Category: Mental Health

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!

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:

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.

The Days Are Long But The Years Are Short

2020 has been a strange year and a lot of us have struggled with the notion that our perception of time has changed. This is a very similar experience to when you have a chronic medical condition. Read more here!

Book Therapy – Notes On A Nervous Planet

Matt Haig is a brilliant writer and human being who is constantly investigating and questioning the effect of modern life on our mental health. He is a huge advocate for mental health wellness, and has shared his experiences through his multiple fiction works and his non-fiction books.

Maybe She’s Born With It

So often we can fall into the trap of assuming that someone is naturally gifted with skills, habits and traits. But what if they weren’t born like that and worked hard to be that person?

Reading Gives Us Someplace To Go When We Have To Stay Where We Are

When life gets too much we can retreat into familiar places and stories that give us comfort, and which feel better than the place that we are currently living in. Escaping into a book is the perfect balm for a tired soul in need of rest from yourself, your life and the world.

Musings & Meditations – October 29 2020

“You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, who had ever been alive.”  ― James Baldwin

Managing Both A Chronic Condition & An External Crisis

Being in pain or managing a chronic condition while also having an external crisis play out in front of you, can really add to the stress and therefore the symptoms that you manage. From my own experiences, here are my suggestions for managing both a chronic condition and an external crisis.

The Chronic Condition Emergency Plan

We never know when something could go wrong or we need additional help, and the best way to manage this is to be prepared and have a plan. Here are my tips to cover all bases!

The Survival Kit

Nurturing ourselves with familiar and enriching activities that restore our energy is what keeps us afloat when everything around us is uncertain, rough and stormy.

Progress Is Not Linear

Once we have taken care of the immediate issues, diving into medical investigations can make it hard to work out if you are making progress.

Clothes Can Change Your Mindset

Clothes help us to transition into different states of being and doing, and can transform your mindset and mood in an instant.