i have no reached over 20,000 page views on my website. it's hard for me to believe that many people have viewed my site.
i have so much that i want to write about and share with the world. and it's so exciting to see that people from all over the world have visited my site.
today i want to talk about friendships and how they ebb and flow.
No person is your friend who demands your silence, or denies your right to grow.Alice Walker
friends are the most important thing in life. friends are there for you and don't crush your dreams. friends are there to support you as you change and grow. over time sometimes friendships fade and people move in and out of each other's lives. it's a sad fact of life.
True friendship is like a rose: we don’t realize its beauty until it fades.Evelyn Loeb
sometimes we don't know what we had until it is gone. there are times when you just grow apart from your friendship. and other times when something comes between you.
Oh, sometimes I think it is of no use to make friends. They only go out of your life after awhile and leave a hurt that is worse than the emptiness before they came.L.M. Montgomery
losing a friend is hard and sad and heartbreaking. it leaves you broken in a way that can't be healed. there are holes in my heart from friends who have drifted away. sometimes people change and grow apart from each other. it happens. and it's sad.
A simple friend thinks the friendship is over when you have an argument. A real friend knows that it’s not a friendship until after you’ve had a fight.Unkown
fighting with a friend is the worst. because you can't kiss and make up. but disagreeing is part of life. and finding ways to fight in a healthy way is part of relationships.
Cutting people out of your life is easy, keeping them in is hard.Walter Dean Myers
i have lost more friends than i can count.
for some reason, people decide not to like me anymore. one day they are my friend and then suddenly they aren't. it has happened time and time again. it started in high school. there was a group of us who were best friends. we did everything together. and then one of them decided that she didn't like me. and she convinced the rest of the group not to like me anymore. so they all stopped talking to me and didn't include me in anything anymore.
it broke my heart.
and it happened more than once in high school and in university.
it even happened to me as an adult. one day R was one of my closest friends. for a few years. and then i turned my back on her once in a meeting to speak to someone else. and that was it. poof. end of friendship. she hasn't spoken to me since then. 8 years later i don't miss her friendship at all.
other friendships i miss. G was my best friend in university. we shared everything. and when we moved away, we remained good friends. we talked all the time and visited each other. i flew to ottawa from halifax to see her. and then over time we drifted away from each other. and it hurts.
friends come and go in our lives.
and then there are the friends who will always be there no matter how much time passes between when you see them. there are people who i rarely see but still consider to be my closest friends.
treasure your friends. hold them close. treat your friends the way that you want them to treat you. be kind to them.
be kind to yourself,
xoxo
...
Sunday 30 November 2014
Friday 28 November 2014
plus sized
the most annoying thing about being considered plus size is being called plus size. as if our size isn't normal, it's "plus." a size plus more sizes.
then there's shopping. you can't just go into any store and buy things off the rack. you have to go to specialty stores that carry sizes bigger than 14. and so much of what they carry is super ugly.
in some stores, they have a plus size section. like at walmart. do you know how embarrassing it is to have to go to the plus size section? why can't they just have clothes of all sizes in the same place?
is there some REASON why the clothes need to be separate?
AND they cost more. apparently they use more material and they have to adjust the pattern. which makes it cost more.
even at walmart in the men's section where they have the clothes together, they will have a sign saying $7 for the shirts and then in smaller font, "+ $2 for 3x and up."
at old navy, men's clothing all costs the same no matter what size. but women's clothing costs more. according to the consumerist, plus size jeans cost at least $15 more than "regular" size jeans.
http://consumerist.com/2014/11/12/old-navy-tries-to-explain-why-women-pay-extra-for-plus-size-clothes-but-men-dont/
https://www.change.org/p/gap-inc-stop-up-charging-for-women-s-plus-sized-clothing
and on top of that, the plus sized clothes are only available online. it sends a message that they want our money they just don't want us being in their stores.
PP says she worries that there is so little variety in plus size clothing that she will end up wearing the same thing as other plus size wearers.
now i know that as zed is reading this, she is disagreeing with me because she has an amazing wardrobe. so i will admit that there are some options out there. but what really bugs me is the fact that stores don't make clothes in all sizes. and that i have to shop at specialty stores or in the plus size sections. and that i have to pay more.
i prefer to buy second hand. but have you ever looked at the choices in the plus sizes at thrift stores? take a look next time you are in one. they are so ugly. i rarely find anything wearable.
why is it that regular clothing stores can't carry sizes bigger than 14? or 16? then we could all shop in any store. i would go to the mall and shop. they would make more money.
instead, i avoid shopping as much as possible to avoid the embarrassment of going to the plus size stores or the plus size section.
end of rant.
be kind to yourself,
xoxo
...
