💾 Archived View for midnight.pub › replies › 4475 captured on 2023-03-20 at 20:49:35. Gemini links have been rewritten to link to archived content

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

A couple things have been helpful to me in times of above-average concern/frustration/anger/depression:

1) Being literally, absolutely "here/now" by working at redirecting all straying attention/thoughts back to only what I can sense of my immediate surroundings this very moment. E.g., a thought strays to work or something idiotic someone else did or how the parents never seemed to be there when really needed... <abrupt phonograph needle across vinyl record grooves sound> NOPERS! Attention back to how the right sock isn't on completely straight, to that TV remote over there.. oh, look at the interesting reflection off its surface in and amongst its buttons! <thoughts to some shit from yesterday and/or apprehension about a too-mentally-vivid negative event> <BZZZT! MORE 'O THAT VINYL SOUND> Ahhh... so THAT'S where that pen has been! And what great timing of the Blue Jay landing on the weather vane! <thoughts about some really dumb shit in a reply from ~inquiry> <BZZZT!> Phone looks overly smudgey.. how did that stink bug get in? <but remaining here/now instead of theorizing about it>

2) My wife repeatedly telling me "you're not that different from everyone else", which lowers anguish from "HOW COME THIS SHIT HAPPENS TO ME AND ONLY ME AND NEVER ANYONE ELSE AND OH WHOA IS I/ME/MINE!" to "Hey, turns out I'm pretty normal after all!"

Write a reply

Replies

~rusty wrote (thread):

Ahah, I definitely try hard to stay present and distract myself with "here and now" stuff when I get too frustrated, so I too can confirm that's a good method!

Now I just need myself a wife...