Or would the correct term be joy, a core emotion? Either way, I suppose this is a milestone of birthdays. It has been coming for a while. There was nothing to do but allow it to tick forward, a day at a time, until now it is the big day. I turn 65 today. Now I can finally take advantage of the senior discount at Denny’s. Just kidding. It’s been so long since I was in a … [Read more...] about Can I Be Happy With My Birthday?
Archives for November 2020
An Authentic Self-Care Morning, As Even the Wildlife, Seem Thankful
It is 52 degrees outside as the sun works to warm the morning. The landscape is shrouded in fog, with only hints of Parker mountain in the distance. From my vantage point on the front porch, I can hear the beating of bird wings as they come and go from the feeders. And there are a pair of squirrels working the grass around the feeder pole, munching on the sunflower seeds … [Read more...] about An Authentic Self-Care Morning, As Even the Wildlife, Seem Thankful
Never Again Will You Not Face Your Depression
Not facing my depression was a direct slap in the face to Self-Care. I have written extensively about my struggle with self-care. Finding the balance between “just say no,” and the needs of others can be confusing. Self-care starts with the premise that you must put your oxygen mask on before helping others. I get that, but my generation was not brought up automatically … [Read more...] about Never Again Will You Not Face Your Depression
How to Use Coping Statements for Self-Care During the Holidays
How will you cope with the holidays? That is a question I am asking myself. Each year presents different challenges. When the kids were young, it was making sure Santa had time to get the presents under the tree before the kids awoke. My coping statement then was “we have done this before; we can do it again.” As the kids became young adults, the challenge was to get … [Read more...] about How to Use Coping Statements for Self-Care During the Holidays
What Depression Doesn’t Want You To Know About Unhelpful Thinking Styles
Predictable, steady, expectable, certain, sure, unsurprising, humdrum, obvious, and foreseeable. That is my life. And that has been my life for several months. I guess it is always something. And depression has clouded my life with generous helpings of unhelpful thinking. A year ago, I was fixated on not being able to get started in the morning. It took five months of … [Read more...] about What Depression Doesn’t Want You To Know About Unhelpful Thinking Styles