Thursday, May 29

Strange Things I do to Make Myself feel better

This isn't quite my usual topic choice, and I was a little torn between posting it or letting it fade into my rather extensive draft box. I've written so much over the past few weeks, yet none of it really feels right. However, coming up on my second week of vacancy, I decided I'd have to post something or risk the shame of having nothing to contribute to you guys. So, here goes!

   I was induced to write this after coming to the realization that some of my go-to-habits when I'm feeling depressed or distraught, are slightly eccentric. So, here's an ensemble of both my quirky oddities, and the things I'd recommend others try doing. 
Enjoy!







Research physiological facts
   Strangely enough, when I'm really having a hard time nothing makes me feel better than a nice book on the human brain, complete with psychological factors, emotional theories, and a thorough divesting of all that I thought was wholesome reality. Let me give you an example.
   Did you know, for instance, that the cerebrum, (located in the front area of the skull) is not only the largest part of the brain, but also makes up 85% of the brain’s weight? It's here that things like perception, imagination, thought, judgment, and decision making occur.
   Another interesting fact is that in teenagers, the part of the brain that controls reasoning and impulses, (known as the Prefrontal Cortex) doesn't fully develop until the age of 25. This is what makes it difficult for teens to hold back or control powerful emotions. The reason being that this crucial part of the brain is not fully connected.

 ✠ Listen to loud screamo and hardcore music
   Though personally I enjoy this genera of music anyway, I've come to the conclusion that during times of increased emotionality I tend to turn it on more frequently, (and louder) than I would otherwise tend to do. In my opinion, it has to do with the almost desensitizing nature of the music.
In general though, I believe most music has a similar comforting effect, regardless of the genera. 


 ✠ Thoroughly deep clean everything
   This is actually one quirk I benefit from in the end, much to my content. To break it down for you, I go into this frantic cleaning mode whenever I can't seem to keep my hands from shaking, and pretty much rip my room apart, starting it from scratch. I'll use toothbrushes to get into the deep groves of my window, the baseboards, and above my doors. I'll vacuum the floor for an hour, then follow it up by completely reorganizing my room and throwing half my belongings in the trash. Apart from the usual list: clean windows, dust ceiling, wash sheets and blinds, and replace all the pictures- I get even deeper than that.
I clean the window screen.
(This is the ultimate waste of time possible, as every scrub seems to be counter productive. It's like rubbing the dirt around in a circle.)

Become a makeup bummy
   This may sound strange, but applying makeup is actually one of the ways I relieve stress. Maybe it's the art of it, meaning the ability to completely reconstruct a simple face into a persona to hide whatever your feeling at the moment. It's bewitching, to take something so plain and simple, and turn it into something rapturously beautiful.
   Contouring, highlighting, concealing, shadowing, and pigmenting. There are so many ways to do just a simple look, it's incredible! The finality of it, also gives me quite a boost of self confidence, (if it turns out well), which leaves me feeling a lot more capable of handling whatever is going on at the moment. Because if my whole world is going to fall apart in the next few minutes, at least I look good, right?

 ✠ Pinterest frenzy
   I must confess... My most obvious reaction to anything bad is to conjure a mother-load of depressing pins and drown my followers in them. (I'd apologize, if not for the handy little button which enables you to un-follow me. Gotta love that button.)
   On a slight tangent, I think pinterest should really be described as a woeful addiction from reality, rather than a source of lighthearted clever minds gathering together to share ideas. It's almost second nature by now to pin ever whilynilly thing that takes my fancy, to the point that I sometimes alarm myself as I look through my recent pins.  
For example:

engagement picture. adorable.
The Doctor *gif*
& finally....
long leather wings. | BVB THINGS.

In what world do these actually correlate?
Unless I was subconsciously indicating that I wanted to marry Andy...
Which is not a bad idea.

   ✠ Go on long car rides just to stick your head out the window
   This works wonders. There is nothing like sticking your head out the window and enjoying a cool rush of air and bugs against your face as you fly across the countryside. It's both exhilarating and awakening. I love it when my hair whips back and forth in the wind, and my eyes are forced into squinty little slits to protect themselves from the turbulent of air gusting against them. Finding a bug in your lap also magically accelerates the flow of blood pumping through your veins.


