After I get tired at the end of a day, I tend to waste my time doing pointless things - watching Netflix, refreshing Reddit, etc.<p>They are not productive and bring me no joy.<p>I'm looking for something fun/smart/useful/relaxing/healthy to do instead of that, something that doesn't require a lot of focus, mental energy, or will power.<p>Can you recommend something like that?
Exercise. It does wonders for your energy levels and your mental well-being. Plus it will make you feel you having done 'something useful' by the end of the day. The hardest part is getting out and starting - once you are busy, it is fun.<p>Otherwise, reading. If you have enough energy, read literary classics or non-fiction, the type that challenges you and/or teaches you new things. If you don't have enough energy, read something lighter - I am reading Alice's Adventures in Wonderland currently, for example, which is fun and relaxing. Finishing a book is a nice feeling, plus the mental focus on the story and on yourself can give rise to some nice insights on yourself, people, and the world.
Yu-Gi-Oh is more than a card game. It's fun and the way card effects can be chained together is a lot like programming in the corewars/redcode sort of way.<p>Others prefer to play Magic:The Gathering but after playing both we always end up going back to ygo.
Artistic activities might be a good option. That could be anything like painting, model airplanes, needlepoint, graphic design, interior design, to drawing. It will use a different part of your mind, generate a new skill and hobby, help you focus on something else, and can be totally offline if you want it to be. Plus if you end up doing a lot of whatever it is, you can sometimes sell what you're making.