It's not that there's nothing to blog about, but I don't feel like talking about anything that's going on these days. Our new president is going off the rails at a pace I never dreamed possible--every single day brings some new horror. It's getting to the point that I'm beyond fear and outrage. I'm just tired. I'm taking a break from most social media right now, for my own peace of mind. It's all too much. The ugliness and hate and division in our country feels like a recipe for disaster and I just can't engage for the moment. I feel like there's no use in trying and to hell with it all. Let the country burn down around us....I thought we were better than this, but I was wrong. If this is what the USA has become, then so be it.
Everything in my personal life feels equally pointless at the moment. I'm sticking with the changes to my eating and exercise habits, and have managed to lose 6 pounds in the last two weeks, but that fact doesn't seem to bring me any joy. It just feels like a long, boring journey that I'm just beginning with a lot of long boring days left to go before I even get close to my goal. I was off work yesterday, and nothing satisfied me. I didn't feel like reading, or walking the dogs, or knitting, or anything else that usually gives me pleasure. Messing around on the internet sucks, television sucks, and housework feels like the same damn thing over and over again. Pointless. I spent some time looking through job listings and there was nothing even remotely interesting to apply for (at least nothing that I'm qualified to do) and that made me even more depressed. You know it's bad when I find myself thinking that I might as well be at work! Speaking of which, I hit my 6 year anniversary at this job the day before yesterday. I thought I'd have made my escape by now. Sigh.
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| Apologies to Chris at The Pedestrian Writer, I stole this from his blog. |
I think many people feel this way right now, not just bloggers. I know I do. I pet and hug the dogs and think this too will pass and it will.
ReplyDeleteYou're right! And dogs have the best outlook on life, well worth imitating.
DeleteConcentrate on what is good for you, and when you have found it, share it. Because none of us is alone. Wherever we are and whatever troubles we face, hiding from them and withdrawing from community will make it worse.
ReplyDeleteIt's difficult to avoid being angry and sarcastic and fearful. We are not used to this, we cannot change the channel. We need to face what is happening, with care, attention, love and most of all, we need to do this together. Hang on in there.
Thank you, Sabine. I get a lot of strength from my friends, and I include my blog visitors in that list!
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ReplyDeleteWe news junkies are going through withdrawals, not being able to bring ourselves to watch the Sunday morning and evening news programs to avoid seeing the train wreck in Washington. The old saying, "this too shall pass" doesn't even assuage and four years seems like a lifetime. Shut it out is the new norm.
I've had to strictly limit my time on Facebook and other social media platforms. Too much discussion of the issues just overwhelms me and doesn't do any good. When I shut off my computer or put down my phone, and look around me, life is going on as it always has.
DeleteI am very low energy right now. One thing a psychologist told me years ago was to not watch the news on tv. I had told her watching the tv news upset me and that was her advice which I still follow. Hug your doggies, they have a good take on life (food, hugs, walks, naps).
ReplyDeleteTerra, it's no wonder you're low energy right now. The grieving process will no doubt take a long time and a loved one's passing really puts other issues in perspective. I think about you every day. I hope Bounce is bringing you some comfort and companionship in these hard days. Hugs.
DeleteMake sure you have someone to talk to about how you are feeling. And hey - congrats on the weight loss. Considering how you've been feeling, those 6 pounds are a big deal.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Although my mood has been somewhat low, I have to say that after 3+ weeks of eating right, exercising, and drinking lots of water, physically I feel really good!
DeleteYou need something to look forward to... like a long drive up to Canada or perhaps to a US state you haven't visited before... a special holiday.
ReplyDeleteI agree that something like a trip to look forward to would help. I've been in such a rut for almost a year now. Missing out on our planned vacation last June was a big blow to me. I'm still only halfway through the very expensive process of getting my dental issue resolved, but by this summer it should be done and paid for. If nothing else goes wrong, Gregg and I are going to plan a trip this year to make up for the one we missed. I think a week away would do me a world of good!
DeleteMy tips
ReplyDeleteGo on youtube..watch sad videos .......cry a lot
It helps
Thanks for the tip, John, but that doesn't sound appealing to me at all. There's enough in life to cry about without going looking for it! Haha. :)
DeleteSome days it is hard. I think winter, rain, snow and cold helps with the feeling of sadness that can envelopes us.
