working as a web dev, 8+ hours at a keyboard. by evening my hands are tired and i just want to zone out.
been trying to do 20 min before work instead. it’s not much but it’s consistent. any other devs who play — how do you manage it?
I found that I do my morning exercise way more reliably than my afterwork exercise. I try to get 30 minutes in each session.
The biggest game changer, however, was not working 8 hours a day anymore. It also helps to have a boss who’s fine with delays, so you can extend the morning session if you feel like it.
I play wind instruments so despite not strumming, I also use my hands to play. What seems to make a difference is that the movement is very different from typing on a keyboard. (I type blind with 10 fingers.) That difference suffices for my muscles and my brains to separate the activities and recognize music practice as a distraction and relaxation.
I play guitar but i learned before getting into the career. I don’t play much anymore but i think it depends what your level is and what you’re trying to learn. Rocking along to songs is a way to blow off some steam but you’re also practicing by playing. If you’re just learning chords or strumming / picking patterns, you can sit back and practice them while watching tv or doing whatever what doesn’t involve hands. It can be relaxing too, just do it slowly, don’t push yourself and you will learn the muscle memory either way.
Assuming you’re learning acoustic like me. Learning electric guitar, solos and music theory may be different.
