Mind has gone blank

Sneaking in my daily post as the bath fills, my mind has gone quite blank. Just stared at the page for five minutes there.

This is news in itself! I am almost finished with the charity report and just need to write up one pub article and I am free until the World Cup (technically I owe them another two or three articles, but I can let it slide).

I feel better and better, I'm waking up and not having immediate stress creep in of you-have-to-do-this entering my mind. It's amazing how the days and your mind space fills up even when you're not working. I remember keeping myself sane during the slog of my dissertation by picturing a sabbatical of exercise, hanging out in the library reading sociology journals for fun, small cups of coffee in cafes, long walks, going to lectures, spending quality time with friends, fixing my record player, properly seasoning a new wok and generally acting like an enlightened, retired German. Some of this materialised but not very much - all of this blobby life stuff enters into the day/my mind and fills it up. Booze is one part of the problem, computers/the internet another, I think. My record player is still unfixed, I bought the new wok last year but it still sits in its wrapping.

But! The intellectual, computer-driven "makework" I've lumbered myself with is almost done. It's about a month to go before the World Cup, I think I am finally going to start properly enjoying this career break.

My next step is to massively decrease computer use - once I've finished these computer-led tasks, I'll try to limit myself to one quick session a day of checking emails, writing a quick blog and that's it. Will use the spare time reading books and getting a bit more fit. Making slow progress on the alcohol front, maybe knocking off 25% at present.