Lighten Your Mental Load by Creating Tests

Some people would argue that test is just a waste of time, but I believe most people would agree to me that creating test is a very important part of development process.

I remember when I was just starting, we created a project with no feature tests or unit tests created. Everything is tested by the QA by playing the front facing app. Even if the QA tested it, it feels like it can be broken later on. And because of this we have to test the front facing app everytime we add something and it takes a lot of time. It becomes a heavy burden to check every function if a certain function does not work specially on the backend.

Because of this I did some researched, and learned about testing. Their are many ways to test your code like: unit tests, feature tests, code structure tests, etc. And its up to you what test best for your project. I myself when I start a project I always create a test for code structure to make sure all our code follows naming conventions, or a class structures, etc.

As developers, we often find ourselves in a race against time—delivering features, fixing bugs, and optimizing performance. In this fast-paced environment, writing tests can sometimes feel like an unnecessary burden. However, the truth is quite the opposite: writing tests is one of the best investments you can make in your code—and your peace of mind.

The Importance of Writing Tests

1. Catching Bugs Early

Bugs are inevitable in software development, but the sooner you catch them, the cheaper and easier they are to fix. Unit tests, integration tests, and end-to-end tests help identify issues before they reach production. Imagine deploying a critical feature only to find out it breaks an existing workflow—tests act as a safety net, preventing such disasters.

2. Refactoring with Confidence

A well-tested codebase allows you to refactor fearlessly. Without tests, even small changes can introduce unexpected side effects. But with a solid test suite, you can modify and optimize your code knowing that if something breaks, your tests will alert you immediately.

3. Better Code Design

Writing testable code often leads to better software design. When you think about how to test a function or component, you naturally write more modular, decoupled, and maintainable code. Test-Driven Development (TDD) takes this a step further by forcing you to define expected behavior before implementation.

4. Documentation That Never Lies

Tests serve as living documentation for your code. Unlike comments or external docs (which can become outdated), tests always reflect the current behavior of the system. New developers (or even future you) can look at tests to understand how a piece of code is supposed to work.

5. Saving Time in the Long Run

It might feel like writing tests slows you down initially, but it saves countless hours in debugging and hotfixes later. Think of it as paying a small upfront cost to avoid massive technical debt down the road.

How Tests Ease Your Mind

1. Less Anxiety About Deployments

Ever felt that nervous pit in your stomach when merging to main or deploying to production? A robust test suite reduces that anxiety. You can deploy with confidence, knowing that most edge cases have been verified.

2. Fewer Late-Night Firefights

Nothing ruins a developer’s peace of mind like being woken up at 2 AM because a critical feature failed in production. Automated tests minimize the chances of such emergencies, letting you sleep soundly.

3. More Freedom to Experiment

Want to try a new library or optimization? With tests in place, you can experiment without fear of breaking existing functionality. If something goes wrong, your tests will catch it before users do.

4. A Happier Team (And Product Owners)

When tests prevent last-minute surprises, everyone benefits:

• Developers spend less time debugging and more time building.

• QA teams focus on complex scenarios rather than basic regressions.

• Product owners get stable, predictable releases.

Tests = Peace of Mind

Writing tests isn’t just about avoiding bugs—it’s about reducing stress, increasing confidence, and making development more enjoyable. The next time you’re tempted to skip testing, remember: a few minutes (or hours) spent writing tests today can save days (or weeks) of frustration later.

So, embrace testing. Your future self—and your teammates—will thank you.

Do you write tests regularly? How has it helped (or saved) you? Share your thoughts in the comments! 🚀