Coping Techniques

So, lately I've been doing a fair amount of that more traditional Mentor work; you know, mentoring students rather than showing up to training sessions and gorging on danish pastries. And a lot of the time I'm dealing with people who, like myself, suffer from depression. It usually surprises people when I admit it, as until recently it wasn't ever something I really talk about, but I'm willing to do so if it helps other people.

You have no idea how hard it is to find an amusing meme
about depression that isn't completely, well, depressing.

One of the side effects of all this has been thinking about my own depression a bit more, which in turn has resulted in me talking a bit more candidly to the people I've been known to confide in myself on occasion, and a frequent topic is coping mechanisms. The more obvious ones are pretty well known, but I figured I'd share a few things that I've found at least a little helpful.

The first is this blog post here. Now, I'm not sure about a lot of it - the first two points in particular seem flat out defeatist to me, though maybe I just don't experience that a lot thanks to the whole not-ever-talking-about-it thing. They kinda answer it with point nineteen though, so there is that. Your mileage is gonna vary a whole bunch with a lot of these things, but the way I always figure is it never hurts to try something that might cheer you the hell up, right?

The second, and somewhat more radical, is from fitness and well-being guru Elliott Hulse. Remember how in my last blog I mentioned that I was opening up to all that namby-pamby life-coach bullcrap? Apparently I wasn't kidding, 'cause even a year ago this is exactly the kind of bloke I'd have written off right away. I can't link to the video like I normally would, but here's the link:

Though you might wanna read the next bit before you click.

The reason I can't just put the video on this page is that it can't be found just by searching Youtube, you need the direct link. Near as I can tell, after the poor bastard put the video up he was swarmed by piss takers and insults. Nice one, internet. And the reason for that is, as you'll notice when you watch the video, he seems completely batshit, window-licking crazy.

But take it from me, that shit really does work a treat. It isn't a cure, but if you can spare ten minutes or so before you've gotta go somewhere and it'd be handy to be a little more confident and less withdrawn, give it a shot. Because for awhile at least, every time I give this a whirl I feel better about myself.

There's a sciency explanation for it all, too:

Took me a little while to get past the whole "like unholy fuck am I doing that to myself, privately or otherwise" thing. But I'm glad I did. Here's two tips from a now-seasoned veteran of breathing through one's balls:

1.) If you've flatmates or family, lock yourself in and blast music. The music should cover the damned strange noises, and prevent your loved ones from having you locked up. I recommend the heaviest metal you can stomach, as the aggression of it helps too.

2.) Do it in front of a mirror. Because trust me, when you can see yourself doing this crazy, crazy stuff, you'll laugh at yourself. And laughter is one hell of a cure-all.

Anyhow, that's enough from me. Like I said, I'm not really a one for talking about this sorta stuff, but I figure one of my fellow mentors might find this stuff useful for helping someone. Or even just help one of my fellow mentors. At which point what has it cost me, really? Aside from you all having a nagging suspicion what I might be up to if you ever knock for me, I don't answer and you can hear Slipknot...

Anyhow, signing out. I'm off out tonight, and first I need to vibrate and breathe through my balls.

Training Session

So, today was the first big Mentor-ey day in what seems like forever! What can I say? S'bloody good to be back, I really do love these days.

Except you, of course. Yes you. You with the face.

So today was actually really useful. I say actually, as if I wasn't really expecting it to be. And it's true that in the past I've always hated that namby pamby team building crap, and even more than that I've hated a lot of the bullshit business speak that comes with a lot of these training schemes. Business speak is bad.

Except when Jack Donaghy does it. But
you aren't Jack, are you?

But the truth is, I've actually really come to respect a lot of the stuff we do along these lines. It's still a sorta basic business-y setup, but the company means I've got little issue with that. And the actual stuff we learn is flat out bloody practical. We first learned that ABCD personalities stuff back in what, September? And while it should be so broad as to be completely useless, I've found it comes in damned handy both in dealing with Mentees (I'd totally never heard that word before today...) and outside of it.

Yes, this is a Manatee and not a Mentee, but I'm still
not certain on the difference.

Mostly, I think that I can see a definite use for all this stuff when I finally take up my mantle as the new Doctor Doom and take over the world. Before I planned to do so through force of arms, but with enough practice I'm now fairly certain I can convince you all it was your idea in the first place.

Don't say you weren't warned, peons.