Modelling mojo and state of mind

[tomparryharry]

Hello Folks, just a bit of medicinal humour (I hope ).  Telephone conversation with doctor. " Can I have an incremental increase in  my dosage?"  Yes.. Apparently, I can.....

 

" Is the dosage effect linear, or exponential?"

 

"Err...."

[Coldgunner]

Things have certainly changed for me a lot over the course of the past year. Everything is completely different to when I started this thread too.

1. I moved house - out from under my parents roof into my own home

2. New job a couple of months ago - vast improvements in working life and salary

The only thing I'm struggling with is a lack of human contact. I think I have a better relationship with the cashier at Tesco than anyone else right now. See my folks once or twice a week but haven't been able to share a beer with friends for months. I understand why the lockdowns are in place, but coming out of the other side I think as a country we need to address the mental health issues that have since materialised. Also haven't met with the local 16mm club since last summer either, so no steam ups. Did manage to get a run at the GCR last autumn and a ride behind Thomas at the NVR back in July though.

Mojo has kinda returned, the soldering iron has been out to fix some of my dodgy loco wiring (shrink tubing is excellent!).

Edited March 10, 2021 by Coldgunner

[Tangoman69]

Not great living on your own in the current situation.

I am at home with SWMBO, along with very regular visits from our daughter & granddaughter and still find it hard.

 

i can’t wait to see friends and further family soon and get on the train down to London to see colleagues.

 

The layout is progressing at a nails pace

 

Stay safe out there!

[Coldgunner]

I do wonder how we'd fare without video conferencing and the internet to keep in touch. For all the bad things technology can bring, there are also many times the benefits.

[tomparryharry]

I was down for a while  (cue Roy Orbison )  but the change of weather has certainly picked me up quite a bit. The last couple of weeks have seen me collecting some parts for some scratch-building projects.  The enforced lack of progress shed wise hasn't helped, but it'll get finished this year.

 

Looking out of the window, the Currant Bun is shining, so when I finish the tea, I'll be back out there. 

 

I hope each & everyone can gain from this, however small it may be. Half a step forward is still half a step forward. 

 

Take care,

Ian.

[TravisM]

Not trying to be nosey but with the easing of lockdown restrictions and the hope of brighter, sunnier days, has anyone found that their modelling mojo is failing to return and there still seems to be a black cloud hanging over them?

 

The reason I ask, is I’m still struggling to get motivated and after listening to the news last night, they mentioned that there’s a strong possibility of yet another wave of covid in the autumn, which means the possibility of yet another lockdown.

[Big James]

Not so much modelling mojo but my mental health is really suffering right now. I’ve always had a railway but with just moving house and having to tear up my old

layout has made me realise how important it was to my mental health. Now it’s gone and a new layout is so far down the list of priorities in the new house behind redecorating etc that I can’t see one in the making for quite some time. I just didn’t realise how much my railway helped till it’s gone. 
 

Big James

[Blandford1969]

If there was ever a thread that shows that we can now talk about our mental health it has got to be this one. Thank you @Coldgunner for starting it. I'm ashamed to say its one I've only found recently. I don't mind the pills, I like the working at home, but I do miss seeing my family and friends. The workroom has the family computer in so with young children who want to be playing it can be difficult to do much. That's even after leaving other things that were taking up time and adding to my GAD. I find it so hard to finish things, not sure if others have that, or if it looks to difficult being anxious about doing it, even though its easy like making and fitting splashers. 

 

Modelling is relaxing, but for over 10 years has been at best intermittent. Somehow browsing, reading or sleeping just have seemed safer, which to anyone who does not suffer will seem at best odd. I have though made more progress this year than in any other year for a long time and my aim is to finally finish some things and overcome that anxiety. 

 

I am working on having at least an hour a week at the moment and setting myself little aims. The challenge is to stop keep on getting side tracked. Not so sure its a black cloud for me now, more the anxiety of either doing or not doing something and a feeling I should be doing something else. As for the pills they seem to help now I'm on a lower dose than before and a sleep app is it seems helping my sleep, which again helps. 

[Phil Parker]

This article on "Brain Fog" is interesting. 

https://amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/apr/14/brain-fog-how-trauma-uncertainty-and-isolation-have-affected-our-minds-and-memory?__twitter_impression=true

 

We are suffering from lack of stimulus. That makes sense to me as I've been struggling with imagination and motivation. My brain is missing seeing something new. 

