Well, sometimes halfway in our projects, we encounter difficulties, not just technically, but sometimes there're setbacks that are just not avoidable, maybe with family or friends and loved ones.

When that happens, our mood is affected and we may not be able to code or proceed properly. How do you guys keep a happy and optimistic mood ?

My approach is to care for my aquarium fishes, fancy tail guppies etc, or play with the dog, and take a long nap to forget all unhappy events.

What do guys do to keep yourself happy and optimistic ?

The only way to really releive stress for me is to excercise. I sometimes think playing a video game or having a snack will improve my mood, but those are only temporary solutions. If I can get 15-20 minutes excersize (enough to break a sweat) I've always got a brighter lookout on the situation afterwards. I'm sure its something to do with endorphins or something.

heh,

i need some sort of "mind cleaning" once in a week. be it a night at my favourite pub, or exercising (not the day after the pub :D ).

plus i am 'tea-aholic', so i'd say a cup of tea is what gets me through the day. i feel really good after relaxing 5-10 minutes with a cup of tea. everyone has their own way of relieving stress i think ...

Interesting topic. Programming has always made me happy. I like the thoughtprocess that goes on, I like learning new things and delving deeper into different aspects of programming. The only time when it seems rather dull is if I'm not sure where to proceed next, which usually means I've done something wrong in my design-phase or I don't have a deep enough understanding of the subject at hand.

Other things in life which makes me happy is spending time with my girlfriend which basically is the only other thing that I do.
Btw, watching movies is fun but takes up too much of my time.

Certain chemicals work a treat! ;)

I gotta agree with the excersize one. Before last year's IGC, I had been working out once a day, 45 minutes to an hour a day. Did wonders to improve my mood, and make me more productive programming wise and creativity wise. Exersize tends to change the ceritonin (I'm sure I just harfed the spelling on that ;-) levels in yer brain, along with quite a few other things. I also tend to remember to get out and about with friends from time to time - that seems to help too.

(I'm just now getting back to working out again - I got 'too busy' for a while, and failed to get back into working out as soon as my mad rush was over. That was a mistake :-)

a few hours doign target shooting do it for me... dont ask me why tho

So thats how you get to beat mutant storm is it? ;)

Any combination of:

1. Get smashed
2. Go for a burn on the 1150
3. Eat comfort food
4. Sleep copiously

Usually all four.

Cas :)

I just play a RTS (right now I'm back to SC/BW) after I beat a few people I feel better, but I think its true of any competitive thing I do against other people. I always feel better if I win no matter how depressed I was just before.

I agree that exercise helps alot... and the occasional night at the bar/pub helps quite a bit too.

2. Go for a burn on the 1150



Forgive my ignorance, but what does that mean?

Big motorbikes + twisty country lanes = intense adrenaline!
Oh, if I ever just suddenly stop posting one day and never turn up again, it's probably because I've been killed :D

Cas :)

Yea Cas! .... i like the sound of that.
Good man!

Actually, I tend to go into work and whine and bitch for an hour or so. That usually helps the mood (mine at least).

Its pretty cool working where I do though, because we're all such complete monkeys sometimes.

I guess its kinda like primal scream therapy. We all take it out on each other to the point where it becomes theraputic.

listening to someone harp on then slapping them down really helps with team cohesion (seriously, being able to handle people flapping and carping on about nothing and STILL working well together helps so much).

Of course, going out and changing your environment or outlook helps in the longer term.

I found IGC last year was amazing. I was on a high for months after, and a few guys from last year have said the same (heh dan?) so I'm looking forward to the same this year!

Phil.

I just wanted to say, IGC was a great lift because it showed me that there were other people out there like me!

Its nice to think there are others who are out there walking the same path as you.

Its kinda hard to put into words how inspirational it was meeting loads of guys, it felt like the distillation of hope.

Hahaha.. sorry, I dont want to go into all the touchy feely Steve stuff :))

Lets just say, see you there!

Phil.

I tend to agree with ya' Phil - for me, IGC was the single best experience as an Indie so far.

Before IGC, I knew some people in the game development arena, but none very well, and most of 'em weren't Indies. Went to IGC, and got to meet and talk with people - it was very encouraging. Got to 'talk shop' with some of 'em who've had some success as an Indie, and that was even more encouraging.

And the effects of it continued afterwords - I talk to some of the Indies I met there on a regular basis.

My only disappointment - having two interviews on camera, and neither one of them makin' the final cut on G4 or TechTV. Bummer.

I don't know. It depends a lot on the sitations severity.

For something not so bad.. We'll say it's just -one of those days-.

The typical things I'll do is.. Get a drink. Preferably something suggary. And cold.

Talk to people online, if they are there and not idle/annoying at the time. The problems don't even have to come up, actually, it's better if they don't. If I can forget about it, then this is working.

Hmm... Bathe! A nice hour or two in hot water is something close to divinity. I can't help but feel like a warm happy dragon when my skin is starting to turn red from the water. That one, I don't tend to think of though.

Sleep. If I can, I sleep. Anything from a nap to a full twelve to eighteen hour rest. ... Yes, I do sleep a long time. Usually twelve hours, today it was ... Lets see ... Approximately fifteen hours. It's one of my favorite activities. I had some interesting dreams.. Hmmn. I think I had to try and save the city via a card game. I woke up when I lost, guess that was my version of game over.

Hmm... I wish I could sleep for that long. If I sleep more than about eight hours, I get a headache. And if I for some reason wake up after, say six hours, I can't go back to sleep, because then I'll also end up with a headache.
It's quite annoying.