I am very curious to know what developers do in their free time.
When I am done with all the projects, I lay down on my bed and open Chrome and start searching, exploring and reading about new technologies. Sometimes I judge websites😉 by checking their DOMAIN Authority using MOZ Toolbar,
Or by detecting through WAPPALYZER which technology is involved in the development of the website🤓
Otherwise, I figure out different ways to scrape the content of the website 😂.
Also, I check Developer Console of every website, what they have mistakenly or intentionally returned on the Console. I was stunned to see DEV.TO website logging DEV word on the developer console.
What do you do 😉 in your free time?
Top comments (45)
Mostly Netflix and Chill or having a good time with my wife. Nothing too heavy on the brain, just relax.
And since I already have passed the 40, I try to hit the gym twice a week and at the weekend I go for a run, to fight the deterioration of my body.
I also read mostly SF/F and listen to podcasts/audio books.
Currently I am rereading the Dune Cycle by Frank Herbert.
This one is a Key in order to really have a Free Time "Nothing too heavy on the brain"
With a word of Teal'c: "Indeed!"
Love to see so many fellow readers in the comments on this post <3 <3 <3
I'm a big reader. I read pretty broadly, but the last couple years I've been really into horror and science fiction. I also play video games while listening to audiobooks. It feels almost like relaxation multitasking!
In the last six months I've been playing a lot of Stardew Valley, Darkest Dungeon, Papers Please, Hollow Knight, and Celeste. All great games for getting into the zone with a good audiobook. It also helps if you have some cats to keep you company.
When I was earlier in my career I used to feel a lot of guilt about not doing more programming things in my spare time, but it's really essential for my mental health to have that break from work.
Side note, I've noticed that, often, when I'm working on a lot of side projects outside of work, it's because I'm unhappy at work for some reason, and I'm getting my code fix elsewhere. So when I notice myself spending a lot of time on side projects it's usually a good time to check in with my manager to see how to improve things in the workplace :)
At this moment of my life, I feel like I am stressing out too much and everything going in the wrong direction. So in my free time, I try to spend as much as time possible with my friends or family.
Watch some Netflix, some youtube. Read posts in dev.to, try to read some tech articles here and there.
Reading a post on Dev.to is worth of time❤
I picked up cycling about a year and a half ago. This saturday I'm taking my first jab at Yerba Loca (translates to Crazy Grass) - a hilly route of about 70km and 1500m of climbing. Fun stuff!
In weekdays, mostly watch some Netflix, exercise and chill.
I love astronomy so I usually see astronomy related videos and I'm also reading "The grand design" by stephan hawkings & leonard mlodinow.
Also, sometimes I go out to see planets and stars (though very few are visible from mumbai but planets usually shine bright so can see them)
I really enjoy reading a good book.
Genre Startup? Or Development or horror? 🙄
I really enjoy fantasy and sci-fi ,I would recommend the book for 2001 a space odyssey it is much better than the movie (and I love that movie). I also like The Lord of The Rings, 20,000 leagues under the sea, and Treasure Island.
Brandon Sanderson - Mistborn
Dan Wells - Mirador
Andy Weir - The Martian and of course
Frank Herbert - Dune
oh yeah I forgot to mention the martian (LOVE that book)
Practice, practice, practice. Try to find new challenges or projects to do. Doesn't already have to be new, but could be useful like some sort of automation or bots.
Recently I've found that building smart home devices from scratch with Arduinos and RPis is a great way to keep things interesting when you feel you need something new and interesting to do. Connect those to a server, put some hookd in there to connect to those devices to the internet and boom!, You got a house full of smart devices you can control from your phone.
I used to push myself to learn new technologies every day, but as I started to burn out I realized that I needed to offload my brain from my workday in order to come back with fresh ideas and enthusiasm.
I workout 4-5 times a week with free weights(I'm no powerlifter but I like to look good)
I watch movies and read quite a lot as well.
Make sure you hang out with friends and go out every once in a while to maintain a social life. In our profession, it is really easy to get caught up in learning and not take time for yourself.
I'm an anxious person. I'm being a full-time Web Developer for almost 4 years now, mostly all of this time I couldn't get real free time for me, it's until now that all that is costing, both mental and physical health, that I realize how much important is to be disconnected in order to have some real free time. We are full-time developers in our minds, but we don't need that to be a good developer, in this path we just burn our self out.
Even though I try to get disconnected and do nothing heavy on the brain. I still think about work from time to time. Mostly it is synectic though.
All over sudden the back of my brain squirts out an idea, how to tackle something. That is the time, I write an email to my work address with some keywords or phrases. Enough to remember the idea the next day. And that already calms it and puts work back out of my head.
Also I am unreachable except for some very specific colleagues, when I am not at work. No phone, no email, tomorrow is early enough, nobody will die, if I am not reachable, we are no ER surgeons.
But I think, you should take some break in between. That wont hurt. It will decrease the anxiety
Between family, friends and the office, free time is a myth.
However, I'm currently on vacation - first week was the all-inclusive adrenaline based activities (parasailing, jetboarding etc). This last week, I hired a boat & dive equipment, and spent more time below the waves than above them.
Back in the office next week, I'll start reading emails on Monday morning.