--- title: How to keep thinking | daily.dev description: Working with AI agents in 2026 has shifted software engineering toward rapid context-switching and skimming LLM outputs, leaving less time for slow, deliberate... canonical: https://daily.dev/posts/how-to-keep-thinking-ryjkkir08 twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev og:type: website og:site_name: daily.dev og:title: How to keep thinking | daily.dev og:description: Working with AI agents in 2026 has shifted software engineering toward rapid context-switching and skimming LLM outputs, leaving less time for slow, deliberate... og:url: https://daily.dev/posts/how-to-keep-thinking-ryjkkir08 og:image: https://api.daily.dev/og/posts/rYjKKIR08.png og:image:alt: How to keep thinking og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 630 og:locale: en --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # How to keep thinking **[sean goedecke](https://daily.dev/sources/seangoedecke)** · 6 min read · 55 upvotes · 12 comments ## Summary Working with AI agents in 2026 has shifted software engineering toward rapid context-switching and skimming LLM outputs, leaving less time for slow, deliberate thinking. The author argues this risks atrophying deep reasoning skills and recommends two countermeasures: writing in your own words (not with LLMs) to force genuine articulation of ideas, and reading dense non-fiction books slowly. Combining both — reading a book and then writing about it — is presented as the most effective way to keep the habit of slow thinking alive outside of work, which remains necessary for tasks like large refactors that current LLMs can't yet handle tastefully. ## Full article daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: ## Questions this post answers ### Does using LLMs for coding make you worse at deep thinking over time? Heavy LLM use biases developers toward fast 'skimming and judging' mental patterns and away from the slow 'hammock time' needed for deep thought and creativity. The concern is not literal cognitive damage but a gradual shift in mental habits. Tasks like large refactors on complex codebases still require sustained independent reasoning, and LLMs cannot yet perform them tastefully without human judgment. _Developers navigating this trade-off share their experiences on daily.dev, where the AI-assisted development conversation keeps moving._ ### What can I do to keep my deep thinking skills sharp while using AI coding tools heavily? Writing in your own words — not with an LLM — forces you to articulate and construct ideas rather than just evaluate them. Reading dense non-fiction books slowly provides information-dense content that counteracts the shallow skimming that LLM workflows encourage. Combining both by reading a book and then writing about it is especially effective for exercising the slow, deliberate reasoning that AI-assisted work tends to crowd out. _Engineers working through the same tension between speed and depth discuss it on daily.dev._ ## Community discussion Top comments from developers on daily.dev. **@osama67** · 13 upvotes > I recently started thinking in having a no AI day each week, so that I can stay connected to the problems I solve, and to maintain the skills I have. **@confidentcoding** · 6 upvotes > Yes, this is why I say [agentic coding is a trap](https://larsfaye.com/articles/agentic-coding-is-a-trap). There's no free lunch here: if you stop thinking (and coding), you _will_ lose your edge. It's not up for debate at this point, its been studied. > > Some [good guidelines](https://larsfaye.com/articles/ai-coding-will-prevent-expertise) I use when deciding if/when to use LLMs: > > - If I did not have access to an AI tool, _could I still accomplish this task?_ > - Am I using the model to deepen my understanding, _or expedite the answer?_ > - If I had to audit and verify the generated output, _could... **@agustinbarrientos** · 2 upvotes > I hope every agent-heavy workday leaves one quiet hour with nobody asking me to judge another diff **@akkitto** · 1 upvotes > The way I use AI, it makes me think most of the development process. Don't know where all this stuff about not thinking when using agents comes from. **@bobbyiliev** · 1 upvotes >  ## Similar posts on daily.dev - [It's getting harder to focus every day](https://daily.dev/posts/it-s-getting-harder-to-focus-every-day-eyr8b8gyh) · Hacker News · 2 upvotes · 0 comments - [The next hit: How LLMs change the way engineers work](https://daily.dev/posts/the-next-hit-how-llms-change-the-way-engineers-work-y3ba4zyqx) · RUBYLAND · 1 upvotes · 0 comments - [Stop generating, start thinking](https://daily.dev/posts/stop-generating-start-thinking-7jjvm8uwh) · Hacker News · 16 upvotes · 1 comments - [The Mirror You Trained](https://daily.dev/posts/the-mirror-you-trained-8o84gr8sk) · Webframp · 1 upvotes · 0 comments - [How to keep enjoying programming in a world of LLMs](https://daily.dev/posts/how-to-keep-enjoying-programming-in-a-world-of-llms-dbajtmasp) · Lobsters · 0 upvotes · 0 comments --- Tags: [#llm](https://daily.dev/tags/llm), [#productivity](https://daily.dev/tags/productivity), [#ai-coding](https://daily.dev/tags/ai-coding) [View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/how-to-keep-thinking-ryjkkir08) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/dailydotdev","https://github.com/dailydotdev","https://www.linkedin.com/company/daily-dev-ltd"]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://daily.dev/#website","url":"https://daily.dev","name":"daily.dev","publisher":{"@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization"},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://daily.dev/search?q={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"TechArticle","headline":"How to keep thinking","url":"https://daily.dev/posts/how-to-keep-thinking-ryjkkir08","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/how-to-keep-thinking-ryjkkir08"},"datePublished":"2026-08-07T09:59:06.593Z","dateModified":"2026-09-14T06:04:06.978Z","description":"Working with AI agents in 2026 has shifted software engineering toward rapid context-switching and skimming LLM outputs, leaving less time for slow, deliberate...","image":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/posts/479e95ee2af112c350fa09a341f0c630?