How do I regain interest in entertainment?
March 6, 2016 12:11 PM Subscribe
Over the last 3 years I've lost interest in TV, books, comics and news. This frightens me. Has anyone been through this?
I used to be an avid reader, watcher of TV programs and movies and loved comics, music and keeping up with the news. Over the last 3 years, this has all diminished. I'm no longer interested in anything and can't even seem to keep my interest in a 20 minute TV show.
I know I've been burned out for a while now, and I'm taking active positive steps to fix this (medication, exercise, meditation, clean living and looking after myself). However, I still feel like entertainment is an annoyance rather than a pleasure.
Has anyone been through this or have any tips on how to overcome this? Most nights I either reddit or will switch the TV on and zone out. Neither of which are helpful.
I used to be an avid reader, watcher of TV programs and movies and loved comics, music and keeping up with the news. Over the last 3 years, this has all diminished. I'm no longer interested in anything and can't even seem to keep my interest in a 20 minute TV show.
I know I've been burned out for a while now, and I'm taking active positive steps to fix this (medication, exercise, meditation, clean living and looking after myself). However, I still feel like entertainment is an annoyance rather than a pleasure.
Has anyone been through this or have any tips on how to overcome this? Most nights I either reddit or will switch the TV on and zone out. Neither of which are helpful.
Can you start with things that give you enjoyment (this is crucial) that can also be broken down into bite-sized chunks? For example, instead of committing to a novel, try for a book of short stories. Or instead of reading a comic series, find a comic anthology with many short comics inside it. You may also find it helpful to commit to reading on paper wherever possible, as linear texts without hyperlinks are easier for the mind to process (according to research summarised in Nicholas Carr's The Shallows).
posted by radiocontrolled at 12:21 PM on March 6, 2016
posted by radiocontrolled at 12:21 PM on March 6, 2016
I've had this experience as well. For me, it comes as an early symptom of depression that I've been neglecting to address. It has also happened after I have spent a lot of time and mental energy reading for work or for a course of study, in which case it has taken time to reset to normal enjoyment of pleasure reading.
posted by gauche at 12:21 PM on March 6, 2016
posted by gauche at 12:21 PM on March 6, 2016
What about it annoys you? The investment to get a payoff? The decision you have to make? That might help.
I agree, this is often correlated with depression with me. I spend a night debating what to do without actually doing anything. The act of engaging just seems insurmountable.
Beyond helping your possible depression which is step 1, perhaps experiencing something with someone else rather than solo might help?
Maybe removing your decision process could help. Make a list of things, set a time and at that time roll a die. Boom chosen.
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 12:22 PM on March 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
I agree, this is often correlated with depression with me. I spend a night debating what to do without actually doing anything. The act of engaging just seems insurmountable.
Beyond helping your possible depression which is step 1, perhaps experiencing something with someone else rather than solo might help?
Maybe removing your decision process could help. Make a list of things, set a time and at that time roll a die. Boom chosen.
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 12:22 PM on March 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
I get this a lot when I'm depressed.
What works for me is finding video games I can handle - TV doesn't hold my concentration, books are too hard, but a game I have to interact will often distract me for a while. I've used all kinds of games for this in the past from low intesity/repetitive games like mahjong/solitaire/casual mobile, to stuff with levelling & small incremental rewards like World of Warcraft to RPGs like Mass Effect. The level of complexity/emotionality/ability to lose I can handle in a game varies wildly depending on how depressed I am.
I've also had some luck with stuff that feels too much like work to spend leisure time on when I'm not depressed (but feels relatively rewarding when I'm depressed and entertainment is more depressing than entertaining) - stuff like learning languages via DuoLingo, reading about history and other topics I'm interested in on Wikipedia.
posted by terretu at 12:26 PM on March 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
What works for me is finding video games I can handle - TV doesn't hold my concentration, books are too hard, but a game I have to interact will often distract me for a while. I've used all kinds of games for this in the past from low intesity/repetitive games like mahjong/solitaire/casual mobile, to stuff with levelling & small incremental rewards like World of Warcraft to RPGs like Mass Effect. The level of complexity/emotionality/ability to lose I can handle in a game varies wildly depending on how depressed I am.
