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What helped me un-burn myself was focusing on creating as many serendipitously boring moments as possible. I canceled all pre-made plans, stopped pursuing any
by jf22 8y ago
What helped me un-burn myself was focusing on creating as many serendipitously boring moments as possible.
I canceled all pre-made plans, stopped pursuing any goal outside of existing, and did things because I was bored and felt like doing them.
Our culture is 110% fail-forward, goal-oriented, growth-mindset madness that doesn't give us time to relax and chill out.
I'm not talking about pursuing a hedonistic lifestyle nor walking into the woods and being a hermit.
Get a dumb job, go to work, go home, do whatever. Meet with friends if you want too, go out if you want too, but stop all forms of external pressure and just exist.
I remember eventually I was sitting around with nothing to do and spent an hour dreaming about dragons and then went for a walk around the block because I got tired of sitting.
Avoid anti-stagnation gamification bs that only exists to make money like meditation apps or fitness trackers. Just be.
As you said, people are going to tell you to sign up for a "prescription" like traveling more or exercising but that is just more of a burden to an already burned out person.
Travel or exercise if you want but do it because you want too not because it's on some path to a better you.
- jf22 8y agoI find it culturally characteristic one person here said that you should start a new company/product as if that is the answer to feeling overworked.
- HNLurker2 8y ago>Avoid anti-stagnation gamification bs that only exists to make money like meditation apps or fitness trackers. Just be. I strongly agree we shouldn't gamify life
- 19032019_anon 8y agoIsn't that what I'm more or less doing now? Other than the "dumb job" part? There is no pressure on me to do anything, really. (Except pressure I put on myself to exercise once a day) I spend large quantities of my time watching Netflix/playing video games. Isn't that "just existing"?
- jf22 8y agoWell, maybe you need more of it? I got a sense from your comment that you are "trying things" after feeling unsatisfied in an attempt to fix yourself. Maybe there is nothing to fix and you need more time that's all. Sorry, it sounds like you are arguing with me but I'm just trying to help.
- jf22 8y ago>I have no passion, motivation, or purpose. See this is what I mean. Is that bad? Culturally we are forced to have those things but they aren't necessary. My grandfather worked at a quarry for 50 years and came home every day to have dinner, a Budweiser, read a book and maybe tv. His loved sitting outside and watching birds in the summer but I would never describe that as his "passion". Seems boring but he was content and had a happy life.