4 ms·

I hate talking to people after a long programming session. I simply can't do it, and I'm normally very social and outgoing. I just stand there and it probably

I hate talking to people after a long programming session. I simply can't do it, and I'm normally very social and outgoing. I just stand there and it probably looks like I'm gazing off at something; I'm just not there. I've tried doing many things after a long session.. for me, the only remedy I've found is time. I just need a few hours. I also produce music. This doesn't help because producing is very similar to programming in many ways. Puts me right back in the same state. Having three+ drinks certainly helps... but not healthy nor sustainable on a daily basis.

amelius 8y ago
> Having three+ drinks certainly helps... but not healthy nor sustainable on a daily basis. Have you tried drinking water? :)
beat 8y ago
Yeah, I read the author's comment about playing music to relax after programming, and I immediately thought I might do some programming to relax after a serious session of music performance/recording. Frankly, playing a gig leaves me more intellectually/emotionally drained and dysfunctional than a long programming session does.
- hvidgaard 8y ago
  One of the last things I want to do being mentally exhausted, is listen to music. I relax by doing busy work. Water the plants, removing weeds, vacuum, walk/hike, ect. things that require my attention, but not any significant processing.
  - beat 8y ago
    Playing music is a completely different experience for me than listening to music. I actually listen to recorded music (unless I'm making a recording, which is basically playing) a lot less than most people would think. But I play almost every day. I also have a couple of different playing modes - public performance (usually with bands), and private improvisation. The improvisation is a critical part of my mental health. The ongoing stream of planning and surprising myself on the fly is probably the purest mental flow I experience.
    - hvidgaard 8y ago
      I think that if I played guitar all of my life, it would be relaxing to just sit and jam a bit for myself.

amelius 8y ago

> Having three+ drinks certainly helps... but not healthy nor sustainable on a daily basis. Have you tried drinking water? :)

beat 8y ago

Yeah, I read the author's comment about playing music to relax after programming, and I immediately thought I might do some programming to relax after a serious session of music performance/recording. Frankly, playing a gig leaves me more intellectually/emotionally drained and dysfunctional than a long programming session does.

hvidgaard 8y ago
One of the last things I want to do being mentally exhausted, is listen to music. I relax by doing busy work. Water the plants, removing weeds, vacuum, walk/hike, ect. things that require my attention, but not any significant processing.
- beat 8y ago
  Playing music is a completely different experience for me than listening to music. I actually listen to recorded music (unless I'm making a recording, which is basically playing) a lot less than most people would think. But I play almost every day. I also have a couple of different playing modes - public performance (usually with bands), and private improvisation. The improvisation is a critical part of my mental health. The ongoing stream of planning and surprising myself on the fly is probably the purest mental flow I experience.
  - hvidgaard 8y ago
    I think that if I played guitar all of my life, it would be relaxing to just sit and jam a bit for myself.