# What do YOU do?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do/43347
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [November 30, 2000, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do/43347 "2000-11-30T08:56:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2000, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do/43347/1 "2000-11-30T08:56:28Z")
Just a question for the TM. What do you do when the weight of the world is on your shoulders, when things aren’t turning out like you hoped, when all you can see is a dark tunnel, no light at the end? I just keep on keeping on, but DAMN! it can be hard!!!
---
### Author:  [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2000, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do/43347/2 "2000-11-30T08:58:20Z")
I listen to oldies and read books. And cry, and curse, and paly computer games on the easiest setting so I can feel like I’m dominating.
And next time I’m going to read a poem.
{dave}
---
### Author:  [@dpr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dpr)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2000, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do/43347/3 "2000-11-30T09:06:36Z")
I either lose myself in books and music or take stock and realise that I have great friends, lots of talent and live in a great country.
Perspective. Stress? Pshaw… it could always be worse.
But then again I’m a stress junkie…
---
### Author:  [@tatertot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tatertot)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2000, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do/43347/4 "2000-11-30T09:14:27Z")
I scheme, I plot…I’ve been listening to McArthur Park lately, and it’s been making sense. Frankly, I’m worried about me.
---
### Author:  [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2000, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do/43347/5 "2000-11-30T09:23:39Z")
Listen to a John Mellencamp song called “Minutes to Memories,” whcih has the following verse(s):
“Another hot one out on Highway 11
This is my life, it’s what I chosen to do
There are no free rides, no one said it’d be easy…
Suck it up and tough it out, be the best that you can”
And though it works for me, and may not for you, my philosophy is fairly simple: “Get the fuck over it.”
Good luck.
Sir
---
### Author:  [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2000, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do/43347/6 "2000-11-30T09:56:06Z")
I try to remember my favorite quote :
“The way you swim must be the dolphin’s way.
Out on your own
Filling the element with signatures on your own frequency
Signals, charms, probes, allurements,
Elver-gleams in the dark of the whole sea”
- paraphrased from Seamus Heaney
I just seems to tell me that no matter how the world reacts to you, you have to be who you are no matter what. It can be a lonely life but it’s the only way to remain true to yourself.
> [@](#):
>
> I scheme, I plot…I’ve been listening to McArthur Park lately, and it’s been making sense. Frankly, I’m worried about me.
I’m worried about me, too. 😉
---
### Author:  [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2000, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do/43347/7 "2000-11-30T09:57:58Z")
I listen to Sevendust’s “Denial”. _Really_ loud. More than once.
---
### Author:  [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2000, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do/43347/8 "2000-11-30T10:01:17Z")
Two words. ‘Mosh pit’.
Go to punk ronk show, get in the pit and get rough! You’ll feel better afterwards.
---
### Author:  [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2000, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do/43347/9 "2000-11-30T11:42:47Z")
I walk… and I let my mind wander. The physical activity and the solitude always seem to help me regain my perspective. I’ve found over the years that the bad times don’t last and when I step back and change my point of view, sometimes they don’t even look that bad. Does that make sense?
Hey, it’s life… Don’t take it too seriously - you’ll never get out of it alive anyway! 🙂
---
### Author:  [@el\_mono](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/el_mono)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2000, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do/43347/10 "2000-11-30T12:20:45Z")
I concentrate on finding all of the beauty in my world. Majestic trees, blue skies filled with puffy clouds, bright sunshine. And not just sights, but sounds and smells as well(especially sounds, there’s alot going on that we tend to tune out normally). I quiet my mind and tune in-it’s out there, but not always easy to find. Even on the worst of days I am able to find calm and peace rather quickly by simply tuning in and paying attention. Life has been much nicer since I discovered this technique.
---
### Author:  [@CanadianSue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanadianSue)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2000, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do/43347/11 "2000-11-30T13:38:45Z")
I try to remember a few things,
I consider myself pretty lucky in this world. There are so many others that are worse off and when I’m feeling really low, I am really thankful for the loving people I have in my life that I can turn to. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t just say, wow you are lucky Sue and then everything is fine, but having support and friends, definitely helps. A hot bubble bath with candles and wine is a great thing too!
In the past few years, I have lost a baby, both my parents, my godfather who I adored, a very close friend, went through a very ugly divorce and have had my darling son be very ill. I’m here today, happy and healthy and enjoying life day by day.
The power of positive thinking is a wonderful thing.
“We are, each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another”
---
### Author:  [@Simetra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simetra)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2000, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do/43347/12 "2000-11-30T13:49:44Z")
I play sappy angst songs that I wrote in high school on my guitar.
At least my instrument has some character with the tear stains on it.
---
### Author:  [@Andy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2000, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do/43347/13 "2000-11-30T13:57:28Z")
Get drunk. Hardly a panacea, but it works for me.
Read lots of books.
