How I work as a software engineer during the war
It’s a how-to-be-productive-like article, but mainly I’m just sharing my emotional experience and photos
On February 24, 2022, russia restarted an active war on the territory of Ukraine. russian rockets hit almost every big Ukrainian city. The country’s north, east, and south were suffering under the enemy’s army occupation. The infrastructure in the occupied territories was damaged or destroyed. People died by the hundreds, others tried to save themselves and fled to safer places.
Disclaimer.
This text is subjective and may not coincide with the values and views of other people. Yet, it is also essential to understand that I was always at a distance from occupied territories or active hostilities.
Prerequisites
I’ve been working as a Software Engineer with a large German company for almost two years now. All my colleagues are based in Berlin, but the company is multicultural.
The war caught me in Kyiv, in relative safety — in the southern part of the city. The scariest thing I experienced was the uncertainty and strangers who were panicking. Those two set up the longest night of my life.
It was acceptable for me to hide in a shelter from time to time and to be scared of a possible missile attack. But as soon as the danger of the capital’s occupation appeared, I moved to the western part of Ukraine. About a month after moving, Ukraine’s armed forces kicked russian troops out of the region, and I returned to Kyiv, where I am now.
Of course, the first week, I barely found the strength to think about work, let alone do it. Therefore, the return to my pre-war productivity was gradual and took about a month. But now, analyzing the past, I can distinguish those crucial decisions that helped me.
0. Not to be a blocker
The first thing I did when I woke up on the morning of the 24th and realized that the country was at war was that I pushed my local branch.
I was in the middle of a big refactoring task when the war started. So in the next few days, I wrote a detailed description of what I had done, what I still needed to do, and what could go wrong. Shelter (in my case, underground parking) is an excellent place to do it — there is no internet, and you can entertain yourself by panicking or working. Mainly, of course, I chose the first one, but in the end, I finished a massive document for my colleagues in a couple of days.
In the early days, it’s pretty difficult to pull yourself together and finish all the tasks you started, so it is better to rely on colleagues who are safe and can do it for you.
1. To take care of my safety
On the first day of the war, I checked the nearest bomb shelters: two underground parking and the subway. I spent the nights in the parking lot, even if there was no air-raid alert, just in case. I spent days mainly in the apartment, in the hallway near the door, and rarely in rooms with windows. I always went down to the shelter during air-raid alerts.
After returning to Kyiv, I assessed all possible trajectories of missile strikes — from russia, belarus, and the Black Sea. My apartment windows face the opposite direction or are obstructed by neighboring houses. So staying home and not going outside during air-raid alerts seems safe.
It’s essential to take care of yourself and your safety, the safety of loved ones, and your pets — it calms you down and allows you to concentrate on work even when this safety is illusory.
2. To provide me with the essential products
Food, water, meds, cat food — everything was at hand, or I knew where I could get it. I visited almost all the working stores in the area, bought everything I needed, and knew the variety of products. It was very helpful during extended curfews or unexpected air-raid alarms.
Also, the time spent underground is more comfortable with sleeping pads, bean bags, woolen blankets, and warm clothes.
Now, delivery works at almost the same level as before the war. Thus, providing for oneself is not very different from before the war.
You need energy and good health to work productively, so you must eat well, drink enough water, stay warm, and sleep at least 7 hours.
3. To filter the news
In the first weeks of the war, I subscribed to several news channels at once and did not leave Instagram. As a result, my average time spent on my phone increased by 300%. (Unfortunately, I did not take a screenshot of the analytics, and the iPhone stores this information only for two weeks — current and previous).
Over time, I started to turn off some messages one by one. But I blocked them all only now. I generally try to scroll through the news feed in the morning quickly but spend time on social networks and read the news more closely only in the evening.
I have never missed anything important, but emotionally I feel much better. Besides, it seems like there are more hours in the day.
Leave only a few news sources — you don’t need to know everything. The vital information will reach you in any case. Also, it is much easier to focus on work when you are not distracted by constant notifications from which you always expect bad news.
4. To be flexible
War changes everything, relentlessly and irreversibly. The routine disappeared on the first day. Stores’ opening hours have changed, now you can’t buy products “after work”, you can’t order food if the fridge is empty, no more yoga in the morning and TV shows in the evening.
I lost my appetite, so as soon as I felt a little hungry, I tried to eat healthy at the exact moment, regardless of the time. In the morning, after leaving the shelter, I could finally sleep. When most of my colleagues worked in the afternoon, I had to go to the store. Working hours have changed. Sleep, food, shops, shelter — everything has been mixed and intertwined.
Now the routine is returning, and a new one is being created. But in the early stages of the war, it was important to loosen control over one’s schedule and easily accept change.
Don’t try to control the war. Instead, be flexible, change with reality, and do not blame yourself and those around you for not doing something. It allows you to be productive and not slip into depression.
5. To explain why I do this
A clear goal is the best motivator.
From the very first hours of the war, the only goal of every Ukrainian is victory. I can do the most good by making money, so:
- I pay taxes.
- I buy Ukrainian, I did it even before the war, but now I choose what I buy even more carefully. I give preference to Ukrainian brands.
- I try to pay only by card, avoiding cash, thereby supporting entrepreneurs who pay taxes for sure.
- I try not to cut spending dramatically because keeping currency in the same hands is typical in a crisis, but money likes to flow. The economy must work — we must buy, pay, and spend.
- Of course, I donate every month because I already have a list of my favorite volunteers whom I trust and see good in their work.
- I try to help my relatives because my brother lost his new apartment in Mariupol, and my parents now live in the occupied territory.
I am also very motivated by my colleagues, who support me every day and understand the circumstances I am currently in.
It is challenging to navigate a new and unfamiliar situation, but if you set yourself a clear goal, it becomes much more manageable. Pick one thing that you do best and focus on that.
When I was a child, I was terrified of war. When I watched movies or read books about the war, I always wondered why people didn’t just run away. Although people call it “world war,” surely there must be someplace where there is no danger.
Now I’m just as afraid of war, but I don’t run away because, more than anything, I want not to hide but to win, end suffering and punish the guilty. So that’s what we’re going for.
Glory to Ukraine!
Thanks for reading so far!
I hope this article will not be helpful to anyone, only interesting.
See you next time! 🤹🏻♀️
