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I was in a similar situation when our megacorp employer axed pur project, but without making it official or reassigning us to something else. The problem isn't
by nicbou 2y ago
I was in a similar situation when our megacorp employer axed pur project, but without making it official or reassigning us to something else.
The problem isn't that we had nothing to do, but that we had to pretend to do something. We couldn't just stay home. We had to show up every day and waste 8 hours at our desk before going home.
I remember the feeling of numbness when I left the office. I had scrolled through the entire internet, and it took an hour or two for my brain to reconnect to my body.
Nowadays I often have nothing (urgent) to do, but being self-employed, I can just hop on my bike and go do fun things without any pretense of productivity. That's actually quite enjoyable. I could do it all day long.
- DenisM 2y agoYou could have spent the free time learning about new technologies or improving mastery of your favorite programming language?
- 01HNNWZ0MV43FF 2y agoBeen there. It's harder to stop in the middle, that's the thing. If I'm slacking on HN and I get a real work task, I think "ah, time to be good and start earning my pay". If I start a pet project, usually it's something I really want and not a throwaway, so it will eat up my attention and I'll miss it when I go back to work
- BiteCode_dev 2y agoI don't understand how one can be bored in this situation. You can learn a new language or to draw. Read novels. You can start writing a program or a blog: write it on a different computer, but you are in this situation nobody cares anyway. You can listen to podcast, even binge watch a tv show discreatly. You can practice maths, go back learning things you wish you spent more time learning in school. You probably can even start a business if you are careful no to leave trail. But also: you can put money on the side, and prepare to leave.
- dazc 2y agoYou underestimate the likelihood that you are being watched by colleagues in the same position who are more than happy to maintain the status quo. See my comment above.
- icedchai 2y agoBased on my own personal experience, nobody's paying attention.
- ibash 2y agoIt takes time to transition and get in the headspace of doing something new. Every time I’ve had weeks of open time to myself the first few days/week is getting oriented. It’s only after being bored for a while that the really exciting stuff comes. Also when you’re expecting your situation to change “any day now” it dampens the energy to start something new and ambitious.
- SoftTalker 2y agoYes, this and also you're wondering/worried about where your income is going to come from. Having to job-hunt when you are about to be unemployed is a lot more stressful than doing it while you still have income. Unless you've been able to save a sizable emergency fund, that is going to be weighing on your mind.
- gwervc 2y agoThe pretending part is the problem. As soon as you have requirements like answering on a chat, replying to email within a half-day of work, sitting at your desk, using corporate hardware... it adds mental workload and physical constraints that drastically reduce your options.
- linearrust 2y ago> The problem isn't that we had nothing to do, but that we had to pretend to do something. We couldn't just stay home. We had to show up every day and waste 8 hours at our desk before going home. Why slashdot, digg, reddit, hn, etc exists. The good old days of maniacally refreshing until a new link or comment popped up. A generation's saving grace.