My anecdotal life experience as a person in their mid-forties: my happiness depends upon a balanced daily rhythm. And I need things I "have" to do to capture that rhythm. With too much free time I just fall apart. It feels good for about three days, maybe a week or two tops, but after that I need my schedule back.
I took 3 years off in my 20s. During that time, I had a checklist with like 5-7 things I was supposed to do each day. Stuff like Brush Teeth 2x, Say ‘Hi’ to a stranger, Go to Gym, Read for 45 minutes, walk for 60 minutes, etc. I would go to the library every Sunday and print out my checklist and then make a new one the next Saturday.
I’d take a picture of it each week and post it online with commentary on how the week was. Posted a bunch of them online here:
I find that I'm happiest when there are things I need to do, but there is little to no cost to deferring them and doing something else. In a situation like that you're always occupied, doing the most enjoyable thing at the moment.
The problem I have is if there are multiple projects I can work on, I have a difficult time figuring out which one I'd get the most enjoyment out of working on right now. Part of that is because there are parts of programming or design that is high stress, but the result is something to be proud enough where the mental boost from the result makes the stress worth while. But at the beginning it is hard to just start "something", and it gets harder if there are multiple "somethings" to choose from.
Same thing with watching TV. I used to be able to sit down and flip the TV on, with a choice of a handful of stations, and vegge out. Now with several streaming services I can sit there for an hour flipping through stuff to find something, and then turn the TV off because I can't decide on what is most worth my time "right now".
And it helps to have "work" that is hard but enjoyable. Then when you're working hard, you're looking forward to rest; and when you're resting, you're looking forward to work. And you throw in a lot of "play" too, if possible (for me, sport, relationships, etc.). So, whatever you're doing, you're enjoying what you're doing AND you're looking forward to something (work, rest, or play), which adds enjoyment to the present (work, rest, or play).
