“You know those days when you get
the mean reds? The mean reds, you mean like the
blues? No. The blues are because you're
getting fat and maybe it's been raining too long, you're just sad that's all.
The mean reds are horrible. Suddenly you're afraid and you don't know what
you're afraid of. Do you ever get that feeling?”
Like Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany’s, I get the mean reds. For me the mean reds are the days where I’m on edge all day long, cant get anything done except sit, worry and smoke one cigarette after another until my hands finally stop shaking. When I’m extra stressed, I get the mean reds more often than usual and I need to take a break from my normal routine and have some “me time”.
While Holly likes to take a trip
over to Tiffany’s, I like to go to the beach. I like to leave my phone in the
car so no one can bother me, take a walk or sit on the rocks and watch the waves
crash onto the shore. Spending some alone time in a relaxing environment is more
effective at boosting my mood than any medication will ever be.
For those
of us who suffer from depression and anxiety, it is important for us to have
outlets or ways to relax and distress without taking any type of drug. Holly
Golightly likes to go to Tiffany’s, I like to go to the beach, my father likes
to garden, my mother likes to read. Activities where we just focus on us and
things we like to do are unbelievable important to our mental health and
sanity. Doing activities that make us happy, boost our serotonin levels
naturally and don’t involve any nasty side effects like medications do. So the
next time you feel the mean reds coming on, take a minute and think about all
of the things you enjoy doing. Even just thinking about doing those things will
distract you from your anxieties and provide a little relief. Being able to go
and do those things is even better!
I've never heard of that expression, if it's an expression, and I've yet to see Breakfast at Tiffany's. You produced a detailed picture of the scene you were referring to though. Thanks for that. I have to say, I see where you're coming from when you talk about finding ways to calm ourselves down rather than reaching straight for the drug cabinet. As humans, we get upset sometimes, sad others. We have so many factors influencing our moods all at once. There's the friend we're talking to, the ambience of sitting outdoors in a park, the refreshing iced tea in our hands, the worry free weekend ahead of us.... so many factors that can lead us into being happy or not.
ReplyDeleteAnd for those times that we are not, we should be wise in our decisions of how to react. Like you said, just thinking about relaxing methods can essentially cause us to relax and smooth down our anxiety. And so, for me, instead of reaching for medications I would think about sitting outdoors sipping from a cool glass of iced tea.