Monday 24 November 2014
Beads
nosy nora suggested creating a ritual to acknowledge the weight that i have lost (33 lbs). i thought and thought and thought and couldn't think of anything.
i wanted to include all the changes that i have made, not just weight loss. so i talked about it with radical t. she suggested that at sick kids hospital, the kids get beads for things like each time they have chemo. and that i could create a string of beads for my accomplishments and for things that i have overcome.
so i went out and bought some beads and string and brought them with me when i went to see nosy nora. together we went through the list of changes, accomplishments, and things that i have overcome. and we created the string of beads in the photo above.
here are some of the meanings behind the beads:
1-6. a bead for losing 33 lbs (one bead for each 5 lbs)
7. a bead for learning how not to binge
8. a bead for no longer purging
9. a bead for facing my addiction to nortriptyline
10. a bead for no longer abusing sedatives
11. a bead for writing a letter to some people who hurt me when i was younger, and talking it out with one of them
12. a bead for eating what i want
13. a bead for eating in front of other people
14. a bead for not sleeping my life away (not napping every day or going to bed at 8pm)
15. a bead for blogging about my experience
i decided that i want to have the beads with me all the time, so i turned them into a bracelet. when i have more beads to add, i can always restring the beads.
it's amazing to see visually how much i have accomplished/overcome in the last few years. much of which was in the last year alone. there's a sense of pride, of gratification, and of satisfaction in seeing visually how i have changed. (thank you for your part in that nosy nora)
what will you do to recognize your accomplishments? how will you toot your own horn?
be kind to yourself,
xoxo
...
Wednesday 19 November 2014
surviving SAD
SAD. seasonal affective disorder.
it starts in the fall. right about now. so many people i know are struggling with depression right now. and the weather isn't helping. depression sucks the energy right out of you. all you want to do is cocoon, cry, sleep, and then sleep some more. and as one friend says, "it's like wearing shit coloured glasses all the time." "it's like quicksand and you don't know when you're sliding into it. and once you're in it, it feels impossible to get out of."
so what are some things that you can do besides medication and psychotherapy?
get outside every day when there is daylight. go for a walk or sit in a park. yes, it's cold. bundle up and get out there anyway. force yourself. the exercise will help with the stress and anxiety that actually makes depression and SAD worse.
when you're inside, keep your blinds open and sit near the window.
find an activity that you enjoy and take part in it throughout the winter season. skiing, skating, hiking, or if you're like me and don't enjoy the outdoors in the winter, take a class, join a team, go to yoga (that's my plan this winter), take up a craft.
take vitamin D ... as directed!
if you can afford it, invest in light therapy. you can buy the lights online and sit under them to simulate the sun.
try st. john's wort and vitamin B. also take as directed. and check with your dr or pharmacist if you are taking other medications.
most of all, don't keep it to yourself. there is such a stigma around mental health that we are often afraid to tell others. we try to take care of it ourselves. but as nosy nora always tells me, we are all in this life thing together. everyone needs someone. talk to your friends and family about how you are feeling and ask for help if you need it. we are here to support each other.
be kind to yourself,
xoxo
...
it starts in the fall. right about now. so many people i know are struggling with depression right now. and the weather isn't helping. depression sucks the energy right out of you. all you want to do is cocoon, cry, sleep, and then sleep some more. and as one friend says, "it's like wearing shit coloured glasses all the time." "it's like quicksand and you don't know when you're sliding into it. and once you're in it, it feels impossible to get out of."
so what are some things that you can do besides medication and psychotherapy?
get outside every day when there is daylight. go for a walk or sit in a park. yes, it's cold. bundle up and get out there anyway. force yourself. the exercise will help with the stress and anxiety that actually makes depression and SAD worse.
when you're inside, keep your blinds open and sit near the window.
find an activity that you enjoy and take part in it throughout the winter season. skiing, skating, hiking, or if you're like me and don't enjoy the outdoors in the winter, take a class, join a team, go to yoga (that's my plan this winter), take up a craft.
take vitamin D ... as directed!
if you can afford it, invest in light therapy. you can buy the lights online and sit under them to simulate the sun.
try st. john's wort and vitamin B. also take as directed. and check with your dr or pharmacist if you are taking other medications.
most of all, don't keep it to yourself. there is such a stigma around mental health that we are often afraid to tell others. we try to take care of it ourselves. but as nosy nora always tells me, we are all in this life thing together. everyone needs someone. talk to your friends and family about how you are feeling and ask for help if you need it. we are here to support each other.
be kind to yourself,
xoxo
...
Tuesday 18 November 2014
fear of success
yesterday i wrote about the fear of failure and how it can be paralyzing. and today i want to talk about the fear of success which can be equally paralyzing.
