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Scare away the Black dog with railway modelling!


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https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1230562/Blue-Monday-tips-model-railways-trains

 

Fact, our hobby does us good to stop the world falling apart! 

I finding modelling can help, I have been known to miss dinner time when I have found the mojo and been engrossed in a project. The other night I was in the garage working on a new project. I had been so distracted, that I came back in at 11pm having just go out to do some wood cutting at 4pm. Luckily dinner was not in the dog!

Also I  kept warm by the heat of a soldering iron, as there was no radiator!

 

Do other people have similar situations?

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14 minutes ago, The Johnster said:

Build your layout in the house so that SWMBO can stop this sort of shennanigans.  Re black dog, check out ‘modelling mojo’ thread here. 

"Stay Single" would be my best advice, as a SWMBO is highly likely to end up considering ALL modelling activity as "shennanigans" to be stopped, eventually, no matter how much she found it fascinating/tolerated it when you first met... :rolleyes: :nono: :punish: :blush: :cry:

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All modelling stopped, sad to say.  But , a change of meds is imminent, 'cause I can't go on quite like this. There is a stack of breeze blocks loitering with intent, and they are looking at me through the kitchen window. I know I can do it, and I know how to build it to the nearest milimetre, but getting my ar$e into the back garden is, well, quite difficult. A lot (and I mean, a lot) of friends tell me to get myself in gear, but I'm still spinning in neutral, handbrake on. 

 

Lets see  what the end of the month brings. The Black doggie needs some exercise, methinks....

 

Ian.

 

 

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The black dog needs a kicking, but we all know that’s not how it works.  Good luck with the new meds, but your GP might want you to wean of your current one first, not an overnight deal and you’re asking for trouble if you rush it!  Take the time you need and let the breeze blocks wait until YOU are ready. 

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2 hours ago, tomparryharry said:

All modelling stopped, sad to say.  But , a change of meds is imminent, 'cause I can't go on quite like this. There is a stack of breeze blocks loitering with intent, and they are looking at me through the kitchen window. I know I can do it, and I know how to build it to the nearest milimetre, but getting my ar$e into the back garden is, well, quite difficult. A lot (and I mean, a lot) of friends tell me to get myself in gear, but I'm still spinning in neutral, handbrake on. 

 

Lets see  what the end of the month brings. The Black doggie needs some exercise, methinks....

 

Ian.

 

 

The first step is always the most difficult...just plan that small (baby) step and the rest will follow...don't ask me how I know...but you can take control..

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Yes they will improve, but it's not a fast process as no doubt many on here will testify! Small steps and taking it day by day may seem a tentative route but those little steps do add up. Then one day you will find that you have turned onto the upward path. AS Gilbert says above, don't ask me how I know!

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A little and often as the old saying goes! Its a fine line between pushing yourself to do something or nothing at all. I give myself 20 minutes or so. If it goes right I don't notice the time and I'm engaged. If it goes wrong, I walk away! Its what works for you that matters.

 

What really used to get my goat was people telling me to cheer up! It was usually followed by a  £$%& off from me! 

 

Getting the right meds helps, but it can take time. I've had a few over the years and the side effect were horrible for me, others swear by them! Finally settled on two that compliment each other, one helps with the mood swings and they make me sleep, which is a bonus. Only down side is some weight gain, but compared to the others I can live with that.

 

I hope that things pick up for you.

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I agree with the OP completely. There have been times in the recent past where working on my model railway has helped me get through some really bad patches with my mental health. It wasnt easy, as part of my problem was feeling despair at not meeting the high standards I set myself (in a lot of areas - not just modelling). 

 

But once I got going again, it was something to look forward to every week, and really helped give me a buzz. 

 

They should put it on the National Health!

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We are all not immune to mental health problems . As we are all not immune to physical health problems. To keep physically healthy we go to the gym and do exercise. The same is with the brain. A model railway is a great gym for your brain! 

You could bench press 500Kg or 5Kg equally you could make a model of Clapham Junction or a plate layers hut. Your doctor will advise you to do whatever level keeps you out of his surgery!

 

Just go out there and do some thing that makes you sweat a bit, challenges you a bit and puts a smile on your face when you can then say I have done that!

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Anyone else find that sometimes the black dog sits on the bit that you need to do next on a project and the only way to remove him is to go and do a different project altogether?

I've had him sitting on one of the Ravens boards recently stopping all progress on that project so moved on to a small distraction called Catspaw until the dog goes for a walk somewhere else.

 

Andi

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13 minutes ago, Dagworth said:

Anyone else find that sometimes the black dog sits on the bit that you need to do next on a project

 

Andi

 

Absolutely, though in my case it was more a case of modeller's block rather than black dog I'm happy to say, but can well understand how we all have difficulty working out just how to do that next bit.

