Handling your fears as an engineer
Nobody talks about those days when we can't get anything done, because we are freaking out. Even worse, one bad day often drags its feet across the next days and the sprint.
Fear and anxiety can play a huge role in our working lives, if we let it. I believe that the sheer amount of tools and technology we need to keep up with as engineers, along with this estimation-focused environment are making this job more emotionally draining than others.
Frank Herbert, Dune
Let's look at some situations that can freak us out pretty easily and how we may be able to avoid falling into these traps.
I broke something
You recently made some contributions. A week later a bug breaks the application and you can just feel that it's your fault. People quickly start to point at your change as the potential cause. As you start investigating, your slack notifications are going wild.
I don't have enough time
You thought you'd finish your task by tomorrow, but you see that it will take you at least another five days at this rate. Your calendar is overflowing with meetings. The new team members are eating into what little focus time you have left.
I don't know how to do this
It can be hard to admit. For juniors and seniors alike, especially if the environment doesn't feel welcoming to this level of basic vulnerability. Mindfulness can help us become aware of our feelings of inadequacy, but there are also practical things that can help us steer situations in our favor.
I've felt all these things in my career and I still do on a regular basis. But with practice, I've learned to notice what bothers me quickly, which allows me to influence the situation.
Instead of letting a stressful situation ruin my week, I aim to resolve it within a tough hour or two. The difference in productivity and well-being is enormous! If you feel that something is missing from this cheat-sheet is missing, please let me know in the comments so we can all be better equipped for those tough days.