Positivity and Planning from Women's Health Dec '18 mag
Had a mental health "blip" this weekend, too many tasks and not enough time to do them. It left me so overwhelmed and all I could do was get into bed. I ended up in bed on Saturday afternoon, and slept right through until Sunday.
This also meant that I missed out on quality time with my girl friends.
My brain is an arse at times, as well as being overwhelmed and being low because of that, it then made me feel like I couldn't be good enough company to spend time with them. As I was feeling low, I felt that I couldn't be fun, and with that it would be pointless me going as I would be boring and annoying.
The worst thing is, once I am out of the dark I know that that is farther from the truth, I would have had a great time and conversation would have flowed and I wouldn't have felt inadequate in the slightest.
Now I'm through the other side, I decided to take some time to rest and finally dipped into my Women's Health magazine.
Given how I've felt this weekend, there were two articles in that particularly resonated with me.
There is an article by Lauren Clark who has written about the power of positive thinking and wearing "Positive Pants". This is such a simple premise, but one I feel is really important as we can hold the key to our thoughts and feelings and how they affect us. She writes that research has found that expecting a day to be stressful is enough to hamper how your day pans out.
For me this is as though whatever you feel about the day ahead acts like a self-fulling prophecy, it you're expecting the worst, even minor inconveniences will feel like the end of the world.
Whereas if we enter the day with good thoughts and feelings we are more capable of what is thrown at us during the day. Also apparently our functioning memory is better, winner!
Another article that really resonated with me in this months edition is "Chill the F*ck Out" written by Gemma Askham.
She writes about making the Christmas season work for you, and how to step back from events which we feel socially obligated to engage in, just because of tradition, and the fact that "it's Christmas".
She makes a really good point, we all get so stressed and wrapped up in keeping up with everyone else and making sure that we have fun...or at least to appear to be having fun.
There's the work do's, social gatherings with friends, gatherings with family, all whilst trying to maintain our sanity and get everything ready for the big day.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not a Grinch. I love the build up to Christmas, I love the decorations, the food & drink, the music, and the films on the tv.
However sometimes it all just feels a bit too much and overwhelming.
She recommends getting out your diary and writing everything that you normally do like it is an appointment, for example gym sessions, food shops, family commitments, work commitments, and anything else you do regularly.
Then assess your free time and decide how many social events you can tolerate each week and write that number down at the start of that week. Once you have reached your quota you're done.
This strategy I feel will help me rationalise events during the Christmas period and help me to say no when I am "booked up".
I am going to spend the next few days setting up my December weekly spreads in my bullet journal and plan everything down that I need to do / want to do. This will include time set out for Christmas shopping, gift wrapping, and also card writing. I always say that I am going to get my cards written and posted out in the first week of December, this year I am going to make that a reality!
I really struggle with the time in between Christmas and New Year. I feel like it is time for reflection of the year that is coming to an end and I always feel that I haven't achieved anything. Part of this is down to the stress I feel during the lead up to Christmas.
For the first time in a long time I have actually booked this time off (I have worked through it for at least the last 5/6 years). These days will be the ones that I will focus on to carefully plan my time so I can better cope with my feelings. This is also the first winter in about as many years that I am medicated so hopefully that will help me deal with my thoughts and feelings a bit better.
What are your plans to survive the Christmas season this year?
K x
This also meant that I missed out on quality time with my girl friends.
My brain is an arse at times, as well as being overwhelmed and being low because of that, it then made me feel like I couldn't be good enough company to spend time with them. As I was feeling low, I felt that I couldn't be fun, and with that it would be pointless me going as I would be boring and annoying.
The worst thing is, once I am out of the dark I know that that is farther from the truth, I would have had a great time and conversation would have flowed and I wouldn't have felt inadequate in the slightest.
Now I'm through the other side, I decided to take some time to rest and finally dipped into my Women's Health magazine.
Given how I've felt this weekend, there were two articles in that particularly resonated with me.
There is an article by Lauren Clark who has written about the power of positive thinking and wearing "Positive Pants". This is such a simple premise, but one I feel is really important as we can hold the key to our thoughts and feelings and how they affect us. She writes that research has found that expecting a day to be stressful is enough to hamper how your day pans out.
For me this is as though whatever you feel about the day ahead acts like a self-fulling prophecy, it you're expecting the worst, even minor inconveniences will feel like the end of the world.
Whereas if we enter the day with good thoughts and feelings we are more capable of what is thrown at us during the day. Also apparently our functioning memory is better, winner!
She writes about making the Christmas season work for you, and how to step back from events which we feel socially obligated to engage in, just because of tradition, and the fact that "it's Christmas".
She makes a really good point, we all get so stressed and wrapped up in keeping up with everyone else and making sure that we have fun...or at least to appear to be having fun.
There's the work do's, social gatherings with friends, gatherings with family, all whilst trying to maintain our sanity and get everything ready for the big day.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not a Grinch. I love the build up to Christmas, I love the decorations, the food & drink, the music, and the films on the tv.
However sometimes it all just feels a bit too much and overwhelming.
She recommends getting out your diary and writing everything that you normally do like it is an appointment, for example gym sessions, food shops, family commitments, work commitments, and anything else you do regularly.
Then assess your free time and decide how many social events you can tolerate each week and write that number down at the start of that week. Once you have reached your quota you're done.
This strategy I feel will help me rationalise events during the Christmas period and help me to say no when I am "booked up".
I am going to spend the next few days setting up my December weekly spreads in my bullet journal and plan everything down that I need to do / want to do. This will include time set out for Christmas shopping, gift wrapping, and also card writing. I always say that I am going to get my cards written and posted out in the first week of December, this year I am going to make that a reality!
I really struggle with the time in between Christmas and New Year. I feel like it is time for reflection of the year that is coming to an end and I always feel that I haven't achieved anything. Part of this is down to the stress I feel during the lead up to Christmas.
For the first time in a long time I have actually booked this time off (I have worked through it for at least the last 5/6 years). These days will be the ones that I will focus on to carefully plan my time so I can better cope with my feelings. This is also the first winter in about as many years that I am medicated so hopefully that will help me deal with my thoughts and feelings a bit better.
What are your plans to survive the Christmas season this year?
K x
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