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What do I even do if I'm not working my job
(programming.dev)
Rest is important. Doing nothing during your time off may be a sign that you're in need of more rest than you're typically giving yourself. But that's not necessarily the case. It's important to understand the difference between feeling guilty for doing nothing while you're off vs being distracted from your unhappiness while you're at work. If it's actually the latter, make sure you're getting sunlight, fresh air, healthy food, vitamins, and enough sleep. Once those needs are met, it's time to move on to feeding your mind, body, and soul the things that it wants. Puzzles, exercise, and art. Puzzles could mean playing Portal or building something with Lego or rearranging your kitchen to be more efficient for you to use. Exercise could mean going to the gym or riding a bike or hiking or dancing. Art could be drawing or playing a musical instrument or fucking around with some play-doh or visiting a museum or making a video and editing it even if you don't plan on showing it to anybody; feel something or make something you can feel a sense of accomplishment for having created.
I personally like to get chores and errands done early on a day off and then I feel momentum from that to actively enjoy the rest of my day. My go-to art these days is cooking for my wife and I, sometimes throwing together cocktails to enjoy while we chat and I prep and cook. Life is precious and finite, and doomscrolling is endless. Put the phone down every once in a while and challenge yourself to be comfortable with being bored, and then reach for something new to end that boredom. It's hard to start but like anything else it gets easier and you get better at it with time and practice.