To Combat Feeling Awful, Part 1

I feel miserable right now, and I have no ability to make the situation go away. So, I'm going to apply some battlefield medical tactics to the situation and see if I can cheer myself up. Hopefully it will do the same for you, as well, if you are indeed feeling as awful as I.

1. An Encouraging Word:  Favorite, upbeat, or plain old encouraging bible verses or quotes are always good for making your sinking heart feel a little less down. I first surf Quotes of the Day to find a daily generated list of four quotes that just might make me feel a bit better. Today's Quotes (all quite funny [excluding the third, perhaps]; hey, one's even the Brigadier from Doctor Who!)
   
   Hell is full of musical amateurs.
   George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950)
   
   
   Just once, I wish we would encounter an alien menace that wasn't immune to bullets.
   Unknown, Brigader Lethbridge-Stewart in "Dr. Who" 
   
   
   Any war that requires the suspension of reason as a necessity for support is a bad war.
   Norman Mailer (1923 - 2007), Armies Of The Night  
   
   
   Bore, n.: A person who talks when you wish him to listen.
   Ambrose Bierce (1842 - 1914), The Devil's Dictionary
   
   I also try BibleGateway.com, because, they not only have a verse a day (the websites of Air1 and KLove also do, by the way), but free, search-able access to a myriad of versions of the bible, and I can search whatever verse I'd like to. Heck, I could read a whole passage or book if I wanted to! But I'm cutting it kind of close with this post as it is, so a single verse will have to do.

“Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done.” 1 Chronicles 16:8 NIV

1.  Listening to Soul-Healing Music (even if it's Black Betty): Though I recommend listening to Christian music, at least a song that reminds you of God perspective of the situation, sometimes rocking to the Foo Fighter's "Everlong" or singing along to "Musicbox" by Regina Spektor is really, really good for your soul. For me right now, I try playing Black Betty by RamJam over and over again (sorta visualizing the two things that pop in my head when I hear that song--the first time I heard the song, while driving int he car with my aunt long ago, and that scene in the TMNT movie where Raphael gets his shell kicked by a little red Tasmanian devil thing, while the song rages in the background). Next stop, Owl City! (You know, I think I should post about my favorite Soul-Food sorta music sometime; anyway, owl City is somewhere at the top of the list. It's like listening to rainbows and fuzzy kittens and Edward Scissorhands [which, for some reason his song "Plant Life" reminds me of...]. Seriously.) So go ahead; feed your soul.
   
   Air1, KLove, and tons of other sites can give you online music (though, not all free or Christian like the two afore mentioned) to jam to all day and night. Pandora, Youtube, Napster, CDs, Ipods, the world is filled with sound! Speaking of which, after you're done with listening to music, I recommend you consider taking out the earbuds or pulling off the head phones and sitting outside, or going for a walk, something to get you outside for a little bit. The world is chock full of sounds, and not all of them are unpleasant and clamorous. Birds, cars, people talking in the distance, other people's music (i mentioned all this in my other post, "The Carving of Life" [ooh, ccontinuity! ;P]), sometimes that's kind of music in and of itself. Or quiet. silence in an increasingly voluminous world. Whatever your situation, one of these solutions can and will no doubt suit you. So give it a try! Music is good. Very, very good.



2. Getting Work Done: A tough but reliable solution. If checking some pressing task off your daily check list of ungodly length isn't therapeutic, I don't know what is. I'm making some attempt to do so right now via NaNoWriMo, Christmas planning, work, and blog posting.



3. Daydreaming: Thinking about what your future may look like at its optimal, creating a new story, art piece, math formula, method of planting thistles, etc., or just thinking thoughts that make you feel good and/or are productive for the future, near or far, is just a good way to cut loose and make yourself feel like life can, indeed, go on in a very good sort of way. I file it away for later, but vow to come back to it before the night's end.



4. Thinking Good Thoughts: Go ahead, give yourself compliments, make yourself feel good about being you! It's better than the alternative. I go into the bathroom to find the nearest mirror and tell myself "You've got this." Much more effective than it gets credit for.



5. Prayer: He may not give you what you want, but He'll always give you what you need. And sometimes, that need is a miraculous solution. Other times, it's simply a warm, comforting, indescribable presence and a listening ear. Praying for someone else is also very reparative to the soul. I let Him know how I feel. And I feel better.



6. Being Creative and/or Doing Something You Love: Bringing something new into this world, something that wasn't there before, has an amazingly healing effect on the human mind and soul. It can be anything so long as it is your thing. Trying something new, doing something old and beloved, either is good, just do something that comes from within you. Art, Writing, music, gardening, typing, etc. Alternatively, just go do something that you love and call me in 10 minutes. It feel good, doesn't it? You feel waaaay better than before, and you're probably much more ready to take on tasks and challenges. But what if you have no time to do, well, anything, you say? Just do it for 10 minutes. Time yourself. Come back. Do whatever you have to do for a bit (10, 20, 30 minutes...) . Go back and forth if you must, just do something to make yourself smile so you can get back to work feeling a little bit better inside. Me? I just wrote a blog post. Here goes nothing...

(Continues in Part 2...)

(...when I write a part 2... ;D)