Ask HN: How to Get Back in Life?

What would you suggest a person who is in mid twenties, lost all their confidence, and has almost given up on being productive?

More details would help. But, in general, when trying to solve a very big problem, it helps to break it into several small problems, and start solving them instead.

Sounds like burnout. Here's a few articles which may help:

https://kierantie.com/a/burnout

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/05/smarter-living/workplace-...

https://muddylemon.com/2011/05/27/depression-burn-out-and-wr...

I haven't started my career yet. :(

What are your most pressing problems?

Do you have enough food, shelter, and money to carry you through the next few months? If not, that's probably the first goal.

Do you have an income, from steady work or from another source, that allows you to maintain a basic standard of living? If not, that's probably the second goal.

Do you have an income, but your job sucks, is unfulfilling, or you want a higher standard of living? Changing your work or primary activities for more money or more fulfillment is probably your third goal.

Do you have enough people in your life to meet your emotional needs? Do you have some creative outlet or spiritual practice? If not, finding some sort of fulfillment is probably your last goal.

4/4 is quite hard to do! Start with where you are now, and try to make whatever progress you can.

If you've got physical health problems, you've gotta do what you can with those, and if you've got dependents you've got to take care of them too as best you can.

Last, the way you phrased things sounds similar to the way that people in who are depressed talk. So I'm going to go out on a limb: Depression fucking sucks in ways that people who haven't been depressed struggle to understand. If you're depressed things are going to be harder and take way longer than you'd like. But most people who get depressed are not depressed forever. Most depression comes in episodes that eventually lift. Many who get depressed are able to eventually build fulfilling and happy lives. There's hope. If you're in the pits you might not be capable of feeling hope right now, but it is there, and it is possible for things to get better.