3 Reasons Why Every Overthinking Dev Should Start Writing

Writing can help to release your thought loops and calm your mind. I’ve been writing code and building apps for over 25 years now. Every product gets complex quickly and tends to grow over time. I end up in loops in my mind trying to solve these issues, and it seems never-ending.

Journaling releases thought cycles

Daily writing helps me release some of these thought loops. When I write code, the opposite happens — it opens new thought loops. But when I write down words, it stops them. By journaling my ideas, I have to organize them, and this brings clarity. Putting it down in a format that I can look back at a later time enables me to free it up, as it is archived for my mind. It tricks the mind into thinking: Okay, we can come back to this at a later time.

Public writing on Reddit connects

Shipping my thoughts publicly encourages others to share their ideas too. I like Reddit a lot for this. There is a niche community where I place my thoughts in front of the right audience. Reading and interacting with others makes me feel heard and further calms my mind.

A personal archive gives peace

The biggest benefit of writing that I find is knowing that my thoughts are archived. I can look back anytime in the future and understand the loops that I had before. It helps me block out the rethinking of the same topics and lets me learn from my past ideas.