Part of it is finding a company that doesn't work you to the bone. I have a normal 9-5 in a very technical field but the PTO is generous, nobody is counting my hours, and as long as I deliver reasonably in the timeframe they're looking for everyone is super happy. There were years that I was working at most 4 hours a day. Now it's closer to the full 8 but the pace of the day is not grueling.
This falls under the generic umbrella of taking care of yourself. Take breaks, eat and sleep well, exercise... These all help with energy levels and mood.
Another one that was very helpful for me is to find a hobby you really enjoy outside of the field of your work. For years all I did for hobby and work was programming. It got me really far, really quickly in my career but I burnt out hard one year. Even though I thought I was enjoying myself the whole time. So I picked up music, drawing, reading (non-tech)... All helped me disconnect and get better. Doing things a little bit every day will see surprising gains.
> Part of it is finding a company that doesn't work you to the bone
Definitely a big part of it. A job where your manager/boss doesn't hold you to unreasonable output, implicit overtime requirements, and one where your manager/boss respects you enough to not do that is a big thing, makes a big difference in what you have time and energy for.
Having a job that lets you focus is also a big part. Being on a team where you context switch 2 or 3 times a day because something is on fire vs just focusing on one thing all day, no 2 or 3 hours of meeting leaves you less exhausted as well.
This is where I am going wrong. I am supposed to sit at the office for 7-8 hours, and then take work home when something is unfinished, and needs ASAP solving, which happens often.
I often wonder if this is the wrong company or I am in the long line of work.
I am incredibly curious and love to learn new things all the time. If this is what typical "work" looks like, then I may have chosen the wrong line of work.
Remember this is India, and I was happy enough to work in a product based company, as opposed to a service based one. But damn, expectations don't match at all.
Are you still in India? It's very much a cultural thing, I've seen it first hand from people I've worked with.
But no, not all companies are like that. I can't speak specifically to companies that are based on India or hire in India, those may just seek to perpetuate that culture for their own financial gain.
European people I've worked with were very particular about when they worked and how much time they took off work. They normally get like 5 or 6 or more weeks of paid time off per year.
In North America it's not as employee friendly as Europe, but not every company overworks people. Some do, but not all.
Definitely look around, talk to people you know or have worked with before to better understand your options. Do your interview prep, stay sharp and look for better opportunities. Don't burn yourself out, you'll get nothing out of it, you'll only hurt yourself or your family prioritizing work outside work hours.
I read a comment or a quote, I'll paraphrase it here because I can't remember it exactly: burnout happens when the effort you put in doesn't pay off as you expected in the end.
Don't get me wrong, we all have had jobs like that and at certain points of your career is good to have that kind of pressure/grind to quickly progress your skills, but at a certain point you need to give your mind a break.
One thing that I'd try in your situation is to have a talk with your manager and try to allocate a few hours of your week for personal development. "Most" companies should be ok with this as it is usually a win-win for both the employee and the company and that way you'd have time to pursue other technical interests that may or may not be directly related to your job. If this idea doesn't sit well with your manager it might time for you to start updating your linkedIn profile...
> There were years that I was working at most 4 hours a day. Now it's closer to the full 8 but the pace of the day is not grueling.
This is my experience too, it's really not bad working a full 8 if you have good coworkers and nobody expects you to work more. It's just that you really have to be cognizant about not letting it creep in. 8.5 hours a day added up over a year of work is a lot more work, less free time, and overall not that much more productive that just 8 but I find it's hard to really limit myself to 8 when I'm in the throws of work for a day. My goal this year is to literally close my computer when the clock strikes 5 and only glance at my phone a couple times in case an emergency comes up.
This falls under the generic umbrella of taking care of yourself. Take breaks, eat and sleep well, exercise... These all help with energy levels and mood.
Another one that was very helpful for me is to find a hobby you really enjoy outside of the field of your work. For years all I did for hobby and work was programming. It got me really far, really quickly in my career but I burnt out hard one year. Even though I thought I was enjoying myself the whole time. So I picked up music, drawing, reading (non-tech)... All helped me disconnect and get better. Doing things a little bit every day will see surprising gains.