How to relax and most importantly stop thinking about the things i could be doing?

Submitted ⁨⁨7⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨Inkstainthebat@pawb.social⁩ to ⁨[deleted]⁩

This probably seems really stupid but I’m not sure what to do at this point. The entirety of my summer break has been spent working on personal projects, I was supposed to have a great time but instead I burned myself out on art, programming and more to the point I kinda dread those things I liked before. Now, I’m not a complete idiot, so I saw that I needed to cool it a bit with everything going on, and focus on myself for a little while.
It didn’t work though, because all the time I spent dedicated to myself instead of my personal projects was actually spent trying to relax while thinking of all the things I could be doing for instead, so I still feel tense after my supposed breaks.

I hope this doesn’t come across as pathetic…

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e0qdk@reddthat.com ⁨55⁩ ⁨minutes⁩ ago
I had similar problems and couldn’t figure out how to get out of that cycle before it ended up with me having panic attacks, and anxiety/depression bad enough to be put on SSRIs. If you can’t relax and feel tense all the time, that is a serious issue! Nip it in the bud if you can.

What I eventually figured out is that I needed separation between my work and my personal time – and yes, those kinds of personal projects are still work even if you’re just doing them for yourself.

Decide how long you want to dedicate to working – then hold yourself to that. Like, actually write down the start and end times you worked so that you can prove to yourself that you really put in the effort. I use plain text files on my computer for this; do what works for you. After you’ve put in the time you committed to, you are OFF THE CLOCK. Stop working – even if you have to force yourself – and go do something else. Without guilt.

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Pronell@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Any attempt at self-improvement is not pathetic. My phone suggested self-forgiveness, which also is key here.

You are trying to be more aware and less impulsive. The key here is mindfulness, not that it’s easy to attain/achieve.

I said self-forgiveness because beating yourself up for your perceived failures will also hold you back.

Failure is key to success.

I’ve made a little progress toward changing my internal monolog, and it has served me well. Be nicer to yourself and laugh off your failures lest the memory of them become baggage.

My dad is a Buddhist. I never got good at meditation, but I recognize its value.

But mainly, be kinder to yourself. Perfection was never an option, so why would you expect it from yourself?

Relax. Breathe. You’ll figure things out, whether or not you achieve these goals.

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FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
For starters, find a way to discipline yourself into using social media less.

Lots of people feel shitty and stressed because they’re using algorithms designed to make them feel shitty and stressed.

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Weirdfish@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
I’ve found the best way to achieve both the mental break, and the relaxation, are hobbies that that are physically and mentally taxing.

In the summer, its skateboarding and motorcycles, in the winter its snowboarding.

Wears you out enough to get proper sleep, and they require all your mental focus not to get hurt.

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HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

I hope this doesn’t come across as pathetic…

not at all. I’ve been there. what did you do for art? i mean i’m a musician, but every once in a while i try to learn a different instrument or pick up a paintbrush.

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Bongles@lemmy.zip ⁨4⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Why did you start working on these other projects? For fun? To learn? Are they still fulfilling that purpose if you’re burnt out? If not, what are you losing out on by not working on them? If it was for fun, then that’s over for now, go do something else for fun.

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Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world ⁨7⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Cannabis? 🤷🏻‍♂️

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the_q@lemmy.zip ⁨6⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
What does relaxing look like to you?

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zero@fek.xyz ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Having a couple of things I like to do helps me such as listening to music, reading, watching movies, gaming etc. Having the discipline to cut off took a while to master as well. Over the weekends, I tell my team members not to send emails or text messages unless its super urgent. I give myself targets, for example watching a couple of movies or TV shows over the weekend and deal with the shit come Monday.

I was supposed to have a great time but instead I burned myself out

That's when you need to take a step back, do something else. When I'm gaming I do burn myself out, so now I'm taking a break from WoW and started on movies / tv shows again.

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Demonmariner@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Consume less caffeine and sugar.

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