6 ms·
Ask HN: 2 weeks off work, what to do?
Rough year of self induced stress for me so I’m taking two weeks off. What would you do?
Where I live, I have no friends and family. Looking for ideas to reset and have a good, productive time off
- petronio 4y agoIf you have a license, take a road trip, they can be quite relaxing solo. Every morning when you wake up just look at the map and figure out where you want to reach that day and take it from there.
- phendrenad2 4y agoSleep a lot, eat your favorite foods, eat healthy, work out, just go sit on a beach or park bench, work on a dream project you always wanted to start on. Just things that come to mind.
- drKarl 4y agoThis.
- v-erne 4y ago>>> eat your favorite foods, eat healthy Conflicting orders, cannot comply.. (All jokes aside - I believe if only I would know how to make healthy food enjoyable I would become billionair)
- iakov 4y agoThe trick for me was to start enjoying the healthy food. Asparagus and cauliflower suck, but add some bacon to it, dip it in sriracha, and eat it as a side with a juicy steak and it’s suddenly not that bad! I don’t enjoy sweets or fast food though, so that makes things a bit easier for me. And thank god for Coke Zero.
- v-erne 4y agoI will generalize Your observation a bit - proper spiecies are probably the secret that will unlock healthy food for me someday. I have not found those yet - hot pepper based sauses are the closest, but unfortunately despite my mind loving them, my body not so much (especially my bowels). But You are right - this is the way (and You are not the only one - even Schwarzenegger believes in it - https://youtu.be/0L5SZLUmnYA?t=33 https://youtu.be/0L5SZLUmnYA?t=33)
- david927 4y agoTravel somewhere. Explore. Get lost. Have fun.
- leros 4y agoStay away from you computer.
- duped 4y agoDon't be productive, go visit friends and family. Hang out in the woods. Take up a hobby with low mental overhead.
- thewizardofaus 4y agoSpend some time out in nature. Extended periods of time away from the computer and out in nature is good for the soul.
- Sevrene 4y agoLook inward, focus on yourself. Don't be sorry about it. If that means rest, or doing 'nothing' all day looking out a window or in nature don't feel bad it.
- lowkey 4y agoTwo big wins for self-care: long walks and meditation
- subderisorious 4y agoGo to Costa Rica and learn to surf.
- adyashakti 4y ago
- paulcole 4y agoThe OP is not asking a bunch of geeks what to do with time off. They’re asking a bunch of geeks what these geeks would do with time off. There’s a big difference and it’s interesting to me that so many of the geeks here jump to “advice mode” rather than answering the question.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- zem 4y agorelax with a good novel!
- renaissance_tea 4y agoAny recs?
- zem 4y agosure, if you can tell me your general taste in novels I'd be happy to recommend a few :)
- renaissance_tea 4y agoI have an open mind and love to read, shoot me your favs!
- zem 4y agoi mostly read genre stuff (science fiction, fantasy, mysteries, humour), my all time favourite author being terry pratchett. "guards! guards!" is a great first book of his, it's humorous fantasy but also with a lot of depth and superb character development. if you like that, go on to read the entire discworld series, they are almost all excellent. science fiction - i would recommend lois bujold's "vorkosigan" series. start with "the warrior's apprentice"; there are two prequels but they can be read on their own at any time and i think "the warrior's apprentice" is a better introduction to the series. another very engaging series is harry kemmelman's "rabbi small" mysteries, they are both great mystery novels and an overall story arc of a young rabbi establishing himself in a small new england town.
- noam_compsci 4y agoBuy and download Elder Scrolls online. Drop me your user name and you can join my clan (depending on where you play it). You’ll have friends that will fast become family :) it is a challenging but achievable game with a lot of depth.
- renaissance_tea 4y agoThanks I may take you up on that haha
- xyzal 4y agoDo not touch any computers (phone included). Just do it!
- wruza 4y agoWould be nice to know what to expect and/or the subtleties of it, which character is assumed. I tried to do it and it was dull and boring. I did all my chores though.
- _8j50 4y agoGet busy with something even if that is vacationing. Just don't sit around and sleep+idle you will regret it. If you can't do anything else wander about aimlessly in your city and discover stuff.
- terminalcommand 4y agoSeriously, if you have the money go and travel. Visit family if you are on good terms with them?
- pcurve 4y agoMy vote for travel as well. International if you haven’t done one. I’m always surprised to see how many of my fellow American coworkers haven’t don’t oversea trips but the ones that do do it for the first time are happy and can’t wait to do it again.
- julienreszka 4y ago>I have no friends and family start friendships, go on dates
- black_13 4y ago
- s3000 4y agoIt's nice how your name matches your question.
- iLoveOncall 4y ago> productive Don't try to be productive, you won't be refreshed.
- ddorian43 4y agoFind new hobbies. Try skiing. Try kickboxing. Try dancing classes. Do weight training.
- liampulles 4y agoBest holiday I had in recent memory was in a cottage overlooking a big river with no electricity - so I read books all day, swam, and had some good pizza.
