GitHub Anxiety - My Weird Solution That Actually Works

Alright, I need to confess something that’s been bugging me for ages - I have a weird love/hate relationship with GitHub. I spend way too much time there, constantly digging through random repos, starring projects I’ll never actually use, and somehow feeling both inspired and completely inadequate at the same time.

The Green Square Problem

You know that activity chart on GitHub profiles? That innocent-looking grid of green squares that’s supposed to show how “active” you are? Yeah, that thing messes with my head more than I’d like to admit.

On good weeks when I’m coding every day, those satisfying green squares make me feel like I’ve got my life together. But then I go through a dry spell - maybe work gets crazy, or I’m just mentally burnt out - and suddenly I’m staring at a sea of empty gray squares that seem to scream “YOU’RE NOT A REAL DEVELOPER” at me.

Is this rational? Absolutely not. Nobody is looking at my GitHub profile. I’m not job hunting. I’m not trying to impress anyone. And yet…

The Stupid Things I’ve Done

I’ve actually caught myself making the most pointless commits just to fill in those squares:

• Changing a single line in a README
• “Fixing” a comment that was perfectly fine
• Adding unnecessary whitespace and then removing it in a separate commit
• Creating a new branch for no reason other than to generate activity

It’s embarrassing to admit this, but I’ve literally sat there at 11:45 PM realizing I hadn’t pushed any code that day and scrambling to make some meaningless change just to keep my streak going. What is wrong with me?!

And it’s not just me - I have friends who talk about “keeping their GitHub green” like it’s some kind of fitness goal. The memes don’t help either - you know the ones with the activity graph shaped like a message or picture? Cool, but also… why are we celebrating this level of obsession?

My Weird Workaround: AWS CodeCommit

A few months ago, I had this realization: what if I just… didn’t see my activity all the time? What if I could work on my projects without the constant reminder of “the streak”?

Since I already use AWS for basically everything, I figured I’d try using CodeCommit as my day-to-day git repository. Here’s my slightly overcomplicated but surprisingly effective system:

1. For projects I’m actively working on but not ready to share, I use AWS CodeCommit
2. I use the exact same git config (username, email) that I use for GitHub
3. I work at my own pace without feeling like someone’s watching (even though nobody was watching in the first place)
4. When something’s actually ready to share with the world, I switch the remote to GitHub and push it all at once

It’s like writing in a private journal versus posting on social media. I still get all my thoughts out, but without that weird pressure of public performance.

Why This Actually Helps

The best part? It actually works. I no longer feel that twinge of guilt on days when I don’t code. I don’t find myself making pointless commits. I work when I want to work, and I don’t when I don’t.

And weirdly enough, I think the quality of my work has improved. When I’m not trying to generate activity for the sake of activity, I can focus on making meaningful changes when I actually have the time and mental energy for it.

Since I use the same Git user details, when I do eventually push to GitHub, all the commits still show up as mine. The activity is still recorded, but I’m not obsessing over it on a daily basis.

This Might Just Be a Me Problem

Look, I know this whole thing is probably just my own neurotic tendencies. Most well-adjusted developers probably don’t give a second thought to their GitHub activity graph. And if you’re one of those people who naturally codes every day and has a beautifully green GitHub profile without even trying - I genuinely envy you.

But if you’re like me and find yourself feeling weirdly pressured by an entirely self-imposed standard of coding activity, maybe try taking a step back from the public performance aspect of it. Whether that’s using a private repo solution like I did, or just… you know… developing a healthier relationship with productivity metrics.

At the end of the day, consistency is great, but not at the expense of your mental health. And no amount of green squares is worth making pointless commits at 11:58 PM while your partner gives you that “are you seriously still on the computer?” look.

So that’s my weird little system. It’s not perfect, but it’s helped me focus more on actual coding and less on looking like I’m coding. And really, isn’t that the point?