ReplyDeleteI rarely watch the news, just for the weather, everyday I get a "Daily Action" IM and they tell you about something and who you can text, write or email to.
Whatever works.
cheers, parsnip
The longer days are already making me feel a tiny bit better. I hate the short, dark days of winter and always look forward to Spring.
DeleteI'm in a local political action group that meets once a month, and I've about decided that I'm going to let that be my main source of news and ideas for activism. For my own peace of mind, I'm going to stop following every single news item that pops up every day.
I'm not feeling apathetic, but at my lowest I'm feeling hopeless. I try to do one thing (phone call or email to someone in a position of some sort of power in American government) and then I try to find joy in my life. I realize how lucky I am to be able to ignore the hatred and idiocy at times. So many people in the world can't shut out the hell that surrounds them. Well, that sure didn't help, did it?!? Do what John Gray says! Then watch musical comedies (non-political ones).
ReplyDeletePart of the problem with trying to ignore the negativity is that I live in a very conservative, republican area in the South. And I work with the public. So a lot of the hate and idiocy is "in my face" so to speak. However....I realize how lucky I am not live in Aleppo, for instance. There are so many places in the world that would be absolute hell to live in that I know how lucky I am. And I can try to stand up for others who aren't as fortunate. Doing the right thing (personally) is important to me and I take some comfort in that. Thank you for the comment, my friend!
DeleteIt sounds like you have a mild dose of depression and I guess you have to just wait it out and some excitement about life will return. Honestly, if I lived there, I would have nothing to do with mainstream media and remaining ignorant about the shenanigans 'he' is getting up to.
ReplyDeleteI'm doing my best to ignore the Orange Disgrace. I'm sick of talking about him, thinking about him, or even hearing his name. This four years (or however long it takes him to resign or get impeached) can't go by fast enough.
DeleteI'm sorry you're in such a malaise. I know it well, and the only thing that helps me through it is my hobby. If you have something you can do for 20 minutes a day that makes the rest of your day bearable, do that thing for as long as you can.
ReplyDelete"Let the country burn down around us....I thought we were better than this, but I was wrong. If this is what the USA has become, then so be it." Yes, exactly. I dont watch the news at all, but sometimes I catch the cliff's notes of what's going on. At this pint I'm like "F*ck it. Let him go wild. He'll eventually do something so horrible the Dems will impeach him and the reasonable R's (if there are any left) wont stand in their way. Probably a longshot, but the thought of it keeps me sane.
That Simpsons sign is just perfect. You're more than welcome to use it. I'm sorry you've been stuck at the same job for 6 years. If I'm stuck at mine for two more.. shoot me.
Chris, I felt so bad for you when you didn't get that job recently! I've had a few near misses myself over the last few months and it's such a letdown. We should both try to keep our chins up and keep looking. Better jobs for us both just HAVE to be out there somewhere!
DeleteKeep up the good work with the exercise and eating. It may seem like a long and unrewarding road but wait a while....
ReplyDeleteAlphie
Yesterday I got to work and found myself thinking how GOOD I feel, physically. The healthy changes are definitely beginning to pay off, even if my weight loss is slow. In less than a month, I've cut way down on sugar, started eating a healthy breakfast, started exercising more, and eating good homemade meals with no preservatives and other crap. My energy levels are improved, I sleep better, my skin is clearer, and I just feel better all over. I think it will only get better from here so definitely worth the work! And now that I'm cutting down on the news and social media, my outlook on life is getting better too. All good things!
DeleteSpring will fix you!! AND you said it ..... try and capture the beautiful moments of your life. YOU can't change the political scene so ignore it. Your country IS great and so are your people. You'll all get through this political upheaval. I take the dog for a LONG walk when I'm down and look for the beauty along the way. There's lots of it out there. How about you take some photos of what you find and post them for us to see.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the kind comments about my country and our people! I never seem to hear that from my international visitors and I really appreciate it!! My dogs have a great outlook on life--I'm trying to follow their example! :)
DeleteI'm not sure if this will fix your depression, but there is so much of 'interest' going on at the moment; especially in the USA. May I suggest that you simply observe and marvel as the world changes, whether it will all be for the good or bad, who knows. Over here in Europe we have 'Brexit', which is an amusing mess. Here in France we have elections in May when far right leader Marine LePen looks like being in the running for presidency, and could prompt a 'Frexit'. And of course you have dear old Trump who is trying to make America great again. There's little point kicking against any of these events; just watch with interest, and pray that we continue to have food on our plates and a roof over our heads!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Charliedownunder.... take the dog for a long walk; it always works wonders.
