How To Self-Learn Without Burning Out
Tilda Udufo is a Software Engineer and open source community organizer with a passion for building inclusive, people-centered tech ecosystems.
I started self-teaching myself how to code during the lockdown. Schools were closed and I had plenty of time on my hands so I thought, why not? I’ve been learning for a year now and the amount of things I’ve learnt is amazing. It’s not just coding skills you learn, you learn discipline and time management. But sometimes you find it hard to watch another video or read another article. You’re constantly dreading the next project you have to complete to prove you understand what you’ve learnt. Well, if this is you then you’re at the right place. I’ll be telling how I self-learn without burning out.
Take Breaks: Yes, it’s that simple. Do not force yourself to watch a video or read an article if you are not up to it. It’s completely okay to feel tired when you are studying, it doesn’t make you lazy. Also, take breaks after completing a project. I usually take a week or more after a project to just relax. Projects can be exhausting and if you don’t take care of yourself you’ll most likely burnout.
Study in Small Bits: Don’t rush a topic/subject. If you’re finding it hard to understand something then take it little by little. You don’t have to finish that one hour long tutorial video in one go.
Turn your coding brain off: This is my biggest struggle. As a developer, it’s like your brain never stops thinking about coding. I could be watching a movie and I’d be thinking of why I’m not getting the results I want in my code or I could be lying in my bed about to sleep and my brain would be screaming at me to go pick up my laptop to fix a bug. It never stops. The simple solution is just forgetting about code when you want to relax. Try to think of what you’re doing instead of what your brain thinks you should be doing.
Sleep: Turn your laptop off and go to sleep.
- Cover photo by Doğukan Şahin on Unsplash
