My girlfriend is one of the least technical people I know. Spending time with her makes me almost completely forget about work.
Ask HN: What are you doing for your mental health?
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Re: Ask HN: What are you doing for your mental health?
#12Connect to IRCs, chat with folks on random channels Sadly my work blocks all irc servers.
Vouched for your comment, because human connection - even in chat form - seems to help me. I have also found that as a "computer person" who has to spend a lot of time in front f a screen, I felt far more connected in the 90s IRC world when I was actively engaging with other frontier folk in the field.
After a 10-year hiatus, I rediscovered that IRC/Discord is still where it's at - and for some communities Slack (with its own set of problems).
When I am unable to have facetime, another mind online can anchor me offline.
Re: Ask HN: What are you doing for your mental health?
#13Deleting insidious social media accounts (Facebook for example) half a decade ago when it became clear which way the wind was blowing.
I seriously doubt I would be as happy, or even alive, it I hadn't.
Re: Ask HN: What are you doing for your mental health?
#14See friends, exercise, and if the issue is serious enough, do not put off seeing a psychiatrist or another health professional. Strangely enough you do not see an Ask HN: what are you doing for your T1 diabetes ? -- people will just see their doctor and inject insulin. Yet we do not treat mental health that way.
I don't think that's what the OP meant. Type 1 diabetes has no known cause, but I bet many mental health issues are preventable.
You're replying to a "Ask HN: What do you do to fix your mental health problems?", which is not the same thing. This thread is about prevention as much as it is about recovery.
Re: Ask HN: What are you doing for your mental health?
#15[deleted]
Re: Ask HN: What are you doing for your mental health?
#16I’ve started going to Meetups (via Meetup.com) about anything vaguely interesting looking (especially the non-technical ones). I think it’s good to get out and meet new people, and talk about things which don’t involve programming or technology for a change.
I’ve also stopped eating fast/oven food and started properly preparing my meals. I know very little about cooking so it’s a good learning experience (Youtube is really helpful) and I’m probably eating healthier as a result.
Another thing, about a year ago I stopped using Facebook, and I rarely use Twitter, and never use Instagram. I’m convinced they are the psychological equivalent of junk food.
Re: Ask HN: What are you doing for your mental health?
#17Doing only enough programming to get by (no more OSS) and spending more time with family and doing more offline things.
Re: Ask HN: What are you doing for your mental health?
#18I should also point out that protestant work ethics have been a disaster for mental health. There is a cultural obsession with work-death and i see most working people putting work before everything else.
all the friends you have are from work if you have any at all.
This is not confined anymore as an american phenomenon, american atomization has been exported to all major urban cities in the world.
Re: Ask HN: What are you doing for your mental health?
#19Deep breathing helps to relax me. Meditation and waking up early.
Re: Ask HN: What are you doing for your mental health?
#20No twitter. No more FOSS on github. Lots of exercise.
Just out of curiosity: why not on GitHub? Could you compare to other places to contribute? Examples of fulfilling project to contribute to?