Here are 3 examples of fear of success:
another reason is that we fear we don't deserve the success. so we sabotage ourselves. will we change when we succeed? will we like the person we become? will other people still like us?
tiny buddha offers 6 ways to overcome the fear of success:
http://tinybuddha.com/blog/overcome-fear-of-success-6-ways-to-start-thriving/
1. be positive
2. continually remind yourself you are part of something larger than you
3. take time to find your authenticity
4. create your success library
5. learn
6. live in balance
visit the website for an explanation of the 6 ways.
but what about me? what do i think?
i think that you need to face your fears head on. you need to ask yourself what will happen if you succeed. and more importantly, you need to ask yourself what is keeping you from succeeding.
i have been on diet after diet since i was 9 years old. and none of them have offered me any sort of success. then i stopped dieting. i started listening to my body. listening to what it wants to eat. and i started to lose weight. but whenever i hit a milestone, i sabotage myself. i'm terrified of what it could mean to be thin. being thin is scarier than being fat.
the worst is when people comment on my weight loss. as if it is a triumph. as if i was so fat before that my weight loss is noticeable. as if it is anyone else's business. it makes me want to binge.
good thing i have coping strategies that i didn't have before.
so many of us are afraid of failure, but so many of us are just as afraid of success.
be kind to yourself,
xoxo
...
Here are 3 examples of fear of success:
1. Fear of Not Coping With Success
As Hugh MacLeod points out, success is more complex than failure. On some level, it’s more comfortable to stay in a familiar situation, even if it doesn’t feel great on the surface. But achieving success (however you define it) means you are entering uncharted territory. You are putting yourself out there to be scrutinized and criticized, and exposing yourself to new pressures and demands.
It’s only human to wonder whether you’ll be up to the challenge. A small anxious part of you would rather not take the risk. http://99u.com/articles/14347/are-you-subconsciously-afraid-of-success
2. Fear of Selling Out
Creatives have a complicated relationship with success. On the one hand, you wouldn’t be reading 99U if you weren’t ambitious to succeed; on the other, you don’t want success at all costs – especially the loss of your artistic integrity.
Whatever choices you make, if you achieve any kind of public success, it’s a sad fact that someone, somewhere will be thinking (and even saying) nasty things about you – including accusations of “selling out.” http://99u.com/articles/14347/are-you-subconsciously-afraid-of-success
3. Fear of Becoming Someone Else
Because we habitually put successful people on pedestals, the idea of becoming “one of them” can feel daunting. You start to worry that you’ll turn into someone else, a person your friends and family won’t recognize—and won’t like.
This fear has some foundation in reality. After all, if you were satisfied with the person you are now, why would you want to change? But it’s also founded on a false premise: that change is about leaving your old self behind and replacing it with a completely new one. Change is more complex than that. You are definitely more complex than that. http://99u.com/articles/14347/are-you-subconsciously-afraid-of-success
another reason is that we fear we don't deserve the success. so we sabotage ourselves. will we change when we succeed? will we like the person we become? will other people still like us?
tiny buddha offers 6 ways to overcome the fear of success:
http://tinybuddha.com/blog/overcome-fear-of-success-6-ways-to-start-thriving/
1. be positive
2. continually remind yourself you are part of something larger than you
3. take time to find your authenticity
4. create your success library
5. learn
6. live in balance
visit the website for an explanation of the 6 ways.
but what about me? what do i think?
i think that you need to face your fears head on. you need to ask yourself what will happen if you succeed. and more importantly, you need to ask yourself what is keeping you from succeeding.
i have been on diet after diet since i was 9 years old. and none of them have offered me any sort of success. then i stopped dieting. i started listening to my body. listening to what it wants to eat. and i started to lose weight. but whenever i hit a milestone, i sabotage myself. i'm terrified of what it could mean to be thin. being thin is scarier than being fat.
the worst is when people comment on my weight loss. as if it is a triumph. as if i was so fat before that my weight loss is noticeable. as if it is anyone else's business. it makes me want to binge.
good thing i have coping strategies that i didn't have before.
so many of us are afraid of failure, but so many of us are just as afraid of success.
be kind to yourself,
xoxo
...
Monday 17 November 2014
fear of failure
i was asked today to write a post about the fear of failure. this is a common fear. we often set ourselves up to fail by taking on too much and then beating ourselves up when we can't do it all.
“I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”
― Thomas A. Edison
unless we try, we don't have the option to fail. and what kind of life is that? it's a life of not living. the fear of failure can be paralyzing. how can you face your fears?
1. look at things from a different perspective.
2. think about the potential outcomes of whatever you are afraid of failing at. often we are afraid of the unknown.
3. try to think positively.
