Panic! In the Library
So I'm still in my university library. In as far as learning goes, two guys are making out on a raft, someone got stabbed in a tent, someone's kid's going to have a hard life if the dad dies and the friends abandon them, someone's sucking off Rome's gentry in alleyways and I feel like I'm going to die.

How do you deal with panic? I've not been able to sleep for the past few days due to worrying about ridiculous things. Things which I'm not even going to mention as they're utterly ridiculous.

ALT: In your line of work or life, what do you focus on to keep you sane and enjoying being alive?
( Lampito rise with the moon, go to bed with the sun, Mon 17 May 2010, 17:03, 41 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

I haven't got THE FEAR yet, so I've still not started revising.
And I probably won't start until I can stop listening to Glee songs on youtube.
When I panic, I usually call my mum, meditate, or put some music on full blast in my room and just dance all the panic out.

Alt: Dance. The fact that I'm never more than 5 days away from doing what I love.
(Applebite Uh! A cow!, Mon 17 May 2010, 17:07, Reply)

I like the dance the panic out idea
I've not got my portable music player, can't exactly listen to laptop on the bus :/

If I had it, I'd walk home, that'd be a good way to relax too. Arses.
( Lampito rise with the moon, go to bed with the sun, Mon 17 May 2010, 17:27, Reply)

Bad times.
Just dance like a loon when you get home. Works every time.
Then watch some Glee and drool over Finn. Or Puck, if that's where your tastes lie.
(Applebite Uh! A cow!, Mon 17 May 2010, 17:29, Reply)

Masturbation.
For both questions.
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Mon 17 May 2010, 17:13, Reply)

A good lie-in usually sorts it for me.

(porkylips looks better as the sun goes down., Mon 17 May 2010, 17:14, Reply)

I guess, exam isn't til 2.30
but I won't be able to sleep as I'm so stressed.
( Lampito rise with the moon, go to bed with the sun, Mon 17 May 2010, 17:19, Reply)

you'll be FINE.

( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Mon 17 May 2010, 17:24, Reply)

Maybe for Latin
but I'm gleefully fucked for Greek

I don't know what to do. I can't bring myself to move from the library but I can't think I'm not taking pleasure in anything oh my god oh my god oh my god
( Lampito rise with the moon, go to bed with the sun, Mon 17 May 2010, 17:26, Reply)

Take a short break.
You're wasting your time until you've calmed down anyway.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Mon 17 May 2010, 17:28, Reply)

Being the best at what I do
Failing that, getting absolutely fence-posted one night and seeing how easy it is to hide the next day.
(Himjim died a little more inside on, Mon 17 May 2010, 17:24, Reply)

That has proved to be a very, very expensive discovery for me.
Getting clean away with literally no sleep whatsoever has meant my 'it's a school night' warning light simply doesn't work any more.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Mon 17 May 2010, 17:27, Reply)

Exactly
I can grab a 6 pack of beer from my local for 4 quid and chug it all from 8 - 1 and roll into work, and no-one notices. Woops.

What does that say about me when I'm not hungover?
(Himjim died a little more inside on, Mon 17 May 2010, 17:28, Reply)

I can shovel cocaine and drink into my face at a rate of knots
whilst simultaneously chainsmoking weed, until 4:30am, have a lie down for a bit and then get up and go into work without being rumbled. I am embarrassed to admit I have tested this theory more times than I care to think about.

I'm not proud of it - it's fucking disgusting, but there you go. HARDCORE TIL I DIE (next year)...
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Mon 17 May 2010, 17:37, Reply)

I count down the day and hours til I see my kid again.
I have very little else to look forward to so I have a kind of countdown clock running in the background at all times.

Pathetic, eh?
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Mon 17 May 2010, 17:33, Reply)

Not at all, the fact that you didn't say drugs shows that you might be growing up!
you should be thankful that you have something in your life that means that much to you.

I'm dead inside.
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Mon 17 May 2010, 17:35, Reply)

*cough* see above
:0(
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Mon 17 May 2010, 17:39, Reply)

Well yeah, but two sides to the coin and all that.

( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Mon 17 May 2010, 17:43, Reply)

No.

( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Mon 17 May 2010, 17:37, Reply)

Yes

(PsychoChomp, Mon 17 May 2010, 17:39, Reply)

It fucking is. I completely agree.

( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Mon 17 May 2010, 17:41, Reply)

Not at all.
When I was younger I had that sort of mental-countdown-clock, for something that made me happy.

Nowadays I would do, if I still had the thing that made me tick :(
( Lampito rise with the moon, go to bed with the sun, Mon 17 May 2010, 18:14, Reply)

You get to meet me again in just over a month.

(PsychoChomp, Mon 17 May 2010, 18:15, Reply)

Oh fucking hell :(
I'd rather cut my own toes off.
( Lampito rise with the moon, go to bed with the sun, Mon 17 May 2010, 18:34, Reply)

Stop showing off.

