I agree with your point that free time should be about rest and recovery, but I think that programming can be a fulfilling and engaging recreational activity th

I agree with your point that free time should be about rest and recovery, but I think that programming can be a fulfilling and engaging recreational activity that aids in recovery. Maybe not for you, but definitely for myself. When I program at home, I don't "grind out even more code" in the sense that it's in any way a continuation of what I do at my day job, more than watching TV, reading or browsing the web would be. I work on totally different projects, unrelated to what I do at work, and I do it for myself under no pressure to perform. The playing field is very different.