Ask HN: How do you do things outside of work?

5•izzylan•2mo ago

I have an issue. I want to make things. Build cool projects and develop open-source stuff. Learn new technologies, flex my muscles in a language I don't normally use. That sort of things.

But my job takes up a majority of my time, and it leaves me pretty mentally exhausted. Not to mention, once the workday is over, I still got self-care things I need to do: cooking food, cleaning up my apartment, gym, shower, etc.

Once all that's over with, I barely have any free time. I'm usually too worn-out to even think about the many project ideas I have. I feel kinda alone in that, people are always making cool things on here.

So HN, how do you do it? How do you have the time and energy to make the things you do?

Comments

howToTestFE•2mo ago

Same, it is a question of time.

For me, weekends only... I used to do a lot of freelance work (years ago...more than a decade ago), somehow I used to find more time then for side projects... with full time employment is is impossible to find the time.

al_borland•2mo ago

I have the same problem. For my first several years of work, I works 3x12. This was a dream. I had a lot of time to recover from work and do my own thing. It was almost like not having a job. Now that I work 5x8, I’m basically useless outside of work.

basscomm•2mo ago

It's not about having time, it's about making time.

One thing that helps me is to actually schedule time to do the cool, fun stuff, put it on my calendar and treat that appointment as inviolable as missing work. Because it is work, and eventually it will become a habit.

I also recently read Time Management for System Administrators which has some other helpful suggestions: https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/time-management-for/059...

vunderba•2mo ago

There's no definitive answer to this since everyone's situation is different. The best advice I can offer is that eating well (increasing your vegetable intake, cutting back on refined sugars, etc.) and exercising consistently (HIIT, anaerobic training, etc.) can help offset a work-related energy deficit and at least make it feel like you’ve got enough energy for extracurriculars.

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