Incidentally I have found that I am more productive when I have a hangover because all the boring shit I have to do becomes more challenging and thus more interesting.
It might be due to a reduction in anxiety. When you're hungover you feel too "beat up" to worry, procrastinate and second guess yourself.
I've found I get the same benefit from distance running. I can have anxiety-provoking conversations more easily if I've run 10 miles because I'm too tired to get upset.
In fact, as someone with anxiety and ADHD I've finally realized in my thirties that I basically need to exercise (almost) every day to get more usable hours out of my day.
I need to start doing more running. I do have ADD but the medications fuck with my heart, which means my life is difficult all the time. Sigh. The meds work so well... it really sucks being unable to use them (including the atypical ones)
I used to go for a run at lunch. Then my co-worker started complaining about how I was leaving my desk to get exercise. I'm still with that company but I hope for not much longer.
i'm so fucking depressed the last few days. i've applied for a lot of different jobs. I have a 'final' interview today with a job that I don't really want, but it's an avenue out of the toxic situation that I'm finding myself in and if I take it, I'll be able to do a couple weeks of vacation time between jobs that I badly need.
I've got so much going wrong right now I'm just feeling beat the fuck up.
Remember, it's not all or nothing. Long walks help too. Or temporary short walks.
Or if you're not a distance runner yet, it's okay to jog slow and take frequent walk breaks. In a lot of ways, volume is way more important than intensity.
My healthcare plan gave me a watch that reminds me to walk 500 steps every hour or so, and a daily goal of walking 10000 steps. That small nudge has made me way more consistent, because I'm a cheap asshole who likes the idea of saving $3 on my healthcare plan every day.
There was a study that says you make better car buying decisions if you do a crossword puzzle instead of sit there and think about buying a car. Same thing goes for technical tasks. I'm more productive if I walk around frequently, forget about my problems and come back to them with a clear head.
How often have you saved a day's worth of hard work by just doing something a slightly smarter way?
Walks give your subconscious brain time to chew through problems and solve them while you're not actively thinking about them.
I hope you get that new job. Having a non-toxic environment is more important than almost every other factor and I strongly recommend everyone leave their toxic jobs if at all possible.
I fully agree with you. When it comes to technical problems, I find the conscious mind is useful for absorbing the facts of the matter, but the subconscious seems to do most of the heavy lifting. It does the heavy lifting better when it's given space to work.
& thank you. It's far from a dream job but it will buy some time.
Good luck. It might be a good move. As long as you keep learning and moving forward, you're going to get where you need to go - even if it means a temporary income reduction or loss of prestige. Those things don't matter but your mental health does!
Hope you find a better job with better co-workers. Exercise during work, within reason, should be encouraged imo since it leads to healthier employees as well as breakthroughs in problem solving usually comes to me when exercising or in the shower.
I don't drink very much these days.