 

[Erichill16]

I’ve got many projects from years ago, all started  and stalled for various reasons and for this reason I don’t want to start another. I get one out, stare at it, pack it away and then go and watch tv or more likely go to bed.  Something of a catch 22 situation. 

I decided to purchase a 3D printed kit recently  and have found it quite therapeutic, it’s gone together quickly and now I have a new addition to my collection with very little effort. No ‘heavy’ duty tools needed and no long periods of head scratching. It’s helped to keep black dog away and I think I can see mojo on the horizon, making his way slowly  in my direction.

Hopefully I can now get on with one of more involved, stalled projects.

Just do something that is very achievable no matter how mundane, its a start. Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Regards 

Robert

[The Johnster]

6 hours ago, jools1959 said:

Not trying to be nosey but with the easing of lockdown restrictions and the hope of brighter, sunnier days, has anyone found that their modelling mojo is failing to return and there still seems to be a black cloud hanging over them?

 

The reason I ask, is I’m still struggling to get motivated and after listening to the news last night, they mentioned that there’s a strong possibility of yet another wave of covid in the autumn, which means the possibility of yet another lockdown.

By autumn, with the majority of the population vaccinated, one would hope that a further lockdown can be avoided; the damage to the economy has already been massive and paying for it will take us years.  The plague will be with us permanently of course, in the same way as ‘flu, another covid variant that kills thousands, can be be vaccinated against, but does not require lockdown or social distancing to be enforced.  
 

I am, despite being clinically depressed, hopeful that things will improve over the summer (pubs in Wales are opening for beer garden sales in just under two weeks, and probably indoors by the end of May, a good indicator of partial normality IMHO) and continue to improve slowly afterwards; social distancing will, I reckon, be eased when the vaccination program is complete, but I think masks and screens are probably with us for good, now. 
 

The covid has certainly affected my depression and agoraphobia, and my modelling mojo has been in fits and bursts, but my operating the layout mojo has been steady, about an hour most days sometimes longer, and has been a life saver (I have been advised to shield until about a month ago).  The squeeze and the layout have between probably saved my sanity!

 

Your mojo will come back, Jools, when it’s good’n’ready, don’t force it and don’t beat yourself up for not having it at the moment. It’s a hobby, and you don’t have to do it if you’re not in the mood to justify it.  Try and get outside as much as you can in the good weather, and pick things up again in the autumn. 

[Blandford1969]

1 hour ago, The Johnster said:

Your mojo will come back, Jools, when it’s good’n’ready, don’t force it and don’t beat yourself up for not having it at the moment. It’s a hobby, and you don’t have to do it if you’re not in the mood to justify it.  Try and get outside as much as you can in the good weather, and pick things up again in the autumn. 

That rings really true to what my wife says. That the more pressure you put on yourself to do something the harder it can become. That in turn becomes a cycle. As the Johnster says getting outside is good even if just in the garden. It is possible to see the tide finally turning. 

 

If there is anything where you can escape 'it' , which works for me and some of my friends who also struggle then do that and then on other days when things are harder think about doing that thing that brings you an escape. I get my main one back this Sunday when I will drive out of Bridgnorth and its been something I have been clinging too since December. 

 

Be kind to yourself too and set goals you can achieve. Mine for this week solder 4 splashers onto a footplate. Its not in the league of the great builders but it will be enough to see some progress. Rightly or wrongly I tend not to share my modelling on here now because it got to feeling like putting pressure on myself when the mojo can go as quickly as it comes. 

[Cowley 47521]

7 hours ago, Big James said:

Not so much modelling mojo but my mental health is really suffering right now. I’ve always had a railway but with just moving house and having to tear up my old

layout has made me realise how important it was to my mental health. Now it’s gone and a new layout is so far down the list of priorities in the new house behind redecorating etc that I can’t see one in the making for quite some time. I just didn’t realise how much my railway helped till it’s gone. 
 

Big James

This really struck a cord with me James. I actually did work in mental health for quite a while and since starting going self employed and doing more manual work I’ve found that I feel a lot better in myself (the difference between going home physically tired and mentally tired is huge). 
Having the railway is something I’d wanted to do properly for a long time and there’s been gaps in my life where I didn’t have one at all and really missed having something to lose myself in. 
I’ve got jobs I always need to do around the house and garden and I’m getting through them bit by bit, but I need to be able to do this and relax sometimes because otherwise I don’t have the motivation to do anything as it all seems a bit pointless if there’s no enjoyment in life.

