Gum on My Shoe

Real friendship is when your friend comes over to your house and then you both just take a nap. (Unknown) As we approach Time to Talk Day (February 3), I can only agree with Rethink Mental Illness that “[c]onversations have the power to change lives — helping to create supportive communities where we can talk openly about mental health and feel empowered to seek help when we need it.” The book Fran and I wrote about our now ten-year friendship is founded on our belief that any successful mutually supportive relationship requires a commitment to communication. That commitment is important no matter how close or far apart you are geographically, but it’s especially so for us, given that we live on opposite sides of the Atlantic. There’s nothing quite like having someone you feel safe enough with to talk openly and honestly about whatever’s going on for you. It can help enormously, whether you’re simply sharing what’s happening, exploring options, or asking for — or offering — a...

“We rise by lifting others” — Robert Ingersoll I’ve written quite a bit over the past year or so about how low I get at times, including how my baseline mood has dropped significantly from where it used to be. There are periods when I doubt the value of what I do, both in the workplace and in other aspects of my life. That includes my connections, friendships, and relationships; my writing; and other work in the mental health arena. When I’m in this kind of “what’s the point?” slump, as I have been recently, nothing seems worth the effort because it feels like nothing is going to make a difference. It’s tempting to just give up on things, or at least contemplate doing so. The scary thing is how easily slumps like this can creep up on you, and how tough it can be to shake those self-defeating thoughts and feelings. The good news is, they can and do shift, and sometimes it’s the little things that make a difference . I was reminded of this last week. I’d like to share a few of...

As a change from my usual blog topics, this week I’m sharing my five top purchases from 2021. One way or another, they’ve made their way into my life and feel very much at home here! I’ve listed the items in the order I bought them. 1. NRS Healthcare F19959 Divan Overbed Table After balancing my work laptop on my knees since the start of lockdown in March 2020, I finally splashed out on a table in February to make working from home a little more comfortable. It’s sold as a “divan overbed table” and is the kind you might find in a hospital ward, but it’s perfect for me to work at. At 60 cm x 40 cm (23½ inch x 15¾ inch) it’s large enough to take my laptop, phone on its stand, notebook and pen. It’s very stable and adjusts in height. You can also tilt the table top, although I keep it horizontal. I’ve added a large bulldog clip to one side as a hanger for my headset, and to manage the cabling. When I’m not working, it doubles as my writing and crafting table, both of which a...

No matter who we are, there are times when we’re not feeling good. It helps to have strategies in place for handling times like this. A personalised Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) can be helpful. In other posts, I’ve described how to turn a bad day around , how to be kind to myself , and things I’m grateful for . In this article I’m going to describe the strategies I use to distract myself while I wait for my thoughts or mood to shift. Just about anything can serve as a distraction technique if you’re able to immerse yourself sufficiently in it. If you’re interested in the role of distraction in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) , I recommend this post written by my friend and fellow mental health blogger Aimee Wilson. Here, in no particular order, here are my personal top distraction techniques. 1. Writing My Diary In one form or another, writing has always been an important part of my life , and it’s one of the primary self-care strategies in my WRAP. I’ve kep...

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