My beautiful Grandson chases any blues away...I love him so much, If I knew how great it would be having Grandchildren I would of had them firstGreat thread Shelly!
Spirituality is probably what keeps me positive and happy. I feel so blessed, and have so much I am grateful for, that when I get sad it doesn't last long. There are so many folks out there who have a much more difficult journey in life, I get mad at myself if I start to feel sorry for myself.
I think it takes time and a conscious effort to stay upbeat and positive when life is weighing you down, but it is so worth it. When you fall into negativity, everything that seemed bad seems so much worse, and you start to focus on everything that's wrong, and how unfair it is, etc. Then it builds into something much worse than the orginal issues you were struggling with.
I just accept that my life will have challenges, as does everyone's, and I make a determined focus on working with the challenges and still making my life what I want it to be. I have found that there are things I can do that really fulfill me, where I feel proud of myself and what I have accomplished, and that brings me happiness.
I also have to inject humor into every aspect of my life, like you mentioned Shelly. Sarcastic, offbeat, twisted humor is what I love best, and share that with my hubby and kids. I loved my dad dearly (I am an only child and we were very close), but even during his funeral I found so much that made me laugh! I think laughter is such a great gift for us, part of God's grace. It is a gift that helps us through hard times.
Music is also something I turn to. If I start to get stressed, there's nothing like a ride in the car with the radio blasting a little Lynrd Skynrd or Rolling Stones to get me out of that mindset. I turn it up loud, roll down the winds and just enjoy the tunes like the olden days when I was young!
One more thing.....I love to sing.......always makes me feel better
Turn off the phones, crawl into bed, throw the covers over me, and sleep. Bedrest is our #1 medication, but its impossible with the pain and the demands of life. I will never understand how you are to avoid "stress".
Great thread shelly! I had to laugh because I bought coloring books and crayons a very long time ago and they help to calm me when I am stressed. It sounds like you have a lot of wonderful things in your life to chase away the blues.
I am in a terrible funk right now. I don't have any family around and when I call for support, everyone is too darn busy for me. Out of sight, out of mind I think. I begged my parents to come for Christmas, but they won't leave the (extended) family. They want me to come there, but I am flaring terribly and am in so much pain from the car accident and abdominal surgery. I think they are in denial of it all. In my marriage I wasn't allowed to have friends because hubby thought I wanted my friend's husbands because they were all better than him (his words) or that the husbands were after me. Every outing ended in a huge fight, and it just wore me down after a while.
I had started volunteering to help at the place that helped me escape my marriage. It is a wonderful organization that helps abused women. New volunteer classes start in Jan and I am hoping I am well enough to attend those. Giving back gave me such pleasure. I also used to deliver meals on wheels (to shut-ins) and would like to do that again if I can.
I am looking forward to the new year as a time to give back and focus on others. I am going to lay down the law with hubby that we are SEPARATED and he needs to respect that and not ask where I spend every minute of my day and with whom. I will not let him yell at me any longer and will block his calls if I have to. I am in a teenie tiny apartment, but it is all I can afford. I am going to concentrate on donating things I dont use regularly and make my place a cozy refuge.
Volunteering, art, exercise, laughter, friends, learning something new keeps my brain active and out of the blue zone. No matter where we are for more than a month I volunteer. My art travels with us. I exercise. We laugh a lot and have made wonderful friends everywhere. I start pottery classes on Mon. with a Mexican artist who digs the clay in the hills behind us and we'll be firing the pieces in a small brick pit. If you're mind is active then it helps when you're down.
If you can't exercise, start with stretching twice a day. Find the humor in life - believe me it's there. Keep your friends close to you, they'll save you. If possible volunteer, senior center, domestic violence, at school, etc. And finally accept the disease and it's limitations. Doesn't mean you give up or quit fighting but accept it. Put that energy into things that will make you happier. It takes a group effort sometimes to chase the blues away. Your spouse, children, yourself can be the group. Having a goal is one of the most important things you can do. Of course you have to work towards that goal. Lindy
[QUOTE=inflamedOnline]
My beautiful Grandson chases any blues away...I love him so much, If I knew how great it would be having Grandchildren I would of had them first[/QUOTE]
LOL! Yeah it is wonderful when you can leave all the raising and discipline to the parents and just spoil them rotten.:) I would really love that.:)
Wonderful posts everybody. i really enjoyed reading them all. also, it is amazing how much we have in common.:) the struggles are obviously the things that we share but the ability to find joy in the middle of it all is something we seem to have in common as well. I love it! That is inspiritional in itself. Says a lot about the human spirit.
Volunteering. Something I always say I will do. I would love to volunteer for red cross or maybe reading to the kids in a school or something to feel I am giving back too. I will add that to my goals and make it happen by this time next year.
Sometimes you gotta just let the blues roll over and through you. Have a good cry - let it out. After doing that I feel much, much better. The last time I did that was this spring when dad was in the hospital for his bypass surgery. I had so much pent-up fear and sadness it was overwhelming. I had to let it out. Afterwards I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of me.
Other ways I banish the blues - I usually call up some friends and we go grab a few brews and then proceed to dish the latest gossip on local politics. Within minutes we're all laughing so hard we're crying. I also like reading, working on computer projects (I always have a backlog of upgrades and maintenance to do on one or more of the home computers or network equipment), going for a walk if it's nice out, or going to the gym for a swim and some time in the sauna. Back before I had kids I would just get in the car and drive for a few hours - I got to know northern Illinois pretty well!
this is great! always good to remember the things that make us feel good!! I'l have to come back and post in that I have to work and need to get going today....... but I had to tell you how nice it is to read all this!
There is a wonderful book called Kitchen Table Wisdom by Rachel Naomi Remen. She is a doctor and a therapist who also suffers from chronic illness herself and she has some great perspectives. The book is divided into little stories, each only a few pages, that are perfect for reading one a day and not getting lost from brain fog. They are spiritual without being specifically religious. Things like having compassion for yourself and not needing to be perfect. They are not stories like this person has 12 handicaps and is still a marathon runner, because those types of stories tend to depress rather than inspire me. They are just everyday stories with bits of wisdom.
I used to use these as the basis of my meditation. There is also a sequal called My Grandfather's Blessings. I highly recommend them both, and sometimes you can buy them as a set. Here's her website (I am not affiliated with her in any way, just a fan) but you can get her books from Amazon and most book stores:
http://www.rachelremen.com/.
i loved this shelly! thanks for reminding us about what we truly enjoy in life!
i love to walk. and talk on the phone. and laugh at comedy shows. visit with friends. pet my doggie. sunshine! my relationship with jesus keeps me going. my husband. my children. my friends. eating chocolate. drinking coke-a-cola the real thing! peace and quiet. did i mention sunshine;-) wonderwoman
oh and a clean house!!!!! w.w.swimming is a little touch of heaven!
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