One Habit I Quit After Recovering From Burnout

15 Sep 2026 #wellness #selfgrowth

Chasing a fancy title broke me.

For a long time, I believed my career was the most important part of my life. I chased titles like Software Architect or Staff Engineer at my last full-time job. But I was at the wrong place, at the wrong time.

After a couple of years, the honeymoon was over. Work felt like a burden, and I thought a new role would spice things up.

When I discussed the chances of a promotion with my boss’s boss, I was told “You could build any role you want.” But all my ideas were rejected with a “Someone is already doing that.” That subtle rejection frustrated me even more. Months later, I was laid off.

I let my work frustrations spread to the rest of my life. I stopped exercising, writing, and eating regularly. I burned out so badly I couldn’t get out of bed.

It took about two years to wake up with purpose. Yes, change is possible.

But burnout and a layoff made me rethink everything. My job and a title aren’t the most important parts of my life. I’ve placed strong boundaries around work and leisure. I code part-time, and only code during working hours. At lunch, I shut down everything work-related and return the next day. Zero emails or notifications. I joke by saying I’m not a passionate coder anymore.

I’ve learned to diversify my sources of joy and accomplishment. I make sure to do something I love every day, like walking, reading, and writing. I refuse to make my job my whole life. That saved me and keeps me from going back.

The idea of diversifying your joy is one of the lessons I share in 10 Surprisingly Simple Ideas That Changed My Life