re: Anyone find it hard to relax and have fun?

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Gotta make a conscious effort to be present and slow it down.

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This is so simple yet so true.

I see hypertension and heart problems before age 40 in your future.

Have you considered the possibility that your GF and her stories aren’t actually funny? Before trying any drugs try talking to an actual funny person and see if that helps. A man, perhaps?

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been having anxiety lately, doing shite at work I don't like, but lately I dread getting out of bed even when I know I have nothing stressful on tap for the day

interesting the number of people saying "That's me" in this thread

I wonder what fraction of the population is suffering with it.

Like I read in the Family Circus comic strip a long time ago, most stuff you worry about doesn't turn out that bad and most of the stuff you should have worried about blindsides you anyway. I know that is the case and I still do what I do.

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Exactly the same here my baw

We live in a dysfunctional society that promotes Consumerism, and structures our life around it. We wake up, first thing in The morning and separate from our families, then go to a job to maintain all the things society tells us we need, and it causes stress. Most of us then use some form of coping mechanism, media, food, porn, alcohol, drugs, workaholism. Workaholism is just societies most accepted coping mechanism, Many of us use all of these in different amounts, and as coping mechanisms.

We depend on these mechanisms, they are priority, that means they get in the way of things that should be priority, like family. Your family can’t be a priority whenever these mechanisms are so important and intertwined intertwined in our lives. His example of his partner is perfect. He knows that he needs to be listening to her, giving supportive feedback, but he can’t, he’s thinking about cutting the grass, or just pointing out the errors of her ways.

Hunting and fishing are at times slow, so it gives us the opportunity to be aware of the present, but this can be done with anything, just as any activity can be turned into one that feeds into workaholism, like David Goggins.

Just try to sit somewhere‘s with no intentions for 30 minutes, not engaged in anything else. Not intentionally thinking about the future or the past. Most people can’t do it

Op I recommend these books for you,

Eckhart Tolle, the power of now. It’s about ego attachments in the present moment.

Annie Grace, A naked mind. It’s about alcohol addiction but most of the book can be interchange with any coping mechanism. Much of the book is about confirmation bias, and subconscious thought.
This book could be exchange for Joe Murphy’s the subconscious mind.

The entirety of Gabor Mates work, and the book he co-authored, hold onto your kids. It really illuminates how we were raised, how we are raising our kids, and how we project our issues onto to our families.

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I don't know how old you are but I can tell you for whatever reason, when I hit about 35 everything changed. I slowed down big-time and generally stopped giving a frick. It's been very liberating and I've been much happier. From the time I was born up until that age I was an extremely intense individual. It was exhausting. I made everybody miserable around me.

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Glad to hear you turned the corner at such a young age. I'm 41 and mine is at an all time high. Exhausting is the best word I can use to describe it. I stay mentally and physically exhausted but my brain will not turn off or slow down.

We’re all going to die and none of that stuff you’re worried about is going to matter. It’s where you go next that matters. Jesus saves!

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Example if the GF is trying to tell me a funny story about something she messed up on, my mind instantly goes to why she didn't think it through first and not messed up in the first place. Even for petty things.

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in fairness women aren't funny so you really just have to play along until the end