"May you live in interesting times"....there's no doubt that we're living through that old Chinese curse!
DeleteWalking the pups is the highlight of my days most of the time!
There is nothing that makes people more depressed than trepidation about the future, when you cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel. I don't think I am the only one who is not looking forward to tomorrow right now, and that extends into all aspects of my life. After a while, you realsie that talking about it only makes it worse for others, which is why blogging either escapes into fantasy or slows down altogether. Oh well, everything changes, and we have only just embarked on some of the biggest changes to affect our lives well into the future. Normalyy we like to be optimistic, but I struggle to see the advantages of a Trump government or a Britain free of Europe. To me it looks to be shaping up into a perfect storm.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that it's hard to see any advantages to Trump or Brexit, and also that it's shaping up to be a perfect storm. Hopefully WW3 isn't just around the corner. How's THAT for a cheerful thought? I guess it's best to not think about the future right now, and to take each day as it comes.
DeleteJust get on with life, forget about the world'S problems, enjoy yourself and stop burdening yourself with it all. The sun will still rise in the morning.
ReplyDeleteJust getting on with life is exactly what I'm trying to do. The sun will indeed rise again tomorrow.
DeleteJennifer, I took some time off from blogging. I continue to follow the political/governmental developments over here and around the world, and have been communicating with both my friends and with my elected representatives.
ReplyDeleteI'm a visual person, and have been enjoying time spent over on Instagram sharing posts with creative folks in various parts of the world. I love blogging for the writing component but never really publish a new post unless I want to share some of my city views.
Hoping you are going to catch some good vibes from the comments that have already been left for you here. xo
I would love to follow you on Instagram! I'm there under jbarlow323....
DeleteThese comments are some of the best I've ever had. I appreciate them all so much!
We just had a birthday party for our home, Menagerie Manor turned 100 years old. It was well attended and one of the most repeated comments was that this party was very much appreciated because the presidential election had put everyone in such a funk. So if your funk is looking a bit interminable might I suggest have a party.
ReplyDeleteA party sounds great! My smaller book club is coming over later this month. We're reading The Good Earth for February (one of my favorite books of all time) and we're planning to have an Asian food feast to go along with the discussion.
DeleteHappy Birthday to Menagerie Manor!
This kind of thing usually happens to me in the fall, but this year has lasted all winter which I assume has something to do with the election. The only thing that has helped much is the diversion of a phone call from someone I love, but don't get to see often. These were just temporary fixes. The longer days and getting outside even for a short walk seems to help. I took a short break from blogging when I was really down which just removed a small amount of self-pressure. I hope you find something that helps. Maybe if you sent me your phone number I could call you and tell you some jokes. I have a few.
ReplyDeleteThe election has had a long-lasting negative effect on almost everyone, I think. I trying to forget about our new POTUS. As I told someone else just now, I'm sick of thinking about him, talking about him, or even hearing his name.
DeleteThe longer days are helping me out of this funk. I noticed yesterday just how many minutes of daylight we've gained in the past month or so.
Of course I am no expert, but to me it sounds like depression. I hope your happy home life and maybe getting together with your book club(s) and other gatherings with friends will contribute to you feeling better soon.
ReplyDeleteGetting plenty of daylight is important, so if your work schedule allows, my advice is to get out of the house (with your dogs, for instance) as much as possible.
Taking a break from hour-by-hour news updates has helped a lot already, as well as spending time with my husband and pets and friends. Sunshine makes a BIG difference in my mood, and I'm so happy that the days are finally getting longer!
DeleteThank you for the suggestions! :)
I don't feel like doing anything, either. It did help me to go to a movie theater with a friend to see Hidden Figures. It's an uplifting movie. I avoid the news like the plague.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie