Life's a drag

[Ghost]

Do you ever feel like life has become a drag and that you can't escape from it?
Well I have it on the moment and am just looking for any escape to it.
I have been following classic games on Ebay I wanted to buy but lost the opportunity, leaving me sulking.

Any of you have advice to brighten up your day?

[Demon Cleaner]

I often have that feeling too, especially lately as things are not turning out like I wish they'd do. My biggest problem is when I have a let down, I'm going out and have some beers (mostly a LOT) with some friends, and that is of course the wrong approach.

I would advice you to distract yourself, and not trying to stay alone. I wasted a lot of days here at work making some breaks, I already wasted over the half of my whole vacation days, and only have some days left for the rest of the year. But I have to admit that it's better when I work together with some guys here than staying at home alone or making party all the time with some friends, which only makes it worse the day after when you're still filling ill and dizzy.

I also think that sport is a good compromise, but then again you have to follow through it. I think that's most people's weakness, to stay consistent.

Another thing I do sometimes, is driving in my car listening to some great music, not planning exactly where to go, but where my car leads me. And now for the summer I also have my 2CV, which is a convertible, and that makes a lot of fun.

I wish we could see each other now, and then we would have a good cold beer (or maybe more )

[Buleste]

As someone who's suffered from depression for years and has been on various courses on how to manage it i know about lifes little drags. For this i have one philosophy. The glass is neither half full or half empty it's completely full just not necessarily of what you want. This is because half is liquid and the other half is air. The trick is finding your own ways to add more of what you want.

[Harrison]

The problem I think we all find is that often we feel left out or alone. That something big is missing from our lives, or that whatever we do, nothing ever goes right. This is not unique to any one person, we all feel it and it gets to everyone, regardless of the front many show to the outside world. No one is happy 100% of the time. However some do find it harder to cope with these emotions that others. I have always been able to switch them off and get on with other things, but I know it isn't the same for others.

DC's suggestion of sport is a very good idea. For most of us these feelings are the strongest and get to use the most when we are alone, without anyone else there to interact with, or to just be close to. With a team sport you instantly have a team of fellow sportsman to interact with. Sport allows you to enjoy yourself and compete, whilst leaving behind the day to day problems and issues that are probably the things getting you down.

And there are enough different sports to choose from that everyone, regardless of physical fitness or ability, should be able to find something they enjoy. It could be something obvious like football, tennis, squash, hockey etc... or something else such as golf, badminton, archery, target shooting, skiiing, snow boarding, sailing, rowing, cycling, off road mountain biking, walking , running.

For me though, it is getting out and enjoying the countryside. In West Sussex and Hampshire there are some amazing locations and landscapes to explore. Walking in the South Downs for example is very nice, as equally is the New Forest.

I combine this will an activity called Geocaching. This involves using a handheld GPS device. These can be the standalone Garmin units that sailors, cyclists and walkers use, or a mobile phone with GPS built in. Basically Geocaching is a treasure hunt. Members of the Geocaching website hide small containers in publicly accessible locations around the world. They then log their hidden cache on the geocaching website, giving the gps coordinates of its location and some clues, and other members of the website then use this information to go and find the hidden caches. Search for these can take you to some great locations, and many places you didn't even know existed. And it isn't something new. Geocaching has now being going for years and there are hundreds of thousands of these caches hidden all over the world. We have for example found over 50 very close to where we live and still have hundreds in West Sussex still to find. We have also hidden our own near to us and loads of other people have already found them. It is great fun seeing who has found them, and their comments about the hiding location and the area they were hidden in.

Basically it is finding hobbies and activities you can do in your spare time that you can enjoy and have some fun doing. But the key is to find something to do that is not related to the things you do in your day to day life. For example, playing a PC game is not good enough if you spend a lot of time at a computer most days. You need to get away from the computer and TV and do something completely different.

Taking your mind off of the day to day activities is a very important thing to allow your mind to relax and forget about the everyday things you do.

[Buleste]

If you ever do feel down exercise is good for you as it releases chemicals into the brain that should boost your mood. It's so good for you you can get it on the NHS.

[Sharingan]

I used to be a lot more pessimistic and down before I took up martial arts.

Ever since I started that, I've become a lot more energetic and self-assured, as well as more cheerful.

A team sport (or activity) is definitely what you should look into. Gives you a goal to strive for (get better at the sport), and the camaraderie with your team mates will definitely help brighten your days.

[Stephen Coates]

Any of you have advice to brighten up your day?

Unfortunately not. I am also in need of something to brighten my day(s) up.

[Harrison]

But you also stay in isolation don't you Steve? The only way to really change things is to get out there and do something different, with other people. Living a solitary life does nobody any good in the end.

[TiredOfLife]

If your feeling low, it's because you have the time to dwell on it.

Filling your time will certainly help but doing it in a social setting is even better.

That will lead to more opportunities and more positive things that will not only take your mind of your worries, but also help to erase them.

[Stephen Coates]

I have been going out alot more than I used to recently, although that is usually just for a sandwich or a coffee.

Doing stuff with other people has been impossible for a good few years now (since about 2002). The fact that I don't know anyone doesn't help.