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Ask HN: What do you do to blow off steam?
- chrisan 12y agoplay with the dogs, woodworking, work on a greenfield app, play video games with friends (something non-compete [unless I know I'll beat them :P])
- coherentpony 12y agoI run.
- kehers 12y agoPlay or learn something new on my acoustic guitar. Or a long walk.
- verandaguy 12y agoRunning, fixing up the car and/or bike if it's needed, sketching, and actually biking all work for me. And drinking with friends, but not in ridiculous excess.
- raelmiu 12y agoI lift weights. Used to listen to Death Metal. But mostly, I've learned that it's not really necessary. Just makes us feel powerful, recently started meditating with teh Headspace app and that works a lot better.
- deleted 12y ago[deleted]
- kvgr 12y agoLifting weights works for me also. I used to go to gym intensively for 2 months, about 2-3 times a week. It also helped me with my tics, I felt relaxed even day after. The only negative is I was always hungry :)
- Dewie 12y agoWhat is "unneccessary" about death metal? Fine if you don't like it any more, but I don't think there is anything wrong with listening to it. I can listen to music like that as background music, to get pumped up, and sometimes even when I'm trying to sleep. But then again, I'm not the kind of person who adjusts my playlists according to my mood (sad, energized, happy, melancholic, ...).
- raelmiu 12y agoI mean I didn't need it. Still love Death.
- fiblye 12y agoWeightlifting definitely turned my life around. When I can't go to the gym, pullups are a good substitute and I highly recommend everyone get a pullup bar. I do a set or three every time I go to the bathroom and it helps clear my mind and restore my self-confidence.
- raelmiu 12y agoI feel exactly the same. Best way to work out.
- japhyr 12y agoI grew up in the 80's and got into Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Megadeth etc. I still love that music, and I can basically fall asleep to it. But I find that I'm just not angry enough to get into any new metal. When I was about 16 my dad walked into my room and said, "No one's going to be listening to this garbage in 20 years. It's just noise." He wasn't upset or anything, he just couldn't hear any music in metal. Sorry dad, pretty sure you were wrong about that!
- kelnos 12y agoAt the risk of painting myself in a negative light: I drink. I go out with friends, throw back some tasty cocktails/beer/Scotch/wine, and vent about my day/week/whatever. Depending on my mood, I'll either be one-on-one/two/three with a few close friends and lay it all out, or go out with a larger group and just use the alcohol to take my mind off things. Healthy? Jury's still out. Effective? Yup.
- madeofpalk 12y agoDrinking with friends is a pretty acceptable thing to do. Can't see how it would paint you in a negative light.
- coherentpony 12y agoIt's completely reasonable. Lack of moderation is the problem, not enjoying oneself.
- Dewie 12y agoI guess many might like to portray their lifestyle as exercising regularly, having deep and intellectual conversations while socializing (without alcohol, because it's a social lubricant), learning foreign languages, and snacking on carrots and brocolli with yogurt dip when they want to treat themselves. ...but I think most people would consider your lifestyle to be quite reasonable and balanced. :)
- ADanFromCanada 12y agoI'm snacking on carrots and brocolli right now as a matter of fact. Certainly not exercising though.
- super_mario 12y agoRide road bike for at least 3 - 4 hours at moderate to just below time trial pace. This will exhaust you, normalize your hormones, improve your mood (high from endorphins), reduce your stress, and reduce your aggression levels (adrenalin) etc. Eat to recover and feel great for at least couple of days. This is also better than indoor exercise because of the long sun and fresh air exposure. I have been doing this (cycle every day) for 24 years now. And nothing else does it for me better than this.
- davidw 12y ago+1 for going for a bike ride. It'd be nice to be able to go running, but it just doesn't do it for me. It's boring. On a bike, you're slightly removed from the world - going through it, but not plodding along connected to it. Also, you can go somewhere. It's not hard to do 50/60 k in a few hours, which means you can vary your route a lot more than running.
- anon4 12y agoCoincidentally I just got back from a longish bike ride. Another +1 from me :) It does require some upfront investment in learning to navigate your city and region on bicycle as opposed to on car, but I think it's well worth it.
- lebsi 12y agoInundate myself with trivial/simple mundane tasks until I can no longer think. Their is a world of crap to be done.
- blueflow 12y agoDrawing and laying in bed doing literally nothing/daydreaming. And sometimes aggressive music.