I've also had some luck with stuff that feels too much like work to spend leisure time on when I'm not depressed (but feels relatively rewarding when I'm depressed and entertainment is more depressing than entertaining) - stuff like learning languages via DuoLingo, reading about history and other topics I'm interested in on Wikipedia.
posted by terretu at 12:26 PM on March 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
I always find that the key to defeating burnout is to get up and go visit places and look at natural things that you have never seen before. I am not suggesting an expensive vacation. Rather, you should look around your local area for things to do that are completely new to you. This could be something as simple as a visiting a local state park. Or, I bet that there is a city within an hour's drive of you that you have literally never visited before. I bet they have a visitors bureau or "top 10 things to do in XYZ." Go be a tourist.
I have found that this deliberate seeking of the new-and-local acts to rewire my brain. And it's dirt cheap.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:39 PM on March 6, 2016 [3 favorites]
I have found that this deliberate seeking of the new-and-local acts to rewire my brain. And it's dirt cheap.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:39 PM on March 6, 2016 [3 favorites]
I echo your sentiments, but I haven't given up on these things out of depression like other posters. As I've gotten older, I've developed a better sense of my identity, and I haven't found the perspectives in so much of the media satisfying to me.
Who has the power in TV, books, comics and news? Those people who control the media get their stories told from their points of view. I am only tangentially a member of this favored group.
At the same time, as I've gotten older, I've witnessed or experienced my share of pain and trauma, and I find the violence that abounds in much of media too much to celebrate. There's already so much ugliness in the world.
My only regret about this aversion to the media is that it makes it harder to find common ground with colleagues and strangers. The media is a shared language in this country. But even that's getting less of an issue as media gets more tailored to the individual.
I've filled a lot of the time I used to devote to media with sports.
I don't know if my experience is helpful to you, but at least it gives you another way of investigating your experience.
posted by Borborygmus at 12:40 PM on March 6, 2016 [18 favorites]
Who has the power in TV, books, comics and news? Those people who control the media get their stories told from their points of view. I am only tangentially a member of this favored group.
At the same time, as I've gotten older, I've witnessed or experienced my share of pain and trauma, and I find the violence that abounds in much of media too much to celebrate. There's already so much ugliness in the world.
My only regret about this aversion to the media is that it makes it harder to find common ground with colleagues and strangers. The media is a shared language in this country. But even that's getting less of an issue as media gets more tailored to the individual.
I've filled a lot of the time I used to devote to media with sports.
I don't know if my experience is helpful to you, but at least it gives you another way of investigating your experience.
posted by Borborygmus at 12:40 PM on March 6, 2016 [18 favorites]
FWIW I felt like this when I was actually personally completely miserable and it was a form of punishing myself. I didn't go to movies, really participate in "Must see" television, or anything else pop culture related (or, only so much as to kinda pass in my social circles) because my life fucking sucked. Losing pleasure in things that you used to enjoy is a hallmark of depression.
posted by Medieval Maven at 12:45 PM on March 6, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Medieval Maven at 12:45 PM on March 6, 2016 [2 favorites]
I've been through this – don't think I watched a film between 2003 and 2006, despite loving film both as art and entertainment. The same with television over that period. Although, I maintained a fondness for books, and felt a moral obligation to read the news.
It's possible that you're depressed, and if you are, this may be one of the symptoms – "have you stopped doing things that you enjoy".
However, when I went on the entertainment pause, it wasn't due to depression. Rather, I tired of the rote formulas and experiences. The feeling of seeing the same plots and stories re-told over and over, with different settings and different actors, but to the same conclusion. During that period, all media (except books) felt very flat and two-dimensional. They weren't adding anything. There was no difference to life with or without that entertainment.
That was the same period in which many other things were changing as well. Through experiences both professional and personal, the world started getting bigger – much bigger – and suddenly, previous arts and media indulgences felt so small and irrelevant. It was greatly preferable to spend that time in another way. At the same time, most music started sounding flat as well, and shows were no longer interesting.
