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Thread: How do you cheer yourself up after a crummy day?

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    Default How do you cheer yourself up after a crummy day?

    I've had run of crummy days and I'm out of ideas. It feels as if everything I do goes pear-shaped. And I don't really like pears.

    Pen related: I already ordered a pen this week (for Christmas), but the ink that was ordered to go with it was back-ordered, drats. I did the grownup response and chose a different ink which will be a gift for someone else. Sigh.

    What do you do to cheer yourself up? (Preferably, but not limited to, simple, inexpensive and plague friendly.)
    It's all about the greys...

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    Default Re: How do you cheer yourself up after a crummy day?

    For Deb and I, our lives are pens: buying, selling and writing about them. The best part of that is repair and restoration. I'll save them up and award myself a day of pen work. I can turn my head off, forget all my worries and concerns and lose myself in the restoration. Of course there may be a little marital disharmony over who gets to do this batch...

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    Default Re: How do you cheer yourself up after a crummy day?

    I thought of 3 things that help me, ranked for the severity of the crap day.

    normal to crummy day: a reasonable amount of alcohol, then I listen to standup comedy in the shower. (A comedy shower is part of my basic daily self-care, with or without the booze.) Go to bed early, with a physical book if I'm not sleepy yet.

    rough day: get lost in a low-stakes activity that occupies most of my brains: Sudoku, a crossword, video games some times. Go to bed early, write in the morning. It's hard to write in this situation but if I can make myself do it it really helps get to the root of what's making my days shitty.

    brutal day: Phone a sibling. I learned this by accident-- I noticed I feel immeasurably better after a chat with one of my 3 sibs. I'm fortunate to have strong healthy relationships with all 3. This one is a sure shot. I don't even necessarily burden them with my troubles (not trying to be a vampire.) 20-60 minutes chatting with someone who cares about me has turned out to be the very best medicine.

    I try to avoid doomscrolling. It's a good way to lose myself for a while but it's poison.

    good luck, maybe some of this will be helpful.

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    Default Re: How do you cheer yourself up after a crummy day?

    I don't currently own a dog, so now my answer is to tend to my plants, get my hands on some soil. It's winter where I live now, so I'm limited to indoor plants, but still. And maybe scream along with Elton John through the speakers. Or to Estimated Prophet. Or to Behind Blue Eyes. Or to.... You get the picture....

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    Default Re: How do you cheer yourself up after a crummy day?

    I sit by water: ocean, lake, river, stream... it helps. These days i live on a tidal strait. There isn’t much in terms of waves, but i feel better if i sit on a bench in the park and take in the salt air and watch the ships come and go.

    I still kick myself for leaving a place 200m from a beach. Back then i’d walk the length of the beach— only 1km — and watch the sunset.

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    Default Re: How do you cheer yourself up after a crummy day?

    1. Try to forget my problems by helping someone else
    2. Watch youtube videos of video-game playing
    3. Play Asherons Call
    4. Write my bad feelings out with my fountain pen, then burn the paper in the grill. FP Ink makes pretty colors!!
    5. Watch futuristic songs about previous decades by Boards of Canada
    Last edited by Detman101; November 25th, 2020 at 12:02 PM.
    "I can only improve my self, not the world."

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    Default Re: How do you cheer yourself up after a crummy day?

    I read Ellen Langer's work on being mindful. I came to realize how much I either lived in the past or in the future. I choose the present. My tatoo is a mindfulness symbol. Then, I came to realize all that really mattered was my family, friends, and community. If I am focused on them, nothingn else matters.

    I also came to realize I cannot control what others say or do.

    I was introduced to the concept of choosing the "harder right over the easy wrong" which has never been more important for Americans to practice. My apologies to those outside the US because many of you have been doing this all along.
    Last edited by Chuck Naill; November 25th, 2020 at 09:42 AM.

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    Default Re: How do you cheer yourself up after a crummy day?

    I am very familiar with crummy days having spent the better part of the last 18 months in and out of hospital and week after weekof IV drips. How did I deal with it? I dealt with in my head.

    Firstly, I put it in perspective. Was it getting better was there something I coild do to make it better. Call it seeking 'positivity' -- ways to can make things better even if only on an emotional level.

    Secondly, rather than spending my time worrying or even thinking about what I could not change, I tried to use that time doing something productive that I liked (and could do while stuck in bed, I focused on reading the works of the 'king of paradox', GK Chesterton.

    Finally, there's one thing that has always carried me through hard times, pain, and sorrow. That has been my faith and my religion. I pray knowing that all prayers are answered.

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    Default Re: How do you cheer yourself up after a crummy day?

    Quote Originally Posted by An old bloke View Post
    I am very familiar with crummy days having spent the better part of the last 18 months in and out of hospital and week after weekof IV drips. How did I deal with it? I dealt with in my head.

    Firstly, I put it in perspective. Was it getting better was there something I coild do to make it better. Call it seeking 'positivity' -- ways to can make things better even if only on an emotional level.

    Secondly, rather than spending my time worrying or even thinking about what I could not change, I tried to use that time doing something productive that I liked (and could do while stuck in bed, I focused on reading the works of the 'king of paradox', GK Chesterton.

