IDK this whole men on this site need advice thing has convinced me that people here really think this isn't a safe place to ask questions about how to, IDK, be?. So ask them here I guess if you didn't ask them in the other thread.
I'm drunk and going to sleep now, but I have the day off tomorrow and will sincerely commit to effort-posting responses if anyone has genuine questions they want some in depth advice to.
I will say I'm just a guy who thinks he has enough trips around the sun to have some insight to share but I am not an authority on anything, so anyone else please feel free to chime in
Something that’s made a difference for me is making a distinction between activities that make me feel good/happy and activities that increase mastery of a skill (hopefully that also makes you feel good/happy). Usually when I’m down I try to fill my time with the former in the hopes that I’ll feel better but as anyone with clinical depression can tell you sometimes the good things just don’t feel good. Since I’ve drawn the distinction and started putting more effort into hobbies that ‘better’ me as a person over time I tend to feel better during those hollow down times because I still have the feeling of progression that gives fulfillment.
One of my favorite things to do is get stoned as shit and watch 80s creature features. Which is great but eventually you realize you’ve just spent a chunk of your life on the couch watching television. I still do that too but now I make time to work on my garden and go to the gym as well. But also definitely see a psych for some of those preemo meds while you’re at it too. The happy pills don’t hurt (except when they absolutely do)