It was as if all the entertainment previously enjoyed – and there was both a lot of media and a lot of enjoyment – felt flat, hollow, and devoid of any meaning.
Looking back, it now appears like a massive multi-year palette cleanse, clearing out the mind and breaking the habits. At a point, it was so foreign to watch a film, listening to music, or spend time with television, that it was hard to see how that had been such a primary part of life and identity.
I came back to film in 2007 with The Best Of Youth, at an Italian film festival in San Francisco. Then, the first American movie I had seen in years was Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. International film held great appeal, as did the best of what had been made during the hiatus. With work quite dominant, it would be a few years before I caught up with all the foreign and contemporary film produced in the time.
Television never came back, and is hardly missed at all. Haven't owned a television properly since 2002, and really never missed it. There've been a few things I've caught in Apple and NetFlix. Film has always been a personal indulgence. Yet television more felt like a zeitgeist cultural experience – that equal to the enjoyment of watching the shows, was the enjoyment of sharing the experience of either watching or discussing the content with friends and family.
During this period, I became aware of media as social currency – and how not only is it entertainment, but also social participation and ritual. Since that time, some rituals have remained – mainly foreign films, independent films, and animation – but I'd be hard-pressed to go see 'blockbusters'. Similarly, there's been a few TV series that have piqued interest (for example, the Canadian series Continuum was great, as was HBO's Girls), but nothing substantial. Same with music, art, etc.
Unless you are depressed – which is a different matter – I would consider using this time to take a break from media and let yourself break habits with what you previously enjoyed. In time, come back to it from fresh eyes, and find the threads and strands that you really do enjoy.
There's SO MUCH content produced, and so many options, and really entertainment itself requires quite a time commitment. Sometimes it's worth having a break and thinking how you really want to spend that time.
posted by nickrussell at 12:51 PM on March 6, 2016 [5 favorites]
It's possible that you're depressed, and if you are, this may be one of the symptoms – "have you stopped doing things that you enjoy".
However, when I went on the entertainment pause, it wasn't due to depression. Rather, I tired of the rote formulas and experiences. The feeling of seeing the same plots and stories re-told over and over, with different settings and different actors, but to the same conclusion. During that period, all media (except books) felt very flat and two-dimensional. They weren't adding anything. There was no difference to life with or without that entertainment.
That was the same period in which many other things were changing as well. Through experiences both professional and personal, the world started getting bigger – much bigger – and suddenly, previous arts and media indulgences felt so small and irrelevant. It was greatly preferable to spend that time in another way. At the same time, most music started sounding flat as well, and shows were no longer interesting.
It was as if all the entertainment previously enjoyed – and there was both a lot of media and a lot of enjoyment – felt flat, hollow, and devoid of any meaning.
Looking back, it now appears like a massive multi-year palette cleanse, clearing out the mind and breaking the habits. At a point, it was so foreign to watch a film, listening to music, or spend time with television, that it was hard to see how that had been such a primary part of life and identity.
I came back to film in 2007 with The Best Of Youth, at an Italian film festival in San Francisco. Then, the first American movie I had seen in years was Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. International film held great appeal, as did the best of what had been made during the hiatus. With work quite dominant, it would be a few years before I caught up with all the foreign and contemporary film produced in the time.
Television never came back, and is hardly missed at all. Haven't owned a television properly since 2002, and really never missed it. There've been a few things I've caught in Apple and NetFlix. Film has always been a personal indulgence. Yet television more felt like a zeitgeist cultural experience – that equal to the enjoyment of watching the shows, was the enjoyment of sharing the experience of either watching or discussing the content with friends and family.
During this period, I became aware of media as social currency – and how not only is it entertainment, but also social participation and ritual. Since that time, some rituals have remained – mainly foreign films, independent films, and animation – but I'd be hard-pressed to go see 'blockbusters'. Similarly, there's been a few TV series that have piqued interest (for example, the Canadian series Continuum was great, as was HBO's Girls), but nothing substantial. Same with music, art, etc.