 

Nick

[Northmoor]

13 minutes ago, Cowley 47521 said:

This really struck a cord with me James. I actually did work in mental health for quite a while and since starting going self employed and doing more manual work I’ve found that I feel a lot better in myself (the difference between going home physically tired and mentally tired is huge). 

There can be an unfortunate inverse snobbery about "hard work"; the idea that because someone works in an office or is an executive on a six-figure salary, cannot be exhausted.  When I have done a day's physical work, I have gone home exhausted but have woken up the next day with maybe a couple of bruises or aching muscles, soon forgotten.  A memory of a bad day will last a lot longer and being paid more doesn't make it go away.  

[sb67]

9 hours ago, Phil Parker said:

This article on "Brain Fog" is interesting. 

https://amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/apr/14/brain-fog-how-trauma-uncertainty-and-isolation-have-affected-our-minds-and-memory?__twitter_impression=true

 

We are suffering from lack of stimulus. That makes sense to me as I've been struggling with imagination and motivation. My brain is missing seeing something new. 

 

 

That's an interesting article. 

I have to say I have actually enjoyed periods of lockdown. We are so lucky to have a fantastic hobby and I have enjoyed so much being able to read books, chat on here, where I have had plenty of new stimulus, and model without having to worry about spending too much time doing it. 

I do miss exhibitions though and the stimulus I get from that and also looking for bargains on the stalls. 

I honestly think having a hobby should be embraced as it has definitely definitely helped me through these challenging times and I cant imaging being without it. 

[Northmoor]

33 minutes ago, sb67 said:

 

That's an interesting article. 

I have to say I have actually enjoyed periods of lockdown. We are so lucky to have a fantastic hobby and I have enjoyed so much being able to read books, chat on here, where I have had plenty of new stimulus, and model without having to worry about spending too much time doing it. 

I do miss exhibitions though and the stimulus I get from that and also looking for bargains on the stalls. 

I honestly think having a hobby should be embraced as it has definitely definitely helped me through these challenging times and I cant imaging being without it. 

I agree completely and I've hardly done any modelling since last March, I've just had to continue working from home.

 

I am divided between sympathetic and baffled by people who don't really have a hobby, like when I hear people complain they've "run out of box sets", as if there is no form of entertainment, other than television.  Funny how this belief is given a mouthpiece and encouraged by......... presenters on television.

[Dava]

My birthday today, lucky in being able to book a table in a local pub garden and ‘chill out’ with Mrs Dava over beers & burgers, first meal out for 6 months. 

 

Also a parcel arrived from the Model Railway Club shop with some Gauge 0 items for my US shortline project. Things are looking up...

 

Dava 

[Cowley 47521]

2 hours ago, Northmoor said:

I agree completely and I've hardly done any modelling since last March, I've just had to continue working from home.

 

I am divided between sympathetic and baffled by people who don't really have a hobby, like when I hear people complain they've "run out of box sets", as if there is no form of entertainment, other than television.  Funny how this belief is given a mouthpiece and encouraged by......... presenters on television.

I couldn’t agree more.
Even if we’re watching something of an evening I’m still tinkering away making something in the corner on my little work table because I just can’t sit and stare at the telly all night.

That’s actually how I’ve got around being isolated from my family by doing too much hobby stuff - I just make things in the corner so that we’re all still able to chat to each other and when I get the time I go and plant them on the railway.

 

 I’m lucky in that my other half is very supportive of what I’m in to. I spent a long time with someone who wasn’t though, she clearly wanted me to be someone that was different to who I actually was and I’d never have had the mental resources to enjoy my hobby how I do it now.

 

Nick 

[sb67]

7 hours ago, Cowley 47521 said:

I’m lucky in that my other half is very supportive of what I’m in to. I spent a long time with someone who wasn’t though, she clearly wanted me to be someone that was different to who I actually was and I’d never have had the mental resources to enjoy my hobby how I do it now.

 

 

That helps too. Took me a long time to meet someone that enjoys what I do and let's me be me.  

[The Johnster]

I reckon the contact maintained with your partner is one of the great advantages of having a layout situated in the main living area of the home.  Often the best location from the space pov is a shed, garage, or loft, but this isolates you from the rest of the household; of course, for some, that’s intentional. 
 

I, too, am lucky in that my Squeeze is supportive, and the layout is in the bedroom of a 2-room flat.  One of my operating ‘modes’ involves popping into the bedroom during the adverts and doing a move or two, which means we can share watching tv.  There are other considerations besides space, and it is IMHO desirable to integrate the hobby into household life as much as possible; this needs a supportive partner unless you have a spare room. 
 

