Remote work became the norm during the pandemic, bringing new freedoms—but also new stresses and blurred boundaries. Today, burnout has reached staggering levels, especially in tech.
I’ve felt it too.
At the peak of remote work, I was overwhelmed and ashamed for falling behind. It felt like I was never doing enough. That shame, combined with isolation and always-on expectations, pushed me to burnout.
Why COVID-19 Worsened Burnout
📈 Spike in workload: Companies rushed to digitize. 83% of engineers reported burnout, with 81% blaming pandemic-related factors — Computer Weekly.
😰 Constant anxiety: Health fears, lockdowns, and daily uncertainty made emotional strain worse — The Register.
The Remote Work Paradox
⏰ Longer hours: 65% of remote workers reported working more than before — Apollo Technical.
💻 Always-on culture: Laptops stayed open after hours. 47% worried about vanishing work-life boundaries — The Conference Board.
🏠 Isolation: Developers, especially parents, juggled work, care duties, and Zoom fatigue.
The Toll of Blurred Boundaries
🏖️ Unused vacation: 25% skipped vacations pre-COVID due to guilt. During lockdowns, many stopped taking breaks — Apollo Technical.
⏳ Erratic schedules: Fragmented time zones and home responsibilities left no room for real rest.
“I quit my cushy six-figure software engineering job because I was burning out.” — riceball1.medium.com
Burnout by the Numbers
🔥 82% of remote U.S. developers still report burnout symptoms — DistantJob.
A 2023 developer survey confirmed burnout remains high — IT Pro.
This isn’t a temporary trend. It’s a structural crisis.
Personal Reflection
Burnout isn’t just survey data. It’s real. It’s painful. It’s isolating.
For me, it looked like endless Zoom calls, midnight code reviews, and abandoning the hobbies that made me feel like myself.
I didn’t realize how bad it had gotten until I started talking with others. Turns out, I wasn’t alone.
Quiet quitting, sabbaticals, job changes—they're not laziness. They're symptoms of a system pushing people too far. — World Economic Forum
What’s Next?
In the next post, we’ll cover:
- Why software engineers are especially vulnerable to burnout
- How tech culture and perfectionism play a role
- Steps to reclaim your time, health, and energy