Unless you are depressed – which is a different matter – I would consider using this time to take a break from media and let yourself break habits with what you previously enjoyed. In time, come back to it from fresh eyes, and find the threads and strands that you really do enjoy.
There's SO MUCH content produced, and so many options, and really entertainment itself requires quite a time commitment. Sometimes it's worth having a break and thinking how you really want to spend that time.
posted by nickrussell at 12:51 PM on March 6, 2016 [5 favorites]
I've gotten to a point where my attention span is so short that I often find myself pausing whatever I'm streaming a few times each episode. I embrace that now - pause it roughly where a commercial break would have normally be and read something in jezebel/reddit/wherever.
i haven't found a way to get myself to read again yet.
posted by kinddieserzeit at 12:53 PM on March 6, 2016
i haven't found a way to get myself to read again yet.
posted by kinddieserzeit at 12:53 PM on March 6, 2016
For reading, turns out I needed glasses!
As I have gotten older, tv and movies and pop music just don't speak to me any longer - too violent, too many lazy stereotypes or plot devices, etc..
You may be depressed, IDK, but the quality of stuff out there is diminishing equal to the amount of variety available IMHO.
Rejoice! Get outside and reconnect to your fellow humans! Make you're own stories. Really.
PS - I think the internet and smartphones are shaping our attention spans in a bad way, and I found forcing myself to read helped me overcome at least that part of the equation. Really, tho. Keep screens out of your life and go experience living. That's what we're here for :))
posted by jbenben at 1:27 PM on March 6, 2016 [4 favorites]
As I have gotten older, tv and movies and pop music just don't speak to me any longer - too violent, too many lazy stereotypes or plot devices, etc..
You may be depressed, IDK, but the quality of stuff out there is diminishing equal to the amount of variety available IMHO.
Rejoice! Get outside and reconnect to your fellow humans! Make you're own stories. Really.
PS - I think the internet and smartphones are shaping our attention spans in a bad way, and I found forcing myself to read helped me overcome at least that part of the equation. Really, tho. Keep screens out of your life and go experience living. That's what we're here for :))
posted by jbenben at 1:27 PM on March 6, 2016 [4 favorites]
If the depression thought rings true at all, I'd urge you to get help. But, I have had periods of my life where I've gone through similar phases, and what gets me back in is trying brand new genres.
posted by umwhat at 1:43 PM on March 6, 2016
posted by umwhat at 1:43 PM on March 6, 2016
Absolutely: if I plotted a graph of what I've mostly done for entertainment over the past few years, TV, films, books and music would drop off dramatically, and there'd be a massive increase in browsing imgur in particular (as well as sites like askme) - I often spend the duration of a feature film just on imgur.
For me, yes, there's the factors of latent depression and short attention span, but the new key contributor is control: with TV, films, books and music, I'm giving up control to the entertainment - with imgur, I'm controlling my own entertainment: there are 100's of new posts daily, I can skip over every single one I'm not interested in, and dwell for however long I like on the ones which I am (not to mention, I also don't have to buy anything, drive anywhere, watch commercials, make decisions about film A vs film B, conduct research on novel X or album Y, risk disappointment etc).
I'm not 100% sure if this "condition" of losing interest in passive entertainments and instead tending towards instant gratification and control is worth analysis of any great depth: for me it just is - I notice it, I'm aware of it, and at the end of the day, it's just entertainment.
So I'm also not sure if any of this should frighten you: entertainment consumption has changed *dramatically* over the past few years - a prime example being that "binge-watching" is now a recognized term - and I think this is not only a function of how entertainment is delivered, but also how our needs/ requirements have simply changed in reference to "traditional" entertainments (or that new entertainments have evolved to fit our needs/ requirements better).
posted by forallmankind at 2:01 PM on March 6, 2016
For me, yes, there's the factors of latent depression and short attention span, but the new key contributor is control: with TV, films, books and music, I'm giving up control to the entertainment - with imgur, I'm controlling my own entertainment: there are 100's of new posts daily, I can skip over every single one I'm not interested in, and dwell for however long I like on the ones which I am (not to mention, I also don't have to buy anything, drive anywhere, watch commercials, make decisions about film A vs film B, conduct research on novel X or album Y, risk disappointment etc).
