Ask HN: How do you manage downtime as a developer?

i've been working in software for almost 10 years with a stable, decent job. the work is interesting at times, the team is fine, and the company isn’t doing anything insane.

however i’m finding myself in a pattern that’s mentally exhausting: some weeks (or months), there’s no urgent focus, no clear priority, and no pressure. there’s work i could do — bugs, refactoring, docs—but nobody will notice if i do it or don’t. these aren’t vacation days, but they feel like slow-drain burnout zones.

weirdly,i’m not like this elsewhere. i have a side project where i can easily focus 8+ hours without much friction. but at my main job, staying focused feels like a mental grind. i’ve tried time-blocking, daily planning etc. - but i don’t stick with them in this foggy state. i tried working on expanding my knowledge, read a book on tcp/ip, build a webserver in a new language, but i cant seem to stick with it.

my current workaround: i commit to either doing work or literally doing nothing (staring at a wall if that what it takes). that has reduced the old youtube/scrolling guilt, but it’s draining and unsatisfying.

what mental frameworks or systems have helped you stay focused during long, low-pressure stretches?