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
― Winston S. Churchill
the courage to continue. to get yourself up every morning to face the day, even when it's hard. the courage to face the difficult things in life. to face the potential of failure head on. to take risks. to fail and to get back up again.
“Don't spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door. ”
― Coco Chanel
no matter how many times you fail, don't beat yourself up. you can't make yourself into someone that you're not. you are uniquely and wonderfully you.
“Life is full of screwups. You're supposed to fail sometimes. It's a required part of the human existence.”
― Sarah Dessen
being human means making mistakes, getting messy, and learning as you go.
“If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original.”
― Ken Robinson
you have to be prepared to be wrong. you will face many challenges, some will have a successful outcome and some wont. but if you don't try, you wont have the opportunity to learn.
a friend asked me to write this post. she overextended herself and had to give up some things. she feels like she failed. but that isn't failure. that is learning from your experience. that is taking care of yourself. that is being an adult and knowing when enough is enough. that isn't failure.
“When you take risks you learn that there will be times when you succeed and there will be times when you fail, and both are equally important.”
― Ellen DeGeneres
be kind to yourself,
xoxo
...
“I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”
― Thomas A. Edison
unless we try, we don't have the option to fail. and what kind of life is that? it's a life of not living. the fear of failure can be paralyzing. how can you face your fears?
1. look at things from a different perspective.
2. think about the potential outcomes of whatever you are afraid of failing at. often we are afraid of the unknown.
3. try to think positively.
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
― Winston S. Churchill
the courage to continue. to get yourself up every morning to face the day, even when it's hard. the courage to face the difficult things in life. to face the potential of failure head on. to take risks. to fail and to get back up again.
“Don't spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door. ”
― Coco Chanel
no matter how many times you fail, don't beat yourself up. you can't make yourself into someone that you're not. you are uniquely and wonderfully you.
“Life is full of screwups. You're supposed to fail sometimes. It's a required part of the human existence.”
― Sarah Dessen
being human means making mistakes, getting messy, and learning as you go.
“If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original.”
― Ken Robinson
you have to be prepared to be wrong. you will face many challenges, some will have a successful outcome and some wont. but if you don't try, you wont have the opportunity to learn.
a friend asked me to write this post. she overextended herself and had to give up some things. she feels like she failed. but that isn't failure. that is learning from your experience. that is taking care of yourself. that is being an adult and knowing when enough is enough. that isn't failure.
“When you take risks you learn that there will be times when you succeed and there will be times when you fail, and both are equally important.”
― Ellen DeGeneres
be kind to yourself,
xoxo
...
Sunday 16 November 2014
eating mindfully
geneen roth has changed my life through her books. i no longer mindlessly eat. i no longer binge. i no longer eat when i am not hungry. these are big changes for me.
roth has 7 guidelines for eating.
1. eat when you are hungry
2. eat sitting down in a calm environment.
3. eat without distractions
4. eat what your body wants
5. eat until you are satisfied
6. eat (with the intention of) being in full view of others
7. eat with enjoyment, gusto, and pleasure
that's it. 7 simple yet challenging guidelines for eating. it's not a diet. it's not a lifestyle change. it's a reframing of your relationship with food.
the idea of eating what i want when i am hungry in full view of other people was the hardest thing i faced. i'm not supposed to eat chocolate or chips or candy. i'm not supposed to eat in front of people. fat women eating in public experience shame, either internally or by other people's looks or comments. so it was really hard ... is really hard to eat fully in view of others.
another challenge is eating without distractions which includes tv, reading, music, and driving. we always eat in front of the tv. i find myself sitting alone at the table sometimes. and i'm okay with that now.
another difficult change was eating until i was satisfied. for a couple of reasons. first of all, when you eat in front of the tv (or with other distractions) you don't recognize the signals that your body sends to tell you to stop eating. so i would finish what was on my plate without really noticing. second, i feel guilty throwing out food, so i would finish what was on my plate.
i started to watch other people's eating habits and noticed that often people stop eating when they are satisfied and leave food on their plates.
what?
people don't finish their food all the time. and that's okay. it's okay to throw out what you don't eat. (or put it away as leftovers)
if you have a difficult relationship with food, i suggest you read one or more of geneen roth's books. they really were life changing for me.
http://geneenroth.com/books/
be kind to yourself,
xoxo
...
roth has 7 guidelines for eating.
1. eat when you are hungry
2. eat sitting down in a calm environment.
