Yes, the pain is real. Software development is growing and evolving non-stop, and JavaScript has been one of the most violent fronts of the field. So much so that it often feels like drowning in quicksand, no matter how experienced you are.
In my opinion, the best way to survive is to make a constant effort to stay focused in one use-case. Start from the destination, the one thing you are trying to achieve. And then go learn the very minimum you need to achieve that.
If you have more than one solution for a part of the project and you can’t figure out which to use (fatigue!), just pick one. Avoid going deep, learn as little as you need to solve your problem. Don’t try to learn everything or to become an expert in a sub topic.
As JavaScript matures, more capable and packed-up solutions appear, like Gatsby for static pages, Next for server side rendering and Create-React-App for web applications. Choosing one of them is a good first step.
If you are just beginning to learn, then following one of the initial tutorials in Create-React-App is a good start.
October 17, 2019.