I used to treat coding like a series of sprints: go hard, get tired, scroll my phone, repeat. After a few hours, my brain felt like a laptop with 30 Chrome tabs open and the fan on max.
Then I started using AI every day, and the way I write software quietly changed.
This isn’t just about speed; it’s about stamina. Offloading boring, repetitive work to a machine gave me back something I didn’t realize I’d lost: the ability to stay in flow for long, calm stretches of time.
This post is about that shift: from coding that drains you to coding that feels sustainable.
The Old Way: Constant Friction
Before AI, a normal coding day looked like this:
- Jump into a feature.
- Get stuck on some weird error.
- Bounce between tabs, docs, Slack, and Stack Overflow.
- Lose the thread. Take a break. Repeat.
My energy was getting chewed up by everything around the real work. Not the ideas, but the context switching. Not the architecture, but the “why is this TypeScript error so cryptic?” moments.
Breaks weren’t some productivity hack; they were basic survival.
What Changed When I Added AI
When I brought AI into my workflow, the first thing I noticed wasn’t “I ship 10x more.” It was much simpler: my brain felt lighter.
I stopped burning cycles on things like:
- Writing boilerplate for the hundredth time.
- Translating vague error messages into something human.
- Remembering that one obscure API shape from three months ago.
Now I can:
- Ask AI to sketch the boring parts of a function.
- Have it explain why a test is failing in plain language.
- Generate a few implementation options, then choose the one that fits my taste.
I still review everything. I still own the decisions. But I’m no longer tired from pushing the rock uphill alone.
Multitasking Without Melting Your Brain
Human multitasking is mostly fake. We just context switch quickly and pay the price in fatigue.
AI changes that dynamic a bit. I can:
- Let an assistant refactor a file while I think about product tradeoffs.
- Have it draft tests while I reason about the design.
- Spin up variations of an idea without manually wiring each one.
It’s not “set and forget.” It’s more like having a very fast, slightly overconfident junior developer sitting next to you. You still have to guide it. But it lets you hold bigger problems in your head without cracking.
Using AI Without Getting Soft
There is a risk: if you outsource all thinking, you stop being sharp.
So I use a few simple rules:
There is a risk: if you outsource all thinking, you stop being sharp.
So I use a few simple rules:
- If I don’t understand the code, I don’t ship it, AI-written or not.
- For critical pieces, I write at least part of it myself before asking for help.
- I use AI to challenge my solution, not to replace my judgment.
The goal isn’t to avoid effort. It’s to spend effort where it actually matters.
How I’d Start If I Were You
If you’re not using AI much yet, I wouldn’t overcomplicate it. I’d start like this:
- Use it for explaining errors and unfamiliar code.
- Use it for boring glue code, not your core logic.
- Use it to brainstorm options when you’re stuck, then pick and refine.
Pay attention to how your energy changes across the day. If you end a long session feeling less fried than usual, that’s the real win.
Final Thoughts
AI didn’t make me superhuman. It just removed enough friction that I could enjoy deep work again.
The quiet revolution isn’t in the headline numbers or the case studies. It’s in the feeling of closing your laptop at the end of the day and realizing you’re tired but not drained. You still have juice left for the rest of your life.
If you can use a tool that gives you more of that, why wouldn’t you?