- QuiCasseRien 4y agoMany workaholics feel the need to do something productive during holidays. That's a paradox ! During a time off, you're allowed to do nothing and to rest. Nobody will judge you. If you afraid of being lonely and have a budget, you can travel, discover new things or culture, meet people and embrace your life as the song "Sea, Sex and Sun".
- schaefer 4y agoCan you get into a silent meditation retreat? I just got out of one, and all the things I learned about myself, and how I relate to my emotions has been fascinating.
- genjii931 4y agoLearn to cook your favorite dishes.
- andy800 4y agoSpecifically because it's December, take a look at whitewater rafting in Chile on the Futaleufu River. Not cheap but looks absolutely amazing. (if it was summer I'd suggest Middle Fork of Idaho's Salmon River, which I've done and strongly recommend!)
- pibechorro 4y agoTravel. Dont over think it. Go now, go light. Just book a hotel\hostel somewhere out of the beaten path for a few days to get your bearings then explore and wing it. You dont need\want an itenary, doors will open to you unkown when you take the first steps there. Visiting natural wonders is a good way to guide you..
- sjducb 4y ago100% open Skyscanner, search for flights from your nearest airport to anywhere in the world. Buy the cheapest ticket and have an adventure. Stay in a youth hostel so you meet people to have the adventure with
- paulcole 4y agoThe OP wasn’t asking for advice, they’re asking what you would do. Is this what you’ve done before or what you would do with 2 weeks off work? Or is it just advice for someone in this situation?
- yetanotherforg 4y agoPersonally two things come to mind: Hedonistic or Noble Hedonistic: Fly to Amsterdam one way, buy a few doses of truffles, smoke some weed, see some boobs or whatever floats your boat I dunno. Then go to centraal station, buy the first train ticket and keep traveling. Stay in hostels, be open to meeting people. Every hostel will point you to walking tours in the morning, and usually a group will go together. Just join that group. Saying "Hey, I've got some mushrooms, why don't we all go find somewhere to do them and hike" is actually a great icebreaker at a hostel. It's how I met my (sober) wife. Making friends at hostels throughout Europe was how I rebuilt my life after burning out on my 100% tech social network. -- Nobel: Call up Habitat for Humanity, tell them you have 2 weeks free and want to help out on a build if they have any open in the country. I did this as well, it's how I learned carpentry.
- hinata08 4y agoBe wary, some ppl in bars abuse of you when you go the Hedonistic type. They think you're gullible and drunk (so don't be too drunk) Last time I did that (not in Amsterdam), a group of 5~6 sailors wanted to come in my hotel room. (And they also wanted me to pay for the note at the bar and for the taxi) (these were memorable holiday, for the record) @op Don't you have internet friends that you could join in some other country ? Or is there some city that organises a mildly interesting fair around, with boonies to explore around ?
- yetanotherforg 4y agoVery good point. Know your limits, and do things like only keep your hotel room key, phone, and a half empty wallet (keep money in your pocket as well as your wallet).. but don't let fear get in the way. We only live once.
- CrazyIvan 4y agoWhatever you do, most likely you will come back to work with rejuvenated hate towards it.
- slaw 4y agoFly to Bangkok and stay in a hostel close to Khaosan. If you are less than 35 you'll find buddies here.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- paulcole 4y agoI just started a month off of work (same situation as you) and will be returning at the start of January. I’m going to be keeping up with a running training plan I started a few months ago, trying to read a book every day or two, going to the coffee shop I like, and that’s it.
- renaissance_tea 4y agoWhat books have you enjoyed thus far?
- paulcole 4y agoI’ve read 3 trashy detective novels over the weekend but coming up I have: * How to Measure Anything * Deep Work * This is How They Tell Me the World Ends Recently though, I enjoyed Bob Igor’s book as well as Fanatical Prospecting (about inbound sales).
- renaissance_tea 4y agoDeep Work is in my top 3 favs. I’ll recommend “Why We Sleep”
- turing_complete 4y agoGo to the gym, read great books, meet new people.
- renaissance_tea 4y agoHow do you typically meet new people?
- orzig 4y agoGo to the closest library, get as many completely different books as catch your interest. Go home and spend at least 10 minutes with each book, of course going longer if you are enjoying it. Take a break every once in a while for a light exercise. Spend as little time with technology as possible. Repeat daily. That’s it.
- malermeister 4y agoIf you're struggling with self induced stress, try not to have a "productive" time off. Go travel, somewhere you've always wanted to go. Or get high and play video games if that's more your speed. Do whatever seems fun, don't be occupied with productivity.
- runald 4y agoNothing. Do nothing. Bore yourself out of your mind. Resist wanting to do anything useful or productive. Look, listen and smell your surroundings. Remind yourself what it means to be alive. You now have time to gaze what the sky looks like again, or appreciate how nice your floors or walls are. Do this until you genuinely want to do something again.