This is the second post in the Grey Thinking series, Five of the most underrated coping skills.
I don’t know why more people don’t hang out in card stores. Just think about it… when you have a friend that’s upset, it’s not uncommon to send them some kind of “cheer up / feel better” card. So, if you’re upset… doesn’t it just make sense to spend an hour in a card shop and read 100 of those?
I know that there is more to getting cards than the card itself (say… the thought behind it), but funny cards make people feel better. I scan the aisles at Barnes & Noble nearly weekly for new stickmen cards and can’t help but laugh at Hoops & Yoyo. Card stores are just a win-win for everyone.
Tags: Anorexia, bulimia, card store, cards, coping mechanism, coping skill, eating disorder, EDNOS, hoops and yoyo, recovery, stickmen, treatment
Grey Thinking 
October 19, 2009 at 9:13 pm
I love the mind map for the card store coping skill!!
October 19, 2009 at 9:24 pm
Sadly this doesn’t work for me … I end up getting upset over the cards that I won’t ever have someone to send to, and the cards that nobody will ever send to me. Sigh.
October 20, 2009 at 8:43 am
datagirl – Thanks! I have a think for flow charts 🙂
Shirley – I can see how that would be upsetting. I guess card stores aren’t for everyone.
October 20, 2009 at 11:01 pm
I got a few of those motivational saying cards and now have them in my calendar binder to remind me of the quote on the front. I love having a reason to send cards just to make someone smile 🙂
October 21, 2009 at 2:06 am
I can never just run in and buy a card. I end up reading ALL of the cards and laughing my head off. I LOVE the freshink cards (the ones that are square – not rectangle).
October 21, 2009 at 11:00 am
I am going to expand this beyond card stores and say that I love bookstores in general – both the card section and all the other sections. Right now being in the card section makes me kind of depressed because I want to buy lots of cards to send to friends but I don’t have any money to do so, and I end up feeling like a bad friend because others have recently sent me a lot of cards and I can’t return the favor 😦
I do find comfort however, in bookstores. I love finding a few random books/magazines, going to the cafe to get coffee, and sitting and reading for a few hours. I especially love the self help section 🙂
October 29, 2009 at 11:57 am
You know what I like even better? Buying cards to send to people. Friends who are struggling — friends who are far away — friends who you just want to send cards to. And writing nice little messages inside, or putting in positive quotes / stickers / whatever. Makes me feel good AND makes the other person feel good. 🙂