For years, I lived with a constant, low-level hum of guilt.
You know the feeling. It’s Saturday morning. You are drinking coffee, maybe about to go for a walk or play a video game. But in the back of your mind, a little voice is whispering:
"You should be working on that React Native side project."
"Have you tried out Bun yet? Everyone on X is talking about it."
"Real developers code for fun."
The tech industry has sold us a lie: That passion equals hours logged. That if you aren't grinding on the weekend, you will be left behind by someone younger, hungrier, and willing to sleep under their desk.
I bought into it. I spent years coding 50 hours at my job, and another 15 hours on weekends building half-finished apps that nobody used.
I wasn't becoming a better developer. I was just becoming exhausted. My code on Mondays was sloppy, my patience in meetings was thin, and I hated opening my editor.
So, about a year ago, I did something terrifying. I stopped.
I made a rule: Laptop closes Friday at 5 PM. It does not open until Monday at 9 AM. No exceptions. No "just checking a PR."
I thought my skills would stagnate. I thought I’d lose my edge.
Here is what actually happened:
1. My subconscious started solving problems.
Before, when I hit a wall on Friday, I’d bang my head against it all weekend. Now, I walk away. I go hiking. I see friends. And almost every Sunday night, while doing dishes, the solution just pops into my head. I solve complex problems faster on Monday morning in 30 minutes than I used to in 8 hours of tired weekend hacking.
2. I became a better colleague (and got promoted).
Turns out, being a Senior developer isn't just about raw coding speed. It's about communication, patience, and leadership. When I wasn't constantly burned out, I was nicer to work with. I listened better in architecture meetings. People started trusting my judgment more because I wasn't manic.
3. I rediscovered the joy of coding.
Distance makes the heart grow fonder. By starving myself of code for two days, I actually look forward to Monday mornings.
The Nuance (Before you yell at me)
I know some of you will say: "But I love coding on weekends!" If that's genuinely true, keep doing it.
I also know juniors often need to put in extra hours to bridge the knowledge gap early on. I did too.
But if you are a mid-level or senior developer and you feel like you are drowning in hustle culture, let this be your permission slip to stop.
You are not a compilation machine. You are a human being who solves problems with code. Humans need rest. Machines don't. Which one do you want to be?
Let’s argue in the comments:
Is "passion" mandatory to be elite in this industry? Or is coding just a job that pays well so we can enjoy our actual lives?
Top comments (8)
Wait wait, I see where you're going: you want to stop everyone from coding on weekends so that you could be the only one who codes on weekends and go ahead of everyone quickly! 🤨🤣
Shhh! 🤫 Delete this before everyone finds out!
My whole master plan relies on everyone else burning out while I sneak past them on Monday morning fully rested. You're ruining my 4D chess strategy here!
Thanks NorthernDev.
"Humans need rest. " Yep
💯❤️✨
Thanks Aaron!
Totally! Better for your physical and mental health as well, better for everything ... nothing to add!
Thank you! Glad you liked it!
That's not unpopular but the best thing you can do unless you need the extra coding time to learn for apllying to a better job or you need the extra money of additional billable overtime. Otherwise, passion projects that lead to even more coding in our spare time are bad for life balance. In a perfect world, no developer would have to work more than 4 days per week on their main job, so there's at least one day left for learning and side projects, and still a full weekend for family and passion.
Thanks NorthernDev, I already feel ease Reading This