Everything is possible if you try!

wishingthemortgaheaway

Big hugs Tea. Lots of lovely words from everyone else.
Just keep making progress. Small steps are still steps.

Tea&Kittens

Back here to keep on track!
Made enormous cottage pie the other day, there's still enough left for dinner for kitty and me another day.
I had some friends to visit this weekend, so we played some boardgames last night then went for a lovely walk in the peak district today - weather was perfect for it. Quite chilly, but bright. We did similar a couple of weeks ago, so a couple of friends and I are going to try and make it a regular thing - we all have similar social anxieties etc , and getting out and about really helps us all (and taking a flask means it stays cheap!). We've already planned the next one! Begone Brain weasels!
GP has changed dosage of medication, and signed me off work for the week.I have to go back for a review on Thursday.
What with going out today, I've not done any kind of weekly shop yet, but as I'm not at work tomorrow I can do a meal plan and get to Aldi in the day.

Willowtree222

I hope the new medication is better for you. A week off might be just what you need to help with everything.

I love walking, just don't seem to be able to get out of the house so much anymore to do it. It sounds beautiful x

wishingthemortgaheaway

Pleased you've been to the gp, try and get some mindfulness excercises in this week, it will really help with those brain weasels.
Look after yourself, and don't think about work.

Tea&Kittens

So, off to play boardgames with friends today low cost entertainment!
Made vast pot of chicken stew yesterday, so should be a no spend day

EssexHebridean

Boardgames and walking sound like fantastic low cost entertainment options T&K - well done! Some great batch cooking there too - you've left me wanting cottage pie now though! :rotfl:

Glad to hear you got signed off for a week - sounds like everything had just rather got on top of you, and combined with the medication being fiddled with had left you floundering a bit. Brain weasels indeed - Pippilongstocking on here calls it "washing machine head" which also describes it perfectly!

Willowtree222

Fab NSDs are great! x

Tea&Kittens

Slowly getting back on track. GP signed me off last week til 7th and reviewed medication. Hopefully this will be enough headspace!
I have been trying some mindfulness, though at the moment its hard to close out the chatter.
Food shopping was under budget this week, as Kitty has decided her new favourite thing is chicken stew. We had roast chicken Sunday, and I also bought a load of thighs at the supermarket to turn into stew. At least that's something I can make lots of cheaply.
I have potential offers of other work. They wouldn't pay as much as I'm on now, but brain weasels might be better. Trying to balance this with debts to make the right decision.

EssexHebridean

Take whatever from this that might help - but might you be overthinking the job thing? A new role - even within the same company, is ALWAYS stressful even if just from the point of view of there being unfamiliar processes and people to get used to. A role that we feel we've been coerced into is even more stressful of course as we lose the control in the situation too - but sometimes it does turn out to be a better option than we feared. I'm also going to say that whilst being signed off can sometimes be much needed, it can also be a double edged sword as the stress around a job can be made worse by the simple thing of fearing returning to it. Try to listen to the logical and rational side of your head and put the emotional stuff to one side perhaps, and see where that leads you? Have a (((hug))) anyway.

Chicken stew....Mmmmmm - there's not much that smells better than that, is there!

Tea&Kittens

Thanks EH! I'm not going to jump anywhere overnight, I need to properly evaluate. There have been ongoing issues with work/health balance for some time. Driving 70 miles to the other site at least one a week is one of the parts I dread most.
Sometimes it's good just to feel that there is an option!
Chicken bones are simmering nicely into stock for the stew! The house does indeed smell lovely and comforting and welcoming!
At some point I shall use some of this time to do some tidying too