On the morning of 18th August, Til Schünemann was invited to a short-notice one-on-one meeting with his manager, which was unusual. He suspected what was coming, and he was right: the company was restructuring, and he was being let go, along with many others. Still in his six-month probation period, he was placed on paid leave for two more weeks. It was the first time in roughly 10 years of working that he had lost a job. He had seen colleagues and whole departments go through it, but never himself.
Shortly after, he fell ill. He believes it was a Covid infection. He had no respiratory symptoms, but felt low energy, joint pain and stiffness, and a lingering cough. The illness appears to have triggered an autoimmune condition he already had. For three weeks he could barely manage even small tasks, until a specialist ordered blood work and tests so his medication could be adjusted. He was then put on cortisone, which relieved his symptoms almost immediately. Cortisone suppresses the immune response, which helps when the body attacks itself, but it is not meant for long-term use and carries many potential side effects.
With his health restored, Schünemann turned to the question of what comes next. He reflected on how he wants to live at 40, 50, 60 and beyond, and concluded that while he cannot force his fate, he can make conscious decisions each day. He cleaned his apartment, discarded clutter, made lists, planned meals, fixed broken things and tackled long-postponed tasks. The work felt incredibly rewarding.
However, he soon noticed side effects: restlessness, a racing heart, an inability to sit still and a mind jumping from thought to thought. He described feeling manic, a state he admits he partly enjoyed for its productivity, even as its toll became clear.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing