Instead of games, I sometimes like to look at aspects of mental health. Such as . . .
How do you get rid of sadness?
The cynical side of me says, "You don't." But one way to lessen sadness is to mute that cynical voice, which I've been working at for years. So shut up, brain.
First, let's detail some ways sadness and depression differ.
Sadness Vs. Depression
Sadness is temporary. Depression is always there.
Sadness is normal, and often a necessary feeling. Sadness can tell me that something is wrong and I need to fix it. Depression is not normal, and is not a necessary feeling. Depression tells me that everything is wrong and there's no way to fix it.
Sadness can be soothed with a hot bath and a good cry. Depression may soften with a hot bath and a good cry, but then it will want another cry, and another, until I'm unable to cry. Depression can't be soothed, only made tepid for a while.
Sadness is like a neighbor who sometimes knocks on the door. Depression is like a ghost who's always there, floating in the background.
So how to get rid of sadness?
Change the way I think
Like, my brain automatically defaults to negativity and anxiety. I need to think like a different person. How do I make myself into a new person?
Go on a mini vacation
Recently, that meant driving to a state park an hour away. I literally needed to get away from it all. Get away from my office, my bedroom, my gaming corner. Get away from work, for sure. And it worked.
Instead of sadness and fear, I felt peace in the beautiful park. I watched waterfalls and found a big salamander. I saw wildflowers such as trillium and Dutchman's breeches and bluish violets. I even caught tadpoles in my hand, with my son.
The point is, by placing myself in a different and natural environment, with no immediate stressors I may find at home, I was able to find peace, if only for a half a day.
Create my own religion
I am, actually. Technically, it's for my (second) novel, which features a cult. The cult needs a belief system, and I've had a lot of fun coming up with one that's part self-help, part woo, and part magic. Hell, I'm trying it out myself. If it works, I'll take it.
Other strategies
There are plenty of other strategies, such as talking with someone or meditating. Hell, I even wrote an article about what to do when the meds and therapy don't work.
The problem I find with so many coping strategies is that they're hard to institute when I'm down or anxious. When I'm overcome with sadness, or worse, depression, I find it very difficult to focus on much of anything, let alone meditation. And I don't want to reach out for help, such as calling a friend, even though I know it helps.
One day, I couldn't shake my sadness. I walked in nature, ran two miles, ate healthy, wrote in my journal, meditated, prayed to my Higher Power, and even played some Shining Force II. At the end, I was just as down as when I started.
A very productive day can sometimes leave me feeling confident and accomplished. Other times, no matter how accomplished I am, I still feel empty.
I try to make the most of my time.
As I age, I'm very aware of my limited time, and how I need to maximize the time I do have, as well as create extra time, to do the things I think are important. I have a hard time "just chilling" if I haven't already earned that time by being productive.
However, I have to wonder if this is backfiring. For example, if I'm not "doing something," I feel guilty, and when I'm sad, I don't want to "do anything," so the cycle of guilt stirs right into the sadness.
I can see that I can't be productive all the time, and I need to be okay with that. I can see that I'm lonely. Should probably go to UU and make some friends or something. Or, you know, talk to people at work. Such is the life of an INFJ.
Got an Atari 400 Mini in the mail, and I don't give half a crap. How sad is that?
I performed a ritual during the solar eclipse. I let go of negative things and charged crystals with positive things. When will it start working?
I quit Abilify, because it made me feel awful in many ways. Some of this anxiety and sadness could be withdrawal. In that case, it will all be gone soon. Right. Right?
Depression from a somewhat Buddhist perspective
When I'm depressed, I'm sad that I'm depressed.
From a more Buddhist perspective, when I'm depressed, I feel bad, so I don't want to be depressed. However, my aversion to the feeling of sadness only creates more sadness.
The solution to this is to stop wishing you weren't depressed.
From this perspective, the solution to sadness is to live in the moment. Then, you are no longer fighting against the sadness, but accepting each moment with it. And since you are living in every moment of your life, you can do this any time.
You're likely already aware that living in the moment is easier to imagine than execute. Like any skill, it takes practice. And when you're down, it can be hard to summon the energy for a breathing exercise or going outside.
Sometimes you just have to survive another day
And tomorrow, you may wake up feeling better. This happens. So keep surviving, even if it sucks.
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