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What balance do you find between constantly bettering yourself, vs just chilling? (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) by bridgeenjoyer@sh.itjust.works to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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I always have had this dichotomy. First off, I have moderate ADHD (don't we all on Lemmy, ha!) And am a maximalist, meaning I like stuff. Having stuff that does something (video games, PCs, TVs, cars, motorcycles, audio gear etc) or enables me to do things (tools, climbing gear, cheese press, etc). I'm maybe a mild hoarder, but to be fair if I have something collecting dust I give it away or sell it to someone who can enjoy it. I don't keep garbage (don't all hoarders say this? Oh boy..)

If its not obvious, I do a ton of shit. I often look at it as, "well, life is finite so I'm going to do all I possibly can before I'm not able to/the world ends".

The issue is twofold. One is, guilt. "Do I really need this stuff? Do I need another video game? Do I need to plan for another shed for garden items or is what i have just fine?"

Secondly, it makes it hard to relax. Sure, I can chill and sit and read and listen to music sometimes, but I'm always thinking, life is draining away, everything is getting worse and more expensive, I really should be finishing projects and getting stuff done before something bad happens"

Then you see all those psycho linked in folk who are always talking about bettering yourself and getting up at 5 am every day to go for a run. That's not me. But then i wonder if I'm not living up to my potential.

If this sounds like a first world problem, it is. I'm very spoiled. I work 65 hours a week but its a fine job. A little boring (maybe thats why i feel underutilized, my brain likes to go full speed) but I'm not in the mines or anything. I know MANY others have it far far worse.

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[–] EncryptKeeper@lemmy.world 5 points 6 days ago

Just dedicate a part of your day to self improvement and when you fulfill that time each day allow yourself to relax. If you spend just 30 minutes to an hour each day to something productive you’re ahead of the game already. Even if you theoretically dedicated every non-working or sleeping hour in your day to building or learning something, you have to understand that there’s only so much you can absorb and retain in a day, only so much energy your body has, and only so much stress your endocrine system can take. Your body and brain need downtime in order to actually commit those things you learned to memory, to replenishing your energy stores for the next day, for flushing the cortisol from your bloodstream.

Those “Get up at 5 am every day and run” types aren’t telling you about the fact that even bodybuilders aren’t going 100% all out every single day. Your muscles grow when you rest and sleep, not while you’re at the gym. If you don’t fit both of these things into your life you won’t get anywhere.