Defensive cooldowns
In role playing games, there are often abilities you’re meant to use to help you survive a difficult situation. Since they’re primarily a defensive mechanism, they don’t have many conditions or requirements to use (otherwise you’d be in trouble if in a pinch, those conditions aren’t met). As long as the player knows these tools can get them to safety, they can prove to be a powerful lifeline when navigating the game’s challenges.
I’ve found it’s also useful to identify some of these tools for my daily life in the case of tough situations or low energy states (such as coming out of a funk).
Ideas
- listening to a favorite song or playlist
- cooking a meal for yourself
- retail therapy
- lightweight altered states
- heavyweight altered states
- 5 minute activities
most effective defensive cooldowns (from my experience)
- cold shower (at least 60 seconds). cool is good (and easy), as cold as possible is best
- dress up as if going out
- hot shower, funny enough. nice-smelling fragrances amplify this effect
- go for a quick walk outside
- eating a snack with low calorie density
- do a quick exercise
just judging from these, the vast majority are related to some type of deficiency in my physical state. temperature regulation, vitamin D absorption, exercise, nutrition. these are all pretty low on the hierarchy of needs, but are the easiest things to feel a noticeable difference with minimal investment. they directly boost a deficient part of my health, just like drinking a health potion in a game, which is one of the easiest ways to increase your chances of surviving an encounter.