100 Days of Healthy Healing

I have, ashamedly, yet to commit to making significant changes to my diet in the attempt to boost my mental resilience. Save for the obvious culprits such as caffeine, sugar and on occasion - alcohol, I really can say, hand on heart, that I have made no effort to change my eating habits. It's been sausage rolls, crisps, cheese and takeaways all the way. This really is a crime as we all know that diet is the one thing that we can control and something that has a naturally positive effect on our mood.

Healthy home cooking - chickpea burgers and salad

Destructive behaviours

It's been a while since my last post - I suppose it has given me time to think and generally get on with life. Right now I'm on a high - I've just gotten a year long extension on my work contract (no financial worries for at least another year is a win), college is finished, I'm just on the cusp of finally knuckling down to assignments and the sun comes out a lot more than it used to - life feels good right now. It has given me food for thought though, reflection on the triggers of down periods or up periods that I have. Do you know that we can be quite prone to self-sabotage?

A Few of My Favourite Things

Do you remember that song? From the Sound of Music? The little ditty you sing when you feel bad things, "dog bits, bee stings, feeling sad". Well I'm simply going to remember my favourite things and then I might not feel so bad. (Doctor visit/dosage tweaking/counselling assessment/mindfulness and reflection all to take place on Monday, I don't really need to bore you with any further details other than to say, I'm slipping a little)

"Rub my head and tell me I'm pretty..."

One thing that I have failed to do on this blog is be 100% honest with you all. I tend to advise and relate more than I moan and whinge (can you tell what is about to come?), I am positive and try to offer empathy and insight. I am conscious that a positive outlook is key. But today, ladies and gentlemen, is the day that I bring the honesty full circle and admit here and now that having a mental illness really sucks. During, for obvious reasons, and after for how it makes you constantly vigilant.

Update/Valentine's Day Wishes

I have discovered that the art of baking is incredibly soothing! I find myself looking out for cake stands and icing utensils and cute, colourful edible sprinkles to embellish my creations ever since my tea party fundraiser (which by the way, has surpassed all my expectations and has gone on to raise just over €400! Thank you all!) Finding a new hobby is the best way to get over a low period, is what I've been told and I can't help believe that it's true! Red velvet cupcakes, I have no idea how I've gone this long without knowing of your existence. Those and Instagram, my new social media of choice and I'm not even remotely ashamed at the constant flow of filtered-snaps I post on a daily basis!

Feeling Feelings

I read over my posts from the last few months at the weekend. It struck me how open and optimistic and almost “all-knowing” and confident they sounded. Did those words really come from me? It’s quite heartening to know that I had that strength and yet, disheartening now that I've had a little setback.

Taking Things Personally...

I came across this wonderful cartoon today. I do not own the rights to it, I do not claim it as mine but I wish to share it with all of you because I think it articulates so much more than one of my posts ever could:

All that Jazz....again!

I had a glorious weekend this October Bank Holiday-a dreadfully rainy and stormy but wonderfully fun-filled and musical time at the Cork Jazz Festival.

World Mental Health Day

I'm taking a break from my very busy day (stressing too much isn't going to get anything done!) to ask of you, my readers, how ever many of you are out there, a very small favour. It's only small. A small step to create the world that I hope we'll all be living in the years to come.

To Medicate, or not to Medicate?

Imagine that you're in a well. You're in a deep dark well and you can't swim. You're gulping for air and thrashing about in panic but there's no hope-you're drowning. 

Suddenly, a figure comes into view at the top of the well. The sound is muffled. You scream for help through choking mouthfuls of water, gasping and spluttering and frantically waving your hands to try and get the figure to notice you; "Help, help, save me, I'm drowning, please save me".

No-brainer

My head has been a little muddled lately. I'm not sleeping very well at night and then sleeping too much in the middle of the day, sleeping in for work, sleeping through all my alarms (of which, I have about 20) and when I take naps after work and start to miss things like my Pilates class, I start to get frustrated. Frustration turns into worry that I'm slipping back into a depression, tiredness makes it hard to concentrate on work and soon I'm over thinking things. I get all worked up and I can't sleep. Vicious circles are making the circles under my eyes darker! I need to start counter-acting the problem with some exercise and fresh air!

OCD...

...or as I like to call it, "Oh Crap, Dirt!" or "Oh Crap, Disarray!", "Oh Crap, Disorganised!" "Oh Crap, *Insert untidy D-word adjective here*".

Be Kind

It is the hardest thing in the world to be kind to yourself.A friend of mine told me that I should try harder to be nice to me. I hadn't a clue where to start. Does that mean that I should say please and thank you any time I buy myself groceries or when passing myself the milk? Should I ask myself if I'd like a cup of tea and a chat when I visit my house? Should I make sure to remember my birthday and surprise me with a homemade birthday cake?

Cluttered room, cluttered mind

Today I want to talk about depression. And why not? I often share my travels and food and nail art and photographs and bargains-why not my health?