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Comment by rjbwork | Hacker News Reader

>Our brains automatically group similar memories together in order to save space. As developers, years can feel like weeks if we don’t actively pursue different experiences.

This hit me hard. Feels like the years have just slipped on by since I graduated university.

Not particularly sure how to stop it though...maybe a few more years and I can just take a few months off and travel or something?

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Try going analogue, find a hobby that doesn't involve a computer (music, cooking, hiking etc.). I find if I do even a small amount of a few different activities in a day, it feels a lot more full. A day spent coding, then going home to cook dinner and read a book always feel better than a day spent coding, then going home to browse the internet or even work on a coding side project (if I get around to those, they're restricted to the weekend).

> Try going analogue, find a hobby that doesn't involve a computer (music, cooking, hiking etc.)

I would suggest to find a hobby that involves other people.

Or rephrased, you're doing it wrong if those three normally group activity examples don't involve other people and you're an extrovert looking for relationships.

Unless, of course, you don't particularly like having to be around other people.

Hiking by yourself is glorious.

I would too. But that doesn't mean you can't take up a hobby that is done alone but shared with a club. I got into car work and joined my local auto club. We do meets, drives, and grab beers every once in a while and share experiences or things we've done. EDIT: Not to mention the social point of "I fucked up, who knows what they're doing and wants to share a case and fix this mess"

I've been hired by a few friends-of-friends to build automation and although the coding and electrical is done at my little workstation there's a local maker group that I like to share my works with.

I always recommend picking up a hobby that has tangible products. Gaming and Reading are all mind exercises. Doing something with your hands helps work the body and when you've worked at something for long enough its much more visual for how you've honed your craft. Its a different type of reward than coding is. I don't know if I can describe the feeling it gives but it's different somehow, and it's a good feeling to look down upon a physical creation with pride.

Hiking IS a group activity. There's countless hiking clubs on Meetup.com. They frequently seem to serve as singles mixers in fact.

Music is also a group activity. Have you never heard of a "band" (or "garage band")?

There's also cooking clubs on Meetup.com.

What exactly is your idea of a hobby that involves other people?

I do exhausting sports almost everyday (martial arts).

Two hours if sweating put your mind in a very different state.

Music is good as well. Anything that starts up other brain areas than "watching" and "reading".

That's odd, because in the martial arts I do (aikido), I've always been amazed by how similar of a state it puts you into: trying to get into the zone, concentrate on what you're doing right now, and block any other distractions.

I'm doing silat. Many of our trainings are kinda "clocked", meaning you do the movements in a certain pace, so you don't have time to get distracted in the first place.

> Feels like the years have just slipped on by since I graduated university.

If it can make you feel better, I don't think that's related to development as much as "getting a job and growing up". Most people feel the same, which is why the "school reunion" trope is a staple of modern cinematography.

> maybe a few more years and I can just take a few months off and travel or something?

How about, say, a month from now, take 3 weeks off to go somewhere you haven't been, or go be with your family. Or maybe next week, take Monday off, or maybe Thursday and Friday and just have a nice quiet weekend away from the computer. You don't need to be able to take a bunch of months off in order to get some quality down time in. Don't let great be the enemy of good. Sure it may be great to take a few months off at a time, but it's good to take a couple days or weeks off here and there.

Have you tried any other creative activity (writing, filmaking, painting, etc…)? It is quite cheap to do and as rewarding as software writing.

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