- ericcholis 12y agoDepends on the mood, but it's either video games or working out. Generally video games work for me if I need to shut down for a while, without distractions. Working out helps re-adjust my mood, likely due to the endorphins and the feeling of accomplishment. My workout is quite broad, I like to kayak, hike, or simply lift weights. Whatever strikes me at the moment....
- edem 12y agoI grab my copy of Half Life / Half Life 2 and play my favourite levels OR grab my copy of Mass Effect 3 and do the same. Sometimes play airsoft.
- fotcorn 12y agoQuake 3 Arena DM17 frag limit 100, simplest bot ai.
- olalonde 12y agoIn order of frequency: gym, bars/clubs, football (soccer). When I'm on the computer: Reddit/9gag/bombermine.com
- khalidmbajwa 12y agoI sleep. Its going to sound really weird but over the years i have constructed this alternate reality. A whole universe over the years i have built up in my mind, and whenever i am angry, or depressed, i lie down on a bed, pretend i am in this alternate reality and it helps me relax and slip into a peaceful slumber :)
- tekacs 12y agoAnd one day you 'wake up' in that reality and struggle to remember if this reality was in fact the dream all along? :) (in fairness I find it entirely possible to wake up and spend a few moments weeding out the real from a dream)
- PaulHoule 12y agoI just had this dream where I was up in Syracuse and trying to catch this bus and things kept going wrong and when I finally got on the bus I argued with the driver and said I shouldn't have to pay and he kicked me off and then when I got on the next one it went to the wrong place. In the middle of all this I was waking up and falling back asleep so I knew it was a dream and then I saw my kid running and thought I had to chase after him and some women said, "Just go do what you want" and instead of chasing after him I went and did what I wanted.
- khalidmbajwa 12y agoHaha. I hope its that way, because the alternate reality is pretty cool :P
- algorithmsRcool 12y agoI was a bit surprised to read this, I've been running a story for nearly 20 years now. I greatly attribute this lingering bit of my childhood to my consistent ability to reliably detach from life's problems and enjoy my sleep. When i was very young i would act out the stories to distract myself from fear of the dark at night before i slept. It had utility in college and high school because i sometimes got tied up in knots of regret if i thought too much at late late hours. In industry, it made a great way to force my brain away from stress and thoughts of work. I just pick up roughly where i left off and play out the story until i am asleep.
- noir-york 12y agoShooting people. Airsoft, so it's not as bad as it sounds ;)
- PeterWhittaker 12y agoIntense exercise early in the day, before doing anything "real": Reduces the boiling point. Playing music later in the day or when stuck. Electric guitar 12 bar power chord blues with amp set on raunch or viola aiming for tones of delicate beauty, depending on mood.
- radicalbyte 12y agoPlay with my baby. Before that either weights, cycling or videogames (Halo or Rez work for me).
- blablabla123 12y agoSmokin da Ganja. ;) Usually I'm super overly focused and concentrated the whole week, like in Zombie mode. This helps to get back into the normal world. ;)
- JonnieCache 12y agoMusic: http://unmode.com http://unmode.com A good route to the flow state. Still spend altogether too much time staring at computers though. Bouldering is fun.
- br0s 12y agoBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). Getting choked for 90 minutes really puts your day into perspective. Also, it's great exercise.
- iagomr 12y agoBouldering and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu are great pass times for that. Not only to blow off some steam, but also it's possible to easily get in great shape if you hate running/gym as I do.
- markwillis82 12y agoRunning 6 days a week training for marathons. The high from endorphins puts me in the right mood. 3 hour run on a Sunday evening gets you ready for the Monday morning
- bigwillystyle 12y agomasterbate
- sergiotapia 12y agoI step away from work and focus on fixing little tiny things around the house I've been putting off for a while. Switch lightbulbs, clean drains, vacuum the attic, etc. 2 hours of this and I'm happy because: a) I took my mind off work. b) I fixed up my house something fierce. --- I would love to buy and ride a bike but I would get run over by a car or stabbed here in Bolivia.
- ekr 12y agoThat's what forests and mountains are for, you don't need to ride on roads. Get a mountain bike!
- sergiotapia 12y agoAnd I would get stabbed by indians...
- kehers 12y agoLool
- ADanFromCanada 12y agoWhat's with all the stabbing in Bolivia?
