Ask HN: Burned out. How can I make the most of a sabbatical leave? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Burned out. How can I make the most of a sabbatical leave?

#41

Post by stanmancan » Sun, Feb 13, 2011, 8:15 PM UTC

xenophanes wrote: post #28

stanmancan wrote: post #19

And so I stop. These aren't real goals; I recognize them as daydreaming. I'm already defeated before I've even begun. And thats where you're going wrong. There's nothing stopping you from doing a single thing on your list besides you. Sometimes being naive about what it will take to accomplish something is actually whats needed to do it. Not to mention most of the things on your list, while amazing experiences, take…

> You could be biking across Canada by Tuesday and $1500 later if you wanted to. No. He needs to practice riding and get in better shape for a month or three first. But he can start doing that tomorrow. Don't go riding cross country without some practice first, some fitness, and some knowledge of things like patching a flat tire.

> He needs to practice riding and get in better shape for a month or three first.

I disagree. He can bike as far as he wants each day, at whatever pace he chooses. You don't forget how to ride a bike, he may be wobbly for the first few minutes but he'll be cruising soon after.

Practice and fitness aren't needed. All you need to do is be able to ride. He could start off biking 5..10...20KM per day if he wanted to and slowly build up as he gets in better shape as long as you plan your route accordingly to make sure you have a place to stay.

> and some knowledge of things like patching a flat tire.

This is true, but nothing you can't learn at a bike shop and a few patch repair kits can't help with.

Re: Ask HN: Burned out. How can I make the most of a sabbatical leave?

#42

Post by tezza » Sun, Feb 13, 2011, 8:16 PM UTC

Hi. I agree with some of the others that you sound depressed as well as burnt-out. I've also seen that you have few encumberments.

What I'd suggest is learning to surf the ocean. I don't do it personally, but a lot of my good friends are surfers from Victoria in Australia.

There is a good perspective amongst surfers. They may wonder who the fuck you are at first, but once you've wormed your way into their scene, they are most welcoming.

Good luck... you need to chill out, have some wild parties and come back refreshed.

Re: Ask HN: Burned out. How can I make the most of a sabbatical leave?

#43

Post by xenophanes » Sun, Feb 13, 2011, 8:18 PM UTC

stanmancan wrote: post #41

xenophanes wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> You could be biking across Canada by Tuesday and $1500 later if you wanted to. No. He needs to practice riding and get in better shape for a month or three first. But he can start doing that tomorrow. Don't go riding cross country without some practice first, some fitness, and some knowledge of things like patching a flat tire.

> He needs to practice riding and get in better shape for a month or three first. I disagree. He can bike as far as he wants each day, at whatever pace he chooses. You don't forget how to ride a bike, he may be wobbly for the first few minutes but he'll be cruising soon after. Practice and fitness aren't needed. All you need to do is be able to ride. He could start off biking 5..10...20KM per day if he wanted to and…

Riding when out of shape gets real uncomfortable real fast. He'll want his own bed for that at first.

Re: Ask HN: Burned out. How can I make the most of a sabbatical leave?

#44

Post by PostBurnout » Sun, Feb 13, 2011, 8:19 PM UTC

commanda wrote: post #26

I recommend that you see a therapist. My therapist's practice is mindfullness-based, which I highly recommend. One of the things I've learned is how to look at all my own italicized parenthetical statements as the bullshit excuses they are. The monkey-mind is what's making up all those stories that you tell yourself about why X is impossible -- it's telling you that you can't possibly found a startup because you've h…

I'm actually quite aware that I'm distorting things with these "bullshit excuses" but they seem so believable, much more so than their negation! It'll probably take deliberate practice to unlearn this habit.

Re: Ask HN: Burned out. How can I make the most of a sabbatical leave?

#45

Post by dagw » Sun, Feb 13, 2011, 8:22 PM UTC

stanmancan wrote: post #41

xenophanes wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> You could be biking across Canada by Tuesday and $1500 later if you wanted to. No. He needs to practice riding and get in better shape for a month or three first. But he can start doing that tomorrow. Don't go riding cross country without some practice first, some fitness, and some knowledge of things like patching a flat tire.