I'm not 100% sure if this "condition" of losing interest in passive entertainments and instead tending towards instant gratification and control is worth analysis of any great depth: for me it just is - I notice it, I'm aware of it, and at the end of the day, it's just entertainment.
So I'm also not sure if any of this should frighten you: entertainment consumption has changed *dramatically* over the past few years - a prime example being that "binge-watching" is now a recognized term - and I think this is not only a function of how entertainment is delivered, but also how our needs/ requirements have simply changed in reference to "traditional" entertainments (or that new entertainments have evolved to fit our needs/ requirements better).
posted by forallmankind at 2:01 PM on March 6, 2016
I drifted away from TV and movies for a lot of the same reasons Borborygmus mentions—my worldview kind of changed out from under me, and I realized I wasn't interested in a lot of what pop culture was celebrating. It took me a while to figure out what was speaking to me, but I've found myself reading a lot of old fiction I never got around to, because it turned out that was closer to where my head is at. (I've been watching more sports, too.)
And maybe that does say bad things about me, but... well, I don't care anymore. For me I think part of the draw of movies and TV was that I felt like it was important to me to care what was going on in the culture, but now the culture and I have divorced and I am OK not being interested in it. That's fine for both of us! The culture has no obligation to entertain me and I have no obligation to think about it.
Basically, give yourself the benefit of the doubt: It's maybe not the most likely scenario, but this could be an it's-not-me-it's-you situation. Is there any way you feel alienated by the options entertainment is giving you?
posted by Polycarp at 2:12 PM on March 6, 2016 [3 favorites]
And maybe that does say bad things about me, but... well, I don't care anymore. For me I think part of the draw of movies and TV was that I felt like it was important to me to care what was going on in the culture, but now the culture and I have divorced and I am OK not being interested in it. That's fine for both of us! The culture has no obligation to entertain me and I have no obligation to think about it.
Basically, give yourself the benefit of the doubt: It's maybe not the most likely scenario, but this could be an it's-not-me-it's-you situation. Is there any way you feel alienated by the options entertainment is giving you?
posted by Polycarp at 2:12 PM on March 6, 2016 [3 favorites]
I am experiencing now what you describe, and my self-prescribed cure is to revisit old favourites.
In my case, this loss of interest is the symptom of a mild, seasonal depression and I find comfort in the familiarity of “classics”, which happen to be for me films of the 40s (Capra, Hitchcock), but your “classics” could be what you enjoyed in your student days for example.
Aside from the comfort familiarity brings, revisiting what you have enjoyed before helps you reconnect to your old self, your “true” you.
Returning to the classics also does not require of you to make decisions. Netflix etc offer too much choice, choice is a challenge in itself when you are in depressive mood. And I have to say that I, like other posters, tend to think you too have some form of depression.
Whether this is the case or not, since you say this frightens you, you may as well take it seriously.
My “prescription” is: decide ahead (eg the day before) what precise old favourite you are going to watch, make sure it is readily accessible (eg already load the DVD in the drive), schedule time in front of the screen, stick to that time as you would with a medical appointment.
I mention films because they require less effort than reading, at least for me.
The idea is not to rewatch the same films over and over again but to rekindle your interest and move on.
I would not worry too much in your lack of interest in the news. Anyone will tell you that the world is in a sad state at the moment and that the news can only make you feel low.
The arts, on the other hand, feed your soul, you need to get them back into your life.
posted by bluedora at 2:13 PM on March 6, 2016
In my case, this loss of interest is the symptom of a mild, seasonal depression and I find comfort in the familiarity of “classics”, which happen to be for me films of the 40s (Capra, Hitchcock), but your “classics” could be what you enjoyed in your student days for example.
Aside from the comfort familiarity brings, revisiting what you have enjoyed before helps you reconnect to your old self, your “true” you.
Returning to the classics also does not require of you to make decisions. Netflix etc offer too much choice, choice is a challenge in itself when you are in depressive mood. And I have to say that I, like other posters, tend to think you too have some form of depression.
