Use your new free time by not applying to…
Work on a project that interests you and share it online
Exercise both physically and fiscally
Spend time with people you care about and also care about you
And keep working on projects and sharing them, maybe even with hn
The comments on here are legion of individuals who post some project and have to then fight away recruiters…
This is good advice, but remember it's not the only way. Not everyone is comfortable giving their work away for free.
(maybe its a new product/business idea etc). If the new business idea fails or you decide not to proceed with it you can still put it in your CV as long as you can describe it in detail and/or show potential employers your work. Assuming the project is related to your work of course.