> He needs to practice riding and get in better shape for a month or three first. I disagree. He can bike as far as he wants each day, at whatever pace he chooses. You don't forget how to ride a bike, he may be wobbly for the first few minutes but he'll be cruising soon after. Practice and fitness aren't needed. All you need to do is be able to ride. He could start off biking 5..10...20KM per day if he wanted to and…

I read a book about some guy who decided to bike across the US. His entire exercise before setting off consisted of one, aborted, 20 mile ride, to try out his bike. Instead of cutting every oz. he could while packing, he packed a fifth of Jack Daniels for the evenings. Basically he just set off across the country on his own terms, and his own pace, and had a grand adventure crossing the country.

Re: Ask HN: Burned out. How can I make the most of a sabbatical leave?

#46

Post by SandB0x » Sun, Feb 13, 2011, 8:22 PM UTC

PostBurnout wrote: post #34

SandB0x wrote: post #2

Do you have a wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend? Are you tied down to anything? Do you have money to travel? I'm going to assume you're a single male between the age of 25 and 35. The right ideas will slowly come to you, but getting some perspective is essential and that's not going to come from sitting in your apartment staring at your laptop. The two things I suggest are: * Exercise. Mens sana in corpore sano. Lift…

Do you have a wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend? Are you tied down to anything? Do you have money to travel? I'm going to assume you're a single male between the age of 25 and 35. Correct on all counts -- nothing tying me down, and my rainy day fund can keep me fed, clothed, and sheltered for years. I actually get a decent amount of exercise -- minimum 40 minutes per day, I'd estimate. It certainly has plenty of bene…

Then my second point still stands. Seriously, just get out of town for a while. That's an achievable goal in itself. You don't have to expect anything from it and you don't need to make grand plans.

Re: Ask HN: Burned out. How can I make the most of a sabbatical leave?

#47

Post by xpaulbettsx » Sun, Feb 13, 2011, 8:25 PM UTC

This sounds really stupid on its face, but try taking Vitamin D. While it certainly won't fix any of these problems, I found it helped my mood a bit and generally made me feel better, health-wise. And worst-case scenario, it does nothing and you're out $10.

Re: Ask HN: Burned out. How can I make the most of a sabbatical leave?

#48

Post by PostBurnout » Sun, Feb 13, 2011, 8:27 PM UTC

petervandijck wrote: post #12

"I could travel, but my problems will just follow me around the world." They might look and feel different though.

You know... that sounds simple and cheesy, but I think it might just be what I need to regain my curiosity. Thank you!

Re: Ask HN: Burned out. How can I make the most of a sabbatical leave?

#49

Post by pestaa » Sun, Feb 13, 2011, 8:28 PM UTC

Reading your words almost terrified me. Just as my brain projected my thoughts onto the wall. I consider myself an intelligent person, with plenty of time on my hands, yet I don't find a thing I could passionately do. I have a girlfriend for 4 years (I'm 20), I know programming languages, have a couple startup ideas. But nothing outstanding to love.

Not sure how many people are in the world like me or us. I'd like to know how they cope.

Re: Ask HN: Burned out. How can I make the most of a sabbatical leave?

#50

Post by kareemm » Sun, Feb 13, 2011, 8:33 PM UTC

PostBurnout wrote: post #34

SandB0x wrote: post #2

Do you have a wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend? Are you tied down to anything? Do you have money to travel? I'm going to assume you're a single male between the age of 25 and 35. The right ideas will slowly come to you, but getting some perspective is essential and that's not going to come from sitting in your apartment staring at your laptop. The two things I suggest are: * Exercise. Mens sana in corpore sano. Lift…

Do you have a wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend? Are you tied down to anything? Do you have money to travel? I'm going to assume you're a single male between the age of 25 and 35. Correct on all counts -- nothing tying me down, and my rainy day fund can keep me fed, clothed, and sheltered for years. I actually get a decent amount of exercise -- minimum 40 minutes per day, I'd estimate. It certainly has plenty of bene…

> but the energy seems to evaporate once I get down in front of my keyboard again.

The internet is a great tool to avoid self-reflection.

Generally, if something saps your energy whenever you use it, that's a good sign to use it less.

> I think my mindset is holding me back.

Only one person can change this, and it ain't any of us on HN :)

> It's almost like I would be doing with the expectation that this would "fix" me, and that anything short of that would be a waste.

Try letting go of this expectation - they just set you up for failure. Go get away from your keyboard (travel) and enjoy yourself, and trust that perspective and insight will come.