Read a book called "The power of full engagement" by Tony Schwartz and Jim Loehr. Its a life-changing book.
Ask HN: My brain refuses to think, what should I do?
81–90 of 151 posts
Re: Ask HN: My brain refuses to think, what should I do?
#82I have had this for quite a while now, and I cant be burnt out or anything because I´m just 16.
And its not just on coding, but anything, really. Even gaming.
Re: Ask HN: My brain refuses to think, what should I do?
#83Marijuana + Exercise. Seriously. I was having exactly the same issues recently, mostly the result of burning out in a giant flame from my last gig. MJ and getting off my mildly chubby ass were huge boons to productivity. YMMV, but it's worth a shot. I'd go for something a long the lines of Sour Diesel or BC Blueberry are strains I've found to really increase concentration and focus without making one lazy or sleepy.
Also, try coding while high. I find it does not really diminish my IQ, it just changes the how I think. Basically, my thinking becomes more tangential, so I'm able to explore scenarios with depth. It also relaxes me and helps me to let go of certain notions create boundaries to coming up with different solutions. Usually, when encountering such a problem, I will pace around the house exploring the line of thought. Of…
"Does not really diminish my IQ"
You remind me of a TV program where they did a study how drinking affect driving. The test subjects would swear that they drive even better when drunk. They got them drunk, put them behind the wheel, and it was horrible. They completely suck. How do you know is not the same thing with you. We would need to do an experiment to verify your claims.
Re: Ask HN: My brain refuses to think, what should I do?
#84Take this seriously. Very seriously. What you're describing may be no more than acute stress, something that can be fixed with a proper vacation (as in "completely vacate your life" -- go on a camping trip, visit an ashram or monastery, spend some time wwoofing) and a subsequent lifestyle change to allow for periods of relaxation and enjoyment during your normal routine. Or it may be something much bigger. As a sober…
I must admit that your answer is pretty scary.
I wasn't taking it seriously till now because I was not totally aware of it. But today I realized how I was behaving, so that's why I wrote it here.
I hope is not LBD, I did some research and I think I'm quite young for that (I'm 30). But the main reason for which I think it's unlikely it's because I get this only when I try to code on my projects. I can get other things done outside of coding and even write code if I'm really compelled (like in my daily job). But when I'm on my own my mind drifts away. I can read books and manuals, even think about solutions for my project, but as soon as I start to code it strikes me (not always, to tell the truth, two weekends ago I got a lot work done, but this is increasing).
I'm going on vacation in 10 days, I will take them very seriously.
Re: Ask HN: My brain refuses to think, what should I do?
#85Questions that might illuminate if there's a problem - When's the last time you went for a walk? When's the last time you were in nature for a while? When's the last time you spent a day absolutely, completely relaxing? How's your diet? How's your sleep? How's your sleep schedule? When's the last time you had a vacation? How much inspirational media have you been through in the last week - books, movies, audio, whate…
This helps a lot. For lot of things (a walk, nature, relax, vacations) it was really long time ago. My diet is quite good, I think, but the sleep schedule needs a little fix.
I lacked inspirational media in the recent period and I just talk with friends, but no one is really an authority in this field.
For the environment I'm looking at the library, and the last time I visited it I managed to do something (but then I needed to look for something on the internet and I did not have a connection, so my mind switched to another mode: find an excuse to procrastinate it).
Re: Ask HN: My brain refuses to think, what should I do?
#86Questions that might illuminate if there's a problem - When's the last time you went for a walk? When's the last time you were in nature for a while? When's the last time you spent a day absolutely, completely relaxing? How's your diet? How's your sleep? How's your sleep schedule? When's the last time you had a vacation? How much inspirational media have you been through in the last week - books, movies, audio, whate…
"Beyond that - changing environment can bring you out of a funk, bringing a laptop to a cafe with no internet can be a great option if you can do some work offline." Even the best entrepreneurs have a really hard time focusing because they have so many different kinds of tasks that they can never really get into a flow state. Trying to do work as an entrepreneur while having access to the Internet is like trying to s…
You are right, internet is a huge time sink. On the opposite site sometimes I need to look for something and if in that moment I do not have a connection, I use it as an excuse to stop working and procrastinate.
Re: Ask HN: My brain refuses to think, what should I do?
#87Questions that might illuminate if there's a problem - When's the last time you went for a walk? When's the last time you were in nature for a while? When's the last time you spent a day absolutely, completely relaxing? How's your diet? How's your sleep? How's your sleep schedule? When's the last time you had a vacation? How much inspirational media have you been through in the last week - books, movies, audio, whate…
Good list as answer to typical burnout syndrome. That cafe tip is a favorite. Some specific experiences from me and others: - Are there season differences? Consider SAD. - Check for infection. - Test for deficiencies (like iron, etc.) - Try meditation (there are non-religious variants).
I was already thinking about meditation, since it help with focus that is what I'm lacking now.
I will check also other things.
Re: Ask HN: My brain refuses to think, what should I do?
#88Questions that might illuminate if there's a problem - When's the last time you went for a walk? When's the last time you were in nature for a while? When's the last time you spent a day absolutely, completely relaxing? How's your diet? How's your sleep? How's your sleep schedule? When's the last time you had a vacation? How much inspirational media have you been through in the last week - books, movies, audio, whate…
Good list as answer to typical burnout syndrome. That cafe tip is a favorite. Some specific experiences from me and others: - Are there season differences? Consider SAD. - Check for infection. - Test for deficiencies (like iron, etc.) - Try meditation (there are non-religious variants).
I was already thinking about meditation, since it helps with focus that is what I'm lacking now.
I will check also other things.
Re: Ask HN: My brain refuses to think, what should I do?
#89I highly recommend learning meditation. I meditate once a day for 15 minutes and it's worked wonders for my ability to feel well and focused. Personally I learned a cheaper and less cult like variation of transcendental meditation, because it requires little training, time, or even effort. A day without meditation for me now is worse than a day without sleeping.
Hello, could you please elaborate a bit on the meditation technique? What exactly do you do? Thank you so much for answering. I've been trying to learn TM but all the courses cost a fortune..
I'm getting interested in meditation too and I'm starting with this:
Re: Ask HN: My brain refuses to think, what should I do?
#90Smoke weed. Or, if you've been smoking weed, don't smoke weed.