I’m a burned out academic leaving the field. I’d like to learn something new as a means of recovery and healing from the trauma (edit: narcissm, lack of human connection, intense funding cuts resulting in competition, less focus on students in recent years and instead on metrics). So, what should I learn (edit: that might help recovery from the aforementioned) What do you recommend and where could I start? I’m not looking for career advice, just crowdsourcing new things to learn and experience.
That’s it. That’s my ask.
Edit: Added some context.
What are your current living circumstances? As in, are you in a city, a suburb, or rural area? And do you have financial security and potentially a surplus?
I ask since many hobbies and things to learn could cost money, space, or both. When I used to be in a congested city with no financials, things I’d learn were mostly computer based: writing stories on LaTeX, making a html portfolio, etc. Later, I got into building and flying RC airplanes which truly takes my mind off things and gives a relaxation feeling while flying. Now, I attend various seminars and lectures of different disciplines since it’s a no-pressure way of learning random cool stuff.