hummingwolf (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
hummingwolf) wrote2002-05-30 10:23 am
hummingwolf) wrote2002-05-30 10:23 am
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Things That Keep You Sane
I sent this to a mailing list in Jan. 2001, may as well post it here too....
When life is at its worst, what things keep you sane? Or, if you've never been sane, what things at least keep you from committing suicide and/or homicide?
Here are mine:
Movement. No matter how tired I get, I feel compelled to move--I hate sitting still for very long and become exceedingly cranky if forced to do so. You do *not* want to see me when I've got a sprained ankle.
Communication. I love e-mail, chats, and real life conversations, but often the best thing is a phone call lasting hours at a time, where I can hear a friendly voice but don't have to deal with the other person's reactions to the expressions on my face. Sometimes it helps to talk to someone who understands what I'm going through; sometimes it is better to talk to someone who doesn't have a clue and doesn't pretend to. Sometimes I need to talk about my problems with someone who cares about me; sometimes I need to hear about anything not related to my life or my problems, to know that the world does not revolve around me.
Some creative outlet. When my health was at its worst, this was limited to drawing random lines in a graphics program and tracing around them to form maze-like patterns which were pretty painful to look at. I would do this for hours at a time. I had to.
Reading. When I could barely focus my eyes or my thoughts (and that only with intense migraine pain), there were days when I could read only about eight or ten pages. I still had to read *something*, had to try to fill my head with thoughts that weren't my own.
Listening to music. I fear for the lives of all those around me should I ever lose my hearing.
Chocolate. Dark chocolate truly is a food of the gods.
Trees. I love trees. I never knew how much I loved trees until a few years ago when I spent a week at my brother's place, a then-new development with only a few tiny little baby trees. I *hated* it. I do not know how to express the intense relief I felt when I moved again to a place with trees. I love trees.
When life is at its worst, what things keep you sane? Or, if you've never been sane, what things at least keep you from committing suicide and/or homicide?
Here are mine:
Movement. No matter how tired I get, I feel compelled to move--I hate sitting still for very long and become exceedingly cranky if forced to do so. You do *not* want to see me when I've got a sprained ankle.
Communication. I love e-mail, chats, and real life conversations, but often the best thing is a phone call lasting hours at a time, where I can hear a friendly voice but don't have to deal with the other person's reactions to the expressions on my face. Sometimes it helps to talk to someone who understands what I'm going through; sometimes it is better to talk to someone who doesn't have a clue and doesn't pretend to. Sometimes I need to talk about my problems with someone who cares about me; sometimes I need to hear about anything not related to my life or my problems, to know that the world does not revolve around me.
Some creative outlet. When my health was at its worst, this was limited to drawing random lines in a graphics program and tracing around them to form maze-like patterns which were pretty painful to look at. I would do this for hours at a time. I had to.
Reading. When I could barely focus my eyes or my thoughts (and that only with intense migraine pain), there were days when I could read only about eight or ten pages. I still had to read *something*, had to try to fill my head with thoughts that weren't my own.
Listening to music. I fear for the lives of all those around me should I ever lose my hearing.
Chocolate. Dark chocolate truly is a food of the gods.
Trees. I love trees. I never knew how much I loved trees until a few years ago when I spent a week at my brother's place, a then-new development with only a few tiny little baby trees. I *hated* it. I do not know how to express the intense relief I felt when I moved again to a place with trees. I love trees.
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Dom told me to make a list of everything i love to do and everything that makes me feel good and put it in a prominent place for when i get the blues. i didn't. but it's a good idea.
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I used to be surprised, sometimes I'd be feeling really really low complete with angst and drama, and all I had to do was spend like 20 minutes with my roommate (who I wasn't particularly close to) listening to the Buzzcocks, and I was totally fine after that! So, while I find that the occasional Dark Night of the Soul is inevitable (and valuable), some of these can be ameliorated into Mini-Dark Nights of the Soul.