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Weekend Anxiety

Discussion in 'General Support and Advice' started by lastking, Jul 25, 2016.

  1. lastking

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    Do you guys get 'weekend' anxiety/depression where you become much more anxious or sad during the weekend usually because of being lonely, single, or having nothing to do? If so, how do you deal with this?
     
  2. Hamilton

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    Yup! I think it's a pretty common thing, I usually just go on my laptop and play the Sims or something else to keep me occupied.
     
  3. sonnentanz

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    Somewhat, as I've recently moved and don't really know anyone at this point so weekends are more free time than usual. I try to minimize it by:
    • Going out someplace if it's a nice day. Get a coffee and chat to a barista.
    • Focusing on something engaging and useful. Programming, writing, reading, watching a documentary, exercise, etc.
    • Hanging out with people in videogames, especially VOIP if we're playing together.
    • Calling family and checking up on them.
    Avoid Netflix, etc, if you're prone to boredom and loneliness during long weekends.
     
  4. Brytaleith

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    I have the same thing! It feels really terrible, and I think what makes it worse is that I can't hold focus on the thing i'm doing for long periods of time, which means that I jump between many activities and it makes the weekend seem longer than it really is.

    A friend on another forum suggested that I just read and keep reading, which I'll be attempting to do come this weekend. The other thing I've recently picked up is practicing the piano, because it keeps my brain numb and my fingers moving. Computer games are definitely a good idea too, and I would totally do this except that I swore off gaming to focus on my final IB year. The last thing I tend to do is to watch videos on YouTube. I usually lose attention very quickly for vids, but maybe one day I'll find something that holds my attention long enough.

    I don't go out because I get super nervous outside, but if you want to, go ahead because it probably helps with the anxiety better.
     
  5. lastking

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    You make a good point. Even if everyone else is busy, just getting out the house and having a small talk with a stranger helps a lot. Just being around others so you don't feel lonely. I've heard many people say online gaming helps because you can chat with others, so you're not fully alone. Also, yes, staying home alone and watching Netflix is not a good idea.

    ---------- Post added 26th Jul 2016 at 06:00 PM ----------

    I do have some social anxiety but it depends on the situation. For example, going to a loud party would trigger my anxiety, whereas going to a store wouldn't. However, I feel like being alone, my anxiety is much worse because I'm alone with my thoughts.
     
  6. Monraffe

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    Oh, yes, this is a very common problem. Weekends are supposed to be a good thing but the time pressure to use them wisely, to fix problems like ending loneliness, can actually be a very tall order for a measly weekend to accomplish.

    Anxiety and sadness go with the territory and it is natural and understandable that you should feel this way especially when you do not get the results you are hoping for. Don't feel guilty about this. It is just one of those things.

    People deal with loneliness in a number of different ways. Some, like those who have answered before me, take an inward approach. There is something to be said for this but I'll assume that since you brought it up, you are not yet ready to give up on using the weekend for the purpose of ending your loneliness - undoubtably a function it was originally created for.

    Let's get real here. If you truly desire to have a special relationship spawn from your weekend experiences then you MUST create an environment for this to happen. By this I mean this is not a question of "dealing" with the sadness but whether or not you should even be engaged in the process at all. As Yoda says, do or don't do. There is no try. Find a way to make weekends work for you or just don't do them. Don't spend your weekends in an endless cycle of disappoint.

    Now it may very well be your weekend experiences are informing you time and time again that, try as you may, success is just this elusive thing for you. I wish I could help you there, but you alone must decide when it is time to call it quits. No one can say with certainty if you are sad because you need to let go or if you are just frustrated. I would not be surprised if you didn't know the answer to this your self.

    But you clearly have not given up yet and so maybe the more practical question is whether or not all avenues of success have been exhausted for you or not. Are you sure you should give up trying and just find a way to "deal" with it as you say? Have you really tried everything? These are really hard questions to answer.

    The only advise I can truly give you comes form my own experiences. People who never give up on ending loneliness are by far more successful at finding love than those who assume it will never happen for them. That is just an undeniable fact.

    Good luck to you. Whether or not you find what you are looking for, I hope in the end you can say you had a good life.