having a checklist (and there’s nothing wrong with that), but creating a task list can help you not just stay focused, but stay mentally healthy. Creating “a planned list of activities for the day” ensures that “we do every activity when we are supposed to[,] allow[ing] us to be less stressed and feel more fulfilled” (Oscar). I find checking off my tasks to be quite rewarding, sort of like a final reassurance that I am done. Further, Oscar mentions that they, through planning , are able to “gain a good understanding of the entire project I am working on, the areas that I am supposed to work on, what is needed in those areas, and then I break down the work into small steps in my to-do list” (Oscar). Breaking down a complicated task into smaller, more manageable tasks can be helpful since it isn’t just one huge mountain to climb anymore, but multiple, smaller hills.

Support Systems

Finally, you can always identify the support systems you have. There are many different people that one can reach out to for support, be it a father, a mother, a sister, a brother, a friend, or a significant other. For some, religion acts as a support system. If you feel that you cannot reach out to those closest to you in your life (or do not have people that you hold that close), there is always the Internet. Find communities of people who understand what you are going through who can help support you. Even better, if you have a connection with someone in the same or similar field, you can form a partnership of sorts and be each other’s support systems; Oscar believes that “sharing your problems with someone who understands the gravity of the issues, and who can also help you solve them, is among the most valuable things in life” (Oscar). Even if you feel alone, there is somebody out there somewhere you can talk to.

Further, as De Moor says, “it’s okay not to be okay”. It is okay to feel sad, to feel angry, to feel upset. You don’t have to punish yourself just because you are feeling bad. Further, if you are “struggling with a mental health disorder, seek help. You don’t have to figure it out by yourself; many people will understand you and help you recover” (De Moor). Mental health disorders can have strong impacts on our mental health and self-perception, so it is important to obtain professional help in dealing with them. You aren’t alone, and you don’t have to do this alone.

Resources & Further REading

De Moor, Thomas. “How to Maintain Your Mental Health as a Programmer.” X-Team, X-Team Blog – The Most-Loved Company for Engineers, 9 Apr. 2021, https://x-team.com/blog/mental-health-programmer/.

Lawson, Finidi. “Maintaining Good Mental Health as a Software Engineer: Turing.” Turing Blog, Turing, 27 Sept. 2022, https://www.turing.com/blog/ways-to-maintain-good-mental-health-as-a-software-engineer/.

Miriam-Webster Dictionary. “Impostor Syndrome Definition & Meaning.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impostor%20syndrome.

Oscar, Dave. “A Simple but Effective Mental Health Routine for Programmers.” Smashing Magazine, Impressum, 16 Oct. 2021, https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2021/10/effective-mental-health-routine-programmers/.