I’ve noticed that a lot of people are on the downswing right now. Anywhere from a serious set of the blahs to out and out depression. I think we all need a little something to get us out of it. Of course, being as I’m in them myself right now (no apparent reason, just blah-ed), I don’t have any ideas… But I’m willing to try just about anything that people have in mind.
So who’s with me? Who will help use the SDMB to fight not only ignorance, but the blahs as well!!!
I don’t know what I can do to help anyone else fight the blah, but I’ll be very happy if someone would help me out of my blah.
Oh, yeah… I would share my puppy’s soft tummy for a cuddle, but he’s mine, all mine ::insert evil laugh here::.
3 Stooges Marathon!!! [sub]And beers![/sub]
If you don’t like Larry, Curly or Moe, the beers’ll help.
The following suggestions, of course, require you to be at home or somewhere private. But, they help me when I have the blahs, like today. It’s raining outside, and chilly, and basically a miserable day.
1. Find a copy of your favorite song, preferably upbeat and fun. Crank it as loud as possible, through headphones or just the stereo. Do your best Tom Cruise/Risky Business impersonation, and don’t give a damn if someone can see you through the window.
2. Realize that you are the Master/Mistress of Your Domain. Find one thing, something simple, that you can change/fix/replace within an hour or so. Something small, so that you can get that “accomplished something today” feeling.
3. Write all your aggressions down on a piece of paper. Get it all out, any little thing that bothers you. Then take the piece of paper and set it on fire, cut it up into tiny pieces, or tear it to shreds. As it becomes smaller and smaller, repeat to yourself, “Today will get better.”
4. Call someone that you’ve been meaning to call. You know, that one person that you’ve been thinking of calling, but always find yourself doing something else. And when you call them, don’t start with “Sorry I haven’t called.” Start with something positive, like “You know, I’m calling you because I’ve really missed talking to you.”
5. Make a pot of tea, find a quiet corner, and sit down with a good book. Escapism through reading can sometimes be a good thing. (Disclaimer: this one may be impossible due to kids, dogs, cats, or other household distractions. Sorry.)
Ok, so I know they’re hokey sounding, but these are the things that usually cheer me up when I have the blahs. Or at least distract me for a little while so that I don’t notice the blahs that much. Hope this can help someone.
Well you’ll want to use a flamethrower, because bullets will pass right through those oozing… What? Oh, blahs! Well that’s different. 
Humor is your best weapon, keep the safety off. I personally have the movie Blazing Saddles on repeat in my VCR.
Call Captain Infinity!!!
[sub]Anyone else a new parent?[/sub]
Masturbate, masturbate, masturbate !!!
I can’t think of anything to fight the blahs, just wanted to say that I have them now…and I am interested in anybodys solution for them.
Keith
Make cookies!
i’ve had some blahs recently too…
things that have helped me in times of blah:
sometimes throwing things is really good. the thud of a telephone book slamming loudly against a door/wall a few of times for the restless or angry type blahs that need just -some- form of release. stomping on bubble wrap can be therapeutic too.
i find it really calming to be near water, especially sparkly water on a sunny day. and for those lucky people on coasts, the smell of ocean water! i miss that. also being near trees… just going outside and walking.
making lists of things you want to do (from little things for tomorrow to big things for life)
crunchy snack food!
your favorite comfort foods (yum indian food!)
jumping on a bed like a kid
watching your favorite movie from when you were a kid
kava kava tea
go on a trip! even if it’s just for a day…
pamper yourself- get a massage, take a nice herbal bath, mud masks…
watch cartoons!
another thing i always try and get people to do is to make some little change in habit, like wear your watch on the other wrist (if you wear a watch, and always on one wrist that is). or when you put on shoes, start with the -other- foot (if you notice you usually always start with the same foot). the theory is that the little changes will trickle into the rest of your life and keep your mind active too. or something like that!
Go swimming. Find an indoor pool and pay, if you have to, to enjoy a swim. There is something about water that eases you.
Go to the zoo and watch the silliest, happiest animals. Meerkats are good. Koalas, wallabies, otters, and seals are also nice bets. Monkeys if they’re not screeching too much.
Clean out your closets.
Go see a movie you normally wouldn’t be caught dead going to.
Lemurs! Gotta look at the lemurs.
Thanks, guys. I’ll see how many of these I can try today. Staying home again today (still a bit on the ill side, and my feet still hurt from the damn shoes at my sister’s wedding this past weekend!), so I don’t know how many of the outdoor things I’ll get to… but I will check through my movies and see what I have that will fight the blahs (it’s actually gone from blahs to out and out depression, which is always harder for me to fight). Maybe I’ll make the brownies I have up in my cupboard for my comfort food. I’m out of ice cream, and that’s my usual comfort food. Being sans car means I can’t even go out and get some.
Of course, I’ll be spending a bit of time here, as well.
Start learning something new. Go to the bookstore and get that beginners guide to yoga, or basketweaving, or interior decorating, or quantum mechanics, or whatever you have always been vaguely interested in but never taken the time to study. I get so fascinated by a new subject that it sometimes takes weeks before I notice the blahs again.
I’m putting together a relatively burly home entertainment system right now. I’ll just drown out my damn blahs.
as long as you just allow a seemly interval between the two and do not, repeat DO NOT use the products of one of these activities whilst doing the second.
You can do what John Arbuckle does (from the comic strip “Garfield”):
Put a banana in your ear!
If you can’t swim, take a bath. Honestly, there is something about water that heals the soul. My childbirth educator kept telling us this (she used ion-related reasons which I don’t recall) which I thought was complete b.s. until I tried it. Water fixes things.
Pisces–
Don’t stay indoors all day. Get out at least 1/2 hour. Even to look at a tree.
Don’t spend much time in front of the computer. It’s bad for the blahs.
For people with intractible blahs, I’ve seen antidepressants work miracles.
Anti-depressants? Pshaw. Rummaging last night through a box of stuff that never got unpacked from our move, I found the perfect solution:
Eight hours of Bugs Bunny cartoons!!
(recorded from last year’s June Bugs marathon on Cartoon Network.)
Who here most needs this kind of pick-me-up? I’ve only got the one copy, so you’ll have to return it once it’s done its magic.
…and TruePisces? Just 'cos yer special, I’m going to attempt some immediate relief:
:: puts on his polka-dot propeller beanie and starts dancing the watusi backwards while juggling half-a-dozen flaming soft-boiled eggs and singing “YES! We have no bananaaaaaaas…!” ::