I hear senior developers saying I shouldn't do it because I will get burned out, I hear not so experienced ones saying we should use every moment we have to write another line of code. Some even look down on you and think you're not passionate/ serious enough about your job, just because you don't breath code 24/7.
While I do do work related things after clocking out (and I'm not opposed to that, since I don't have a great deal of experience and there are many things to learn), I can't help thinking about that people working in other fields are not really expected to take their work home with them - I don't see my friend who's a nurse going around and giving shots to her neighbors, after her working hours are done.
What's you opinion on this? Is the amount of time spent coding outside office hours an indicator of how good/ passionate of a developer you are?
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Oldest comments (86)
You will get burned out, for sure (i got burned after 1 year of non-stop coding). I usually code after my working hours only when i find something new/interesting to play with. If it's just a routine work, i won't do it in my free time.
Yeah, that's something to watch out for.
What I like about coding in my free time (when I'm able to) is that there's no pressure. So even if I don't have the time to, I don't have to worry about it.
I'm still not there. Sometimes I feel bad that I don't use my free time for more coding. Most of the days it's like this but I have periods when I can relax and not care about it.
Same here. Usually when I code in my free time is to try something new.
I think it depends on each individual person. Some enjoy coding in their free time, some like to only code during work hours, and some are in between. I donβt think any of these options make one person a better developer than another. Itβs all about balance for each individual.
I personally love writing code as my day job and enjoy writing code outside of work from time to time, but I also have a lot of other interests that I like to spend my free time on. I may spend more time coding outside of work if thereβs a specific project Iβm working on, but I also like to devote time to non-coding projects and activities that interest me.
Yes, different strokes for different people. I want to add to this that it also isn't black and white. There are times in my life where I totally do code in my free time, but this is not always the case. Sometimes I do nothing, watch movies, play video games. Other times I buy am ukulele and just practice that for a year (yeah, very specific :) and if I'm feeling it, I will start writing code again, because, this is the most important part I want to and enjoy it.
Then there are those of us who only code in our spare time, but have been doing it almost daily for well over the past 20 years π I adore it and can't get burnt out, but it might not be the same for you. Then again, you never know, it mightπ
You mean coding is your hobby and not your day job? If that's the case, then yes, you're a different category :).
what stacks are you into?
I can write in various languages, high and low level; though since high lvl languages have always served my needs I tend be more comfortable with interpreted/scripting languages. I started writing all the basics 20+ yrs ago - Batch/CMD/PS then started C++/Assembly. I occasionally write small cli or simple math bins in those, but everything I've' needed done in the last 10+ years was easily done in AutoHotkey/Python in Windows and Shell (Bash)/Python in Linux. I can also write HTML, CSS, PHP, and very familiar with vanilla Javascript as I have used them for many years to build personal sites and UserStyle/forum themes. I've read lots of introduction books to many other languages and familiar enough with their syntax. I am more than familiar with many different programming constructs and I read any programming/computer science book I can get my hands on. I don't have a professional stack, but I guess that's what you'd call mine.
I think isn't mandatory but recommendable in some situations, specially when you are a junior. Also is a good idea to code in your free time if you want to try different things, like you're only doing backend in your work and want try frontend or mobile.
Yes, that's what I'm doing at the moment, just because the office hours are not enough to get up to date with everything I need to know. I usually use the weekend for that since during the week I'm already too tired (juniors get tired faster :D).
No. Find a way to live a well rounded life. I love code, and have done for 30 years, but there is more to life. If you're doing it out of some sense that you have to keep up or catch up - here's a secret - YOU NEVER WILL! Not because you're a bad programmer or bad human, but because it's impossible. You will be a better programmer in the long run if you allow your brain time off to recharge.
Crunch time happens occasionally (1-2 times a year is enough). Try to be balanced the rest of the time. If you are finding that hard, have a think about why - internal or external factors.
This might be relevant.
codingmindfully.com/the-software-d...