_a=AQAEuop","thumbnailUrl":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/posts/479e95ee2af112c350fa09a341f0c630?_a=AQAEuop","isAccessibleForFree":true,"articleSection":"sean goedecke","inLanguage":"en","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180}},"author":{"@type":"Organization","name":"sean goedecke","logo":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/s--WNgiZyDx--/f_auto,q_auto/v1765713419/logos/seangoedecke","url":"https://daily.dev/sources/seangoedecke"},"commentCount":12,"discussionUrl":"https://daily.dev/posts/how-to-keep-thinking-ryjkkir08","interactionStatistic":[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":55},{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"CommentAction"},"userInteractionCount":12}],"keywords":"llm,productivity,ai-coding","timeRequired":"PT6M"} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://daily.dev"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"sean goedecke","item":"https://daily.dev/sources/seangoedecke"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"How to keep thinking"}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/how-to-keep-thinking-ryjkkir08","comment":[{"@type":"Comment","text":"I recently started thinking in having a no AI day each week, so that I can stay connected to the problems I solve, and to maintain the skills I have.","datePublished":"2026-08-07T14:24:55.337Z","dateModified":"2026-08-07T14:25:06.582Z","url":"https://daily.dev/posts/rYjKKIR08#c-sAnk3UIhZ","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Osama","url":"https://daily.dev/osama67","image":"https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/a/ACg8ocL2q6Yso6rqaOq0obXRGo-uoC-LSdCPlnpeKBBXdW1U1l90C0A=s96-c"},"interactionStatistic":{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":13}},{"@type":"Comment","text":"Yes, this is why I say agentic coding is a trap. There’s no free lunch here: if you stop thinking (and coding), you will lose your edge. It’s not up for debate at this point, its been studied.\nSome good guidelines I use when deciding if/when to use LLMs:\n\nIf I did not have access to an AI tool, could I still accomplish this task?\nAm I using the model to deepen my understanding, or expedite the answer?\nIf I had to audit and verify the generated output, could I adequately explain what was happening?\nIf I’m learning a new concept, have I done proper research to know the right questions to ask?\nHave I cross-referenced and verified the approach through other methods (reading documentation, standard search tools, StackOverflow, Reddit)?\nIs this a truly rote task that’s been done 100 times before, or a task that requires executive decision-making somewhere in the process?","datePublished":"2026-08-07T19:36:07.115Z","url":"https://daily.dev/posts/rYjKKIR08#c-FD98shSrK","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Lars Faye | Confident Coding","url":"https://daily.dev/confidentcoding","image":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/s--OGZu5DEc--/f_auto/v1772569630/avatars/avatar_umWZ9aQAng34qk5aaJl2q?_a=BAMAMiiu0"},"interactionStatistic":{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":6}},{"@type":"Comment","text":"I hope every agent-heavy workday leaves one quiet hour with nobody asking me to judge another diff","datePublished":"2026-08-08T16:08:44.886Z","url":"https://daily.dev/posts/rYjKKIR08#c-HSTWvDC3M","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Agustin Barrientos","url":"https://daily.dev/agustinbarrientos","image":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/s--5ayxQnqn--/f_auto/v1788281802/avatars/avatar_wQYYVe5Tbj0NJ7C7qPoa8?_a=BAMAMicg0"},"interactionStatistic":{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":2}},{"@type":"Comment","text":"The way I use AI, it makes me think most of the development process. Don’t know where all this stuff about not thinking when using agents comes from.","datePublished":"2026-08-08T09:19:07.646Z","url":"https://daily.dev/posts/rYjKKIR08#c-Rg0P7Gvxc","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Daniel","url":"https://daily.dev/akkitto","image":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/s--FtwJqX4c--/f_auto/v1754900041/avatars/avatar_29TCpY2hJR72V3BlxPXzX?_a=BAMClqZW0"},"interactionStatistic":{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":1}},{"@type":"Comment","text":"","datePublished":"2026-08-09T09:50:48.539Z","url":"https://daily.dev/posts/rYjKKIR08#c-NWgIqT7P8","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Bobby Iliev","url":"https://daily.dev/bobbyiliev","image":"https://avatars3.githubusercontent.com/u/21223421?v=4"},"interactionStatistic":{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":1}}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/how-to-keep-thinking-ryjkkir08#faq","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Does using LLMs for coding make you worse at deep thinking over time?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Heavy LLM use biases developers toward fast 'skimming and judging' mental patterns and away from the slow 'hammock time' needed for deep thought and creativity. The concern is not literal cognitive damage but a gradual shift in mental habits. Tasks like large refactors on complex codebases still require sustained independent reasoning, and LLMs cannot yet perform them tastefully without human judgment. Developers navigating this trade-off share their experiences on daily.dev, where the AI-assisted development conversation keeps moving."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What can I do to keep my deep thinking skills sharp while using AI coding tools heavily?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Writing in your own words — not with an LLM — forces you to articulate and construct ideas rather than just evaluate them. Reading dense non-fiction books slowly provides information-dense content that counteracts the shallow skimming that LLM workflows encourage. Combining both by reading a book and then writing about it is especially effective for exercising the slow, deliberate reasoning that AI-assisted work tends to crowd out. Engineers working through the same tension between speed and depth discuss it on daily.dev."}}]} ```