Five Ways To Combat Stress When Coding

Although making websites can be lots of fun, it can also be very mentally taxing. Whether you're a newbie or you've been in the game for years, overcoming stress can be one of the biggest challenges we face as software developers. Here are five ways to combat stress while coding.

Connect With Others

One of the best keys to stress management is having a good social network. Humans are social creatures after all. Family, colleagues and friends can help you see things from a different perspective and work through your mental anguish. Talking with other can ease stress and doing activities together can take our mind off things, helping us to relax. If you struggle with social anxiety or are simply introverted, chatting to others online can be just as rewarding. There are many online communities that you can become apart of, whether that's to get advice on fixing bugs, or just to feel apart of a coding community, there are plenty to choose from. Check out these coding communites

Treat Yourself

The little pleasures in life get us through the everyday grind. Doing things for yourself that make you happy is a fantastic mood booster, especially when you've spent hours debugging. Have a movie night complete with snacks and drinks, get that manicure you've been wanting, have an early night just because you feel like it! A treat doesn't always have to be earned or justified, sometimes we just need one and if it's gonna make us feel more energized and positive then who's to say we shouldn't do it. Take some inspiration from this selfcare list

Go For A Walk

Walking is a great stress reliever and sometimes the best thing we can do when feeling overwhelmed with our code is to close the laptop and focus on something else. Walking gives you time to think as you walk the blood flows to your brain and solutions to your problems become clearer. People tend to carry stress in their muscles and walking for as little as 15 minutes can un-knot tense muscles. Studies have also shown that spending time exercising in a natural environment helps release more endorphins than exercising in an urban setting. If the thought of going outside and going for a walk makes you feel worse, listening to music and podcasts is a brilliant method of keeping your walks fun and interesting. Why not listen to one of these podcasts and walk away your worries

Stretch

From the outside looking in, it's easy to assume software developers have it easy. We don't do much physical work and spend most of our time sitting down. Contrary to popular belief, we are prime candidates for chronic back pain and stress induced injuries. It is imperative that we try to avoid these types of injuries and the best way to do so is by stretching. When our body feels at ease it greatly impacts our stress levels. A lot of these stretches can be performed sitting down so there's no excuse

Take Regular Breaks

Coding can be stressful but it doesn't have to be. Work smarter, and give yourself breaks every so often as you code. It's very easy to get lost for hours coding and forget your body and mind need some timeout. Step away from your laptop, stretch your body and clear your head. It may sound unreasonable when you're facing a big project or a new language, but taking regular breaks helps productiveness in the long run. One of the most popular time management methods is the pomodoro learning technique