How will I think about the new year? Answering this will set the tone for 2022. Accepting things that happen to me is what my depression would love. Its new year’s resolution begins, “I will make sure Joel is circling the drain by the end of 2022. I will make sure Joel remembers that I am the best thing that has happened to him. I resolve to make sure Joel sees that I am his … [Read more...] about The New Year Brings New Possibilities
Self Care
10 More Shopping Days Until Christmas And Self-Care Is Gone
It feels as if I have been going non-stop since the week of Thanksgiving. Maybe it is the time of year. Or I am just forgetting to include self-care in my day. Have I given up on self-care to accommodate everyone else’s needs? And worse than all of that, I do not see the situation changing until New Year’s Day. My dance card isn't empty until the first day of the new … [Read more...] about 10 More Shopping Days Until Christmas And Self-Care Is Gone
My Self-Care Helps Me and May Encourage Others
Self-care means different things to different people. Soaking in a bubble bath with candles all around the tub, while classical music plays softly in the background used to come to mind when I heard self-care. That thought used to make me cringe. Now I see the term as a catch-all for activities that I choose, which give me joy and relief from anything bothering me. How … [Read more...] about My Self-Care Helps Me and May Encourage Others
Depression Has Left Me a “Deer in Headlights” Again
I want to decide, but I feel frozen instead. There are things I can do right now that would address getting out of bed in the morning. But somehow, all I can muster is my “being OK” act. My high-functioning depression kicks in when I must get out of bed. This morning is a perfect example. I had gone to bed just before 10 PM. Eight hours later would be 6 AM. At 6:30 AM, … [Read more...] about Depression Has Left Me a “Deer in Headlights” Again
Depression Was Happy That I Was Neglecting Self-Care
I just thought I was overly busy. But then, I noticed that each day was clipping along, and I was becoming a spectator. No longer was I seizing the moment, setting aside time for me, or even thinking about tomorrow. Events were driving me. Then I spoke with my therapist. “If you don’t put your own oxygen mask on first, how can you help others?” Once again, he saw that … [Read more...] about Depression Was Happy That I Was Neglecting Self-Care