3. eat without distractions
4. eat what your body wants
5. eat until you are satisfied
6. eat (with the intention of) being in full view of others
7. eat with enjoyment, gusto, and pleasure
that's it. 7 simple yet challenging guidelines for eating. it's not a diet. it's not a lifestyle change. it's a reframing of your relationship with food.
the idea of eating what i want when i am hungry in full view of other people was the hardest thing i faced. i'm not supposed to eat chocolate or chips or candy. i'm not supposed to eat in front of people. fat women eating in public experience shame, either internally or by other people's looks or comments. so it was really hard ... is really hard to eat fully in view of others.
another challenge is eating without distractions which includes tv, reading, music, and driving. we always eat in front of the tv. i find myself sitting alone at the table sometimes. and i'm okay with that now.
another difficult change was eating until i was satisfied. for a couple of reasons. first of all, when you eat in front of the tv (or with other distractions) you don't recognize the signals that your body sends to tell you to stop eating. so i would finish what was on my plate without really noticing. second, i feel guilty throwing out food, so i would finish what was on my plate.
i started to watch other people's eating habits and noticed that often people stop eating when they are satisfied and leave food on their plates.
what?
people don't finish their food all the time. and that's okay. it's okay to throw out what you don't eat. (or put it away as leftovers)
if you have a difficult relationship with food, i suggest you read one or more of geneen roth's books. they really were life changing for me.
http://geneenroth.com/books/
be kind to yourself,
xoxo
...
Friday 14 November 2014
10 tips for happiness
the last few days have found me in a good mood. this is rare these days. i think that part of it is a new medication, but more importantly, i think that it has been examining how the positive and huge changes that i have made over the last few years.
so while i am in this good mood, i wanted to share ten tips for being happy:
1. express gratitude. i keep a gratitude journal and every day i make a list of things that i am grateful for. it helps to have positive thoughts in your mind.
2. set the bar high and expect the best out of life. thinking negative thoughts leads to negative feelings. turn your negative thoughts around and allow yourself to think positively.
3. don't compare yourself to other people. you are a unique gift on this planet. you are no one else but you. as oscar wilde said: "be yourself everyone else is already taken."
4. forgive yourself. seriously. forgive yourself. you are human. life will be messy and filled with mistakes. and as it says in anne of green gables, "tomorrow is a fresh day with no mistakes in it." forgive forgive forgive your mistakes, your messiness, your imperfections.
5. be kind to others. pay it forward. it makes you feel good.
6. treat yourself the way you treat the people that you love (thanks geneen roth ... what a concept!)
7. therapy. seriously. therapy. if you are chronically unhappy, there's a reason ... or reasons ... and having someone guide you on a healing journey is helpful. that sounded incredibly cheesy ... having someone to listen to you and talk out your issues is beneficial.
8. see people. go out. see people. socialize. even if it's hard. do it anyway. keep contact with your friends. find a group to join. for me it's choir. i will admit that i have NOT been enjoying choir this semester. but i go every week anyway. it's my community.
9. "be the lab scientist and not the rat." http://www.purposefairy.com/ which means pay attention to your mind, to your reactions to situations, your reactions to things that people say. learn your triggers and find ways to cope. strategies for coping will help you reframe the situation.
10. this is the most challenging step (for me). be good to your body. feed it. feed it healthy and nutritious foods. feed it what tastes good to you. feed it what you LIKE. and move your body. even if that means simply going for a walk (yes, i DO listen to you nosy nora).
“For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
being angry is a natural feeling and it's okay to feel angry and to talk through those feelings. nosy nora says it's even okay to be angry with people that you love. including your parents. yikes! but holding onto that anger for a long time and not doing anything with it hurts you more than it hurts the person that you are angry at. expressing that emotion in some way helps you to let it go. that doesn't mean you have to tell the person you are mad at. you can express your anger in many different healthy ways. that's a post for another day.
“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.”
― Dalai Lama XIV
i woke up feeling happy the last 2 days. but i cultivated that happiness by following the 10 steps above. by acknowledging that i have put in the work to change my life. (and possibly by upping my meds. just saying)
“You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness.”
― Jonathan Safran Foer
one of the biggest lessons that i have learned through therapy and through facing my addiction is that when you numb yourself to the hard feelings, you numb yourself to the wonderful feelings as well. when you protect yourself from feeling, you don't get to experience the joys that life is filled with.
“Learn to value yourself, which means: fight for your happiness.”
― Ayn Rand
make yourself important. you matter. did you hear that? i'll say it louder ... YOUUUUUU MATTERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
“All happiness depends on courage and work.”
― Honoré de Balzac
you wont just BE happy without working on yourself. and that takes time and small changes that lead to bigger life-long change. (another gem from nosy nora)
“When the first baby laughed for the first time, its laugh broke into a thousand pieces, and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies.”
― J.M. Barrie
i included that quote because i love the idea of fairies. and i love baby laughs. what brings more joy than a baby laughing!?!?!?!?!???
