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

I have read the great suggestions written so far - exercise, travel, etc. Great, I hope something hits the mark.

I have two things to suggest. I hope they help. If I'm being blunt, I apologise.

1. Simplify your thinking.

If you have a habit of overly abstract thought, you can make problems more complicated than they need to be. You could say it's a bit like spiritual java programming.

For instance, aims such as "become a virtuoso musician" don't mean anything. They lack concreteness. "become ascetic monk on mountain top". Also intangible.

You say you recognise them as daydreaming. But your whole way of thinking is daydreaming - "What I think ..", "What I fear ...", "doom", "failure". All abstract daydreaming. Do something about it. Stop daydreaming.

Make a promise to yourself: you will reject thoughts that don't have a tangible aspect you can act on immediately. They are tiring you. Let your brain rest awhile. And if you have to think about problems, think about other peoples' problems not your own.

That means real, tangible people. It could be anyone. This is not a moral injunction. It's practical - if you look to see how you can help other people it requires empathy and if you develop empathy you start to see other patterns of thought. It may help you see different ways of thinking and get you out of your rut.

Only think a few days in advance. Reject all thoughts of the future for a while.

2. Tone down the ambition.

You imagine a virtuouso musician or some epic bike journey, some massive startup. Therefore anything you actually you do seems crap in comparison - attempts noodling on the piano or going for a small bike ride around the neighbourhood seem silly. Trivial. Pointless. Why bother? Stop comparing yourself and your life to your daydreams (see point 1).

I write this because this is what helped me. Please ignore it if it doesn't feel right.

Best of luck, I wish you all the best.

Not disagreeing with the original point, but will offer another possibility: If you aren't well, it's easy to zone out in front of the computer. I have done lots and lots of this while very sick. I do less of it now that I am healthier. (If you are smart and not really well, the internet is a good way to get some of the mental stimulation you crave when you are too out of it to go get more of a life.) And if your keyboard is not clean enough, this can sap your energy. I wipe my keyboard down when I first get to work and we wipe our keyboards down repeatedly at home before someone gets on it. For me, this makes a difference in ability to focus and not simply zone out. Getting rid of an older, dirtier computer and getting a brand new one also has meant that I spend a lot less time mindlessly piddling on the internet.

Peace and good luck.

I'd recommend the travel thing - as many have already done.

If you fancy a pint or two - I'll buy. But you have to make it to Edinburgh first!

"I'm not ready for a new job or project -- I'm in no shape to work. I could travel, but my problems will just follow me around the world. I could volunteer, but I'm so emotionally empty that there's no heart for me to pour anywhere."

One thing that might help here is to understand that motivation generally follows action. If you wait until you feel motivated to do something you might end up waiting a long time, or until some external pressure forces you, or you will fall into the trap of only doing things that give you immediate pleasures. So once you've taken care of your immediate physical needs, make some kind of longer term goal - do that bike ride, do some charity work, start a small project, it can be anything but do something.