Programming takes a lot of concentration and dedication, and it can be very hectic and stressful to deliver. That is why it is essential to develop a good work-home balance. With the mental exhaustion that comes with programming, programmers may likely burn out if they don’t find a relaxation mechanism.
One thing that programmers do for fun as a relaxing mechanism is to engage themselves in a hobby. However, it’s improbable that programmers will find themselves doing other things that don’t involve coding, even as a hobby. When you work as a programmer in a competitive environment, it’s normal for the pressure to be high as everyone wants to be the best with their coding languages or algorithms, etc. This is why most programmers spend their leisure time coding or on other related works.
For non-programmers, programming is a lot easier, mainly because of the absence of pressure that programmers face. Even if/when they have programming projects, it’s just for fun. There is no pressure to deliver, no deadlines, no competitions, etc. It’s mainly just fun. People who do this for fun can testify.
It’s a creative and exciting way to learn and create something with the potential of being valuable for these people. The stories of success and instant popularity that come from creating a mobile app are encouraging. Programming also helps to develop connections with people of similar interests. The fact that it changes regularly means that there’s a well of topics to be discussed with new research and ideas.
However, some people still don’t think that programming can be a hobby or doubt it is an ideal hobby. Whether you are a programmer or not, you can take programming as a hobby, and here’s how.
How to make programming a hobby?
Many people love the idea of programming for many years but can’t bring themselves into it because they don’t want to take it as a career. This is the main reason that many non-programming professionals take programming as a hobby. The question is, how do they go about it?
Learning a programming language is not necessary for competitive coding. When it comes to solving an issue, you must be dynamic, and this only comes by practicing regularly. The first thing that you need is to be confident in your coding abilities. Then you can move on to website coding. Make sure that you put your attention on the right factors. Even if you aren’t a professional programmer, making programming your hobby means that you have to put time into learning and improving your skills in that particular field that you love. There is no point in investing your time in areas that do not interest you.
There are many activities under the umbrella term “programming.” So you need to be specific about what skills you love and want to focus on.
Programming and hobbies
The significant difference between a programmer and someone doing it as a hobby is the competitiveness and pressure that programmers deal with. When it comes to programmers and taking hobbies, most of them tend to settle for coding or other similar activities that boost their skills.
However, just like people who do programming as a hobby, a programmer can focus on a particular activity and make it their hobby. While they might be required to be a jack of all trades in the competitive environment they work in as a programmer. They can do what they love and focus on it in their free time as a hobby.
So, programming is an ideal hobby, even for programmers. They can focus on what they love while also improving their overall programming skills.
Thankfully, when it comes to hobbies for programmers, they don’t have to be stuck with programming activities to improve their skills. There are many other non-programming activities that they can take as hobbies also to help their overall programming skills. Some of these are:
Writing
Programming is writing, as you are writing lines of codes. Writing is an excellent hobby to help programmers relax while also improving their coding skills and expertise on the different subject matter.
An excellent place to start your writing hobby is topics that relate to programming. Make programming and technology-related writing your niche. It might be a good idea to start a blog or take advantage of websites and platforms such as Medium to put out your writings if your article is suited to the forum.
As an activity, writing is beneficial to your intellectual, emotional, and physiological well-being. It helps to boost retention and memory and also increases the feeling of happiness. So, even if you don’t want to write about anything tech or anything related to programming, you can still create time to write for fun. Make sure to also share your writings with a community that loves your writing and matches what they want.
Raspberry Pi
As a programmer, you’re most likely going to know someone who experimented with this teeny-tiny computer if you didn’t do that yourself. Raspberry Pi is a very popular single-board computer (SBC). It has a community that is dedicated to it. Also, many enthusiasts make use of this little computer to develop their out-of-box and personal projects.
One of the good things about Raspberry Pi’s large community is that it is easy to find tutorials and step-by-step guides. You could also get unlimited lists that feature very small projects, so it is easy to start using the Raspberry Pi.
Conclusion
Programming is one job that offers a lot of rewards for the people that are into it. However, it is also one of the most stressful and mentally exhausting jobs you will see.
Having a hobby is a common relaxation mechanism for programmers as it helps them keep their sanity. Still, many programmers choose programming-related hobbies just to sharpen their skills. However, unlike many people who will want to believe, programming is an ideal hobby on its own for both programmers and those doing it for fun.
Author Bio:
Susanna Balashova is a college paper writer and creative magician in a world of (mostly) boring Marketing. She turns dreary work things to be exciting and effective and likes creating her world within some fanfic sketches. Reach out to her on Twitter or Linkedin.