On the pretext of World Mental Health Day, I thought about how our developers can stay mentally healthy. After some research, I found out how things work in Flexiana for the sake of the mental health of our Clojure software developers.
We know that most software developers and engineers are shy, introverted people who might find it difficult to ask for help in different situations, and we work in a fully-remote environment which makes the matter worse.
Just like when a musician creates a new piece, if a developer has some issues in his life, you can see it in his codes before he talks about his problem. Long hours of sitting behind a system with little human interaction can result in what can be known as coding depression. The risk of developers dealing with mental health issues is so high that companies should consider it.
Unlike on-site jobs where you can meet your colleagues in person and share a cup of coffee, or have water cooler talks, the remote environment misses the features that can help with supporting you and your team’s well-being. It is even harder to notice if someone is having a hard time and not doing all right. If you care about someone, just reach out to them and communicate. It is always nice to know there is someone that cares and you can communicate with, rather than reaching a breaking point, remotely!
Fortunately, different things can be done by both individuals and teams to prevent mental damage. Here are a few initiatives that we consider in Flexiana:
Stress Management via Learning and Creativity
With team building exercises and peer programming, our developers get help each other when one is struggling and learn new things at the same time. As the world is evolving at a fast pace, and as Flexiana is a learning-centered environment, developers get to learn from the industry and their peers. So when one is in trouble you can solve his problem using your creativity and knowledge. This way, you will reward yourself with satisfaction, and find your own problems easier which makes your work stress less overwhelming. Little by little, solving different problems creatively and learning new stuff, can help you feel more self-regulated which is beneficial to your overall health and can decrease the risks of depression.
Building Relationships in the Clojure Community and Internally
We at Flexiana hold and sponsor different MeetUps and events for the sake of giving back to the Clojure community and yet at the same time support our developers to get more involved to get to know more people who have common interests with them and benefit human interactions, which can help them feel less isolated and yet at the same time more connected to the work.
Autonomy to Life Balance
In Flexiana other than major meetings, we don’t have any specific time for working. You can manage your time any way you want. This gives you the freedom to have a proper sleeping time and you can exercise at a perfect time, be it mid-day, early morning, or by the time others have brunch. You can have a life along the work that can be healthy. You can just prioritize everything in your day-to-day life to balance your work and personal life which can result in better outcomes from work, happier life, and a satisfied healthier person and no burnout. At the same time, we help you if you need to, for example, upgrade your working system, or if you need to leave for someday.
When it comes to mental health, this fast-paced world can be a hectic place for software developers. Let’s look out for one another and ourselves. Let’s work together sustainably for a long time with healthy lives alongside. If you are a Flexiana member and want to speak with someone, the human resource team is always available to help you out.