Whether this is the case or not, since you say this frightens you, you may as well take it seriously.
My “prescription” is: decide ahead (eg the day before) what precise old favourite you are going to watch, make sure it is readily accessible (eg already load the DVD in the drive), schedule time in front of the screen, stick to that time as you would with a medical appointment.
I mention films because they require less effort than reading, at least for me.
The idea is not to rewatch the same films over and over again but to rekindle your interest and move on.
I would not worry too much in your lack of interest in the news. Anyone will tell you that the world is in a sad state at the moment and that the news can only make you feel low.
The arts, on the other hand, feed your soul, you need to get them back into your life.
posted by bluedora at 2:13 PM on March 6, 2016
Has anyone been through this ...?
I read a lot of fiction and played RPGs etc in my teens. Then I hit adulthood and mostly lost interest in stuff like that. I was very focused on taking care of adult responsibilities (raising kids! etc) and couldn't really spare the time and energy for it.
It took a long, long time, but as my problems have been gradually resolving, my interest in entertainment has been slowly coming back. I just needed to focus on fixing some things and I did that. I didn't think too much about it, because I was always surrounded by workaholics anyway.
Best of luck.
posted by Michele in California at 2:35 PM on March 6, 2016
I read a lot of fiction and played RPGs etc in my teens. Then I hit adulthood and mostly lost interest in stuff like that. I was very focused on taking care of adult responsibilities (raising kids! etc) and couldn't really spare the time and energy for it.
It took a long, long time, but as my problems have been gradually resolving, my interest in entertainment has been slowly coming back. I just needed to focus on fixing some things and I did that. I didn't think too much about it, because I was always surrounded by workaholics anyway.
Best of luck.
posted by Michele in California at 2:35 PM on March 6, 2016
Has definitely happened to me when I'm depressed.
Has also happened to me when I became incredibly engaged with something outside of entertainment, i.e., after visiting my family/baby nieces and nephews. Suddenly spending an evening running after screaming children (though voluntarily of course, not shaming any parents who need a night of zoning out in front of TV) sounds more appealing than binge-watching House of Cards. Kind of puts things in perspective. Same with certain hobbies that have absorbed me over the years.
posted by stoneandstar at 2:49 PM on March 6, 2016
Has also happened to me when I became incredibly engaged with something outside of entertainment, i.e., after visiting my family/baby nieces and nephews. Suddenly spending an evening running after screaming children (though voluntarily of course, not shaming any parents who need a night of zoning out in front of TV) sounds more appealing than binge-watching House of Cards. Kind of puts things in perspective. Same with certain hobbies that have absorbed me over the years.
posted by stoneandstar at 2:49 PM on March 6, 2016
Same. I suggest getting an opera guide and watching your way systematically through each, original libretto innone hand, English translation in the other.
There's a reason why my media world is now divided into Hannibal and Not Hannibal, and it isn't only because I'm obsessive. Most TV shows suck. Books also frequently suck.
posted by tel3path at 3:23 PM on March 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
There's a reason why my media world is now divided into Hannibal and Not Hannibal, and it isn't only because I'm obsessive. Most TV shows suck. Books also frequently suck.
posted by tel3path at 3:23 PM on March 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
Adding a note that it happens. I watched no TV for around a decade but what was worse was I lost the thread of interest in science fiction. I know I wasn't depressed for that entire time but quite happily have found new SF writers that grab me and (unfortunately :) a fair amount of TV, although some is quite good.
I agree with the idea to work through more challenging forms, opera, ballet, poetry.
posted by sammyo at 3:35 PM on March 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
I agree with the idea to work through more challenging forms, opera, ballet, poetry.
posted by sammyo at 3:35 PM on March 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
This happened to me with music - I used to be nigh-fanatical in college and now have mostly fallen out of the scene.
Depression had a lot to do with it, but I think also I just felt like the emotional energy that I would put into media was just so immense. I felt very very deeply about certain groups and albums and I just don't have that in me much anymore, not after work and school and my marriage. Instead, I find myself rehashing old albums because it's less taxing on me mentally; there's only the memory of emotional investment, because the emotional investment itself has already been processed and categorized in my brain.
