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What Are Some Hobbies That Are Beneficial to Coders and Developers?

Ben Halpern on February 25, 2023

It's important to take breaks from work and engage in hobbies that not only help you relax, but also complement your skills. Here are some of our f...
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GingerKiwi

I’ve been knitting since I was six. Every time I watch a tutorial I’m knitting.

Knitting is, at its fundamentals, a binary code featuring top-down design, standardized submodules, and recursive logic that relies on ratios, mathematical principles, and an intuitive grasp of three-dimensional geometry.”
~ Kim Salazar on Knit List

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Ben Calder

I tried and enjoyed crochet after getting creepy cute crochet as a present for my sister; and having to buy myself a copy too 😁
I guess knitting has similar principles to crochet but I've never tried it.

The Jacquard Loom was a precursor to the first 'computer'; so working with thread is more important to computing than some people might think ;)

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Chris Greening

Wow I love that quote!! I was talking to a friend that knits and I was really drawn to the underlying math/rules of it so that quote really speaks to me lol thank you for sharing!

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Douglas McKechie

I have found Toastmasters to be quite beneficial. If you have not heard of it before its a supportive club/group to help you learn and practice public speaking. Its also a fun social event every couple of weeks where you can meet people from completely different walks of life.

Part of the reason I got my current job is because the owner of the business had heard of it before and thought it was great that I am a developer who can actually speak with people.

I also like to do a bit of music - bass, synths - in my spare time.

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Kelly

I've been really into building 3D shapes with tiny magnetic balls (Speks, Neoballs, Buckyballs, etc). I have to think carefully about polarity and the stability of a shape and what smaller shapes/sub-units I can make and put together to create larger and more complex designs. It's surprisingly challenging and really makes me think about planning and controlling small details. The part of my brain that loves programming loves playing with those dang magnets!

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leob

anything NON computer related ... :-D

but yeah for me it's going out and enjoying nature, essentially just to reset from work

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blindfish3 profile image
Ben Calder

Origami. When you're folding from diagrams you're interpreting instructions and following a logical process. It's also good for manual dexterity and a good distraction if you want to give up smoking 😅
If you're creating and diagramming models then you're trying to define clear instructions that are easy for someone else to interpret. There's also quite a bit of math/logic involved.
I haven't got much past following diagrams; but can manage more complex models. This is always a favourite 😁
Image description

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Chris Greening

:O I love that!!! Do you have any recommendations for getting into origami for someone that's never done it before?

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Ben Calder

First recommendation is start simple 😁
Second recommendation: find some suitable paper - Muji (do they have outlets in the US?) have good, and cheap, origami paper ideal for beginners.
Once you're comfortable with the basics I would start with traditional and other simple models (note: the number of steps is a good indicator of complexity); then work up to more complex things like Yoda; though he's more intermediate level.
Third recommendation: learn to read diagrams instead of following videos. In my experience following diagrams is way faster than start/stopping/rewinding videos. IMO they're only useful for getting help with a specific tricky step.

For advanced stuff I would look for more modern diagrams - e.g. recent Robert Lang. Modern design techniques often result in a simpler folding process; or at least less layers of paper to contend with. Lang has an excellent book on designing models as well as software for defining bases. If you get to extreme level then Satoshi Kamiya is definitely worth looking at.

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Chris Greening

Ahh thanks so much for such a comprehensive response! It's one of those things I've always wanted to explore but the timing just wasn't ever right. I'm going to use this as the nudge I needed to look into the basics and see where it takes me 😎

One of my favorite memories from middle school are these little origami creations one of my friends made me when I was like 11 years old, he ended up moving away and we lost contact but I still have some of the little origami monsters and flowers on my shelf at home - definitely a great skill for spur of the moment gift-giving!

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Medea

I really like playing and creating music.

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Lou Willoughby • Edited

If I’ve had a hard day of coding at work I struggle with screen time at home whether watching tv or playing games so that’s when I’ll stick an audiobook on.
Otherwise I like to read, go for walks or play video games. I find I burn out quite quickly otherwise so I only code in my spare time if I know I have the mental capacity 🙂

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Purple
  • Running, dancing, walking my dog, or other physical activity to offset all the time sitting
  • Crocheting, drawing, listening to/playing music for creativity
  • Cooking
  • Programming things that are very different than work

I think people should have hobbies that make them happy. Happy people become happy programmers.