    Finally, there's one thing that has always carried me through hard times, pain, and sorrow. That has been my faith and my religion. I pray knowing that all prayers are answered.
    I've enjoyed Chesterson's thoughts. I find that I am more evidenced based than classical religion based on fantasy and wishful thinking. It would be wonderful if folks would live by the teachings they claim to hold as true. Sadly, religion has resulted in much human misery.

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    Default Re: How do you cheer yourself up after a crummy day?

    LSD has never failed me yet.
    Vintage. Cursive italic. Iron gall.

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    Default Re: How do you cheer yourself up after a crummy day?

    Sounds artifical.

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    Default Re: How do you cheer yourself up after a crummy day?

    If I've had a particularly crummy day, I create new user accounts with "clever" sarcastic names and then I "thank" a lot of posts... lol

    Seriously, I play guitar. I'm not really very good, but I like manipulating the strings and hearing the sounds that come out.

    Having retired not quite a year ago, I seldom have crummy days anymore.

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    Default Re: How do you cheer yourself up after a crummy day?

    Music or movie if not in too bad a mood. Sleep to kind of reset. Breaking down boxes by ripping them apart if pissed.

    I am finally realizing a walk or bike ride can help me feel better. Now if I could just get myself to *do* it...

    I admit sometimes a shot of whiskey or Scotch or glass of red wine dials back the irritation enough to explore some music or fire up that movie. Generally don't do much of that these days.

    Some days I just have to process through it for awhile and just feel the feels.

    Talking about it usually helps. Getting it outside of my head, like.

    Tinkering in the garage on some project or other is meditative.

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    Default Re: How do you cheer yourself up after a crummy day?

    Reading a good book....
    Eft or "tapping" helps a bit and takes the edge off.....
    And writing with a dip pen...... it's meditative...

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    Default Re: How do you cheer yourself up after a crummy day?

    AZkid, music is great. Easy jazz and the big band music of the 1930s, 40s, and early 50s in particular are relaxing.

    'Music is emotion "painted" with sound. ECh note by each instrument is a brush stroke.' So said an associate of mine, Paul Stemple.
    Last edited by An old bloke; November 25th, 2020 at 03:07 PM.

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    Default Re: How do you cheer yourself up after a crummy day?

    I have noticed that doing something that creates a positive change in relatively short amount of time can make you feel better. Something you can complete in a couple of hours. It helps if it is a relatively thinking free and physical activity (for example, I love chopping firewood).

    Today I cleaned my place a bit and re-arranged some of the furniture between the rooms to create a visible change in the state of things around me (feeling of control) and also, a feeling of accomplishment. Took out a ton of trash too.

    Cooking can achieve this also, it is in a way a form of therapy for me, as in, most of the time I don’t really have to think about it that much... although I have to say that it is immensely more rewarding if you cook for others (my pack is sadly still split between continents due to Covid-19).

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    Default Re: How do you cheer yourself up after a crummy day?

    Mana said, 'my pack is sadly still split between continents due to Covid-19.'

    This is something we share. We were planning on an entire family Christmas with family (who live on two different continents) being together for the first time in a very long time. In fact, for the first time every for the youngest generation.

    Sadly, this won't happen this year.

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    Default Re: How do you cheer yourself up after a crummy day?

    Sometimes, a Paris Brest or a really good chocolate. French patisserie and chocolate gives you the sugar rush but also has fantastic flavour. If in summer, ice cream (home made or Ben + Jerrys). But it only works if you savour the treat, really pay attention to eating it and enjoy it properly.

    Sometimes I need Thomas Tallis' Spem in Alium, or if things are desperate, O nata lux. There's something about this music that reaches into my soul and straightens things out a bit.

    Sometimes chat with friends on Facebook or phone for a little 'hugs' and sympathy.

    And sometimes chopping carrots or wood, or painting something easy. Repetitive and slow action can really help de-stress. Walking, too.

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    Default Re: How do you cheer yourself up after a crummy day?

    I've reflected on this AM on the past two years and won't bore anyone with the details except to say that it's been transitional.

    I've had days of intense worry because I didnt know how things would work out. I only had my dreams with which to hold to. During this time, my family and friends were and still are a source of encouragement.

    As I reflect on the American holiday, I am both thankful for what happened and perhaps more thankful for what did not happen. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo summed it up best for what didn't happen soon after the election ended...."welcome back America".

    Some pray and some do not, but I will say that there are times when we are delighted our prayers were not answered.

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    Default Re: How do you cheer yourself up after a crummy day?

    There are a few meditative practices that I've been engaged with for quite a long time now (>25 years), but if I want to take the simplest route I do so by putting myself in a blue space.

    Although mostly this kind of thing helps me to let go of stuff that is creating suffering for me, over the next few weeks I want to alter this practice to include metta (positive energy and kindness to others) for the populations around the world who are struggling with the pandemic, and in light of the nature of this forum, for Jon Szanto, Farmboy (Todd) and others of our group who are about to go into lockdown in SoCal. My apologies if I cannot recall the names of other members who live in that region.

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