Using Ponies to Cope

Truly_Scrumptious

Broken Winged Flutter
MLPTP Supporter
Joined
Aug 29, 2013
Messages
696
I think my pony hobby's always been a good thing for me to turn to when I'm having trouble with something. And ever since lockdown, I've been diving back into MLP after a few years being slightly removed from the community. Posting pics, making art, and making my website have been really important distractions for me. MLP is a great creative and social outlet atm for me to cope with the pandemic, and other news like my president's rollback of transgender healthcare rights (I'm trans)... :unsure:

Are ponies helping you cope in these uncertain times, or even in general? How so?
 
I 100% have been doing a lot more pony related things. They are certainly a way for me to relax and decompress. I suffer severely with anxiety (social & generalized as per doctor & Physicologist diagnosis) so when I go out, especially now, I’m usually extremely drained by the time I get home.

Having the TP, artwork to work on, sewing and other creative outlets have helped a lot. Also having to sort through and itemize my collection has been soothing (lots of pony cleaning/styling). Nothing like “cheap” therapy. :lolpony:
 
I agree that they are therapy. I didn't realize it until I actually pulled them from storage a few weeks ago though. I wish I'd brought them out years ago. I enjoy brushing the hair so much . Sorry to hear about your rights, totally sucks.
 
I think my pony hobby's always been a good thing for me to turn to when I'm having trouble with something. And ever since lockdown, I've been diving back into MLP after a few years being slightly removed from the community. Posting pics, making art, and making my website have been really important distractions for me. MLP is a great creative and social outlet atm for me to cope with the pandemic, and other news like my president's rollback of transgender healthcare rights (I'm trans)... :unsure:

Are ponies helping you cope in these uncertain times, or even in general? How so?

Yes coming here definitely helps raise my spirits.

As far as Transgender Healthcare Rights goes (well basic Human Rights)...
That sounds similar (or exactly the same as my country's president who lost the people/popular vote but won the electoral vote), if it is not too personal - may I ask Do you (also) live in America?
 
Yes coming here definitely helps raise my spirits.

As far as Transgender Healthcare Rights goes (well basic Human Rights)...
That sounds similar (or exactly the same as my country's president who lost the people/popular vote but won the electoral vote), if it is not too personal - may I ask Do you (also) live in America?
I love coming onto the forums for a pick-me-up.

Yep I do live in the US. Everything's sort of falling apart at the seams over here isn't it? I hope a better America comes out the other side of this, we've needed change for a long time.
 
I love coming onto the forums for a pick-me-up.

Yep I do live in the US. Everything's sort of falling apart at the seams over here isn't it? I hope a better America comes out the other side of this, we've needed change for a long time.
I third that thought! America is broken right now. I hope we can come out the other side as a better country.
 
I haven't been doing as many MLP pony things, because I've been provided with three real little pony foals this year. I've never had 3 in one season, only two once before, so I admit, I'm just enjoying my new little muffins more than I probably should. There's nothing as wonderful as ponies!
 
I agree that keeping myself busy with cleaning and selling my ponies has been a welcome distraction from my cat passing away last month. I've had her for about 15 years. It's also helped try to keep my mind off my autoimmune disease, which has recently handed me a new complication which has taken about a year to figure out -- a heart valve issue. It's caused me to have shortness of breath and tightness in my chest. Nope, not covid. If I had thought that, I would have thought it long before it existed. It's been scary waking up in the middle of the night and having the sensation of not being able to breathe. Thankfully I have something good and time consuming I can turn to when life gets rough.
 
Last edited:
I spent a couple days reorganizing my collection recently. I grouped everything by color, and then by size so I could maximize my limited display space without it all appearing noisy or crowded. I also ordered some big binders and plastic sleeves with various sized pockets for all my pins, pamphlets, cards, stickers, stationary, etc. It took me a couple days, hahah!

...but as I worked I realized that my activity coincided with some major anxiety about all of the uncertainty in my world. It felt great to have an area of my life that I was in control of, knowledgeable, clear-minded, and super motivated. I'm the master of my pony domain, and I love having a hobby that's just for me ~ ponies help me build my confidence.
 
