"Activity chases the blues away"

[gustavofring]

As a heavy procrastinator and being caught in vicious circles of depression, social anxiety, I feel I need to live more by this mantra.

I think when I feel at my best, I am working towards a goal. The goal being when I am creating something that I can be proud of, that I feel passionate about. In college life, there's a lot of distractions down the road that make me feel depressed and numb. The thought of being alone, the feeling of being a loser, group-pressure, socializing, all of that jazz. That makes my mind more preoccupied with those things, then trying to get my goals done. A lot of people in college are more preoccupied with trying to be popular, and kind of slack their way through college without really feeling passionate about their studies, then actually trying to accomplish and create. Which is why I think the people who do try to create, but get somehow caught up in the things I go through, often get the short ends of the stick and feel miserable. The trick is to not give up, and keep thinking positive. Actions speak louder then words.

I think it will all be better when I try to accomplish something, and not be so distracted by all of the things that pass. Accomplishment makes confident. That means daily goal setting.
Do you agree with the statement that "activity chases the blues away?"

 

[bsammy]

sure, activity will take your mind off of being depressed but when activity is finished, usually it just comes right back..

setting goals is good..

 

[WeirdyMcGee]

From experience, I can say it doesn't 'chase' it away but makes it more bearable.
The first time I became severely depressed, I didn't have time to cry because I had to work 100hrs a week.
haha

Daily goals are excellent - baby steps, right?
I'm still trying to set and accomplish daily goals/short term goals.

 

[theslowesthand]

Striving for goals & accomplishing them, does tend to produce very good feelings. Man was made for that.

But using this & other activities to blot-out pain/depression/etc is maybe not such a great idea, as they are then only used for diversional purposes (ie the depression/low-mood/etc & the intention just of escaping all that, greatly reduces the good feelings such activities can provide)

But then again, various activities can give your mind a break, & give it a bit of peace from the "distraction" of other troublesome things in life.

So, i would attend to both of these things at the same time (as they are equally as important):
- Goals, creating, accomplishing (& other activities)
- Working on your thoughts/mood problems

Neither of them alone, i think, can "chases the blues away". Perhaps this is due to needing a "balance" in life; bit of thinking & self-analysis, bit of achieving, bit of distraction, bit of rest ..... bit of this, bit of that - all parts joining togther to create the healthy, balanced whole...

 

[this_portrait]

Like I mentioned before, it's a temporary relief.

Distraction does certainly help, but it can only help so much.

 

[ilovenoodles]

As a heavy procrastinator and being caught in vicious circles of depression, social anxiety, I feel I need to live more by this mantra.

I think when I feel at my best, I am working towards a goal. The goal being when I am creating something that I can be proud of, that I feel passionate about. In college life, there's a lot of distractions down the road that make me feel depressed and numb. The thought of being alone, the feeling of being a loser, group-pressure, socializing, all of that jazz. That makes my mind more preoccupied with those things, then trying to get my goals done. A lot of people in college are more preoccupied with trying to be popular, and kind of slack their way through college without really feeling passionate about their studies, then actually trying to accomplish and create. Which is why I think the people who do try to create, but get somehow caught up in the things I go through, often get the short ends of the stick and feel miserable. The trick is to not give up, and keep thinking positive. Actions speak louder then words.

I think it will all be better when I try to accomplish something, and not be so distracted by all of the things that pass. Accomplishment makes confident. That means daily goal setting.
Do you agree with the statement that "activity chases the blues away?"

Yep, since i'm working towards some goals myself and always find myself being happy when i made some progress.

 

[Aletheia]

Working towards tangible goals is the best, because I then feel I've spent my time meaningfully. (Although the anxiety inherent in doing that work may offset the sense of accomplishment.)

But even watching a film helps. Diversion. Anything that lets me forget I'm me for a while.

 

[MikeyC]

"An idle mind is a devil's plaything."

If you're depressed and you do nothing, all you'll think about is how depressed you are, which makes you more depressed. Depression feeds from boredom. I know this all too well.

Like I mentioned before, it's a temporary relief.

Distraction does certainly help, but it can only help so much.

Certainly, but it doesn't hurt, and it can make you feel better overall if the activity can be continued for a while.

 

[vj288]

I think activity can chase them away, if they are the right kinds of activities. Busy work will keep you distracted and make you notice it less, but I don't think that will help get them away.

Depression is manifested in three things, negative outlook on the world, the future, and one's self. Making goals and doing positive activities to work towards those goals may help curb those negative feelings toward the future. You know, Hey things will get better look at what the future entails for me! A lot of the things you mentioned I think could also help in feeling better about yourself as well, that 'I suck' attitude is harder to maintain when you make yourself busy with things you care about. Outlook on the world is harder to cover, but two out of three ain't too shabby.

 

[EscapeArtist]

Totally, I've come to the same realization too. I find that a lot of people on this site may struggle with the same thing: procrastination or not having any goals. We kind of sit and dwell around, or hide in things.

But yeah, I've come to the exact same conclusion this last week. Even if you're alone and you don't have school, setting yourself the goal to exercise every day and take up your day cleaning or something speeds up time and makes you feel like you have a life. Somehow it makes you feel like you're not alone, because you have yourself to rely on, and because it takes your mind away from thinking about your problems. SO important. So so so important. This is my new mantra also, but I didn't have a nice fancy quote like you do for it But now I do, I'm using yours, lol.

When you say that these college worries keep people "preoccupied" from their goals, you make it sound as if these emotions behind the worries are nothing more than a little barricade from the bigger picture. That is SO true..These emotions seems so large and important, but really they're this little flimsy barricade that blocks us from the bigger picture: ACTION! (emotions do have a place and important purpose, i'm not saying that is all they are... )

Glad to see that you have found something to stick onto and keep you stable and in a flow.

 

[EscapeArtist]

Also, I think it's important to have the right goals. For example, goals that will help you deal with particular emotions won't become a distraction because they are working on the very problem that you are being distracted from, but they're putting you in an empowering position.

Sometimes goals like earning loads of money, or pleasing other people, can definitely take one away from one's problems and become an unhealthy distraction. In fact, I would call that kind of distraction another way to procrastinate, because in the end one is still not taking action on one's problems and one is still not working towards their authentic goals.


But making a goal like "I want to meditate every day, to connect to my true self and designate a specific time to feel my emotions" gives a time and place for dwelling, and gives a positive outlet for your emotions. Dwelling on emotions and worries becomes dangerous when you keep making them and also are unable to release them, and they build up. Keeping yourself in action can shut off the "keep making them", and releasing them can come sporadically when your mind is calmer from activity and rest from worry, and also from goals you can make to look inside of yourself (do some mental/emotional work).

And of course, the main positive, with action you actualize your dreams and in the end there is no place for those negative emotions.

Lastly, working towards goals allows people to feel compassion. It teaches you to be a source of guidance. To achieve anything, you have to talk to yourself positively and build yourself up. Also you have to be there for yourself to pick yourself up, or lean on. Little things go through your head, "Maybe I can do this after all". It teaches you to be kind and gentle with your thoughts. Not to mention, people in action are more willing to lend and ear to somebody else and help other people out. When a person is in pain, somebody who has learned to be their own "coach" kind of figure to reach their goals has more of an automatic response to be there for this person, build this person back up, because this person in pain mocks the same voice in their head that is in pain when one is striving to reach a goal, same voice that has to be cared for and positively spoken to

 

[theslowesthand]

^^^ Good post