Do You Use Reefing As Therapy?

[Matt L]

Some things haven’t been so great in my life lately. But instead of employing destructive habits, I lean on my reefing. It provides the focussed distraction I need to realign my mental status, and get back to being myself. Do you use reefing as your mental therapy? How does it help you, if so?

Here’s a section of my new LPS frag tank that I was enjoying recently.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Great post. I'm glad it helps you. I use my reef to quite my mind. I used to come home and first thing was get a drink and start there. Enough said and anyone who has been there or is still there knows what I'm talking about. Been Three years sober now. My reef has been a great addition to my life and would not have it any other way.

 

[Doctorgori]

yes, the spending is the best part LOL

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I think it is a nice source of relaxation. It is nice to have a tank in the background when I'm downstairs eating, reading, or whatever else.

 

[1fishkeeper]

Over on RC I had a build thread called PTSD treatment tank. I have PTSD from being in combat and I use my tank as treatment to help calm my mind down when it starts going crazy.

 

[exnisstech]

It definatly helps me. Hobbies or obsessions as my Gal likes to call them help me to stay focused. If I don't have something to occupy my mind my thoughts tend to wander and ussualy not in a positive direction.
Reefing is probably one of the best hobbies I've started for that purpose. There is always something to do or think about even if it's just sitting in front of a tank watching things.

 

[Hrosik123]

Well I currently still get my drink but I do spend a lot of time focusing on my tank. For me it’s a great stress reliever.

 

[Doctorgori]

Well I currently still get my drink but I do spend a lot of time focusing on my tank.

Spirits and saltwater can exist in the same universe, in fact I prescribe Pat Metheny, Wooford Reserve and LED’ s set to 40%/20K

 

[D3DPrintedThingz]

I love your frag tables. A chamfer across the top of the hexagons, then fillet the inside rims gives it a nice finished look, and helps the frags "fall into place" instead of getting caught on the flat top surface

 

[UMALUM]

Great post. I'm glad it helps you. I use my reef to quite my mind. I used to come home and first thing was get a drink and start there. Enough said and anyone who has been there or is still there knows what I'm talking about. Been Three years sober now. My reef has been a great addition to my life and would not have it any other way.

I'm with you brother.

 

[seapen]

I use reefing as a meditative practice - the "Art of Noticing", quieting the mind...

 

[phillyb614]

It is absolutely a form of therapy for me! Over the couse of my 43 years, I developed a lot of bad habits. One of the first rules of breaking bad habits, is creating healthy ones. My tank has easily been the number 1 thing for me in that department.

Great post! It is always nice to see I am not alone in this.

 

[AlyciaMarie Verified Admin]

For me, it depends on the day and how my corals look that day. If my corals are looking happy, it's relaxing. If they're not looking happy, it's not relaxing. But in general, I don't consider reef-keeping therapeutic for me...yet. I still very much enjoy it, just not on a therapeutic level.

 

[vlangel]

Yes, my tank provides calm and serenity, especially in the winter when I can't sit on the patio and enjoy the flower garden ( which is my other source of peace and serenity).

 

[dschuffert]

I do! Reefing takes me into another world. Most of the time, it is relaxing, but a little bit of the time is stressful.

 

[Dburr1014]

I like to tinker.
Tinkering gets my mind off work, spouse, kids, money, problems.
Then I sit in front of the tank. It's peaceful, I built it.

 

[aztoza]

Don’t ask me to cite, but since starting I’ve heard that tanks can have a positive effect on kids with ADHD, and on others can have a similar effect to an antidepressant =)

 

[rhitee93]

Yes, but probably in a different way than the OP meant. I have a lot of hobbies. Dozens of them ranging from bread baking to blacksmithing. It is all of these distractions that keep me happy and healthy in what many tell me is a high-stress career lifestyle.

The actual process of managing/maintaining the tank is actually a bit stressful, but that may change as I am only a year into it. However, it is that stress that motivates me to focus on something other than work :)

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Yes, my tank provides calm and serenity, especially in the winter when I can't sit on the patio and enjoy the flower garden ( which is my other source of peace and serenity).

That is an awesome looking garden! One of my wife's aunts does gardening as well, but she does more of the produce kind instead of flowers.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Don’t ask me to cite, but since starting I’ve heard that tanks can have a positive effect on kids with ADHD, and on others can have a similar effect to an antidepressant =)

I could see that! I feel like it brings a calming sense in a room, haha.