“So we shall let the reader answer this question for himself: who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed?”
― Hunter S. Thompson
one of the first things i remember nosy nora saying to me when i started therapy a few years ago was that i seemed like i wasn't present in my life. i was on the shore merely existing. terrified of the potential storm out on the sea of life. i am trying really hard to be present. it's not easy. but i feel like i am more alive. like i am experiencing life instead of watching it pass me by.
“Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.”
― Guillaume Apollinaire
pause and experience your happiness. there's no point in following my steps to happiness if you spend all your time focusing on trying to make yourself happy without enjoying the feeling of BEING happy.
and MOST importantly,
be kind to yourself,
xoxo
...
so while i am in this good mood, i wanted to share ten tips for being happy:
1. express gratitude. i keep a gratitude journal and every day i make a list of things that i am grateful for. it helps to have positive thoughts in your mind.
2. set the bar high and expect the best out of life. thinking negative thoughts leads to negative feelings. turn your negative thoughts around and allow yourself to think positively.
3. don't compare yourself to other people. you are a unique gift on this planet. you are no one else but you. as oscar wilde said: "be yourself everyone else is already taken."
4. forgive yourself. seriously. forgive yourself. you are human. life will be messy and filled with mistakes. and as it says in anne of green gables, "tomorrow is a fresh day with no mistakes in it." forgive forgive forgive your mistakes, your messiness, your imperfections.
5. be kind to others. pay it forward. it makes you feel good.
6. treat yourself the way you treat the people that you love (thanks geneen roth ... what a concept!)
7. therapy. seriously. therapy. if you are chronically unhappy, there's a reason ... or reasons ... and having someone guide you on a healing journey is helpful. that sounded incredibly cheesy ... having someone to listen to you and talk out your issues is beneficial.
8. see people. go out. see people. socialize. even if it's hard. do it anyway. keep contact with your friends. find a group to join. for me it's choir. i will admit that i have NOT been enjoying choir this semester. but i go every week anyway. it's my community.
9. "be the lab scientist and not the rat." http://www.purposefairy.com/ which means pay attention to your mind, to your reactions to situations, your reactions to things that people say. learn your triggers and find ways to cope. strategies for coping will help you reframe the situation.
10. this is the most challenging step (for me). be good to your body. feed it. feed it healthy and nutritious foods. feed it what tastes good to you. feed it what you LIKE. and move your body. even if that means simply going for a walk (yes, i DO listen to you nosy nora).
“For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
being angry is a natural feeling and it's okay to feel angry and to talk through those feelings. nosy nora says it's even okay to be angry with people that you love. including your parents. yikes! but holding onto that anger for a long time and not doing anything with it hurts you more than it hurts the person that you are angry at. expressing that emotion in some way helps you to let it go. that doesn't mean you have to tell the person you are mad at. you can express your anger in many different healthy ways. that's a post for another day.
“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.”
― Dalai Lama XIV
i woke up feeling happy the last 2 days. but i cultivated that happiness by following the 10 steps above. by acknowledging that i have put in the work to change my life. (and possibly by upping my meds. just saying)
“You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness.”
― Jonathan Safran Foer
one of the biggest lessons that i have learned through therapy and through facing my addiction is that when you numb yourself to the hard feelings, you numb yourself to the wonderful feelings as well. when you protect yourself from feeling, you don't get to experience the joys that life is filled with.
“Learn to value yourself, which means: fight for your happiness.”
― Ayn Rand
make yourself important. you matter. did you hear that? i'll say it louder ... YOUUUUUU MATTERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
“All happiness depends on courage and work.”
― Honoré de Balzac
you wont just BE happy without working on yourself. and that takes time and small changes that lead to bigger life-long change. (another gem from nosy nora)
“When the first baby laughed for the first time, its laugh broke into a thousand pieces, and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies.”
― J.M. Barrie
i included that quote because i love the idea of fairies. and i love baby laughs. what brings more joy than a baby laughing!?!?!?!?!???
“So we shall let the reader answer this question for himself: who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed?”
― Hunter S. Thompson
one of the first things i remember nosy nora saying to me when i started therapy a few years ago was that i seemed like i wasn't present in my life. i was on the shore merely existing. terrified of the potential storm out on the sea of life. i am trying really hard to be present. it's not easy. but i feel like i am more alive. like i am experiencing life instead of watching it pass me by.
“Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.”
― Guillaume Apollinaire
pause and experience your happiness. there's no point in following my steps to happiness if you spend all your time focusing on trying to make yourself happy without enjoying the feeling of BEING happy.
and MOST importantly,
be kind to yourself,
xoxo
...
