Placement season runs on cortisol: rejection emails, comparison, "everyone's placed but me". Burnout doesn't announce itself — it shows up as three skipped days becoming three weeks.
The early signs
- Opening LeetCode and staring, closing it — repeat
- Consuming prep content instead of doing (watching = hiding)
- Sleep debt "to prepare more" that halves tomorrow's focus
Sustainable beats heroic
- 2 focused hours > 8 foggy hours — schedule the 2, protect them, then live your life guilt-free
- Rest is part of the program: one full off-day weekly. Skills consolidate during rest; that's neuroscience, not laziness
- Minimum viable day: 20 minutes keeps the streak without the drama (see the routine)
The comparison trap
Someone's LinkedIn offer post is their highlight reel over your bloopers. The only valid comparison: you last month vs you now — solved problems, shipped features. Track those numbers; they only go up.
Rejection math reframe
A 5% conversion rate means 19 nos per yes by design. Each rejection is the funnel working, not a verdict on you. Log what each interview taught you, then next application. The students who get placed aren't the smartest — they're the ones still applying in month 3.