Watch football.
---
### Author:  [@Kiki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiki)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2000, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do/43347/14 "2000-11-30T14:07:41Z")
I’m going down a dark tunnel right now myself and I don’t think I’ll see the light for quite a while. I try not to let my problems get the best of me but it’s _really_ hard right now… especially with the holidays coming up. But I have to be strong and carry on for my family and believe that things will eventually get better. I try not to think about what’s wrong in my life. I try to focus on the positive as much as I can.
I kind of have a Scarlett O’Hara outlook on things… I won’t think about it today, I’ll think about it tomorrow. After all, tomorrow is another day. It seems to work for me.
Oh, and having sex **really** helps too. It’s great excercise, relieves tension, and takes your mind off of things for a few hours. Try to get as much as you can. 🙂
---
### Author:  [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2000, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do/43347/15 "2000-11-30T14:11:54Z")
Listen to “Heroes” by David Bowie over and over again until I feel better.
---
### Author:  [@Simetra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simetra)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2000, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do/43347/16 "2000-11-30T14:12:15Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Rachelle \*
> \*\*Oh, and having sex really helps too. It’s great excercise, relieves tension, and takes your mind off of things for a few hours. Try to get as much as you can. 🙂
> \*\*
I’ll second that.
---
### Author:  [@inoci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inoci)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2000, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do/43347/17 "2000-11-30T14:12:32Z")
bottle it up inside. after all, you may need that frustration and rage later on.
---
### Author:  [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2000, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do/43347/18 "2000-11-30T14:22:12Z")
I think of succesfull people: People who have faced tremoundous adversity and overcome it, many times for the better.
You decide, not events, how to react, or what disposition to maintain. You always control that.
I always got down to the “core” of what my life was about, and simplified things to prevent additional chaos or trouble. I would focus on the things that had to happen to get through every day: Sleep, eat, get to work, get home, repeat, and focus on the issue at hand.
And again, ultimately it is your own decision, not the events in your life, that decide your disposition. We blame events for our outlook, or our mood, but we have personal responsibility for our attitude.
In this day and age, with so many personal responsibilites being excused away, more and more people are struggling to deal with stress. Stress is expected…almost required to help mold/better us.
You decide how to deal with it. If you’re miserable, you control that.
---
### Author:  [@struuter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/struuter)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2000, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do/43347/19 "2000-11-30T14:59:22Z")
This is going to sound very strange and practically impossible, but I do it and it actually works for me. I call it(jokingly) the ‘Angel of Light and Happiness.’ When things are really, tremendously bad and hopeless, I take all my natural defenses–the ones that breed negativity, cynicism, doubt and self-defeat–and I force myself to turn them around. I try my best to let nothing but words of consideration and care come from my mouth. I try to look for ways to serve other people–being especially thoughtful of people who don’t return the favor. I never lie. I never do anything just for spite. I never force a compliment or kind word. You know the old rule–if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all. I follow that strictly.
I know how this sounds. Crazy. But I’ve found that I’m so busy trying my hardest to do these things that it really distracts me from wallowing (one of my true talents, wallowing), and in the process I’m seeing that I can do good things for other people. That I and my problems aren’t the most important things in the world. And that doesn’t even touch how it makes other people feel…
But you can NEVER expect anything in return. After all, I’m doing all this for myself–to restore hope to myself. Expecting people to reciprocate or even ackowledge what I’m doing would spell certain defeat. The idea is to do it just to see if you can. Not for any reward.
Yes, it’s crazy sounding. But I works for me.
That, and old music and ice cream.
---
### Author:  [@WIGGUM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WIGGUM)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2000, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do/43347/20 "2000-11-30T14:59:22Z")
This is what I do.
When you’re alone and life is making you lonely
you can always go downtown
When you’ve got worries, all the noise and the hurry
seem to help, I know - downtown
Listen to the rhythm of the traffic in the city
Linger on the sidewalks where the neon signs are pretty
How could you lose?
The lights are much brighter there
We can forget all our troubles, forget all our cares and go downtown
Things will be great when you’re downtown
No finer place for sure - downtown
Everything’s waiting for you.
Don’t hang around and let your problems surround you
There are movie shows downtown
Maybe you know some little places to go to
where they never close - downtown
Listen to the rhythm of the gentle bossa nova
You’ll be dancing with him too
before the night is over - happy again
So maybe I’ll see you there
We can forget all our troubles,
forget all our cares and go downtown
Things will be great when you’re downtown
No finer place for sure - downtown
Everything’s waiting for you.
If you find somebody kind to help and understand you
Someone who is just like you
and needs a gentle hand to guide them along
So maybe I’ll see you there
We can forget all our troubles
forget all our cares and go downtown
Where all the lights are bright - downtown
Waiting for you tonight - downtown
You’re gonna be all right now.
😉
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do/43347.md?page=2)