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Ask HN: What to do after the workday?

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Re: Ask HN: What to do after the workday?

#61

Post by denimboy »

Couple ideas:

* work out. I like free weights and bike riding or running for cardio. I recommend the local YMCA as these tend to be more community driven and less profit motivated pickup centers

* cook. this has several benefits. it can be challenging and relaxing while providing necessary sustenance at a price point cheaper than going out. can also be a social thing.

* take a class / learn something. it can be work related, semi work related or something else. I like the free educational videos on the webs. lately I've been getting back into math which is semi work related but in the past I have taken language classes at the local community college.

* outdoor activities or team sports. Did you have a favorite thing to do outside as a child or teen? Maybe you could take it up again or try something new. basketball, soccer (football if you are not in USA), surfing, geocaching, ultimate frisbee, bicycling, golf?

* amateur radio. getting a license is easy if you are at all technical and it opens up some doors for mucking with WIFI or LORA, SDR, and more. hams are an aging group but they are friendly, knowledgeable and desperately want their hobby to survive.

* maker projects. there are many projects already documented on the web or you can build your own. kind of amazing what one person can do with a raspberry pi, some basic electronic parts, and a bit of code.

* volunteer. so many organizations need skilled people. can you mentor people on computer skills or something else?

Re: Ask HN: What to do after the workday?

#63

Post by Scarblac »

azinman2 wrote: post #45
muzani wrote: post #7

I have a rule of thumb. From a stress rating of 0-10, your days should ideally be 8 stress or 0. Growth = stress + rest The more elite people can take on a lot more stress. 0 doesn't necessarily mean watching Netflix; for me that's more stressful than playing with spreadsheets or commenting on HN. What most people do is stick around 3-5 stress level (the comfort zone) or constantly at 6 (trying my best). It's a recip…

I’m not sure why you’re equating stress and growth. Surely you can grow without being stressed? In fact, that’s my preferred way! I enjoy learning new things and being challenged... to me that’s not stressful at all, but the opposite — restorative.

Being outside a comfort zone is stressful, but it's also what makes you grow.

Re: Ask HN: What to do after the workday?

#65

Post by souprock »

commandlinefan wrote: post #30

Get married and have kids. They'll fill up all of your free time and then some.

This is the correct answer. That feeling of empty pointlessness is because the drive to have kids is not being satisfied. User "volument" here is suffering an existential crisis.

I have 12 kids. They depend on me. There is always something going on. Even the bad things have an upside of removing boredom. There is no time for television. Tomorrow, on Saturday, I will be homeschooling AP Chemistry. Three kids have to go to college classes, and six kids need to sign up for spring semester. Little ones need to learn reading and math. The baby is extra cute and fun to play with. There is grocery shopping to do, sometimes 4 carts at a time.

Re: Ask HN: What to do after the workday?

#66

Post by ltmi600 »

Start by going to a bar and just being there. Become sort of a regular. It's very easy to do and you don't need to do anything demanding or anything you don't want to do. Just sit there and be around people. You don't need to talk if you don't want to. Natural conversations and connections just happen. Don't force it. Be patient. If you are there long enough you will become a regular and meet other people in your neighborhood. From there you can branch out into other activities; just the act of being around people will open up doors that you didn't think were there.

Re: Ask HN: What to do after the workday?

#67

Post by peruvian »

Go out with friends? Schedule a dinner, coffee, or drinks with a friend this coming week. Take a walk and talk to them. Go to your local parks, some sort of event, try every restaurant in walking distance, learn to cook, read a book.

I'm happy you enjoy your work but I can't imagine not knowing what to do with your free time. If anything I get stressed because there's too much to do!

Re: Ask HN: What to do after the workday?

#68

Post by Ancalagon »

souprock wrote: post #65
commandlinefan wrote: post #30

Get married and have kids. They'll fill up all of your free time and then some.

This is the correct answer. That feeling of empty pointlessness is because the drive to have kids is not being satisfied. User "volument" here is suffering an existential crisis. I have 12 kids. They depend on me. There is always something going on. Even the bad things have an upside of removing boredom. There is no time for television. Tomorrow, on Saturday, I will be homeschooling AP Chemistry. Three kids have to g…

12 wow props to you. What does your monthly budget look like and how do you expect to pay for college for all 12??

Re: Ask HN: What to do after the workday?

#69

Post by gatherhunterer »

I like to cook, read and work on my home server and personal software projects. Do the things that the kind of person you want to be would do. If you are missing a partner or friends just focus on improving yourself and people will want to be around you. Relationships are not a means of being interesting, they are a reward for being interesting.

Re: Ask HN: What to do after the workday?

#70

Post by bobochan »

My favorite thing: cooking. I have been the primary cook at home for 30 years but only in the past few years have I had time for anything more than what we can get on the table in 20 minutes after soccer practice.

Every once in while I get a new cookbook like "Voila! Effortless French Cookbook," "German Meals at Oma's", and "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking" and then work my way through the recipes that look interesting. I have found a lot of recipes that take hours of preparation and cooking, but I have also found many that I love that I can get together in 20 minutes.

Spending some time learning how to cook is very relaxing, but it also is quite cost effective because now we very rarely go out to dinner. The best part is that the whole family actually looks forward to trying new meals together, so Friday nights have become what they should be: long hours gathered around the table talking and laughing, eating well and drinking wine by candle light.

I cherish every Friday night that the kids are home from university and appreciate even more the quiet nights that I share with my wife.

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