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No one needs this advice. We already worship ideas. Especially on HN, which is full of perfectionistic, idealistic founders or one-day founders who will proba

No one needs this advice. We already worship ideas. Especially on HN, which is full of perfectionistic, idealistic founders or one-day founders who will probably spend the first year or years of their start-up lovingly gazing at their technical vision, while their "perfect" idea and "perfect" product mysteriously don't resonate with any customers. I get it, though. In my teens and 20s, procrastination was the closest thing I had to meditation or serenity. This is the case when you are very, very anxious all the time, and your head is full of "I should do this," "I should do that" -- tyrannical dictates that won't go away, but at least you can ignore them for periods of time and try to nurture your authentic self a bit. However, I would not praise this situation for being more dramatic (more glorious!) than true calm.

nibs 10y ago
Does it go away after a while?
- dgreensp 10y ago
  My anxiety has slowly lessened as I've gotten older. I'm now 32 and married with kids. I attribute it to getting out on my own, growing up, and letting things go. Get out: For most of us, there was something toxic about our home or school environment. It might be obvious, or it might be something you have to dig out. You may still be in a toxic environment, where people undermine your sense of who you are and discourage real growth. (In fact, most school and work environments have this quality, but it makes a big difference how you take it and what you're doing with the rest of your hours.) For me, I had to get some serious distance from my parents and get out of grad school. Get out, and you'll begin to heal, which is a process that takes years. Grow up: Take ownership of your body, your living space, your time, and so on. Clean your apartment. Go to the gym. Get a real job. Enjoy hard, meaningful work. Have real responsibilities. A lot of people seem to want to avoid growing up. Have friends and hobbies. Stop coasting on the advantages that launched you into the world (money, grades, connections, accomplishments, etc.). Letting things go: Every once in a while, you'll be relieved to find you just don't care about something anymore. This is a known side effect of getting older and could be biological. You don't care as much what people think of you. You don't care about some old grudge or embarrassment you've been clinging on to. You don't care what you thought your life would be. You just live for now.

nibs 10y ago

Does it go away after a while?

dgreensp 10y ago
My anxiety has slowly lessened as I've gotten older. I'm now 32 and married with kids. I attribute it to getting out on my own, growing up, and letting things go. Get out: For most of us, there was something toxic about our home or school environment. It might be obvious, or it might be something you have to dig out. You may still be in a toxic environment, where people undermine your sense of who you are and discourage real growth. (In fact, most school and work environments have this quality, but it makes a big difference how you take it and what you're doing with the rest of your hours.) For me, I had to get some serious distance from my parents and get out of grad school. Get out, and you'll begin to heal, which is a process that takes years. Grow up: Take ownership of your body, your living space, your time, and so on. Clean your apartment. Go to the gym. Get a real job. Enjoy hard, meaningful work. Have real responsibilities. A lot of people seem to want to avoid growing up. Have friends and hobbies. Stop coasting on the advantages that launched you into the world (money, grades, connections, accomplishments, etc.). Letting things go: Every once in a while, you'll be relieved to find you just don't care about something anymore. This is a known side effect of getting older and could be biological. You don't care as much what people think of you. You don't care about some old grudge or embarrassment you've been clinging on to. You don't care what you thought your life would be. You just live for now.