

Ask HN: What do you do to relax? - oldmanstan

One thing I do is work out.<p>But I'm trying to find something I can do every night to wind down and have a bit of fun.<p>I'm thinking I might watch a movie (or part of one) a few nights a week. Maybe a tv show. Maybe read.<p>What else? What do you do?
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ctkrohn
Read.

Do it right though. Sit down in a comfortable chair. Turn off your computer so
you're not constantly getting up and checking your email. Maybe turn on some
music. Allocate a sufficient block of time, so you can become truly engrossed
in your book.

Good fiction has a way of taking your mind elsewhere that no other medium can
match. It's the most satisfying and fulfilling way to relax that I know of.

edit: minor grammar correction

~~~
baddox
I do like reading (non-narrative nonfiction mostly), but I can never seem to
_relax_ while doing so. Sitting up in a chair makes holding the book up
difficult, reclining is no better, and lying in bed makes my back
uncomfortable. How do people physically read for more than an hour at a time?

~~~
mrj
I fidget a lot, too. I suppose I've just gotten used to it, though.

I would recommend "bone support." You shouldn't be _holding_ the book up, but
resting it somehow. Angle your arm so you don't have to use muscle, or it'll
become painful.

I don't know if that's a good term for it, but that's what they called it when
we were learning to shoot in the Marine Corps. Same idea. :-)

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albahk
Undertake a small 'home-improvement' task that takes no more than an hour or
two. After spending so much time in computer systems solving problems, fixing
a real-life bug or enhancement in my flat is strangely satisfying.

e.g.

    
    
      - finally get that TV/DVD/Stereo setup the right way;
      - replace the dodgy doorbell
      - throw out old crap
      - repaint a room (if you make a mistake, just paint over it)
    

(edit:formatting)

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chopsueyar
My girlfriend and I like to roleplay as _Atlas Shrugged_ characters.

She dresses up as Dagny Taggart.

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Zev
Draw. Its nice when the refresh rate of what I'm looking at is how often I
blink.

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bherms
I read in my hammock. <http://Eaglesnestoutfittersinc.com> has the worlds best
hammock. Bought one in 2002 and might say it's the best thing I've ever
purchased. I can toss it up almost anywhere in a matter of seconds, kick back
and read, take a nap, and then get back to work.

~~~
chopsueyar
I just visited that site, and those are some of the most bad-ass hammocks I
have ever seen.

~~~
bherms
If you ever get the chance the lay in one, you'll be hooked. I just have the
standard single nest + slap strap pro and it's amazing. The hammock packs down
to the size of a softball and you can just clip them onto a backpack or
anything, setup takes about a minute, and the material is almost like silk.
I'm getting a rain fly and bug net next summer for some hiking trips. Can't
wait to try it out in the real wild!

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Sukotto
Between the 3 kids and helping my wife with the housework I'm lucky to get any
"me" time at all.

When I do I typically read, exercise, or play some minecraft or maybe
something on kongregate.

~~~
kennu
+1 for Minecraft! Problem is, once you start building something there, you
just can't stop until it's ready.

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Dylanlacey
I keep bees. No, really. I play computer games, I go camping, and I keep bees.

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iuguy
I play backgammon. My father-in-law introduced me to Tavli two years ago and
thoroughly beat me. I decided that the next time I saw him I would win (we
live on opposite sides of Europe so I don't see him as much as I'd like). I
practiced backgammon and learnt how to play properly. It's better than
draughts, but easier and more fast paced than chess.

You can also download it for free from <http://www.gnubg.org/> or play online
(also for free, reg required) at <http://www.gamesgrid.com/>

If any HN'ers want to play some time I'm happy to have a game. If there's
enough interest I'd be happy to run a backgammon school on a sunday for people
to learn the basics and a little strategy.

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robfitz
Booze and board games (Dominion or Settlers mostly) with buddies.

~~~
megrimlock
Mostly agreed... but Dominion seems like it doesn't have much real human
interaction. It's more like playing simultaneous games of solitaire with your
buddies in a race to the victory conditions. I haven't used all the cards yet
so I could be mistaken, but it seems the only real time you can affect other
players directly is with the militia, which you can't target and just slows
down everyone else. Tthat's not to say there isn't fun to be had, like in
chaining together multiple Markets in a round.

You should also check out Bohnanza; similar ideas, fewer rules to parse, plus
inter-player trading.

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eswat
Usually I read a book or play StarCraft II/Civilization V/Halo Reach. Depends
on whether I’ve come to hate technology that day or not. Cleaning stuff also
helps me relax, but sometimes it just ends up becoming busy work.

Closing Colloquy and Skype helps too.

~~~
jobrahms
I was going to say StarCraft II, but then I remembered that it actually causes
me stress.

