Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: How do you get out of a rut?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

141–150 of 178 posts

Re: Ask HN: How do you get out of a rut?

#141

Post by austincheney »

What used to work for me: a military deployment to a combat location. The environment is completely different and there is pressure to perform but that pressure is immediate and real opposed to self inflicted inefficiencies in the corporate world as a programmer. You want to graduate from a keyboard warrior to an actual people manager doing meaningful work that does it.

But… you can only do that so many times. Eventually you will conquer those performance pressures as well and need something more. I used to dread boredom and the slow pace of other peoples inefficiencies but now I find comfort appreciating the relaxed life.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get out of a rut?

#142

Post by gigaflop »

Jaruzel wrote: post #53
2143 wrote: post #46

Exercise. Try daily rigorous cardio workout for 30 minutes a day. AFAIK the brain releases endorphins or something when you exercise, so you actually get a high out of exercising (in addition to getting fitter). Do it in the morning so that you'll feel good till noon atleast. Once you're in a good mood positive things will start happening. Cheers :)

> AFAIK the brain releases endorphins or something when you exercise People tell me this all the time, but when I exercise I just feel tired afterwards? Maybe it only happens to people who are fit who have a history of exercising regularly?

I don't think I've ever noticed this effect. At least, not in the way people lead me to believe it should be felt?

When I get to the gym and throw some iron around, my 'good feels' come from knowing that I got out and got some of my energy worked out, and helped improve my body/got enough exercise for maintenance. I think of it as a pleasure or satisfaction that I derive from knowing that I've done something good for myself, and not so much from the physical act of exercise.

The closest I get to getting endorphins is when I get a new deadlift PR. I get to turn off my brain and (mentally) go 'ooga booga', recruit my entire posterior chain, and put all I've got into it.

But I've also overdone it a few times, and seen stars/had blurry vision/wanted to lay down for a bit after that one rep, so maybe it's just teasing that breakpoint?

(for the record, my current all-time pr is something like 295, but I'm working back up from 275. Not winning any contests lmao)

Re: Ask HN: How do you get out of a rut?

#143

Post by zoomablemind »

I assume that otherwise you feel none health-related issues, and it's just the "work-mode" that's affected. I also assume, that it's not a personal discipline issue, that is you usually have no problem following your own plans to completion.

Have you tried just letting yourself not doing it (whatever kept you at the desk) for some defined time (a day/week)? If this is affordable (wrt deadlines or income), then after awhile you may get bored with the not-doing and may feel the draw to get back to work on it again (thanks, the personal discipline).

Another thing I'd try would be to see if there's some subject blocker there, either specific to what you currently study or more general to the direction of your studies.

It may help just to talk to fellow students about a course/topic, or to a prof, even TA at the tutoring sesssion about your thoughts re direction of studies. Most people have had this sort of blockers at some point in life, different experiences, different solutions, but common feeling at the time.

And, of course, a universal advice. Get in tune with your animal nature - sleep well, eat well, take walks outside (rain or shine), use your body as designed, the mind will recharge!

Re: Ask HN: How do you get out of a rut?

#144

Post by gigaflop »

rswskg wrote: post #72
knaik94 wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Video games actually helped me a lot. It is a nice simple distraction and depending on the game, I got a small sense of achievement from it. One of my all time favorites is the portal series. A documentary on netflix that challenged how I think was very nice in helping me use my brain without having to worry about getting charged emotions. HN is the most useful social media sites I use and helps me stay in touch with…

I'm coming back around to computer games. Short sessions, usually late in the evening is a great stress reliver and an alternative to alcohol for me.

Different types of game can provide different effects.

I don't play anything that's too competitive anymore, as I don't have as much practice time available. I also find solo/cooperative experiences to be more friendly, and less toxic.

Deep Rock Galactic has been great so far. I can go 'hypermode loot goblin' with the Scout, or a more relaxed pace with the other classes.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get out of a rut?

#145

Post by ta988 »

The best way for me is to fill my life with other things. Social events (virtual or not), sports (even just the gym), reading, hobbies... Then life becomes easier and ideas and motivation flows again.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get out of a rut?

#146

Post by jerf »

ineedasername wrote: post #136
oliwarner wrote: post #90

> I've found myself sitting at my desk each evening Wait, isn't that what daytime is for? Get out. Play games. Read. Write. Ride a bike. Build something with your hands, with code, whatever. Hit the gym. Cook complicated dishes. Go to restaurants. Join a club and make some friends. Even sleep more. You need to find what you like to do with your time, and truth is it's probably not what you want it to be. Picking up h…

This tells the OP what they could be doing instead, but not quite how to get there out of the rut they are in. Apathy or lack of motivation can be difficult to shake. Don't get me wrong-- they are great ideas, it just seems like going from A to C without addressing the issue of a vehicle, B.

An issue here is that the title says "rut", but the description sounds more like apathy. Most of us would interpret "in a rut" to mean being stuck with the same schedule every day and being tired of the schedule, and that's different than not wanting to do anything.

Many of these suggestions, which I endorse, are referencing the description, and the answer to that is simple: Let yourself do nothing"productive". Force it even. Time for a vacation, maybe even a bit of a lengthy one. Your brain and/or body is trying to tell you something. This is basically the final phase before full burnout. Take it seriously.

And sometimes the answer is just to actively do nothing "productive" for a couple of weeks or months. Do nothing until you can't stand it anymore. Very few of us are built to go go go every day for years on end. As much as I like the civilization I live in, no previous civilization in history has even been able to do that much, or expected it of very many people. You aren't a bad person if you just stop for a while.

And if it feels bad... bear in mind, one way or another, you are going to stop. You can stop in a controlled manner, take a break, and come back refreshed and functional, or you can stop when you are a broken human being. We do not generally have a "just push through and don't stop" for this kind of work.

There isn't a specific "middle step B" because the idea here is specifically not to have one.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get out of a rut?

#147

Post by tenebrisalietum »

Combination of 2 things:

A) Memories. Review your life and things you liked to do when you were young. Are you the person you thought you would be?

B) Deaths. I think of people close to me who have passed on. This reminds me our time is limited and shouldn't be wasted.

Sounds like you no longer want to be a student. That's OK. You can always come back to school later.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get out of a rut?

#150

Post by hrnnnnnn »

rozularen wrote: post #81
protontorpedo wrote: post #64

If you're anything like me, or anything like 90% of humanity, you can't rely on motivation to progress in life (whatever your idea of progression is). None of the platitudes or self-help-shaped advice you read here or on Reddit will help you with that. You can't trick yourself. What works for me is, as much as I don't like the word, discipline. I take an hour every week to review my routine and plans, when I'm inspir…

It'd be great to be able to buy a pill that instantly turns anyone into a disciplined person.

It's something you can build slowly, and it tends to stick more that way.

Start by committing do doing your thing three times a week for five minutes at a time. Then five times a week. Then fifteen minutes at a time. Then an hour, and so on.

Post reply on HN