Musings & Meditations – May 12 2021

May 12th is International Awareness Day for Chronic Immunological and Neurological Diseases (CIND) so here are a few words today in honour of the Lady with the Lamp.

Using The Ring Theory For Your Kvetching Order

Imagine this: someone close to you is going through a crisis and you don’t want to say the wrong things to them, however you have your own worries that you need to release through conversation. Who is the best person for you to talk to?

Learning How To Describe Your Pain and Symptoms

Learning to become fluent with words that accurately describe the pain and symptoms you are feeling is one of the most helpful things you can do to create a positive working relationship and understanding between yourself and your medical professionals. 

Book Therapy – There Is No Good Card For This

We have all been in that place where something awful happens to someone and we are petrified of saying the wrong thing or not sure how to help. This is where the book ‘There Is No Good Card For This: What to Say and Do When Life is Scary, Awful and Unfair to People You Love’ by Emily McDowell and Kelsey Crowe comes in to save us!

A Word on Timing, Comfort and Change

There is something to be said for timing and usually we only see that something happens at the perfect time if it involves an obvious change or lesson, but even the things that we seek comfort from can come to us at the right time.

Who Is On Your Team?

As soon as things get tough, you know you are going to need a few people to lean on. Who is on your team?

Have You Considered Mental Health First Aid Training?

We are all aware of the mental health campaigns urging us to check in with each other, to start the conversation about someone’s mental health… but do you know how to support and guide them to resources if they say “No, I’m not ok”?. What are the next steps to take? Do you feel confident to have that discussion? Read more about my experience completing the Mental Health First Aid course.

Take Control Of What You Can – The Online World

When chronic conditions start to infiltrate every part of your life, you can feel like you are losing control or have others make all the choices for you. This series is about regaining a bit of control in areas that are manageable and make a huge difference – starting with the online world! Read about how I changed my online experience from taking me for a ride to taking the wheel!

Book Therapy – The Boy, The Mole, The Fox & The Horse

Let me introduce you to the beautiful human that is Charlie Mackesy and his incredibly empathetic book, The Boy, The Mole, The Fox & The Horse. If there was ever a time when we needed Charlie Mackesy’s drawings, it would be over the last year.

How To Use Breathing Meditations For Pain

Most of the time we don’t even realise that we are holding our breath when we are in pain. So when we are in the moment of pain and waiting for it to pass or ease, here are some neat little breathing meditation practices to try to relax our bodies.

My Meditation Journey

My journey with meditation had a lot of false starts and it was definitely a skill that once I started with the right intentions and reasons, I haven’t stopped and it has become the most valuable practice in my life. Read more about my meditation journey here:

Find Your Anchors

We all need our little anchors to keep up grounded and uplifted when the seas and skies are stormy.

A Healthier Way to Review The Year

It’s pretty hard to look back on a disappointing year, when nothing went your way and felt like a struggle to get through. From my experience from many tough years, here are a few things to keep in mind when reviewing the year.