I don't necessarily think this is a GOOD thing, per se, but maybe it explains what you are going through. Your brain is just overtaxed right now. I try not to beat myself up over it.
posted by chainsofreedom at 5:22 PM on March 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
Depression had a lot to do with it, but I think also I just felt like the emotional energy that I would put into media was just so immense. I felt very very deeply about certain groups and albums and I just don't have that in me much anymore, not after work and school and my marriage. Instead, I find myself rehashing old albums because it's less taxing on me mentally; there's only the memory of emotional investment, because the emotional investment itself has already been processed and categorized in my brain.
I don't necessarily think this is a GOOD thing, per se, but maybe it explains what you are going through. Your brain is just overtaxed right now. I try not to beat myself up over it.
posted by chainsofreedom at 5:22 PM on March 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
You say you're burned out. It may simply be that - I was burned out for a while too, and didn't have much bandwidth for long form entertainment.
I eased back in slow - or I should say that I am easing back in slow, because it's still happening. But I'm showing signs of the old me coming back now. What's helped is:
1. I found a book club I dug, and joined it. I never thought I'd like a book club, but this one is just for a particular niche genre (post-apocalyptic fiction), and having the external pressure from a club keeps me reading. but the club is loose enough that people just straight-up admit that "fuck it, I didn't finish this one" and it's cool so I don't feel like people will be mad if I don't either, so it's more like a fun challenge rather than homework. And that's how within three months I've gone from little reading to being able to blow roughly 60 pages of a book written in Anglo-Saxon in an afternoon.
2. Try setting some kind of little challenge for yourself based on an awards show. Every year, I try to see as many of the Best Picture nominees as I can before the Oscar Awards show. There's always a bunch I need to try to squeeze in right before, and the momentum keeps me going to more movies again for a while. Try that - listen to the cast albums of the best musicals before the Tonys, watch an episode each of the different shows before the Emmys, etc.
3. Give yourself permission to stop if you just ain't feeling it.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:37 PM on March 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
I eased back in slow - or I should say that I am easing back in slow, because it's still happening. But I'm showing signs of the old me coming back now. What's helped is:
1. I found a book club I dug, and joined it. I never thought I'd like a book club, but this one is just for a particular niche genre (post-apocalyptic fiction), and having the external pressure from a club keeps me reading. but the club is loose enough that people just straight-up admit that "fuck it, I didn't finish this one" and it's cool so I don't feel like people will be mad if I don't either, so it's more like a fun challenge rather than homework. And that's how within three months I've gone from little reading to being able to blow roughly 60 pages of a book written in Anglo-Saxon in an afternoon.
2. Try setting some kind of little challenge for yourself based on an awards show. Every year, I try to see as many of the Best Picture nominees as I can before the Oscar Awards show. There's always a bunch I need to try to squeeze in right before, and the momentum keeps me going to more movies again for a while. Try that - listen to the cast albums of the best musicals before the Tonys, watch an episode each of the different shows before the Emmys, etc.
3. Give yourself permission to stop if you just ain't feeling it.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:37 PM on March 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
It's a sign of mild depression for me too, often tied to high stress stuff going on in life and, frankly, crappy winter weather. I find it makes it tough for me to concentrate on anything but the essentials. Even if I have the time to watch tv or read a novel it's like my brain can't glom onto things. A few months of this at a time isn't terribly unusual for me.
Exercise helps as does making/doing stuff. For me that means arty stuff that doesn't require too much thinking and can be done in stages (pottery mostly, or simple sewing or crocheting), gardening or garden planning, cooking and light home improvement. I just keep on truckin' and try not to worry about it too much. When I do start reading longer form again it is often comfort reads, sci-fi or YA novels. I move on from there.
