Endless Ends

[Endless_Night]

My mood is all over the place.

I wonder if this is why people get high?

Spoiler: I don't get high.
Contemplation: Maybe I should?
Reality: That is too much extra to think about.

 

[investor2020]

Enny . . . food for thought . . . personally I like #4

​

8 Quirky Ways to Boost Your Mood and Mental Health​

Key points

• Well-being can feel elusive during times of global mental health crisis.
• The twists and turns of the pandemic require us to be agile in our mindsets and behaviors.
• Creative, nontraditional self-care strategies can serve to complement our existing wellness routines, bolstering optimism, awe, and gratitude.

https://cdn.psychologytoday.com/sites/default/files/styles/article-inline-half-caption/public/field_blog_entry_images/2022-01/shutterstock_619390625.jpg?itok=W4FWFZDA
Unconventional times call for uncanny methods to nourish mental health.
Source: LoulouVonGlup/Shutterstock
Self-care during chaotic times can feel like trying to fill a bathtub with a leaky bucket and broken drain—and while blindfolded.
Gone are the days when relief can be mustered with a quick walk in the park or a simple mantra. The pandemic is forcing us to be warriors, with jarring disruption at every turn. Staying well feels like a full-time job.

Given the nature of what’s at hand, some creative approaches—backed by science—are warranted:

1. Worry less about what anyone thinks.​

This is stellar wisdom in general and the guiding principle when attempting to enact unconventional strategies. It’s better to risk looking foolish than feeling bad.

2. Find a metaphor that captures what you’re going through.​

Therapists are known for providing metaphors to help their patients explain phenomena, process emotions, and maneuver difficult circumstances. Creating abstractions can help us see stress from a different vantage point, enhance our ability to illustrate our emotions and experiences, and convey our needs.

3. Don’t shy away from humor.​

If you can’t crack up at times, you might crack. Humor is seen as a protective factor toward resilience. Being silly and irreverent can provide needed diffusion of tensions.

4. Embrace your weirdness.​

To get started on this one, I recommend reading Little Weirds by Jenny Slate. I’m obsessed with Jenny Slate like Boston sports fans are their teams. Her candor, wit, and artistry not only transcend but, in my view, also provide solid inspiration for writing. Consider drafting a short piece about an aspect of yourself that is weirdly wonderful, in true Slate fashion.

5. Strike up a conversation with a total stranger.​

Life is awkward, and the pandemic has hitched that up, with mask-wearing, distancing, and missing the majority of cues that we used to have access to when we could see actual human faces, and people weren’t cringing when they were within a 19-foot radius of us. Research shows that these micro-interactions can boost our mood and sense of belonging.
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6. Break into childhood songs and sounds.​

We all have them etched in our minds, and even if you don’t want to break them out in public, or on a Zoom call, these jingles and sounds can evoke positive memories and emotions that help provide a reprieve from all the seriousness of adult life.

7. Pull a nice prank.​

Send a rebuttal to mean TikTok prank culture and instead pick someone in your life to give a nice surprise. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture: a sticky note, funny meme, tiny act of service, affirmation, inside joke, and fun gag gifts all do the trick. Good surprises nourish our relationships and boost morale for both sender and receiver.

8. Create a mock commute.​

For those working remotely, few miss the perils of traffic and swerving texters, but there’s something to be said about consistent routine. Routines, rituals, and structure are highly valuable in our efforts to stay calibrated. Consider ways to create a simulated commute, such as taking a walk before logging in, listening to uplifting music and podcasts, or putting into play any mini rituals that can be repeated daily to fuel and prime the brain.

Maintaining mental health during jarring times is no easy feat. Keeping our creative juices flowing can help us implement unconventional self-care strategies that nourish well-being and help us to avoid being pulverized by the nonstop stress at hand. By cultivating awe and gratitude in our everyday lives, we can positively contribute to well-being. Start by picking one that seems the most fun and doable, and build your repertoire from there.

 

[Endless_Night]

Alas, little aside from a good rainstorm is likely to level my mood until September.

However, a couple of these did grab my attention.

7. Pull a nice prank.

Is there such a thing as a nice prank? Aren't they inherently mean spirited?

I'm not much of a prankster. In fact, I think I might hurt myself if I tried.

8. Create a mock commute.

Is this a thing?!

Surely not. Surely not one misses their commute. Not even for the routine! I will now spend part of the day wondering if this might true for some people.

 

[seela]

Is this a thing?!

Surely not. Surely not one misses their commute. Not even for the routine! I will now spend part of the day wondering if this might true for some people.

Yes, lots of people I know do this. The point isn’t to make an actual commute in traffic, or to recreate the commute you used to have, but to create a routine that you do before starting your remote work in the morning. It can help your brain make the transition from home mode to work mode, and the opposite at the end of the day.

Most people I know take a short walk.

