1. Bjørnar Munkerud

    Bjørnar Munkerud Senior Member

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    The things that help us handle adversity

    Discussion in 'The Lounge' started by Bjørnar Munkerud, Jul 25, 2014.

    I caught myself (pun intended) mumbling words from Paramore's song "Turn it Off" when I was exhausted while playing tennis with my dad in the heat quite recently. The lyrics I sang go like this:

    But turn it off
    in all my spite
    In all my spite
    I'll turn it off

    And the worst part is
    before it gets any better
    we're headed for a cliff
    And in the free fall
    I will realize
    that I'm better off
    when I hit the bottom


    I think the fact that I love the song, the lyrics' meaning and that it took my mind off what I was doing was what made it so potent. I would only have lasted half as long if I hadn't been singing it, I'm sure, and it was memorable enough that I still remember it now that a month has passed.

    My question to you is what do you do to cope with pain, sleepiness, boredom, sadness or hardship? Do you sing, like me, and if so what do you sing? Do you think about the beach? A loved one? The bright future that surely lies ahead if you can only keep going for one more week? Or do you drive fast in your car (oh, man, that was a bad one)?
     
  2. thirdwind

    thirdwind Member Contest Administrator Reviewer Contributor

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    I drink alcohol.
     
  3. Garball

    Garball Banned Contributor

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    I believe the Creator of the entire f*cking universe knows my name and wants the best for mankind and any adversity laid down in front of me is an opportunity to grow and become stronger.

    Or, when that fails, I do as @thirdwind does.
     
  4. GingerCoffee

    GingerCoffee Web Surfer Girl Contributor

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    I write. ... and maybe add a little wine or beer to the mix.
     
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  5. prettyprettyprettygood

    prettyprettyprettygood Active Member

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    I tell my husband about it and he always manages to make it better - usually through some combination of food, alcohol, husbandly duties and coming up with solutions I hadn't thought of :D

    If that doesn't work (for example if he is the cause of the sadness!) I tend to go wild in the Kindle bookshop, then take myself to a nice cafe and have tea & cake and read all day. Basically, a cozy form of indulgence always works for me.
     
  6. 123456789

    123456789 Contributor Contributor

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    I'm sorry. I just don't get your puns!
     
  7. jazzabel

    jazzabel Agent Provocateur Contributor

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    I turn to work. My favourite, obviously, is writing and I do that almost every day. There's also always a long list of jobs that need doing, chores, or preferably, projects on the go that I could spend a whole anxious, dreadful day, immersing myself into and forgetting all about it. Playing with my dog and cat, reading, gardening, singing, dancing and qi gong also help.
     
  8. EllBeEss

    EllBeEss Senior Member

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    I talk to my friends. If that doesn't work I start listing a bunch of good things that have happened to me over a given time interval (say I might try to pick 3 good things that have happened to me in the last day) and focus on that handful of good things rather than the negatives. They don't even need to be really good things, just something that made me happy or puts a good spin on a bad situation.
     
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  9. obsidian_cicatrix

    obsidian_cicatrix I ink, therefore I am. Contributor

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    Writing, playing music, and dancing would be my top three. If things are really stressful, I go into sleep mode.
     
  10. Bjørnar Munkerud

    Bjørnar Munkerud Senior Member

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    That's probably because they're both Paramore references; "I Caught Myself" and "Fast in My Car" are both names of Paramore songs.
     
  11. Adenosine Triphosphate

    Adenosine Triphosphate Member Contributor

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    Interesting. I see that several people use alcohol for this.

    Personally, it depends on exactly what I'm dealing with. Sometimes I try to detach myself from the situation, sometimes I look at it from a different angle, and sometimes I try to transform a negative feeling into something more positive (anxiety can become excitement, for instance).
     
    Last edited: Jul 25, 2014
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  12. Link the Writer

    Link the Writer Flipping Out For A Good Story. Contributor

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    I draw things on Microsoft Paint. They're not web comic quality, or anything I'd want to submit to an animation studio, but they're decent enough for me to calm my mind. :D I found that it's not the adversity that causes stress, it's my reaction to it that causes stress.
     
  13. edamame

    edamame Contributor Contributor

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    I try to remember when I made it through some other adverse time. If I got through that, I'll get through this.
     
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  14. thirdwind

    thirdwind Member Contest Administrator Reviewer Contributor

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    I was sort of half-joking with my alcohol comment before. More than anything, I've changed my way of thinking. The following story can explain it better than I can:
     

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