In my case it was more a case of someone else's misfortunate that go me moving.  I'd decided not to buy a particular short-run loco as I was conserving cash due to a house move.  Later, I'd got the layout substantially built by a carpenter (took him 4 days what would have taken me 4 rears and counting.....).  I'd got most of the track laid and was wondering just where to start with scenics etc.  Plan A, Plan B, Plan N.......

 

The loco I wanted came up and I could now spare the money and won the item as Buy It Now on you know where.  It turns out a lady was selling her late father's estate, and it was pretty clear from the items these had been laid down for that great final layout which never came to fruition.  It jolted me into thinking 'he can't do anything now, but I can, even if I can't immediately see the logical next steps'.  

 

I started tinkering and have been in that vein ever since.  As pretty much everyone has said, do a little and do it often.

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Little and often when you are up to it is the way to go but don’t beat yourself up and stress over it if you’re not up to it; find something else rewarding to do if you can and come back later.  A major project is daunting, but the first single task of it is probably do-able, as is the next one when the first is completed.  This is what Confucius meant by the single step that starts a journey.  It is important IMV to congratulate and reward yourself on finishing each step, but not to criticise or beat yourself up if it doesn’t  go to plan.  Failure is an option; the last bloke that got everything right got crucified for his trouble!

 

If it’s not going well, step back, have a day away from it, and come at it refreshed next time.  I find have to limit intense concentration to about 30 minutes at a time to prevent my brain turning to mush, so in the case of something like a Comet coach kit it is very much one operation per session, followed by a trip to the pub for my congratulatory beer.  
 

Don’t set targets, ‘tonight, I’m going to finish xxx and test run it’, take whatever time the job takes and enjoy yourself.  Stress is the enemy!

Edited by The Johnster
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On 22/01/2020 at 15:57, The Johnster said:

A major project is daunting, but the first single task of it is probably do-able, as is the next one when the first is completed.


A crucial point, and well made too I feel.

 

As an example I’ve just completed the underside wiring of a small layout, and although reasonably complex with various accessory busses and wiring for panel switches and lights, wasn’t the most taxing of jobs when taken one step at a time. Yet if I look back at it, now (mostly) complete, and wonder what I’d do if it all got destroyed tomorrow I think ‘There’s no way I could do all that again’. Well, of course I could, I’ve done it once over the course of several evenings, I could easily do it again. But taking the job as a whole seems much more daunting than breaking it down to several small jobs, in this case very simple circuits and droppers, just repeated many times over.

 

Therefore I don’t do big jobs, I do small ones however many times necessary, I find it much more palatable. 

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39 minutes ago, SD85 said:

I've been trying to get started on things but lots of inertia. On other things as well.

 

I know exactly how that feels. But I found that getting even the smallest thing done, no matter how badly, helped make it easier to do the next thing. 

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Black Dog modelling, a postscript. Well, a bit, anyway.

 

No modelling, but! Things are moving on! I asked for some quotes this week, to build the front wall of the shed railway room- place of solitude. I reasoned that I'd need some else to give me a kick up the bum, so I'm awaiting the quotes.

 

The new meds are taking effect, but a long way to go, methinks. As a bonus, we're having that 'sunshine vitamin' around here, enough to be working in T-shirt order.

 

A great weekend in prospect, so thanks to one & all,

 

Ian. 

Edited by tomparryharry
Forgetfulness.
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On 21/01/2020 at 17:50, tomparryharry said:

All modelling stopped, sad to say.  But , a change of meds is imminent, 'cause I can't go on quite like this. There is a stack of breeze blocks loitering with intent, and they are looking at me through the kitchen window. I know I can do it, and I know how to build it to the nearest milimetre, but getting my ar$e into the back garden is, well, quite difficult. A lot (and I mean, a lot) of friends tell me to get myself in gear, but I'm still spinning in neutral, handbrake on.

 

Just think of it as 1:1 scale modelling .. it works for me!  :fan:

  • Remove old shed
  • Build garden terrace walls
  • Relay slabs salvaged from under old shed
  • Assemble nice new shed
  • Fill new shed with old garden tools and sundry rubbish
  • Move topsoil and rake to level
  • Sow new grass seed (with cover to keep hens off)
  • Build outdoor railway station.

Whoops, last one vetoed by M'Lady Managing Director. :rtfm:

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A really worthy post and thread, however as mentioned above, the situation with Black Dog has been covered and continues to provide a secure and really helpful retreat for discussion on the Modeling Mojo thread as mentioned earlier. Would it be good to transfer or join up with that? There are huge amounts of inspiration and thoughtful support over there. How do I know this...….?

Please, this is not a criticism, just a suggestion.

Sincerely,

Phil

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