There Is More Than Just The Grind
The older I get the more this resonates with me. If you spend any amount of time online you will notice the obsession with grinding and shipping as fast and as much as possible. You also find many talk about the other side of this, the burnout that eventually will catch up with you.
Whether I catch up on some reading, water and tend to the garden, or do absolutely nothing; these quiet early mornings are becoming my favorite part of the day more and more.
Leave Room For Fun
For a long time I have tried to maximize my productivity. I would listen to audiobooks while I do chores around the house or listen to a podcast will working on some code. Taking time for my hobbies or something fun left me feeling guilty. There were important things I could be doing with that time.
I don’t have any profound words of wisdom; just to say that, there is a limit to how long you can go on like that. The bill always comes due eventually. For me my health was paying most of that bill. I gained weight, I had poor sleep, I was beginning to feel depressed. Nothing really brought me joy anymore. Not even the hobbies that I loved.
If that sounds familiar, maybe you need to evaluate your priorities. I know not everyone has the luxery of lots of free time. We all have bills to pay and obligations to meet. Even if it is only 15 minutes, find some time to sit in a quiet place and let your mind wander and process the thoughts in for head.
I still catch myself from time to time overextending my time and not allowing my body and mind to rest. It is a work in progress, but it helps.
This is my first document written in Neovim, on Arch btw.