The best advice for devs isn't technical

A good chunk of what makes someone an above-average developer has nothing to do with code. It’s being able to sit in front of the computer with a well-rested mind, stay focused on what needs to be done, and make good decisions throughout the day. For that, your brain needs to be working well. And it only works well when you take care of it.

Technical knowledge is the other half of the equation. But people underestimate how much being healthy and, more importantly, happy directly impacts the quality of what you deliver.

Sleep well

Few things in life have as big an impact as the quality of your sleep. Sleeping 8 hours a night, for real, changes everything: focus, mood, productivity, problem-solving ability. You become more present, make better decisions, and get less frustrated with that bug that makes no sense.

There’s nothing that compensates for poorly slept nights. Not coffee, not energy drinks, not “I’ll get used to it.” Sleep deprivation is a debt your body collects with interest.

I aim for 8 hours a night, with rare exceptions. One thing I noticed recently is that cutting caffeine after 2 PM significantly improved my sleep quality. It seems small, but it made a difference.

Go outside

Exercise, preferably outdoors. Walking and cycling are great because beyond the exercise itself, they get you away from the screen for a while. And the link between physical activity and mental health is one of the most well-documented in science.

But it doesn’t have to be just exercise. See your family, meet up with friends, go to social settings. Invite someone for a coffee. We work remotely, spend the day on calls, and forget that real human interaction is something completely different.

Take care of your mind

We live in an era of fragmented attention. Everyone complains about not being able to focus, but keeps scrolling through short videos for hours. Recovering the ability to concentrate takes intentional effort.

Cut down on social media. Especially the ones that serve infinite vertical videos. Something that works for me: delete the apps from your phone and only access them through the browser. The friction of opening the browser already reduces usage. Fewer apps, fewer notifications, fewer interruptions. I also like to put my phone in airplane mode at certain times of the day to be intentionally offline.

Read books. For real. Reading exercises your ability to maintain attention for long periods, something that social media gradually erodes. Books make you happier, more interesting, and more capable of thinking deeply.

And if you want to go further: learn a new language. Science says that learning languages is one of the best ways to exercise the brain. I personally think the same applies to programming languages. Learn a language different from the ones you already know. You’ll be exposed to different conventions, different approaches to solving problems, new design patterns. And you’ll realize that learning something new makes you better at what you already know.

Have leisure

Rest for real. Spend time in nature. Go to the beach. Play a relaxing game once in a while. Do things that disconnect you from work so that when you come back, you’re rested, present, and at your best.

The code can wait. You can’t always.