Thanks but I think how I allocate my personal time is my personal decision to make ;)
I was asking simple factual questions - e.g. the numerical value of "too fast". So I would appreciate if it could be answered primarily in a numerical fashion, not with life advice.
Rest assured that I do take care of my mental health in a fashion which I deem appropriate.
We all have exactly the same amount of time every day. How you spend it is up to you. You can choose differently, especially if you're on HN discussing it in the first place.
One has to be fair to oneself too though. Most of us could probably do more in a day's time, than we do. There are consequences though, if one goes to the max for a time. For example we could learn a lot and get a better paid job. However, we might lose some friends, because we did not put any time into interacting with them instead of learning a lot. Just as an example.
So cut yourself some slack too. The balance of that might not be obvious.
Maybe life is meant to enjoy these 5 minutes breaks and have a relaxed schedule instead of trying to cram every single minute by what you perceive “productive” like watching a movie..
People are having mental health issues is because they see their lives as a race not a journey, people used to spend hours to prepare their horses, I can spend few minutes filling my car tank :)
It seems that many people are overly focused on examples in the article. Rather, isn't the main point of the author that some people don't accurately value their time in relation to life outcomes?
People spend too much time thinking about some things relative to the marginal benefit of each second/minute/unit of time spent on that decision. Conversely, people spend too little time on some decisions whose outcome will be greatly improved by spending another second/minute/hour...etc.
When I first started up I worked 80-120 hour weeks, busting my backside off to the detriment of my friendships and even my marriage. I decided one day that enough was enough. There had to be a better way. I'm still looking for it but it's rare you'll see me bust over 60 hours a week at the moment.
The two most important things in your life are your time and the company you keep. Time is the most valuable resource, you only have so much and you're not able to get any extra, so what you do now with your time is gone. Once you recognise that you will hopefully start to optimise your time, not as an organised obsessive, but with a basic understanding of the value of your time. I'll pay extra for certain things that others won't, because my time is more valuable to me than it is to them. My mum takes the bus to see her sister, it's about 7 hours by bus. I take the train, so that I can go up on a Friday and work on the train and lose no time, or I'll fly up.
Your relationships are closely tied to your time. Perhaps the two people you know the best - your parents - will only be around while you're young. At some point they're not going to be here anymore and the time you spend working all the hours $deity sends is time you could've spent with them and you'll wish you did afterwards. The same goes for your significant other. They should be your closest friend. I try to spend as much time as I can with my wife, sometimes to the detriment of friendships. The simple reason is that I'll only have another 30-60 years or so with her, and anything that eats into that time better had be extremely valuable. I still try to see my friends as often as I can, but I'm fortunate to have so many friends that I can't always see everyone.
You can have it all, you just have to prioritise. Sometimes the things you slave over, no matter how much you may enjoy it are not necessarily the most important thing. I'm reminded of an oft-misquoted quote from Richard P. Feynman sent to a Mrs Chown after her son wanted a birthday note thinking it'd help him when he tried explaining scientific things to her:
"Tell your son to stop trying to fill your head with science — for to fill your heart with love is enough."
My opinion about how I choose to use my time and what I have time for is the only one that counts. It isn't open to debate. You are basically engaging in a personal attack, for no apparent reason. Attacking me personally in no way adds to the discussion here. Do you have something to say about whether or not the original article has merit/is worth actually reading/etc?
If not, it would be extremely nice if more people followed not only the letter of the guidelines here but also the spirit and didn't engage in ad hominems or other smear campaigns.
I think that sometimes it's healthy to waste some time.
If I did all that you suggested, I honestly don't know what I'd do with all that spare time.
I think that household chores are good for your mental health. While you're cooking dinner, or mopping the floor, or fixing that broken curtain rail, it gives you time to disconnect from everything. You've got a task at hand that you can focus on and exclude everything else.
I agree that scheduling your entire life in 10-minute units with no space left for just living sounds somewhat hellish, but I like the core concept of being conscious about what I'm doing with my time. I would look at it more as not just defaulting into meaningless activity, but making a conscious decision that it's what you want to be doing for a while.
Good? Bad? There is only the value that you place on your own time. It may be that shaving/maintaining friendships/health do not offer rewards that you value. That's your decision. In the end, if your occupation doesn't reward you in a way you value, you will find an alternative way to spend your time.
edit: If you are concerned about how you spend your time, I would suggest that you should spend some time reflecting on why you are making those choices.
I was asking simple factual questions - e.g. the numerical value of "too fast". So I would appreciate if it could be answered primarily in a numerical fashion, not with life advice.
Rest assured that I do take care of my mental health in a fashion which I deem appropriate.
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