If you checked my profile recently, you probably noticed my page has been completely quiet since March 12th. No project updates, no new posts, and zero commits.
To be completely honest, I hit a wall.
I was burning out. Balancing my university studies with endless personal projects and trying to keep up with new tools finally caught up to me. The pressure of school assignments and exams, on top of coding in my free time, became too much to handle. My brain felt like a browser with fifty tabs open, and I could not figure out which one to close.
So, I did something that used to scare me: I stepped away completely.
First, I shifted my full focus to my studies. I needed to make sure I was staying on track with school without the extra pressure of creating content or building side projects.
Then, once school allowed for it, I packed my bags and went on a much needed holiday. For the first time in a very long time, I closed my laptop and left it behind. I decided to stop worrying about code, stop checking tech news, and just rest.
What Happened When I Stopped Coding
At first, taking time off felt a bit strange. It is easy to feel like you are falling behind when you are not constantly building.
But after a few days of good food, actual rest, and exploring new places on my holiday, something amazing happened. My mind cleared up. I spent my trip talking to new people, enjoying the view, and letting my brain breathe.
Without forcing it, my creative spark came back. I started noticing simple everyday problems and thinking of fun ways to solve them. I was not thinking about coding out of pressure anymore. I was thinking about it because I genuinely missed it.
Why Breaks Are Essential
We talk a lot in tech about consistency and working hard, but we rarely talk about the importance of powering down.
Taking a break is not a sign of giving up. Just like a system needs downtime for updates, your brain needs rest to operate at its best. Stepping away to focus on school and enjoy a holiday gave me perspective, fresh inspiration and ideas.
I Am Back!
I am refreshed, full of new ideas, and ready to write and build again.
If you are currently feeling tired, stuck, or overwhelmed by your studies and work, this is your sign to take a breath. Step away for a bit, go on a walk, or take that holiday you have been putting off. The code will still be here when you get back.
It is great to be back!
Top comments (30)
Welcome back Maame! I was wondering where you have been all this time! As @dannwaneri mention, a LOT has happened on this platform and a lot of changes happened overtime as you already know.
A lot new people join the community and few returning. People come and go, but glad you are still with us!
Francis, well put.
Thanks Francis! I can clearly see the amazing changes so far. Happy to be back :)
Let me be the first to say this. Welcome back, Maame. The community has changed a lot since you were last here.
March 12th to now is a real stretch to step fully away for. My year went the other way, I kept building through the low points instead of stopping.
I do not think either choice is more right. What made you trust that stepping away would help more than pushing through would have??
Thank you Daniel! I can see how much the community has changed, I do think it has changed in a good way. I had to take a break particularly from documentation and social media because I had a lot of pressure from uni, an internship and work as well. So all the other things just gave me a burnout, and I had to pause on some to have a breather. I do think neither choice is right or wrong , just what works with every individual. I am glad I took that break to focus more on school and also happy to be back! Can't wait to read the amazing content you have been writing :)
Maame, uni plus an internship plus work is 3 full jobs at once. No wonder something had to give.
Glad the break worked for you and glad you are back. Looking forward to your next post.
Thank you 🙌
I think the part that stood out to me most was that you didn't just take a break from coding, you actually stepped away from the whole cycle of constantly trying to keep up.
There's a weird pressure in tech to always be learning something, building something, posting something, or worrying that you're falling behind. Sometimes you don't even realize how much mental space that takes until you finally stop.
And I like that your creativity came back naturally after the break. You weren't trying to force yourself to come up with the next project. You started noticing problems and ideas again because you actually had some space to think.
That's probably a good reminder that taking a break doesn't necessarily put you behind. Sometimes it gives you enough distance to figure out what you actually want to build next.
Welcome back. Curious to see what comes out of this next chapter.
Exactly Sina! I think my brain was too clustered from doing too many things at once. And when that happens it really does get overwhelming. I’m truly excited for the next chapter!!
Welcome back!
Thank you Jem! Glad to be back :)
Speaking of "Jem" (Sorry @heyitsjem lol), gave you your first Gem. Should be able to give in the comments. Not sure when you are able to do with Articles, but have fun with it :)
Haha Maame, believe me or not, I was thinking today about "where is Maame" 😍 good to have you back!!!
Thank you Sylwia! Looking forward to reading your amazing content as well!! Thank you :)
Great post! Taking a real break can make a huge difference, especially when you are balancing studies and coding. Sometimes stepping away is exactly what we need to come back with better ideas and more motivation. Welcome back! I’m also looking forward to discovering more useful tech and coding resources on codecan.net.
Really enjoyed reading this. It’s easy to feel like you’re falling behind when you take a break from coding, but sometimes stepping away is exactly what you need.
I liked how you mentioned that you started missing coding naturally instead of forcing yourself to keep building. That’s probably a much healthier way to come back.
Welcome back, and good luck with the new projects!
Thank you Utilvo! And yes, it just came naturally to me which was the healthiest way of coming back. Also gave me better ideas! Thanks for the read :)
Welcome back @maame-codes! Also, I sometimes find very useful to have something to look forward to. That helped me a lot with dealing with burn out. Though taking a long break hasn't lingered in my mind yet, I think I'll try it once I feel almost depleted to charge up.
Well put Elmar, I think for me I was just genuinely overwhelmed and needed rest, mainly because I was doing a lot of things at the same time. Hopefully after my masters I would have more time on focussing on my career more. But I do agree with the 'looking forward to something' trick.
Welcome back Maame! I am also back from a break as a lot has been happening in my life.
It is totally fine to take breaks from time to time to recharge and prioritise other things.
Thank you Julian! Glad to have you back as well. And yes, you’re absolutely right. As humans we sometimes need to take a pause and then come back even better
Yes, very true. Breaks are intended for us software engineers. Welcome back. 🤪
Exactly Mona! Thank you :)
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