This is real in my experience. GenAI agentic coding is a completely different type of experience from traditional coding.
After a 10 hour 'flow state' deep coding session , you had this buzzing but not unpleasant feeling of needing your brain to fold back into reality. After a 3 hour frantic agentic coding stint, you are just mentally exhausted from the sheer speed and volume of actions and descisions taken.
On top, you feel the perceived 'opportunity cost' of non-productive hours skyrocketed, and everyone that cares feels like they are constantly 3 steps behind where they want to be on keeping up with the latest changes (that are very real steps, not just like the past hype frameworks shifts or language or tool fads).
This is going to end in lots of burnout and substance abuse along the way.
Yes, spending time working with Claude Code leaves me feeling the same way I feel after a day scrolling Reddit and HN - a thin, jittery, frayed sort of weariness. It's almost like gambling, with inconsistent dopamine hits, but it adds an element of keeping track of an ever-increasing number of projects and to-dos.
I try not to panic code as my mindset mantra because keeping a good work-life balance is great to preventing the stress from better, faster, more senario.
After a 10 hour 'flow state' deep coding session , you had this buzzing but not unpleasant feeling of needing your brain to fold back into reality. After a 3 hour frantic agentic coding stint, you are just mentally exhausted from the sheer speed and volume of actions and descisions taken.
On top, you feel the perceived 'opportunity cost' of non-productive hours skyrocketed, and everyone that cares feels like they are constantly 3 steps behind where they want to be on keeping up with the latest changes (that are very real steps, not just like the past hype frameworks shifts or language or tool fads).
This is going to end in lots of burnout and substance abuse along the way.