I do ‘modelling on a tray’, simple projectettes that can take place on the sofa or even the patio, but avoid smelly paints or glues, or anything that might spill on furniture or carpet.  I so a lot of filing to shape and finishing off work in this way. 

[SteveyDee68]

On 13/09/2018 at 20:57, jonny777 said:

I could go on for weeks about nightmares. I have had them since being a small child. There seems to be no predictability to their frequency but the content will almost always be the same. I have to work on the top floor of a ridiculously tall building, which is probably 200 storeys high. I can go up most floors in a lift but the top few storeys have to be by the stairs. 

 

Unfortunately, although the stairs are enclosed at first, the higher they go the more exposed they become until I am on steps with nothing but a vertical drop either side. I then find that the only alternative is to walk on a narrow ledge across to the second part of the building without falling off. Someone once told me that if I ever fail from the ledge I will die in my sleep; but that was proved to be nonsense the first time I fell - because I just floated to the ground and then had to repeat the whole process again.

 

I was reading through the thread mainly because right now I seem to be having an excess of mojo - lots of ideas tumbling out, wanting to have multiple projects on the go. (I think it is probably as unhealthy as having no mojo, but hopefully I will calm down in due course and be able to focus on one thing at a time!)

 

But I felt I had to comment upon @jonny777 's above post from 2018 because I have had almost exactly the same dream, in almost all details! I have added bold to note the single biggest difference - in my dream, I can catch a lift all the way to the top, but the higher you go, the more often the lift fails, and plunges back down the shaft! I have an urgent reason to get to the top... eventually, after several attempts getting higher each time and with more disastrous results from the ensuing plummet back down to the lobby, I decide to take the stairs... 

 

These are a "square spiral" but with no handrail on the inside, only the outer edge. The higher up I climb, the narrower the steps become until I am clinging to the handrail with my toes on a tiny ledge and a drop behind me! I manage to reach the door at the top, but it opens outwards so when I grab the handle to open it, my weight pulls the door tight shut as I am clinging on to the door handle, the handrail and my toes pressed against the tiniest of ledges!

 

At this point, I realise I cannot proceed and have to make my way down again BUT ... oh, didn't I mention this? ... the other people in the dream thought I knew what I was doing so have followed me, and I can't go down because they are all clinging on right below me, all the way diwn to the foot of the stairwell! Trying to communicate that everybody has to go back all the way to the people at the very bottom is the new challenge, and my limbs start shaking with the effort of holding on, waiting to start to go back down...

 

Perhaps not exactly the same, but the narrowing of the stairs, the greater danger the higher I get, the sense of urgency in my task to get to the top ... there must be common elements linking such similarity in dreams!

 

Sending nothing but good wishes to everyone and anyone suffering from any loss of mojo, whether caused by an odd off day or anything more lingering.

 

Steve S

[The Johnster]

I have a recurring 'mare with similarities to this.  I am late for something and it is getting dark as I make my way along, successively, a wide well lit boulevard, a city street, a narrower street, a lane, a pathway, a narrow pathway, and eventually enter a building and proceed down stairs towards the basement.  The stairway gets narrower and steeper until I reach the bottom level, which is a blind end with no doors and the stairs back up to escape are too steep and narrow, becuase now I am exhausted and lack the strength to climb them. 

 

Lifts, which I have no problems with in reality, are tricksy little sods in my dreams.  They can move in any direction, not just up or down, will usually go in the opposite direction to the button I've pushed, are sometimes mere platforms inside bare brick shafts, stop half way between floors, and may well deposit me in completely different buildings and scenarios.  This is another form of anxiety dream; I am trying to make my way back to my workplace after a tea or meal break and will be in trouble if I am late. 

 

And don't get me started on buses.  They change times, routes, route numbers, and bus stops, and again I am trying to get home as quickly as I can, usually ending up further away then when I started as the driver refuses to stop where I want to get off.  And the ones in my 'mares are even worse...

[Ian Smeeton]

Can I have some of whatever @The Johnster is on.

 

Please....

 

Regards

 

Ian

[The Johnster]

Sertraline, Thyroxine, Steroxol, Tamulosin, Forixga, and beer.  Don't recommend the conditions that will lead to your GP prescribing these, but unreservedly recommend beer...

[durham light infantry]

This is my church, this is where I heal my hurt. (CopyrightMaxi Jazz) but it so right.