(PsychoChomp, Mon 17 May 2010, 18:44, Reply)

About what?
I'll be on my best behaviour.
Even though I've realised that the bus stop that goes right to my house is pretty much next to the pub.

Problem is, the busses start at 1.30 from that stop.
I propose I stay out until they start :D
( Lampito rise with the moon, go to bed with the sun, Mon 17 May 2010, 18:55, Reply)

I can't remember the last time I panicked about anything.
I get mildly flustered on the odd occasion, but full blown panic never seems to set in. Usually around deadlines at work.

That said, I also genuinely enjoy my job, despite the odd feeling of being a bit pissed off with people when they can't seem to follow simple instructions, like putting their budgets in the right financial years and stuff. And when I leave for the day, that's it, work doesn't come home with me.
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Mon 17 May 2010, 18:05, Reply)

I don't do panic, I don't see the point
I always think that if something has gone far enough to warrent panicing, then chances are you can't do anything about it so you may as well start planning on dealing with the consequences.
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Mon 17 May 2010, 18:09, Reply)

Very much this.
It's a waste of energy. Far better to use that energy to think of something constructive that will get you out of the hole that you (most probably) have dug for yourself.
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Mon 17 May 2010, 18:11, Reply)

I never understand people taht worry about things, before they even know the full facts

( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Mon 17 May 2010, 18:13, Reply)

People seem to think I'm a calm person
I never really SEEM flustered, until it's too late and I'm howling in the corridors (has happened several times. Messy)
I just scream silently in my head :D

Separating work and life is one of the best things to do, I guess. I really should do that.
( Lampito rise with the moon, go to bed with the sun, Mon 17 May 2010, 18:36, Reply)

I'm afraid I can't help with the work panic
I'm the laziest person I know. I am however very curious as to what you are reading because nothing is springing to mind that has all that stuff in it.

However one thing that does help to calm down is making lists. It's depressing to see how much work you have left, but there is a surprising sense of achievement when you tick things off and it makes it feel less daunting.

And to keep me sane, uh actually not much I can think of. Perhaps photography, and really laid back walks alone in the sunshine/snow
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Mon 17 May 2010, 18:38, Reply)

In order:
Petronius, a letter to Cicero, a letter from Cicero and Martial.

YAY OBSCENITY.
( Lampito rise with the moon, go to bed with the sun, Mon 17 May 2010, 18:45, Reply)

that makes more sense now haha
I assumed they were all in the same story
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Mon 17 May 2010, 19:06, Reply)

That would be an awesome story.

( Lampito rise with the moon, go to bed with the sun, Mon 17 May 2010, 19:07, Reply)

I don't let my job get me down when it sucks
I make sure I do what I enjoy, with people who are generally happy and positive and are good fun.

Surfing, making music and smoking pot are also helpful.

I cannot stress enough how good surfing is for your mental wellbeing.

Those times in my life when I have been particularly stressed or worried then I'll freak out (usually internally) for an hour or so, then I'll chill out and get on with whatever needs to be done to sort things out.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Mon 17 May 2010, 18:56, Reply)

I've only surfed once
I managed to stand up about 3 times after about 2 hours :D
It was enjoyable though. I like the sea.
I would put on my favourite song about the sea, but I'd end up crying. Instead, I'm listening to one of the worst songs ever written that is simultaneously amazing. At least it's happy :D
( Lampito rise with the moon, go to bed with the sun, Mon 17 May 2010, 19:00, Reply)

when you start being able to go along the wave and have some control instead of straight towards the beach
it becomes incomparable.

I love the sea. I have a few songs that I love that involve the sea, but none about the sea as far as I recall....
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Mon 17 May 2010, 19:03, Reply)

Well I guess it's not strictly about the sea
It's about the singer sitting on the beach with his fucked up girlfriend, talking about how she's a nutcase, everything's wrong with the world and other shit.

It's beautiful.
( Lampito rise with the moon, go to bed with the sun, Mon 17 May 2010, 19:05, Reply)

I tend to go
For just not getting stressed and panicked. If I do, then I just wind up the easily annoyed person on my course, because we all enjoy seeing him get angry.
(PenguinOfDeath is Scottish, and most likely angry, Mon 17 May 2010, 19:04, Reply)

Panicking is for the weak and the stupid.
Q) When there's 280 gallons/minute of 85C water pouring out of a hole in a ceiling does panicking really help?
A) Not much.
Exactly.
So pack it the fuck in.
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Mon 17 May 2010, 22:19, Reply)

Exam stress is easy:
pre FEAR: play games due to lack of stress
post FEAR: play games to cope with stress
( Tedium Alduce me to interlow myself., Mon 17 May 2010, 22:29, Reply)