Many developers hit a wall where coding practice feels like a chore, not a skill. This LeetCode burnout manifests as dread, memory loss, and questioning your career path. It's a system failure, not a personal one, often caused by grinding without proper retention or the right practice metrics.

The grind fails when you measure problems solved instead of clarity and adaptability. Without spaced review and active recall, your hard work evaporates. Practicing in silence also misses the social, high-pressure reality of a real interview, creating a false sense of progress.

Recovery requires a structural shift, not more willpower. Start with a complete rest period to reset. Then, rebuild with a new system: use progressive hints instead of full solutions, batch-test edge cases on your own code, and take tiny, reviewable notes. Weekly mock interviews restore the performance mindset.