for simplicity i like to think of these as a blood dk in wow, where offensive abilities are primarily about maintaining/restoring defensive systems and only secondarily about doing damage. health and resource are basically the same thing. also daily life can be draining and so i like the analogy of trying to tank things that burn u out
defensive cooldowns / instants
- “oh shit” button
- get me out of a rough morning or funk or bad situation
- should be quick and feel easy to do (of course this is relative to each person)
- either lean in to being low energy and survive it, or force myself out of being low energy
passive defenses / systems
- environmental circumstances or habits that can regularly help maintain energy level or increase effectiveness / usability of defensive cooldowns
- useful because i cant always spam defensive cooldowns
- sometimes these can proc a free defensive cooldown of some sort, or at least make it easier to use them. e.g. if i have a lot of snacks available, i can eat them without worrying about running out. if i have a show ive been planning to watch or have enjoyed watching, i can jump into that to feel better with less effort
- physical fitness + mental hygiene, as well as a clean living space, are examples of defensive systems that have an overall boost in ambient energy level and mental health
offensive
- when my resource level is high, the natural thing to do is to fire away at whatever currently has my attention. this can be very good if i am able to focus on the right targets and pretty bad if i am not
- it’s also possible to overload and get locked out of action from unmanaged high energy
- also possible to not realize my resources are dwindling (forgetting basic needs) while getting “lost in the sauce”
- most of these “offensive” tools are about helping focus and utilize my energy in an intentional way. it may also help replenish defensive systems or invest in some future outcomes by doing things that would otherwise feel hard to do
- stuff like pomodoro, exercise, cold shower, meditation, etc - are like self-buffs. these can also be used defensively (reactively) as well
- the latter is similar to how procs or dot effects might work in games - plan a to-do list now so that for the next hour i know what to do and can hack away. prepare snacks now so that i’ll have snacks to eat tomorrow when im hungry and sad
- ofc everyone has projects or activities that they aspirationally want to work on/do. these aren’t that; i think those things happen sort of automatically while in this state if focused and prioritized and planned around, which this stuff helps to do.
hybrid buffs
- stuff like a very short exercise or stepping outside, which is somewhat easy to do, can act as both a reactive activity to gain some energy and a proactive activity to increase focus and output
aside on “slaying bosses” with ultimate abilities
- sometimes i will do something that will wreck my short term energy level and sanity (e.g. staying up super late once, or going on an exhausting trip) but will help me “level up” or gain some other type of less tangible benefit that makes it worth doing in the long run
- what’s important is being able to identify this cost, and being prepared to make up for it with my own defensive cooldowns or systems
Examples
Offensive
- whiteboard ideas
- controlled journalling
- pomodoro / mini pomodoro
- clean room or do chores
- make snacks
- to do list
- meditation
- make future plans
Hybrid
- cold shower
- go outside
- quick exercise
Defensive
- hot shower
- hydrate
- power nap
- caffeine
- stretching/pt
- deep breaths
- listen to music that i know i like
- get lost in nostalgia
- watch tv