- boxyhendrix 12y agoMasturbate furiously. Edit: Downvotes? You judge on how you blow off steam too?
- elleferrer 12y agoI go fishing.
- lauriswtf 12y agoThis! Either I go alone or with friends it is the best steam remover for me. Also living near a river or lake helps a lot.
- elleferrer 12y agoIt's very therapeutic. Oceans, rivers, streams or even waterfalls always relaxes me. I've lived near oceans all my life and have island hopped many beautiful places. I can't imagine not being near water.
- h_r 12y agoI don't know what it is about water but I run along the lake Michigan shore. The sound of the water lapping against the wall or crashing onto the shore is a great stress reducer.
- kabdib 12y agoShort term: I go take a walk. 45 minutes to an hour of brisk walking around the city in places where I don't have to stop much for cars. Longer term: I'll just take a day off, email cow-orkers that I'm out that day, and go motorcycling in the mountains. I started doing this 25 years ago; having a hobby that has nothing to do with computers helps a lot. (I'm not a crazy rider, I wear all the safety gear, have a bike with ABS and so on). Vacations: I like to go somewhere and read books for a week. I seldom get to have this kind of vacation, but it's my ideal one.
- virtualwhys 12y agoSurf when near the ocean and there are waves; otherwise, bike or take a walk in the woods.
- Maven911 12y agoNowadays its golf, don't know what it will be for winter.
- donohoe 12y agoI build twitter bots https://twitter.com/simplenewsbot https://twitter.com/simplenewsbot while drinking a nice bourbon
- caboteria 12y agoRide my motorcycle on the track. For 20 minutes every hour I get to think about nothing but what I'm doing at that moment. A day at the track resets my mind better than a week on vacation.
- saulwiggin 12y agoGo for a run. Do some exercise.
- deleted 12y ago[deleted]
- wydyl 12y agoMusic, bike
- keerthiko 12y agoI play video games. Usually an hour or so is enough for the 'steam to get blown off', but sometimes I do get sucked in and lose track. I try not to play competitive multiplayer games when I'm riled up, as they can get me more riled up, but I love to pick up one of the 10s of unplayed critically acclaimed single player titles lying in my Steam (ironic?) library I got as part of some bundle. It really takes my mind off everything, and reminds me of the magic that software can create, and makes me want to get back to creating it.
- confluence 12y agoLift heavy weights. Squat. Deadlift. Bench Press. Overhead Press. Barbell Row.
- dsirijus 12y agoI played/sang in a garage band and smashed a lot of cheap guitars during sessions. Nothing beats shouting your ass off for few hours then smashing the guitar on a peak of an adrenaline surge. Genre matters.
- criveros 12y agoI go out drinking Thursday through Saturday, I barely make it to work on Fridays,
- cpwright 12y agoHome improvement and woodworking. It is a good change of pace, at work I shuffle bits and like to create new functionality (or improve the performance of existing software); but it isn't tangible. It is nice to look at a vanity or the like and know that you made it, and know what challenges there were along the way; whether it is something simple like getting the drawers to fit properly, a doing a bead on the inside of a flat panel door's frame, or something more complex a bow front. It is intellectually stimulating in a different way than software development.
- mcarrano 12y agoThere are a few activities I do but generally I prefer to disconnect from tech and noise so I go for a walk, run, or hike.
- edgeman27 12y agoI play in a local competitive squash league. Best stress reliever I know of.
- rachelandrew 12y agoI run. I usually come back from a run with sticky code or business problems solved and things I need to write half written in my head. There is definitely something about being on my feet and out in the fresh air that allows my brain to sort stuff out.
- femmebot 12y agoI go out for a brisk walk. You want to do an activity that helps clear your mind, rather than impair it.
- LBarret 12y agotai-chi tanglang kungfu. I learned it years ago and teached it for a few years. Even if I don't practice as much as I should, the moves come back very naturally. An one-hour training makes me happy whatever are the circonstances.
- wrd 12y agoExercise works well for me. I do Muay Thai (AKA Thai kickboxing) which is a high-energy, high-impact, quick, always-on-your-toes sort of sport. When I spar, I find myself in a state of psychological flow and that whatever was bothering me just melts away.
- combinesoldier 12y agoSoak a dish towel, old t-shirt, or the like in water. Then wring it out over the bathtub, HARD. Wring it out hard, like you're wringing out blood from your enemies. Grunt while you are doing it.