Anger, Sadness, and Nothingness...

[Bob]

I find myself tending to cycle through these three states.

These are some ideas I've had and some things that I've heard about the usefulness of these states...

Anger -- very motivating, produces intense energy which gives you greater control over yourself, gives you boldness to try new things although risky and possibly destructive, can break you out of your rut, burns much energy and tends to be shorter lived because of that...

Sadness -- conserves and builds up energy (because you lay around sleeping a lot), heals, leads to thoughtfulness...

Nothingness -- Not feeling good or bad or anything really.  A good state to be in to keep working for long periods of time.  Gets old when you don't feel anything though, but at least you're getting lots of things actually done.  Good for working through all the tediousness required for progress.  Time flies...


Any thoughts?

[pianonut]

personally, i tend to cycle through times in the month that i am more high strung, easily perturbed, and sometimes sad.  as you say, it is good to feel the emotion and get it out.  people who try to keep it all in may be harming themselves.

but, i heard a good 'sermon' on anger. the guy said to determine the source of the anger (sometimes we intially act before we analyze - not so good).  if i would have done that this morning, i wouldn't have attached so much importance to a little mistake my husband made (instead of saying good morning, he was grouchy).  i started heaping other feelings into the initial bad feeling - yes, anger, and sent him on his way knowing that if he started the day grouchy - he was going to get it.  then, throughout the day i started realizing some of the source (mostly just daily stress and getting out the door in time - for him/ for me - i stayed up late the night before, as my son hadn't gotten any dinner - i cooked, but it was all eaten when he arrived - so i took him out for a hamburger).  the morning starts so fast, some days.

and sadness, yes, sometimes i just feel like crying over very small things.  my little 3 year old is so sweet, and i usually try not to cry in front of her because she turns into a little mommy.  'are you ok?'  but, once it's out, i feel much better, so i think it's good to cry.

and, nothingness, sometimes when really stressed or tired.  i think 'what's the point'  (in my house- it's cleaning).  i feel invisible sometimes, as though everyone thinks i'm just a maid - cleaning up cleaning up (as they throw heaps here and there) and leaving trash on the floor.  but, then i say -- i'm not going to let it get to me - and go outside or leave the house for awhile (after telling them to pick up).

and, lastly, relaxation sometime during the day or week.  for me, it's either exercise or piano.  if i didn't have these (and church) i would really be bummed.  people don't really affect my emotions (as much- though they do somewhat) as my chemical balance.  i find with prayer, exercise and diet, i can control the level of my happiness and emotions.  not reacting so much as just thinking about the situation.  say, if you get really angry about something, you can go exercise and come back and say to yourself 'so what.' 

of course, a little sip of bailey's irish on a friday night never hurts either.

[ted]

I tend to be much the same all the time - placid and contemplative. I don't have emotions of any sort very often. I do have them but more seldom as I get older. On the other hand I seem to be entering a veritable retarded adolescence of burgeoning intellectual and physical activity, and a broadening of perception generally. The whole thing is probably due to decreasing testosterone levels I imagine.

I find I frequently produce emotions in other people though - bit of a nuisance really.

The only alcoholic drink I like is brandy and ginger ale, but one or two and I can't be bothered with any more these days.

[pianonut]

a veritable retarded adolescence?  hahaha that's funny!  you sound like a character.  i guess that all work and no play do make us dull.  you have to get out, go do things you haven't done before, and take good risks.  piano is one  of my good risks.  i say, (with help of encouragement from a friend) that maybe someday i will have a master's degree.