~~~
eswat
Heh, if I’m really stressed out I’ll at least avoid 1v1 online. 4v4 is not so
bad thanks to diffusion of responsibility. :)

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togasystems
Working out and reading are my top two wind down methods.

A simple walk around the block works wonders as well.

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danielnicollet
I work with my hands. As a computer worker, my brain is tired at the end of
the day and my eyes sore while other parts of my body and mind are restless
from the day-long sitting station.

So I go on craigslist buy old things which I fix in my garage. Sometimes it's
a PC but usually it is something more organic or mechanical like a piece of
furniture, or an old mechanical tool. Very restful satisfying and useful. I
think working out i still needed though.

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b14ck
I really enjoy reading. I take it as a serious hobby (I spend on average 1
hour a day reading, often times more).

I read a variety of books: programming (learn something new), business (keep
yourself motivated and consider new approaches), lifestyle (what can I do to
be a better person?), and fiction (oooh, a good story).

I can't being to explain how much of a profound impact reading has had on my
life. I used to read a ton when I was younger, but when I started university I
stopped for a while (hanging out with people, lots of social stuff), and
didn't get back into the habit until the beginning of last year.

Reading keeps my mind focused, helps me relax, and teaches me new things all
the time. When I read programming books, I make a point to write some software
using whatever techniques / libraries the book I'm reading is discussing. This
helps me get a better understanding of what I'm reading and learning about,
and it's a lot of fun.

How often do you read? Do you enjoy what you're reading?

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phugoid
These days, I really enjoy removing the skins from chick peas. You soak them
overnight, boil them for two hours, and then you can squeeze them out of their
skins.

It's very repetitive and boring, and lets my mind drift. Plus you get smoother
hummus if you remove the chick pea skins first.

~~~
silentbicycle
Cooking provides lots of tasks that sound boring (and are easily handled by
food processors, etc.), but are still very grounding to do my hand and focus
on 100%.

I really enjoy making bread. Kneading dough feels very real after hours of
debugging bad Algol code.

Also: You forgot to mention garlic!

------
robg
Walk in the woods.

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invertedlambda
A few ideas: \- Meditate \- Exercise (running, weights, etc) \- Yoga

Do something that's totally unproductive that's pure fun. This might sound
silly, but finger painting or something similar.

Relaxing is all about feeling like there's nothing you NEED to to be doing
right now. You're just in your own space, enjoying your own company.

Maybe there's something you've always wanted to do but haven't for whatever
reason. Conquer your fears! Go take that mambo class. Attend that french
pastry chef course.

You know? Mix it up, have some fun. : )

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morganpyne
Luthery.

I have started to make acoustic guitars (specifically, Selmer-Maccaferri
copies; the type of guitar Django Reinhardt was famous for). I don't get a lot
of free time with a relatively young child, but what little time I can squeeze
into my workshop is very relaxing. After pushing bits around with your brain
all day there is something immensely satisfying about making a real physical
object with your hands. Luthery is also an excellent lesson in patience and
long-term goals.

~~~
cowpewter
Agreed. I don't make guitars, but physical crafts are a huge relief after
writing code all day. I sew, knit/crochet, book-bind...any sort of craft that
results in a physical object you can hold when you're done is immensely
satisfying. And the repetitive motions of some of those crafts is great for
getting in the zone with them. I find handsewing and crocheting especially
relaxing. Knitting hurts my hands more for some reason.

------
zackham
The most satisfying way I've found to relax and wind down is doing something
completely unrelated to work that involves focus, and even better, a practiced
skill. Watching a movie or reading a book can mostly take my mind off work,
but it feels much better to do something where you can get in the zone. For me
this is skateboarding, rock climbing, racquetball, or cooking. I imagine
playing a musical instrument falls into this category as well.

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wwortiz
I read books, mostly sci fi and stuff like that but also humor horror and
other genres. Books are wonderful and when you read right before bed you can
really tell when you are tired (which is vastly different if you are watching
T.V. or other more passive things), I guess after a while your imagination
just stops working.

I probably spend most of my personal free time reading books and they are
great for me to wind down.

------
noilly
-critical music listening (some decent hi-fi speakers/headphones required)

-meditating/deliberate breathing

-static/dynamic apnea free diving (need access to body of water)

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kjell
I bike to work, which feels good and offsets a bit of the sitting-on-my-fat-
ass all day syndrome. Likewise playing sports (soccer, ultimate frisbee,
lately team handball).

Making/crafting things in the real world as opposed to in software is nice.
And hearing/watching/playing music, for me mostly a blend of
acoustic/bluegrass.

------
richardw
I ride - either mountain-bike or road. I love getting out and riding up the
river or just wandering through areas I don't know. I see a lot more that I
wouldn't if I were driving. It can be somewhat meditative and it's an antidote
to sitting in front of a computer.

