I used to love coding. I have ASD and it was one of those rare things I could just do for hours without realising the time. I used to do my own projects, or at least plan them.

Now it's my job to code (& design when I don't have a pleb project, software engineer). I still kinda like to code but as I *have to* code, I just hate it.

Every fun thing that turns to work just turns to torture. Maybe I'll break my arm slipping this winter and have to have an extended sick leave...

I still love to code, but what I don’t love is everything around it. Meetings, annoying managers and having to write something that is just stupid and overly complicated (mostly when integrating to some really old system)

Yeah, it's kinda like setting your favorite song for your alarm clock. You will start to hate it eventually.

That being said. This is also strongly affected by the culture in your company and your own approach to your work and colleagues. I find that the best way to avoid hating your work, is to take it chill and never work overtime unless it is the exception and paid for.

After work I still have enough motivation and energy to work on my own coding projects, though I also do a lot of other stuff which keeps the coding part feeling fresh.

Alas, job is a job, but you can make it better by good time management and socializing with your colleagues and managers so they put less pressure on you and are more friendly. Though I think many of us dream of working in a coffee shop instead since dev is pretty stressful even on good days

that goes for anything you really like a lot: Make it your job and all the other things and constraints that come with making it your job are likely to water it down to a point where it remains being just a job instead of the thing, you actually liked.

No real solution apart from doing something else for money. But if you keep coding as a job, try to stay true to your ideals, so the actual act of coding still sortof keeps feeling good. Defend good coding standards and don't let em trick you into rushing a botched product.