To all of you out there who find yourselves being visited by melancholia much too often (and would like to do something about it), here are some friendly suggestions:
1. A good book that doesn't take itself too seriously (I recommend the Jeeves collection by P. G. Wodehouse, Jessica Zafra's Twisted series or any book by James Thurber);
2. A cup of frappucino, a cozy coffee shop and three buddies (who aren't half as predisposed to depression as you are);
3. A rummage through your closet should do some good--you'd realize how blessed you are to have the nice clothes that you own; what more, you can sew the hole on that favorite old shirt;
4. There's nothing like a good, intelligent show on TV to steer your thoughts from the blues; your mind will turn (or be forced to) and you'd be all the better for it. Remember, the cliche "an idle mind is the devil's workshop" wasn't coined for nothing. So watch The History Channel and refresh yourself on those History classes in school that you never paid attention to;
5. When all else fails, sing! This happens to be my favorite reminder to myself. Music is the cure-all for every kind of sadness out there. So try it, it just might do you some good.
Regarding your first suggestion, here are some Antidotes to Happiness:
ReplyDelete1. Latter-day Philip Roth novels
2. J. M. Coetzee's Disgrace
2. Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure
3. Lastly, and my personal favorite, 19th-century Russian literature
These, among others, had brought me back to being morose whenever i felt that I was starting to get "happy" again.
Hehe. Just kidding. It's fun to have a more positive outlook on life. No stress. No boredom. No worries. And most of all, a more peaceful sleep. And that's what really matters, isn't it? A deep and tranquil sleep at the end of a long day.
Keep on looking up! The sky and the stars are more aesthetically pleasing than the dirt on the ground.
Dear David,
ReplyDeleteThank you for dropping by. I love what you wrote.
See you around.