Wednesday 12 November 2014
changes
so i was beginning to think that over the last 2 years i haven't really made any changes. that i trudge along throughout my day and do the same things, behave the same way, react the same way ... i felt like i was a caterpillar stuck at that stage of my life, in a cocoon unable to grow wings.
... nosy nora asked me if i noticed any changes and i said not really. then she listed the changes ...
... i am no longer addicted to nortriptyline or what nosy nora and i call "the yellow pills." i don't take them. i don't obsess over them.
... i no longer abuse sedatives. i don't crave them. i don't think about them and long for them.
... i say "no" more often. and i am aware of doing things that i don't want to do, and at times i don't do them. AG reminds me that i am an adult and i don't have to do anything i don't want to do.
... i no longer binge. if i start to binge, i am able to stop myself in the moment and question why i am bingeing. and i am able to stop the cycle.
... i no longer purge. even when i really, really have the urge to throw up, i have strategies and coping skills that i didn't have before.
... i am able to feel my feelings and am no longer numb to my emotions.
those are some pretty major changes. and here i thought i wasn't doing the work to change my life. i still have many more things that i want to work on. i am still struggling with depression and anxiety. but in the grand scheme of things, i am doing pretty damn well. so maybe i am a butterfly now.
think about your life over the last few years. what changes have you made?
be kind to yourself,
xoxo
...
... nosy nora asked me if i noticed any changes and i said not really. then she listed the changes ...
... i am no longer addicted to nortriptyline or what nosy nora and i call "the yellow pills." i don't take them. i don't obsess over them.
... i no longer abuse sedatives. i don't crave them. i don't think about them and long for them.
... i say "no" more often. and i am aware of doing things that i don't want to do, and at times i don't do them. AG reminds me that i am an adult and i don't have to do anything i don't want to do.
... i no longer binge. if i start to binge, i am able to stop myself in the moment and question why i am bingeing. and i am able to stop the cycle.
... i no longer purge. even when i really, really have the urge to throw up, i have strategies and coping skills that i didn't have before.
... i am able to feel my feelings and am no longer numb to my emotions.
those are some pretty major changes. and here i thought i wasn't doing the work to change my life. i still have many more things that i want to work on. i am still struggling with depression and anxiety. but in the grand scheme of things, i am doing pretty damn well. so maybe i am a butterfly now.
think about your life over the last few years. what changes have you made?
be kind to yourself,
xoxo
...
Sunday 9 November 2014
dealing with anxiety
in the past, i have written about anxiety, worries, and being anxious. today i want to talk about ways to deal with anxiety.
anxiety is a major part of my life. it has been for as long as i can remember. lately, i have been dealing with anxiety by grinding my teeth. i have only had one panic attack in the last month thankfully. but i still get a clenched belly and clenched jaw.
so what is anxiety? it is defined as a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. or, as a disorder that causes nervousness, fear, apprehension and worrying.
so what can you do about it? how can you live life when you are constantly in a state of worry and apprehension?
learning relaxation techniques is important. whether that means something like meditation, or simply breathing exercises or muscle relaxation techniques.
another step is to challenge your negative thinking. for me, one of my biggest worries is about my car. i am always sure it is going to blow up, or get a flat tire. so i talk myself through the scenario. will my car blow up? no. cars don't spontaneously explode. they just don't. will i get a flat tire? it could happen. will it kill me? no. i have CAA and can call someone to come and help me. it will suck, but i will be okay. and likely, i wont get a flat tire.
limit your alcohol and caffeine intake. they can make your anxiety worse. (yes, DP, less coffee could be helpful)
get enough sleep. when you are sleep-deprived (as i often am) you are more prone to worry. and when you are in a state of anxiety, you need more rest.
exercise is helpful ... (so i am told repeatedly by nosy nora). something as simple as going for walks can really help to manage your symptoms.
eat foods high in anti-oxidants like blueberries. as well as almonds, dark chocolate, fish (eww), and pumpkin seeds. they supposedly lower the hormones responsible for stress. i don't know if this is true, but there are no negative effects to eating these things, so go for it.
say no. seriously.
say no.
don't get overwhelmed by commitments. we lead such busy lives and we over-commit ourselves. you need to learn your limits and respect yourself enough to enforce them. this might mean staying home on a friday night when all your friends are out having fun. it's okay. you don't have to do everything.
keep a journal that keeps track of when you are anxious and try to identify what you are feeling anxious about. as i type this, i am worrying about how it will be received and i am grinding my teeth. as you journal and discover what is causing your apprehension and fears, you can uncover the things that are within your control. then you can make changes to the situation
there are situations beyond your control. but focus on the things that you CAN change. and then ... change them.
set aside worry time. give yourself an hour each day where you are allowed to worry about everything. you are allowed to stress and freak out and run every situation over and over again in your head. and when the hour is up, you are done. finished. no more worrying allowed. turn it off. think about other things.