 

[hotwords229_A]

Is there such a thing as a nice prank? Aren't they inherently mean spirited?

I'm not much of a prankster. In fact, I think I might hurt myself if I tried.

The next time your SO has his sexy friend over, you dress up and ask them how you look in your new outfit. When you turn to do the “how do I look” spin, all your clothes fall off, because they were prank clothes. You laugh and trot off totally nude, leaving your husband and his friend in state of delight and surprise.

This would be a nice prank. And it would be greatly appreciated by all.

 

[Apisto42]

This is a riot.

 

[Endless_Night]

Yes, lots of people I know do this. The point isn’t to make an actual commute in traffic, or to recreate the commute you used to have, but to create a routine that you do before starting your remote work in the morning. It can help your brain make the transition from home mode to work mode, and the opposite at the end of the day.

Most people I know take a short walk.

Huh. I am now wondering if I would be more productive with a morning transition routine.

 

[seela]

Huh. I am now wondering if I would be more productive with a morning transition routine.

My transition routine is getting out of the bed, putting on panties and a t shirt and plopping on the couch with the laptop.

I always want to start early so that I can get some actual work done before people start to bother me, so I’ll have breakfast while in/between meetings

 

[Endless_Night]

The next time your SO has his sexy friend over, you dress up and ask them how you look in your new outfit. When you turn to do the “how do I look” spin, all your clothes fall off, because they were prank clothes. You laugh and trot off totally nude, leaving your husband and his friend in state of delight and surprise.

This would be a nice prank. And it would be greatly appreciated by all.

I've typed three responses and none of them were adequate.

You've lost your mind!

 

[Endless_Night]

This is a riot.

 

[Apisto42]

My transition routine is getting out of the bed, putting on panties and a t shirt and plopping on the couch with the laptop.

I think I need to see a video of your routine to really understand the steps involved. Really study it and incorporate the meta ideas behind it.

I always want to start early so that I can get some actual work done before people start to bother me, so I’ll have breakfast while in/between meetings

Same. Back when I worked.

 

[Endless_Night]

My transition routine is getting out of the bed, putting on panties and a t shirt and plopping on the couch with the laptop.

Same!

Except I don't bother to change out of my sleep shirt.

 

[Endless_Night]

I always want to start early so that I can get some actual work done before people start to bother me, so I’ll have breakfast while in/between meetings

Now that I think of it, back when I was in lab, I would often roll in around six. That way I could get some work done in the peace and quiet before everyone rolled in a couple of hours later.

 

[Apisto42]

Well, there goes the rest of my day for getting anything productive done.

 

[Qky75]

Well, there goes the rest of my day for getting anything productive done.

You can still work inside

 

[seela]

I think I need to see a video of your routine to really understand the steps involved. Really study it and incorporate the meta ideas behind it.

It’s for science, right?

Same!

Except I don't bother to change out of my sleep shirt.

Now there’s an idea. Maybe I should start sleeping with clothes on to further streamline the mornings

 

[hotwords229_A]

Now there’s an idea. Maybe I should start sleeping with clothes on to further streamline the mornings

Or work in the nude, even better!
Just remember before you click on that video conference.

 

[seela]

Or work in the nude, even better!
Just remember before you click on that video conference.

 

[hotwords229_A]

You've lost your mind!

You asked what a nice prank would be and I provided a great one.

 

[AmberLGreen]

My mood is all over the place.

I wonder if this is why people get high?

Spoiler: I don't get high.
Contemplation: Maybe I should?
Reality: That is too much extra to think about.

Sometimes I think we just need to embrace the mood. Our brains need to feel those different emotions. They keep us balanced.

For a nice prank, you could do a video of you dancing dressed all in black in total darkness with a couple of those very weak glow sticks around your head and title it “Enny’s naked interpretive midnight dance”. Send it to @hotwords229_A and @Apisto42

Leave the sound on it though so they can get the full experience

 

[Apisto42]

I’d watch that.

 

[hotwords229_A]

Sometimes I think we just need to embrace the mood. Our brains need to feel those different emotions. They keep us balanced.

For a nice prank, you could do a video of you dancing dressed all in black in total darkness with a couple of those very weak glow sticks around your head and title it “Enny’s naked interpretive midnight dance”. Send it to @hotwords229_A and @Apisto42

Leave the sound on it though so they can get the full experience

Yes! This!

Amber, you should make a video too, so she knows exactly what you mean.

 

[AmberLGreen]

Yes! This!

Amber, you should make a video too, so she knows exactly what you mean.

Great idea. I will send my video to Enny.

You are a genius

 

[Endless_Night]

Well, there goes the rest of my day for getting anything productive done.

You can still work inside

I don't get it. Is it raining?

It really annoys me the update took away my confused emoji.

 

[Qky75]

I don't get it. Is it raining?

It really annoys me the update took away my confused emoji.

That's what I was talking about