  ✠ Make up long, dramatic speeches for enemies
   When am I not doing this, should really be the question. My mind lives in seven dimensions, all of which simultaneously exist within my conscience. One of them happens to be a land where poetic justice is accomplished against all those who have ever wronged me. I make up rather detailed scenarios in which I brutally outwit and shame all of the people I'd love to give a good reprimand to.
   Though my hate list isn't very lengthy, it's three pages deep and soaked in ink. When I make enemies, I make them well.

 ✠ Write
   You all are well aware of this, as I've posted quite a few, (to put it lightly) depressing entries over the course of my blogging life. It's become so frequent in fact, that my latest post actually addresses the the matter, which you can find here: Disclaimer.
   Someone once told me that the best way to defuse feelings and think more positively was to write. To this day, I have both understood and appreciated those words. Just pouring out your feelings onto the page, in a way, eases the weight of feeling them. It clears my head and provokes a more logical outlook on what is going on in my life. Being able to express my internal strife helps a great deal in reliving the internal tension abuzz inside.


 ✠ Talk about it
   I think the best source of comfort however, can be found in talking about how your feelings with someone you trust and depend upon. For me, this is usually my mom and my grandma. They both have heard an insane amount of venting from yours truly, and blessedly throughout it all, remain loving and attentive. Their advise and caution has become a source of wisdom that I depend upon in my life for both guidance and assurance that the world is not about to end because of one problem.
   Friends are also another great source to vent your feelings too. However, sometimes this can be a little more tricky, as finding someone you can trust explicitly under the title friend is sometimes not easy. I have found though, that good friends can be both unconditionally loving and compassionate, in any situation.

 ✠ Really focus on something
   In the past, this focus has been school. I'd take more classes, study longer and harder, and fill my brain to bursting with equations, formulas, and vocabulary; just to turn my thoughts to something other than my somber and self-pitying monologue. It worked pretty well too, this focus provided me with a strength I couldn't have found in mulling over my problems to the point of hysteria.
   Other such things beside school could entail reading, movies, jeweling, making music, graphic design, as well as sports. There really are so many different things to do in this world. The possibilities are nearly endless within our personal life spans.

 Yes.



   I hope you were able to discern between the rather ridiculous methods to make yourself feel better, and the more logical ones. Whatever the case though, I want to leave you with some final thoughts. Just do the things that make you happy! (Within the grounds of common sense). Understand that emotions are temporary, and that dwelling upon them wont resolve anything. Quite the contrary in fact.
Give yourself some time to grieve, then try and work past it, one small step at a time.



10 comments :

  1. When I can't deal with something I deep clean EVERYTHING. ;) I found myself nodding at most of this post going ''yeah, yeah, i do that.... yeah''.

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  2. Beautiful post. Enjoyed it immensely. Can relate on several of them. Just not the screamo! That provides the opposite to me of relaxation, it literally makes me tense! To each their own.

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  3. Love the last quote! Very nice post| :)

    ❤ ✿ MY BLOG ✿ ❤
    Rinako

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  4. This was a great post, I loved all of it xD

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  5. I love reading your writing, I think because it's a shout out to everyone that this is who you are and you're okay with it, and it's comforting to hear that I'm not the only one who does strange things...
    at any given moment.

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  6. Talk about it. Write about it. Do things that make you happy. Relax. Best ways to beat stress and general not feeling so fantastic.

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  7. "Make up long, dramatic speeches for enemies"
    When am I NOT doing this? Love the post. I also write when I'm upset as well :)

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  8. Beautiful post. A person I know also said that makeup is like art, and you describe it so well. Makeup can act like your mask in a masquerade. I don't wear makeup because I feel too young, but makeup is art.

    www.whimsicalyoungster.blogspot.com

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  9. I tend to clean obsessively when I am upset as well, I also do many of the other things on your list :)

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  10. physiology? You're a med student anyway :P
    Makeup? Can't, I'm a guy
    Screamo? Um, gives me a headache after a while?
    Pinterest? I'm trying to learn how to use that.
    I do all the rest too! Specially that drive thing, though my dad hides car keys because I drive fast then :D

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You don't have to read these posts. Because of that, I ask that you are respectful when disagreeing with my opinions. I appreciate your support and comments, thank you!