another idea from nosy nora is to put in your earphones and listen to happy music, or music that makes you feel good, or music that has positive memories tied to it. and if you feel like it, dance along. it's almost impossible to feel anything but happy when you are dancing along to "sweet home alabama". check out this website on music and memory to further understand how music can connect you to happier and calmer feelings. http://musicandmemory.org/
use positive thoughts to challenge the negative ones. "this is scary but i will be okay." or "this is awful, but i have some strategies to deal with it." i use geneen roth's suggestion of adding "the sky is blue" to my thoughts. it neutralizes the thought by attaching the statement to it. "my car is going to blow up the sky is blue." or "i am never going to get this right i am such an idiot the sky is blue."
there's always meditation and yoga. for those of us gently rounded people, yoga sounds terrifying. i am so anxious about yoga that i have to do it at home using youtube videos instead of going to a class. but it's better than not doing anything at all.
most of all, if anxiety is running your life, seek support from friends and family, and potentially from a health care professional. living with anxiety is really challenging. trust me. it sucks. but there are ways to manage your anxiety and you don't have to do it alone.
and as always,
be kind to yourself,
xoxo
...
anxiety is a major part of my life. it has been for as long as i can remember. lately, i have been dealing with anxiety by grinding my teeth. i have only had one panic attack in the last month thankfully. but i still get a clenched belly and clenched jaw.
so what is anxiety? it is defined as a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. or, as a disorder that causes nervousness, fear, apprehension and worrying.
so what can you do about it? how can you live life when you are constantly in a state of worry and apprehension?
learning relaxation techniques is important. whether that means something like meditation, or simply breathing exercises or muscle relaxation techniques.
another step is to challenge your negative thinking. for me, one of my biggest worries is about my car. i am always sure it is going to blow up, or get a flat tire. so i talk myself through the scenario. will my car blow up? no. cars don't spontaneously explode. they just don't. will i get a flat tire? it could happen. will it kill me? no. i have CAA and can call someone to come and help me. it will suck, but i will be okay. and likely, i wont get a flat tire.
limit your alcohol and caffeine intake. they can make your anxiety worse. (yes, DP, less coffee could be helpful)
get enough sleep. when you are sleep-deprived (as i often am) you are more prone to worry. and when you are in a state of anxiety, you need more rest.
exercise is helpful ... (so i am told repeatedly by nosy nora). something as simple as going for walks can really help to manage your symptoms.
eat foods high in anti-oxidants like blueberries. as well as almonds, dark chocolate, fish (eww), and pumpkin seeds. they supposedly lower the hormones responsible for stress. i don't know if this is true, but there are no negative effects to eating these things, so go for it.
say no. seriously.
say no.
don't get overwhelmed by commitments. we lead such busy lives and we over-commit ourselves. you need to learn your limits and respect yourself enough to enforce them. this might mean staying home on a friday night when all your friends are out having fun. it's okay. you don't have to do everything.
keep a journal that keeps track of when you are anxious and try to identify what you are feeling anxious about. as i type this, i am worrying about how it will be received and i am grinding my teeth. as you journal and discover what is causing your apprehension and fears, you can uncover the things that are within your control. then you can make changes to the situation
there are situations beyond your control. but focus on the things that you CAN change. and then ... change them.
set aside worry time. give yourself an hour each day where you are allowed to worry about everything. you are allowed to stress and freak out and run every situation over and over again in your head. and when the hour is up, you are done. finished. no more worrying allowed. turn it off. think about other things.
another idea from nosy nora is to put in your earphones and listen to happy music, or music that makes you feel good, or music that has positive memories tied to it. and if you feel like it, dance along. it's almost impossible to feel anything but happy when you are dancing along to "sweet home alabama". check out this website on music and memory to further understand how music can connect you to happier and calmer feelings. http://musicandmemory.org/
use positive thoughts to challenge the negative ones. "this is scary but i will be okay." or "this is awful, but i have some strategies to deal with it." i use geneen roth's suggestion of adding "the sky is blue" to my thoughts. it neutralizes the thought by attaching the statement to it. "my car is going to blow up the sky is blue." or "i am never going to get this right i am such an idiot the sky is blue."
there's always meditation and yoga. for those of us gently rounded people, yoga sounds terrifying. i am so anxious about yoga that i have to do it at home using youtube videos instead of going to a class. but it's better than not doing anything at all.
most of all, if anxiety is running your life, seek support from friends and family, and potentially from a health care professional. living with anxiety is really challenging. trust me. it sucks. but there are ways to manage your anxiety and you don't have to do it alone.
and as always,
be kind to yourself,
xoxo
...
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