I agree that keeping myself busy with cleaning and selling my ponies has been a welcome distraction from my cat passing away last month. I've had her for about 15 years. It's also helped try to keep my mind off my autoimmune disease, which has recently handed me a new complication which has taken about a year to figure out -- a heart valve issue. It's caused me to have shortness of breath and tightness in my chest. Nope, not covid. If I had thought that, I would have thought it long before it existed. It's been scary waking up in the middle of the night and having the sensation of not being able to breathe. Thankfully I have something good and time consuming I can turn to when life gets rough.
I'm so sorry about your cat. *hugs* I'm sure you gave her a wonderful life and she loved you very much. That all sounds so scary. I hope distractions like ponies keep helping you out in such a time <3

I spent a couple days reorganizing my collection recently. I grouped everything by color, and then by size so I could maximize my limited display space without it all appearing noisy or crowded. I also ordered some big binders and plastic sleeves with various sized pockets for all my pins, pamphlets, cards, stickers, stationary, etc. It took me a couple days, hahah!

...but as I worked I realized that my activity coincided with some major anxiety about all of the uncertainty in my world. It felt great to have an area of my life that I was in control of, knowledgeable, clear-minded, and super motivated. I'm the master of my pony domain, and I love having a hobby that's just for me ~ ponies help me build my confidence.

I did this too! I dusted and reorganized my collection, and I've also been doing a lot of pony art recently. I feel the exact same way about collections and my anxiety about the world right now. Ponies are something for me to be an expert about, and to categorize/clean/socialize about. It definitely helps me feel in-control :)
 
they are a great distraction from the daily stresses of everyday life, and not so every day life. for me having 3 small boys i don't get much time to do anything for myself and when i do it is late in the day and i'm tired. so being on my phone posting pics of ponies to my instagram, connecting with other pony peeps here and there and on facebook is a really great hobby I can get around to even if I am tired and the best thing is I don't have to clean anything up :lolpony:
 
I would normally say no but apparently I am, as the last dozen or so channels I've downloaded for my archive project have all been pony related.

I've also started carrying small McD's ponies in my pocket, I had stopped doing this for a long time but I've started it up again.
 
Ponies are the best things to latch onto in a crisis. I barely go awhere anyways. I rather spend time with the ponies downstairs. When im not busy cleaning or doing other things.
 
I use ponies to cope on a daily basis. When I feel to anxious due to my disorders, i grab one of the shelves (I make them take turns lol) and run my fingers through their hair and hold them close. Even as I'm typing this, Sunburst is sitting next to me. It's like having a good friend nearby all the time. Not really corona related but still.
 
Oh totally. I've been buying like crazy during quarantine. I've been specifically focusing on foreign pony grails, which for years I put off doing.
 
I’m returning to collecting after a break since 2004. It’s 1000% a coping mechanism. I used to collect a ton of Jem and She-Ra in the late 90’s/early 00’s and thought they were cooler and “edgier” than MLP. Now, however, I’m obsessed with ponies because they have no edge. It’s like one of the designers said in the Toys That Made Us documentary—everything in Ponyland is sweetness and lace. (I’m paraphrasing but you get the idea.) I could use more sweetness in my life right now and falling back into collecting at this point in time is anything but coincidental I’m sure.
 
I’m returning to collecting after a break since 2004. It’s 1000% a coping mechanism. I used to collect a ton of Jem and She-Ra in the late 90’s/early 00’s and thought they were cooler and “edgier” than MLP. Now, however, I’m obsessed with ponies because they have no edge. It’s like one of the designers said in the Toys That Made Us documentary—everything in Ponyland is sweetness and lace. (I’m paraphrasing but you get the idea.) I could use more sweetness in my life right now and falling back into collecting at this point in time is anything but coincidental I’m sure.

Funny you mention that documentary, that's partially why I started collecting ponies again! I was looking at repurchasing my childhood collection anyway, and when I saw that show on Netflix, I took it as a good omen. :p

I wonder if Toys That Made Us is responsible for the increase in new collectors recently. I don't know if I would have started buying G1 without it.
 
I bet it’s helping for sure! Definitely nudged me along and Netflix has an enormous global audience. They also really focused on G1 and every girl I knew as a kid had MLP. That’s a lot of nostalgia to ignite. :chief:
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tak
Back
Top