If you started a job that was close to your hobby, has that diminished your love for it? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 3 hours ago by digdilem@lemmy.ml to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

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I've heard this before, but haven't found it the case personally. I started work in manual jobs and messing around with computers was my evening hobby. Many years later, I now do IT as a job (partly from gaining skills from that hobby) but also have continued it as my primary thing to do when I'm not working. I was worried when I changed into this career that my hobby would become too much like work to be enjoyable, but I've not found that.

Is this the same for other people, or am I unusual in doing something in my off hours that's so close to my career? I'm genuinely curious to know if others have found the same or whether they found another hobby.

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[-] helix@feddit.org 10 points 2 hours ago

DevOps here. I still really like programming and systems administration, but I'm so burnt out I can't do anything anymore after 8h+ of work. It has gotten to the point that I hate computers so much, I favor going out into nature over fixing my broken Linux install of my desktop for several months now. I'd love to write software again but my brain can't do it.

[-] digdilem@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 hour ago

Thanks for your experience. I've certainly felt like that at times, and some nights definitely don't want to do it - so then I turn to other hobbies that aren't related, but I keep coming back to it.

[-] Borger@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 1 hour ago

This is 100% me as a SWE. I loved working on my own projects as a teen. Now I’m weary and my love for it has been displaced by rage and frustration lol. Last thing I’d think of doing after work.

[-] voxthefox@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 1 hour ago

I credit SRE with starting my hiking hobby. Never liked being in nature until I was forced to sit in front of a computer screen for 40-60 hours a week and some weekends.

Now I've been to a dozen national parks, about as much state parks and one of the few joys I get is planning the next outing.

this post was submitted on 15 Mar 2026

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