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Ask HN: Anyone else get depressed when you're not actively digging into a topic?

by samh748 on 9/20/24, 7:21 PM with 9 comments

Sometimes I'll be "done" exploring a topic/project, but haven't yet found another one to dig into (or just run into some sort of a break/gap in mental activity), and I'll basically get depressed (not technically, just temporary low mood) without having something keeping my brain engaged.

I wonder if any of you have advice on managing these gaps. Or maybe strategies you've adopted to always have something keeping you engaged?

  • by lcnPylGDnU4H9OF on 9/20/24, 9:48 PM

    I discovered this term monotropism and now I can't stop thinking about it (only partly joking): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monotropism. Not saying it necessarily applies to your situation but I hope you can see why I make the connection.

    > Monotropism is an individual's tendency to focus their attention on a small or singular number of interests at any time, with them neglecting or not perceiving lesser interests.

    I recently also picked up Magic: The Gathering again and started playing at a local shop. Now I can't stop thinking about decks which might be fun to brew. I guess I'll see how long it lasts but I intend for it to be a long-term interest.

  • by leros on 9/21/24, 4:19 PM

    I'm not sure if this exactly what you're talking about, but I think it's important to be able to be content and calm while doing nothing. If not, it's a sign something is off with your mental health.

    In very general terms, our brains are pretty good at finding ways to avoid lingering mental issues (trauma, anxiety, etc). You're probably familiar with strategies like alcohol and drugs, but people also use strategies like exercise, work, keeping busy, etc. The goal is the same: keep those pesky thoughts down and avoid them. If you're not doing something, these things bubble up and cause issues.

  • by Mehticulous on 9/20/24, 10:32 PM

    Are you mining dopamine to carry you through uninteresting tasks? Dopamining is an ADHD cornerstone. Have you had the same special interests for a long time? Do you have a collection of interests on rotation? Cheers, M

  • by helph67 on 9/20/24, 9:18 PM

    This should fill the gap and possibly improve your thinking power. https://www.dogpile.com/serp?q=games+for+brain+health&sc=nZA...

  • by paulcole on 9/20/24, 10:24 PM

    No, I’m capable of doing nothing. It’s not hard. It’s actually easier than doing something.

  • by navjack27 on 9/20/24, 8:25 PM

    That's called being bored