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Surviving Crunch Culture in Tech: Strategies for Arizona’s Tech Professionals
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Dr. Kyle Jackson
By Dr. Kyle Jackson

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Crunch in the Tech World

In my recent post about the unique challenges facing programmers and developers, I highlighted how intense deadlines and industry pressures create stress that can weigh heavily on high achievers (Dr. Jackson Discusses Therapy for Arizona Software Developers). Here, I want to take a closer look at crunch culture. This term is widely used in tech to describe periods of extreme overwork, often tied to looming deadlines, long sprints, and/or major deployments.

Crunch in tech is rarely just about working hard, as it often stems from poor planning, shifting requirements, buggy releases, or team instability. Developers may find themselves redoing old code because of architectural issues, or chasing bugs late into the night. In these moments, the pressure can create not only exhaustion but also deep self-judgment, with many fearing they’ll lose their job or face punishment if they don’t push through. Even skilled and dedicated professionals can start to feel like they’re failing, when in reality, the system around them is breaking down.

Why Crunch Hits Hard

The sprint-based nature of modern development can sometimes create unrealistic expectations, leaving developers scrambling to “fix it now” (Atlassian Defines Sprints). Crunch culture is particularly visible in software and game development, but the pressures extend across tech. Employees may face long cycles of overtime and relentless performance demands, or what many in the industry call “crunch” (Stanford Defines Crunch).

This strain has real costs. Developers often find themselves cut off from friends and family, unable to rest, and constantly feeling behind. Over time, this can erode mental health and diminish productivity rather than enhance it.

Practical Ways to Survive Crunch

  • Challenge unhelpful thoughts
One of the most important skills I work on with clients is thought challenging. Crunch periods often bring heavy self-judgment: “If I miss this deadline, I am a failure,” or “everyone else has this figured out.” In therapy, we practice noticing these distortions and reframing them into more balanced perspectives. For example: “I met many milestones, and this setback is one learning point.” Shifting the narrative in this way helps reduce guilt, lowers anxiety, and makes it easier to recover emotionally.

  • Take short, intentional breaks
Evidence shows that micro-breaks, or brief pauses under ten minutes, can make a measurable difference. A 2022 meta-analysis found that short breaks significantly boosted vigor and reduced fatigue, though they didn’t always improve performance outcomes. Importantly, what you do during these breaks matters: stretching, walking, or briefly connecting with others proved more beneficial than passive scrolling (Meta-analysis on "Micro Breaks").

  • Break work into bite-sized goals
Instead of tackling one overwhelming project that requires days or weeks of crunch, breaking tasks into smaller, achievable goals reduces stress and builds momentum. This approach not only boosts efficiency but makes large tasks more psychologically manageable.

  • Protect the basics & social contact
Other important factors include taking time to ensure that you're getting adequate nutrition, sleeping enough to feel rested in the morning, and maintaining meaningful social contact with loved ones and friends. Reaching out to coworkers who may also be going through crunch can be especially helpful. Not only does it reduce isolation, but it reminds you that you’re not facing the stress alone. Crunch in tech is a challenging thing and for many an unavoidable reality of being a high achiever and high performer in that industry. However, it’s still important to take care of yourself, physically and mentally.

How Therapy Can Help

Therapy isn’t about slowing you down or asking you to be less ambitious. It’s about teaching you to use your strengths — intellect, logic, and problem-solving — in ways that support your long-term health and success.

In my practice, I’ve helped many professionals in tech through:

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Using structured, evidence-based strategies that appeal to logical thinkers. Like debugging code, CBT helps identify and correct unhelpful “mental loops.”

  • Stress and burnout management: Developing healthier boundaries and strategies to cope with sprints, deadlines, and leadership pressures.

  • Isolation and connection work: Helping tech professionals address the loneliness that often comes with remote or hybrid setups, and building deeper connections beyond task-focused work.

  • Personalized, tech-friendly telehealth: My practice is designed for virtual care from the ground up, using secure, intuitive platforms like Simple Practice. For developers across Arizona, that means therapy is only a click away, with no commute, no wasted hours in traffic.

Thriving Beyond Crunch

Crunch is sometimes unavoidable in tech, but it doesn’t have to dominate your life or diminish your well-being. Through therapy and intentional self-care, it’s possible to navigate the pressure, protect your health, and even thrive.

If you’re a programmer, software engineer, or tech professional in Arizona, whether in Chandler’s growing tech hub, North Phoenix’s expanding firms, or Scottsdale’s competitive business environment, you don’t have to face crunch alone. Therapy can give you the tools to manage stress, preserve your balance, and keep building the career and life you want.

Tags: 
  • Burnout In Developers
  • Chandler Therapy For Programmers
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
  • High Achievers In Tech
  • Mental Health In Tech
  • Phoenix Tech Therapy
  • Scottsdale Therapist
  • Therapy For Web Developers
To read more from Dr. Jackson's personal blog: View More Posts