Honestly, learning new skills is what I do to relax. 1. Find something that sparks your interest; could be anything at all. For example, I constantly read HN,

Honestly, learning new skills is what I do to relax. 1. Find something that sparks your interest; could be anything at all. For example, I constantly read HN, hackaday, etc. when I'm bored. 2. Duplicate it and perfect it. That LED cube you saw on hackaday, that X11 tutorial, that Arduino controlled coffeepot, whatever. These examples belie my interests, but you get the idea. Tip: start with something simple; it's always harder than it looks and in surprising ways. 3. Then wait for the magic. Inexplicably, that new skill you are growing will become surprisingly useful for some completely unpredictable, unconnected activity. Ah, you don't really need an LED cube, but maybe now you know how to make a better baby monitor with that Arduino. 4. Repeat, until you don't have time to be anxious or bored. Eventually, it can grow into a career or a lifelong interest. Doing something concrete with your hands relieves stress. Learning relieves stress. Having kids puts everything in perspective. These are all positive, constructive things. Watching TV and gaming, not so much. When I do too much of these, it makes me feel very much as the OP seems to feel.' Don't learn new skills to progress in your career. Learn them to relax and to grow. Learn to measure yourself by your progress on these self-imposed challenges. And the career will take care of itself.