I always have the feeling I will never catch up or I won't know as much as I need to know but I suppose this is a feeling everyone is struggling with. Thank you for the resource, I was pleased to find out that I'm not experiencing any of the symptoms of a burnout developer :).
Glad to hear! It's completely a feeling everyone struggles with. There is too much software engineering to fit in a single human mind! So enjoy the process of learning and admire and take inspiration from those who know a lot already!
Also - if it's a case of other people looking down on you - that's often a self defence mechanism that hides their own lack of self-worth. They set themselves up as superior by diminishing everyone else. It's not sustainable for them, and isn't true about you. So brush it off.
Then there's the question of are people actually looking down on you?
Imposter syndrome's a bitch. It likes to make us think others think less of us because we don't know everything about everything, and yet we all have that same insecurity. Maybe not all of the time, but we've all dealt with it. We've all felt like we're "less-than" or whatever, because we don't know something someone else does.
This field is massive and growing every day. You're not going to know everything about everything. You're not even going to know everything about your little niche. There will always be someone who knows stuff you don't.
And you know what? You also know things other people don't know.
Embrace what you know and share it. Learn the relevant stuff you don't know but need to know. Outsource the rest. Fill your niche, let others fill theirs.
No, you shouldn't. Only robots are work without any interruption. Your self-improvement is also important. People shouldn't be a lover of their job. This should be a hobby. When you write code all the time, you may get burnout syndrome.
In the past, I met a lot of people who had burnout syndrome. You should do different things o remember you're a human. Read books, do gym, cook something, draw something or dancing, etc.
The job we love shouldn't kill us. I wanted to die about one year ago because of different reasons. This job was one of my reasons to kill myself.
My girlfriend lied to me. Because of this, I was really sad, and I was under stress while doing my job. Sometimes, I've failed because of these reasons.
Thinking more, really bad idea. This is a kind of die. Let your mind be free. You'll be more successful.
I'm sorry to hear you went through bad times, I hope you are feeling better now. And I agree, we should avoid burnout as it might even make you quit coding all together - I know someone who actually did.
Do you like to watch movies? Do it.
Nowadays, I'm trying to improve my English. I loved these words, "I know what I have to do now. I gotta keep breathing. Because tomorrow the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide could bring?"
Stay strong :)
I have child so it's impossible to code 24/7 :) But seriously, do not code all day long even if it's your great passion. You will burnout really quick and be tired of coding. Even juniors whom need to code much to learn, should have breaks (IMHO).
I do think coding for too long might give you the wrong impression about what the job means and you risk giving up or end up hating it, when it's not the case. Balance it's important and coding should be fun.
I think I should code outside of work. I find it relaxing to work on my own projects. I view it as a hobby, in which I can do what I want.
However, I don't think that anyone should code outside of work. If it doesn't feel right, turn your screen off and do something else. You've got your own pace of learning new things. It's important to recognize that, as submitting to a faster one can quickly drive you towards frustration and burnout. If you spend your time coding when you think it's right, you're being more effective in the long term.
Also, noones's writing code all the time even when in office. Concentrating for 8 hours straight is nearly impossible.
You're right. This is something that I noticed and I believe is true: whenever I'm trying to force myself to code, I tend to procrastinate and even if I'll end doing it, I won't be very productive. When I'm in the mood for coding, I lose track of time and I actually achieve things, way beyond what I planned. Thank you for your input.
It should not be an obligation, and you should get some fun from coding outside of office hours. And it should not be to work related, so not a poc for a new thing or something.
I am struggling with doing the 'right' amount. While programming in free time used to be just for fun, it's now often to prepare for talks, or contribute to open source. And that makes it a lot more like real work.
It also depends on your work. Especially when I just started I was often overwhelmed by the stuff I needed to learn to do my work, so there really wasn't any room to learn additional stuff.
Try to find the balance that works for you. Learn enough to tickle your brain, not su much to burn it out. And the correct balance is very personal and depends a lot on your private life as well.
It also depends on your work. Especially when I just started I was often overwhelmed by the stuff I needed to learn to do my work, so there really wasn't any room to learn additional stuff.
