[naet]

I do both crosswords and frequently look at the daily leetcode problem. I don't always do it if the problem doesn't interest me. But sometimes I learn something new, other times I just hammer out a solution in 2-5 min for a little brain stimulation.

Making a habit of doing small puzzles like that can compound a lot over time. I am self taught and did not study algorithms in school, but I would consider myself stronger on the topic than most of my coworkers just from my learning to solve puzzles (and enjoying it). I am currently the senior / lead dev of my team.

I also love Advent of Code and look forwards to it all year.

I do both in languages that aren't what I primarily use at work.