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Chris Greening • Edited

I've got way too many hobbies 😅

The ones I'm most invested in these days though are

  • fermenting foods/drinks (mostly mead, beer, sauerkraut, kombucha, and kefir)
  • fly fishing
  • gardening
  • cooking
  • whittling and woodworking
  • mountain climbing
  • distance running
  • rollerblading
  • digital photography/art

I typically try to focus on learning transferrable skills and complementing across all of my hobbies i.e. I carve my own kitchen utensils to cook the fish I caught with a side of sauerkraut fermented from garden vegetables and a pint of homebrew IPA 😋 running, hiking, and rollerblading all complement one another w cardio/physical stamina and I focus on cooking healthy, energetic meals

I approach all of these very analytically and data-driven so I always find a way to tie them back to coding in some regard i.e. programming a Raspberry Pi to track ferment temperatures, databasing water temp, weather, fish size, DOY etc. to maximize my fishing game, etc.

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Calin Baenen • Edited

For example, making digital art and posting it to a site like DeviantArt.
This is beneficial because it gives devs a backup occupation in case they're out of coding work. Plus, they can play two roles in the gamedev game.

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JoelBonetR 🥇

Never drank beer in a sauna but at first sight it looks good to me 😂

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Live Long & Ponder

I like learning new songs on piano and guitar. I find it helps me stay creative and process the day in a more manageable way. Plus it helps me continuously learn and improve on something I really enjoy doing!

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Symon Michael • Edited

In one word: sleep.

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Adam Crockett 🌀

Lego robotics and model rail!!

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Juanjo Aguililla

I think that the best hobby for us would be any physical activity... As you must compensate the long hours just seating in front of a screen.

And, as we also do a very isolated work (and sometimes, remote work), I guess team sports would be the best option :)

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taijidude

Cooking! Fun, healthy and so many good life lessons.

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Christopher Duran

Gym, Strategy games, new languages, art and music, photography are my another skills <3

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Dmitry Amelchenko

Skateboarding, snowboarding, wind/kite surfing, surfing as well. As I'm aging i'm switching to something less demanding but not less fun -- onewheeling.

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Ben Calder

Have you tried freeskates yet? Cruising on those is a great way to switch off for an hour or two.

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Dmitry Amelchenko

Wow, looks like fun! Thanks for sharing.

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Meet Rajesh Gor

Currently I love writing and reading. Mostly science fiction and fantasy. Before I was introduced to programming, I liked drawing and art, don't know what happened after that :)

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Maddy

Writing and weight-training.

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Paul Riviera

Writing code is a great hobby. Never underestimate how relaxing working on a personal project can be. Writing code is hard and when you're doing it professionally it's a challenge to enjoy the code you're "assigned" to write; but when its a project you care about it can be fun and a great way to learn. The most important thing is not to fall out of love with building things with code, a lot of workplaces can beat you down mentally until you want to change careers (almost happened to me). But personal projects can remind you how enjoyable writing code can be.

If you're looking for a hobby without a screen I recommend reading a good book or some form of artistic/creative endeavor (creativity is what separates average coders from great engineers)

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Souleymane. Tiendrebeogo

For me it is photography. I like close up shoot of computer/server hardware
pexels.com/@asksouley-120536884/

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Quack Quack

Not a hobby but i think start self-improvement is also good, we usually don't spend enough time to take care of ourself

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Sarah Dye

I do lots of crafting. I make lots of felt applique kits, embroidery, and cross stitch. Last year I've started doing diamond painting kits.

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Alan

beering while writing code, watching technical talks, and having funny conversations with friends

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Buddy Agyin 🦁
  1. Trying new food/drink recipes,
  2. Creating music and attending concerts
  3. Working out
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DevSecBBS

sorry to say,i can't find any function on chess...

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Helene Voyer

Crocheting since reading and following a crochet pattern is a separate language in itself.

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derlin profile image
Lucy Linder
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Saleumsack

You should try Lao Beer also

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Mannega

Solving Rubek's cube ;)

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Eugen Gruzdev

Cycling. I espessialy like cycling at the evening or at night. It helps me to relax :)

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Mahmoud Abdel Mohsen

Interesting

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Kael • Edited

I found I work best with dedicated non screen time where I enjoy cooking, cycling, gym.
I will be giving origami a try after reading it I think.

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edward lin

Workout to give a little distraction from everything.
Think nothing, workout as hard as f.