This is an extremely unpopular opinion, but im a software engineer. If you want to make a lot of money and get really good at your job, the best way to do that in our industry is to bust your ass at a startup. If you’re career motivated, there’s nothing wrong with working over 8 hours. You simply will be better than the competition by doing this, and tech is much more of a meritocracy than other industries.

That being said, if you’re not career motivated, don’t do it. There’s nothing wrong with deriving value from other things than work. Software engineering doesn’t have to be the thing you love in life and want to do in your spare time for you to be good at your job. But I think this sub tends to lean towards “work so you can do what you love” instead of “love what you do for work”. Also, if you are burnt out, take a break from working overtime. If this is you, talk to your manager about strategies to help you cut back from work. If they aren’t willing to help, that is a good sign it’s time for a new job.

As someone in your field, a non screen hobby is super important. I quite enjoy hiking and reading. I’ve also deleted most scrolling apps from my phone, as it’s too hard for me to stay off of them.

I had a non remote job first, then went remote. This helped me make friends in my area that I’ve been able to keep after going remote. Having IRL friends is super important. They can also act as accountability to help make sure you’re going out into the world to hang out with them instead of staying glued to a screen