------
KevinMS
I used to play world of warcraft, nothing like that level of immersion to
relax in respect to real life, but it might just replace real life tension
with virtual tension.

Until the new expansion pack comes out I find myself just watching TV

I'm a spud.

------
agaur
Well...Apart from reading fiction/non fiction, ( I usually alternate between
them ), I've taken up painting, and it's soothing to say the least. Put on
some light music and let the brush follow it's will :)

------
sayemm
Working out is awesome and essential.

I also play bridge in my down-time.

[http://www.bridgeworld.com/default.asp?d=intro_to_bridge&...](http://www.bridgeworld.com/default.asp?d=intro_to_bridge&f=bbeg0.html)

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ashitvora
Read.

I do the same. I would suggest you to read fiction books. It will relax your
mind.

BUT, if you have friends, family or kids, I would suggest you to hang out with
them, play with them.

It will make you more productive next day at work.

Try it for a month. It works. :)

------
hardik988
I watch Arsenal play some kick-ass football. Also, performing magic, playing
the guitar, listening to classical pieces (or sometimes classic rock) and just
going for a walk if the weather permits.

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vsp
One thing that really works is Meditation. Best combination is work out in a
gym for about an hour and after that meditate for half hour. You are
completely de-stressed after that.

~~~
whimsy
>One thing that really works for me is meditation.

FTFY

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chopsueyar
Tai Chi (available everywhere):
<http://www.taoist.org/content/standard.asp?name=FindClasses>

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Ixiaus
Exercise, cook, read (I read a lot), play Halo Reach, sex, meditate, spend
time with friends, and read on-line material (what used to be called "surfing
the web").

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sleepdev
Watch TV in a foreign language. There are lots of ways that this could be
entertaining, and if done correctly you can pick up a language in your leisure
time.

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CrazedGeek
Play some relaxing games. flOw, Flower, and echochrome are all pretty good.
Harvest Moon is also good, but I tend to doze off while playing.

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rhythmAddict
Take long walks around Manhattan by myself with music blasting. (It's amazing
how much faster you walk with some good music on, btw)

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cmykgrayscale
Strangely, I like to code to relax. When I get stressed out working on
something, I just switch to working on something more fun.

~~~
nlco
yup, this is why all my personal projects are 90% done. i'll finish the other
90% some other time.

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rblion
Eat wholesome meal with glass of green tea.

Listen to music and breathe.

Take a bubble bath alone or with gf.

Watch science and nature documentaries.

Take a walk and talk with an old friend.

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ascuttlefish
Put on some chill music and have a bath.

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sfgary1
Do at least 20 minutes of a hard aerobic workout. There's nothing like an
adrenaline rush to relax you.

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barnaby
Read. a lot

Also, I picked up a musical instrument, I find my playing to be very relaxing,
my girlfriend does not. :-p

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eatsleepdev
Smoke weed.

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points
Play piano, watch movies/TV comedies, rollerskate, play Lego with the kids.

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fezzl
I close my eyes and play the piano, sometimes for hours (unknowingly).

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andrewtbham
after working behind a computer all day, walking the dog is a great way to
unwind. sometimes, i ride my bike. getting a drink with friends is good too.

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chopsueyar
Hot shower (as hot as you can tolerate) for 30 minutes.

~~~
points
Stand up? Crazy. Get a bath.

~~~
chopsueyar
I actually have a foldable cedar chair I sit on in the shower.

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jallmann
I read and swim (or get some exercise in general).

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zackola
run (although this amps you up, not winds you down) play guitar (this could go
either way)

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fookyong
Yoga.

Cook (then eat).

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flipp
starcraft

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timf
I read Hacker News.

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known
Visit my village.

------
noodle
read, sports/exercise, video games.

------
jk
TM

------
gsivil
Python

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einarvollset
Surf.

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alnayyir
Avoid hackerne.ws and reddit.

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jawngee
Play poker, masturbate, play with my cat.

Not at the same time.

~~~
RiderOfGiraffes
I can't believe people on HackerNews are upvoting that comment. Does it really
add that much to the conversation?

In the time I've been here on HN I've come to this position. When I reply or
submit, I like to consider a hypothetical someone in a year's time, mining HN
comments for insight and information. I'd like to think that what I write has
some use to the in context, and at the same time accurately reflects who I am
now.

And yes, the reply fits in that mould. In a year's time if someone came across
that comment, I'd like them to know that I thought it peurile and unfunny, and
I flagged it.

Maybe I am just an old fart, but get off my lawn!

~~~
points
> "Does it really add that much to the conversation?"

Yes. It has 3 items that satisfy the requirement of relaxing.

