As mentioned yesterday, I’ve dropped games from my computer and phone, and am hoping to use that time for things that feel a bit more substantial — instrument practice, reading books, writing.

Podcasts, too. Again, I feel like I miss listening to music a bit, and I’d like to get back to it more.

And I’m already feeling that rub: almost an itch to distract myself with games and podcasts. I’m 100% aware that this is kind of snobbish. There’s nothing inherently worse about video games and podcasts than any other form of media. It’s strictly a personal take where I tend to feel “junk foody” about it, like I enjoy it at the time but don’t get any kind of long-term satisfaction from the exercise.

I’ve looked into therapy, and the provider for my company has kind of a self-directed CBT program on offer, which I’m happy to try — I’ve found in-person therapy to be kind of weak sauce in the past. A colleague’s recommended phone, but the CBT option looks interesting and paces well with my life, so I’m going to give that a month and see how it works for me.

It’s a beautiful day, too, which should help. The weather’s been pretty relentlessly bleak for the past few weeks, which I’m sure hasn’t helped much.