Things I Prioritize After Taking a Break

After feeling overwhelmed in my current work environment, I started reflecting on what I truly value in work.

In the past, I mainly prioritized things such as how famous a company was, salary, and tech stack. However, I realized that what matters more is whether I can work consistently while continuing to learn and grow. Things like reputation and money are built on top of that foundation.

I came to understand that well-being is the root of everything. Without stability, it becomes difficult to perform well, learn new skills, or enjoy work in the long term. Because of that, I now value environments with less overwork, less rushing, and more sustainable ways of working.

In my current environment, we use modern technologies, but the workload is so heavy that I often do not have enough time to properly understand them. Instead of learning deeply, I sometimes find myself just copying and pasting code to meet deadlines. I realized that this is not the way I want to grow as an engineer.

Another thing I started valuing is reducing unnecessary engineering stress. For example, having clear task priorities, automated deployments during normal business hours, and smoother development processes can make work much less stressful. I believe these improvements help engineers focus more on development itself rather than constant pressure.

I also experienced continuing to work despite feeling mentally exhausted because I wanted to meet expectations and deadlines. However, over time, that approach became unsustainable and eventually led to taking a long leave from work. Through that experience, I learned the importance of working in a sustainable environment rather than constantly pushing beyond my limits.

In my previous workplace, I was expected to adapt to a new environment very quickly. As a result, I became mentally exhausted. However, that experience also taught me what is truly important for me in a workplace.

Now, I am looking for a company that values employees’ well-being and supports sustainable growth.

Reevaluating my priorities has helped me better understand what kind of environment suits me best.