This is where I think I'm making some mistakes as I am already overwhelmed at work and I come home and try to push it further. My more experienced colleagues told me to take it easy so now I keep these learning sessions mainly for the weekends.
Thank you for your input.
I think it depends on what is your purpose. I write code or learn new languages in free time all the time. I have been through severe burn outs but that was not code related. It was peer-pressure of success.
Coding for me is not that different from Netflix. 14 years professional programmer, and 10 years before in school/college. So it is second nature.
I must add one thing though - code, like Netflix is a sitting/standing thing.
Please make sure do indulge in physical activities - I do not mix these two types.
:) true, sport is very important. My back is already suffering after 6 months on the job so I am starting to understand more and more how beneficial is physical activity in the long run.
Hi Silvia,
This is a tough question. I think partly it also depends on how diverse your work is and if you are being challenged by the work you do while you are clocked in.
If your work is challenging and you don't feel like you are given the time to learn during working hours, I think it is important to find the time to really understand your work and question the work you are doing (processes, coding conventions, finding better and more efficient ways of doing things, understanding what others are doing - e.g. understanding how FE/BE can better go together or understanding design and usability flaws).
If you feel that you are not being challenged at work and you are doing just enough to meet the requirements, than challenge yourself to speed up your work to then find time to do new things and improve. And again question everything.
There are many more scenarios that I could lay out, but in the end it is less about the working hours and more about whether or not you feel that you are being stimulated and fulfilled with the work that you are doing. Learning an attitude of curiosity and discipline is huge just for you as a coder. Not only as an employee.
Burnout usually comes from pushing yourself into an overworking attitude that is unfulfilling and causes you to pay less attention to your mental and physical health.
However if you feel like you are stagnating, or the other extreme of feeling fatigue even after just a little bit of coding, maybe it is important for you to find something that ignites your passion again.
The senior developers that I have looked up to most in my life are people who want to 1. share their knowledge, 2.are constantly wanting to learn and adapt, 3. are passionate about the thing they do.
Learning to ask the right questions and know how to solve problems doesnt just come from learning the newest technology or constantly reading decumentations for cool tools. Those things can be super important, but those things also take time and they are complimented by a healthy work environment where you can learn from others and share the knowledge you have.
It can all seem overwhelming sometimes. The amount of potential things to learn and all the cool technologies that developers love to fight about. But in the end, if you challenge yourself just a little bit each day and start to question everything, pretty sure you will find new worlds opening up to you.
Thoughts?
great post right here by Ilona Codes on mental health and productivity.
I didn't switch fields long time ago so at the moment everything is still overwhelming. I work a lot in my free time but it's because I have the feeling I'll never catch up (feeling that might as well be false, cos' there's not enough time in the world to know everything that's out there). I don't believe that this is good on the long term strategy so lately I've started to take longer breaks and keep the extra coding for the weekend. I do agree tho' that hard work comes with great results. Thank you for your input :).
For what it's worth, there are plenty of people in other positions who do take work home with them; I know at least a few.
I typically don't though since I have responsibilities at home. So when I do leave for the day, even if it's a little late, I'm almost always done for the day.
That's more a responsibility and life balance thing though. If I had more time, I'd probably be working on a side project more often, although it can be harder to depending on what I spent the day racking my brain on.
I mentioned in another comment already, but what I love about working on side projects is that there's no pressure. This is one of the things that makes working on side projects so enjoyable for meβI'm free to handle the work any way I want to, and I can completely put it down if I just don't have the spare time (although I really don't like having to for that reason if I'm being honest π ).
My advice, do what makes you happy in the end of the day. Sometimes I spend a whole weekend day tinkering on a project. The other day I do jack coding and wonder around.
I didn't like the idea if your job is a software developer, you should have some other hobits to fight routine and work issues and to not be bored, for my case I invest only in my 8 hours per day /5 days per week to learn something new, write blogs, answering questions in StackOverflow in parallel with my work tasks,
for me the weekend is sacred, I always try to practise other activities like practising sport, shopping, gardening and I'm trying to learn fishing :D