Pretty much my experience too.

I usually go to option 2 - just write it by myself as it is same time-wise but keeps skills sharp.

Not to degenerate is really challenging these days. There are the bubbles that simulate multiple realities to us and try to untrain us logic thinking. And there are the llms that try to convice us that self thinking is unproductive. I wonder when this digitalophily suddenly turns into digitalophobia.