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Comment by muixoozie | Hacker News Reader

I struggle with this too. The best boost to my mood is when I go for a walk with my wife. Try to get some exercise and sun (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YV_iKnzDRg). Watch your sleep hygiene. Talk to your doctor. When I was younger I rarely even considered going to a doctor. Perhaps you should get some lab work done to make sure you're not vitamin deficient.

I got so depressed that my wife had to make appointments for me and tell my doctor how down I was because I was too embarrassed to admit it.

On a lighter note. You might try pomodoro techniques. Sometimes I do a couple of sessions to get started working until I'm "in to it" enough that I don't need that motivation hack. Also I abstain from social media and all entertainment other than music when I'm at my workstation. Same for when I'm in bed.

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Video games, social media, Netflix, screen time, and similar passive activities can zap real life, sociability, and mental health right out of you.

I have electric fruit fly traps that produce blue light. Two flies with one stone. :)

I take a multivitamin, D3 + K2, zinc, magnesium, iron (deficiency), and fish oil. Low T can also cause many problems (a medication I was on caused it). Diet is important too.

Cardio exercise ^ 3.

Video games actually helped me a lot. It is a nice simple distraction and depending on the game, I got a small sense of achievement from it. One of my all time favorites is the portal series. A documentary on netflix that challenged how I think was very nice in helping me use my brain without having to worry about getting charged emotions. HN is the most useful social media sites I use and helps me stay in touch with the current state of technology.

Making screen time a boogeyman is not a useful way to help yourself address underlying issues. People escape using screen time, and in moderation it's healthy. Taking a break isn't bad. Mental health issue cause a drive to escape using technology. It's not the other way around.

Most people in school are young enough where deficiencies aren't a major issue unless they are also restricting their diet due to finances or other issues. Restricting can cause malnutrition but it's far from common. Just having an, on average, well balanced diet is more than enough. If there's a reason to suspect an underlying health condition, talk with a doctor.

I agree that cardio is amazing but other from of sports and activity is great too. Resistance training and yoga are exceptional as well. Archery is one of my favorites. The important thing is time and consistency, so finding and doing a physical activity you like is all that matters.

Getting checked out with a mental healthcare specialist pre-emptively is important. People have a yearly physical, I'd argue a yearly mental health check should be strongly encouraged too.

I'm coming back around to computer games. Short sessions, usually late in the evening is a great stress reliver and an alternative to alcohol for me.

Different types of game can provide different effects.

I don't play anything that's too competitive anymore, as I don't have as much practice time available. I also find solo/cooperative experiences to be more friendly, and less toxic.

Deep Rock Galactic has been great so far. I can go 'hypermode loot goblin' with the Scout, or a more relaxed pace with the other classes.

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