Try to make or do something every night, even if it's just to fix a hole in a sock or bake muffins for the freezer. Find an art or craft to take up and keep your hands busy. Basically instead of only mindless intake of Reddit or crap TV aim for semi-mindless production of something. Go from there.
posted by Cuke at 5:56 PM on March 6, 2016
Exercise helps as does making/doing stuff. For me that means arty stuff that doesn't require too much thinking and can be done in stages (pottery mostly, or simple sewing or crocheting), gardening or garden planning, cooking and light home improvement. I just keep on truckin' and try not to worry about it too much. When I do start reading longer form again it is often comfort reads, sci-fi or YA novels. I move on from there.
Try to make or do something every night, even if it's just to fix a hole in a sock or bake muffins for the freezer. Find an art or craft to take up and keep your hands busy. Basically instead of only mindless intake of Reddit or crap TV aim for semi-mindless production of something. Go from there.
posted by Cuke at 5:56 PM on March 6, 2016
Losing interest in things you once found pleasurable is a textbook depression symptom. If you're being treated for depression (I'm assuming that's what you mean by "medication") then your interest in these things should return once your depression improves. I wouldn't worry about it too much except for tracking it as a symptom of your depression.
posted by Jacqueline at 6:45 AM on March 7, 2016
posted by Jacqueline at 6:45 AM on March 7, 2016
Okay, I'll go the other way: I haven't had a TV in well over a decade (I do have a monitor for DVDs and the occasional streaming movie, but that happens less than once a month), "news" is either stuff that's not part of the normal (which is why it's "news") or badly rewritten press releases because some organization or another wants to sway public opinion.
Books and comics are okay, but why watch from a distance someone else's view of how life happens rather than getting deep into it? I mean, on a recent flight I sat next to someone with a "New York Times Bestseller" and OMG the purple prose was way into "fanfic is generally way better edited" territory. And I've seen the relationship mistakes that the normals make, why would I want to get a rehash on human interaction from them?
Yesterday was rainy, Mrs. Straw said "What's playing in the movies?", and we ended up going bowling with friends. Square dancing (I'm both a dancer and a caller) occupies a lot of my life. A group that meets to discuss the theory and practice of city planning and development patterns (okay, there's some of the books, I do reading for that). Building stuff in my workshop. Smart friends on all sorts of topics, including those actively involved in politics who are reading EIRs and general plans and are way more up on "the news" than "the news".
I used to read comics and books. I used to have a TV hooked up, and I let it play during workouts (I'm not in as good shape now, but that's an okay tradeoff). I used to watch and read "the news", but then I got involved in the political process and "the news" ain't, and if I really want to know what's going on it's better to dig into the source material.
And my life is way better for having left those things behind.
posted by straw at 7:02 AM on March 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
Books and comics are okay, but why watch from a distance someone else's view of how life happens rather than getting deep into it? I mean, on a recent flight I sat next to someone with a "New York Times Bestseller" and OMG the purple prose was way into "fanfic is generally way better edited" territory. And I've seen the relationship mistakes that the normals make, why would I want to get a rehash on human interaction from them?
Yesterday was rainy, Mrs. Straw said "What's playing in the movies?", and we ended up going bowling with friends. Square dancing (I'm both a dancer and a caller) occupies a lot of my life. A group that meets to discuss the theory and practice of city planning and development patterns (okay, there's some of the books, I do reading for that). Building stuff in my workshop. Smart friends on all sorts of topics, including those actively involved in politics who are reading EIRs and general plans and are way more up on "the news" than "the news".
I used to read comics and books. I used to have a TV hooked up, and I let it play during workouts (I'm not in as good shape now, but that's an okay tradeoff). I used to watch and read "the news", but then I got involved in the political process and "the news" ain't, and if I really want to know what's going on it's better to dig into the source material.
And my life is way better for having left those things behind.
posted by straw at 7:02 AM on March 7, 2016 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
In fact, I usually realize I'm depressed when I'm sitting at my desk, or on the couch, going over the (long, super long) list of things I could do to entertain myself and everything sounds like too much effort.
I'm not sure how much help that is, but that's the point I usually go and see a doc about some medication. That might not be your thing, which is cool, but it's been my go to solution. Worked like a charm so far...
(edit: a typo)
posted by sharp pointy objects at 12:18 PM on March 6, 2016 [5 favorites]