I wrote that wishing I could have read something similar myself long ago.
In the same line, I was constantly living in my head, which is something I guess happens quite often to everybody. "Tomorrow I will start doing this", "By the end of this month I will achieve this", and these kind of thoughts. If you are thinking about changing something all the time, do not bother, it will not happen.
My plan to get out of this destructive loop was a bit extreme, but it worked, so I share it with you as well:
- I took 2 months holiday (I run my own business so it have some impact but I managed it well)
- I traveled abroad, in my case to Thailand.
- I spent the first weeks indulging myself with fancy eating, going parties, relaxing in pool and beaches, Tindering around, etc...
- Then I booked 2 weeks in a Muai Thai gym camp in the northern region, far from the civilization.
- I spent that time just doing hardcore exercise, eating the camp food (healthy plan), no smoking, no party, no drinking and going to sleep at 9 PM.
- After this I kept going to the gym and adjusting to my new way of living, and so far, everything is working out.
https://www.instagram.com/kirstie_ennis/?hl=en
this episode and the next one (199/200) from jocko podcast discuss veterans with amputations and is inspiring stuff!
- Browse internet (Reddit, hacker news, or whatever site that was popular back then) - Gaming - Learning some IT stuff, either related to my job or not - Coding
Few months ago, I have started to get out of the screen and doing something else because that way of living was literally killing me. I got extremely lazy, a bit overweight, atrophied muscles, back starting to bend, procrastinating more often, having brain fog more often, not having enough social life, losing communication skills because of not having contact with other humans.
I started running, going to the gym, doing weights, pinging friends to go visit them, reading books not related with IT, going to organized running events during weekends, cooking, and other activities, going to smoke outside the house/hotel and definitely allocating some time for my old past-times(internet, gaming, coding, learning). This has completely changed my life:
- I feel more energetic, sleep better and wake up fresher. - I reached my ideal weight - I am getting my muscles toned and increased flexibility - I have have found joy on doing things not attached to a keyboard and mouse (like cooking) - I have improved the relationship with my friends. - And in general I am happier than before.
I do not know how old are you, or if your question was intended to look for fancy things to do in your free time, but, I can tell you honestly:
Please, DO NOT stay sit in a chair after work in an isolated environment for the next years to come. Hit the gym, reconnect with friends, look for alternative hobbies, and reduce the time dedicated to the screen. Your 20-years older self will thank you.
The only thing I have not been able to achieve is stop smoking. Many tries, no success, but I hope I will achieve this by the end of the year.