(no subject)

[alexseanchai]

no brain for anything but bejeweled. cannot has more bejeweled without spending moneys. not allowed to spend moneys.

no brain because at seminar all day (on four hours sleep), learning communication skills. the theory not the practice. anybody know of studies in which 'smile moar' is proven to work on depression? (interested also in the conjunction with 'smile moar' directed at women who are being insufficiently decorative. but mostly in whether it actually works on depression.) what about the efficacy of the principle behind 3_good_things_a_day? seminar leader swears studies exist but there wasn't time to inquire about details.

Comments

[nenya_kanadka]

Friend of mine used to do what she called "joy sadhana" in the throes of depression--it was to list either 5 good things that happened today and 3 things I accomplished, or the other way around, I forget. But it could be anything from "lapful of cat for an hour this afternoon" to "gorgeous saxophonist busking on the way home" to "brother bought me lunch", and "wore matching socks" to "sewed on button I have been putting off" to "actually bought tea!" to "finished this Fucking Project, now waiting for the beta reader."

So not so much "smile moar" as making a record in black and white of some of the good parts of the day and the abilities one has, since depression tends to suck that stuff away from one's conscious experience. I found that reading *her* lists cheered me up, and it worked for me to some extent too, when I could/would actually do it. :P Occasionally the first "what I did good today" would have to be "wrote this list!"

But not the same as "if you make a happy face you will feel happy", which...makes me want to smack people even if I'm *not* feeling bad.

[alexseanchai]

So it works at least some of the time for at least some of the people. Thanks.

[nenya_kanadka]

Yeah, anecdata; one of those things where if it's helpful to you, do it, if not, not. It does at least try to bypass the "only thinking of bad things" thing. And for me was a very gentle way of doing so.

[auguris]

Lots of pop psych, no real conclusions. Forced smiling and concentrating on good things are a stop-gap at best.

Facebook has free bejeweled blitz if you can stand the site. It's on android/ipad, too.

[alexseanchai]

Ah. Damn. Worth a try, though? The focusing on good things, at least, if not the smile moar.

Thanks.