[primitivesuave]

I had the same problem. After years of long work hours and debilitating stress as the CTO of a health tech company, I abruptly quit my job and traveled/decompressed for a year - it didn’t solve the problem. I was even more distracted and felt like I had lost my edge.

Through a serendipitous situation, I discovered Vipassana meditation. The 10 days of silence - no phone, no eye contact, no books/distractions - along with the surprisingly simple technique, yielded incredible results for me. Some of the other people meditating with me for 10 days were also tech executives. The tremendous power of mindfulness is something for each individual to experience for themselves.

The 10 day course is free, entirely funded by past students. (Dhamma.org)

I personally recommend staying away from ADHD medications if you don’t have severe attention deficit issues (e.g. inability to have even short conversations).

[andrei_says_]

I had a similar experience. Twelve days in the jungle, no looking at my phone, no reading, minimal conversation. Laying in a hammock, looking at the trees and listening to the insects and birds. Fasted a few days to reduce the distraction of food, too.

My brain switched to contemplation mode - deep presence, without distraction.

This was an Aya retreat, with plant dieta and ceremonies four nights a week. These were an important aspect but the isolation and fasting were the main component I think.

[andrewfromx]

did you have any close calls of thinking about giving up before the 10 days were over?