Ask HN: What fun/useful things do you do when tired, instead of Netflix/Reddit?

[alan_wade]

After I get tired at the end of a day, I tend to waste my time doing pointless things - watching Netflix, refreshing Reddit, etc.

They are not productive and bring me no joy.

I'm looking for something fun/smart/useful/relaxing/healthy to do instead of that, something that doesn't require a lot of focus, mental energy, or will power.

Can you recommend something like that?

[rutgerv]

Exercise. It does wonders for your energy levels and your mental well-being. Plus it will make you feel you having done 'something useful' by the end of the day. The hardest part is getting out and starting - once you are busy, it is fun.

Otherwise, reading. If you have enough energy, read literary classics or non-fiction, the type that challenges you and/or teaches you new things. If you don't have enough energy, read something lighter - I am reading Alice's Adventures in Wonderland currently, for example, which is fun and relaxing. Finishing a book is a nice feeling, plus the mental focus on the story and on yourself can give rise to some nice insights on yourself, people, and the world.

[samjanis]

Yu-Gi-Oh is more than a card game. It's fun and the way card effects can be chained together is a lot like programming in the corewars/redcode sort of way.

Others prefer to play Magic:The Gathering but after playing both we always end up going back to ygo.

[drjannakoretz]

Artistic activities might be a good option. That could be anything like painting, model airplanes, needlepoint, graphic design, interior design, to drawing. It will use a different part of your mind, generate a new skill and hobby, help you focus on something else, and can be totally offline if you want it to be. Plus if you end up doing a lot of whatever it is, you can sometimes sell what you're making.

[yesenadam]

I chat with friends, online or in person. I watch great movies, documentaries and tv series from around the world.

[splodge]

I find sleeping is good when tired

[elviejo]

I go over my Anki cards.this focus the mind... Is conductive to sleep and very productive.

[dominotw]

What's in the cards?

[stackola]

This seems like an ad