What do you guys do to keep your mind busy?

I watch BBQ pit boys on YouTube. I subscribed to Coast to Coast Am on the internet. I watch Robot chicken and the David Ramsey show. I watch Dark Matter 2525.

I put books and stuff on my Amazon wish list and rarely buy.

Mostly read. Old favorites, mysteries, adventure – anything to escape.

Nowadays, videogames are popular. You can build your own little world with your character online.

A good book or a good tv show, which you can watch while working out.

I day-dream about the various ways I would inflict my bloody vengeance upon my manifold enemies.

I read all the time (though right now I’m reading a book that covers a few sexual assault cases and another one about bin Laden), I write, I listen to podcasts, I listen to music, and I post on sites like this. :)

Read mainly.

I read a lot and typically have several books going at one time. I keep a reading journal and write comments about what I read. Sometimes I write full reviews.

Last November I started doing New York Times crossword puzzles online, the daily ones, while also working my way back through the archives; so, averaging more than one a day. It helps me keep those synapses firing.

I also have a few helpful mantras, and in particular the so-called Serenity Prayer.

But nothing really stops my mind from wandering to bad things. Efficient multiprocessing enables me to solve puzzles, practice memory retention, analyze what I read, and still have a track open for obsessing about worries, problems, and fears.

My mind doesn’t wander to bad things. Or I think the bad things aren’t bad. I guess that is the genius of rejecting god. Got mine, fuck the sky-wizard! STURGIS!!!

But I am busy making truck-loads of ballots for Biden, hash-browns, a Apple TV app for self-hosted porn. <- not a joke. It is like plex but for porn. And waterering the weed plants in the yard with water from my fishtank. <- Also not a joke. Plants love fishtank water. And we have about 20 fat budding plants in the driveway. You can smell them 50 meters away.

On the weekends, I take a one hour walk very early before it gets too hot. I have my ear buds in listening to music the whole time and I think of only the music.
I read a lot. I do yard work. I make jewelry.
Find something that you like and get into it with all your heart to keep yourself busy.

My mind doesn’t go to “bad things” but I spend my free time either on Facebook, Fluther, Instagram, reading books, doing various crafts, streaming movies.

Pre-covid I sometimes would go to the movie theater or go shopping in a store.

I like nature and may visit a park or museum, or historical site. I travel. I used to enjoy going to book stores and having coffee there and hanging out with the books and magazines, but nowadays there are not many book stores.

I don’t believe in drowning in bad thoughts, so I redirect my thoughts to happier thinking. For every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction. So when sad thoughts try to creep in, I find a way to turn them into happy thoughts. Like when I start missing my parents, I switch over and start thinking of the great time we had together on vacation or something silly that we did together that gives me the giggles or at least makes me smile

What is it you are passionate about? What can you discuss or participate in for hours on end?

My mind generally doesn’t wander to bad things. I keep busy, by doing stuff that needs to be done, like housework of all kinds, vacuuming, general cleaning, laundry, the usual, making lists of things that need to be done at a different time, things that need to be purchased, things that need to be repaired etc. I have a daily exercise routine, and I make time to go outside and either putter in the garden, or just sitting under the umbrella, drinking iced tea, or chatting with friends on the phone, or by text. And I spend time doing things that I like to do, such as reading, writing, organizing photos, taking photos, drawing, cooking, clipping and organizing recipes. And I watch a lot of movies, and mystery series on Netflix. And I listen to music, or when I’m trying to relax, I listen to nature sounds, or white noise.

I try to do things that are either useful, or fun, or both.

I practiced Thought Stopping when I was struggling emotionally and seeing a therapist. I found it very helpful for me. For example, my dad did something that pissed me off (I had asked him not to do x and he did it anyways). My mind went to: “My dad totally disrespected me. He has no respect for me. You can’t love someone and disrespect them like that. My dad doesn’t love me? WTF?” Those trains of thought are unhealthy. You learn to recognize yourself going down that chain of negative thought and cutting it off.

I read quite a bit and I play bridge online. Including taking bridge lessons.

In high school I played the 1 plus one game on my calculator. Plus one, plus one ect.. until I get caught or till the end class. My record is 2496 for a 66 minute class.

At home and off work I have enough to do I don’t have time to worry about it. At work when things are slow, and they usually are, I do Fluther or listen to music on my phone.