We have conducted a qualitative psychology study to explore the experience of feeling overwhelmed in the realm of software development. Through the candid confessions of two participants who have recently faced overwhelming challenges, we have identified seven distinct categories: communication-induced, disturbance-related, organizational, variety, technical, temporal, and positive overwhelm. While most types of overwhelm tend to deteriorate productivity and increase stress levels, developers sometimes perceive overwhelm as a catalyst for heightened focus, self-motivation, and productivity. Stress was often found to be a common companion of overwhelm. Our findings align with previous studies conducted in diverse disciplines. However, we believe that software developers possess unique traits that may enable them to navigate through the storm of overwhelm more effectively.

翻译：我们开展了一项定性心理学研究，以探究软件开发领域中不堪重负的体验。通过两位近期面临巨大挑战的参与者的坦诚陈述，我们识别出七种不同的类型：沟通引发型、干扰相关型、组织型、多样性型、技术型、时间型和积极型过载。尽管多数类型的过载往往会降低生产力并增加压力水平，但开发者有时会将过载视为提升专注度、自我驱动力和生产力的催化剂。研究发现，压力常与过载相伴而生。我们的发现与先前在不同学科领域开展的研究结果一致。然而，我们认为软件开发者具有独特的特质，可能使他们能够更有效地应对过载的风暴。