NST Awesome August

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful that the early morning downpour didn't last as long as the forecast suggested, for spending a few hours walking barefoot around the camp site (I did about 22000 steps today), for good coffee, for re-reading an Enola Holmes book, for being out in the fresh air for 15 hours per day.

Thrifty_Taylor

Sending hugs to those that need them.

Pottered about & got a few bits done after breakfast, ordered coal ready for winter (price has increased a lot since last winter!), then went to a friend's house for a catch up. I did more of my rug & she made paper for an art class she was teaching. Woman came to collect a FB sale, then I nipped next door with my neighbour's 70th birthday card & present. Another friend was there already. They'd opened a bottle of wine, so I was persuaded to have a glass. Also had a second, but refused a third, despite them trying to change my mind! Felt guilty that I'd not done much at home, so after washing the dishes, I went outside & did half an hour's weeding in the drizzly rain Washing nearly dried on the line too. Watched TV with DH & did more of my rug. Saddened to hear a woman I used to.share a house with, back in 1993, has passed away. Messaged her sister, who I used to work with.

Grateful for life, laughs with friends & quiet time in the rain

abundant1972

Good evening 🌕

Thanks again for all your lovely warm welcomes. Is nice to be back. I was all tucked up in bed and just realised I hadn't checked in today! Clearly not into the NST swing of things yet. 

Apple - I still do have nice smiles from Mum at times like I seem familiar. Sometimes it is like she is lost in a fog. Hopefully she is lost in nice thoughts somewhere. 

Toni's Friend - Fasten up bras at the front! Makes you wonder why they weren't invented like that to begin with haha. Fortunately I have no such worries, though tight briefs can play havoc at the gym haha 🙉

Beanie - I joined a group called Mentell which I would recommend to any guys struggling to talk openly about stuff. But thanks for the thought x

Today was my first day back at work after 2 weeks off and straight into new stress to add to the existing old stress. Management wanting more and more out of us. However - I am taking a step back - and I said, I will turn up - do my hours - and go home - on time. We already don't have enough time to do the work we have - so what you are asking is unrealistic and is going to fall flat. I am not working extra - and I am not making myself ill again. That's my workplace boundaries in place!!! I am going to try and not pour my energy into work and problems... because then it (negativity) becomes my focus. I am there 3 days a week and then I have my own life for 4 days. I am telling the Universe I am very open to a new avenue of work though star ✨

Had my first dietitian appointment looking at my eating patterns and relationship with food. All really interesting to hear a professionals view on dieting and how certain diets seem to make people predisposed to developing eating disorders. We talked a lot about body image and self acceptance - which ties in nicely with a lot of themes on the thread this month. Session 2 at the end of the month. 

Grandmanerd - I live in joggers and T-shirts these days and tend to stick to black as it isn't as revealing as other colours around the old waistline. Clearly not quite there with the body acceptance. That said - I said I gave thanks to my body tonight; I genuinely see it (when I am in my reflective aware state of mind) as a vehicle that I have chosen to inhabit this life time... and so I was saying I was grateful for it getting me to where I need to go, in relative comfort and enabling me to explore the world through my senses. I am going to write it down as it felt like an important reflection, and one I can practice daily. Loved the mini adventures suggestions. Made me realise how rigid I have become and stuck in my routines. 

Today = NSD number 1

Today I am grateful for:

1) My amazing body and everything it does for me
2) For friendly work colleagues that remind me I am cared for and loved
3) My little car - like a magic carpet - that takes me places

Have a lovely night folks x  

Swayingseaweed

Nsd no 2 yesterday. Did have to buy YD an electric toothbrush as the dentist says she's not cleaning them properly
but that came out off her PIP. Didnt get everything on my job list done as I sliced my hand open at the allotment. 
Grateful for
1) knowledge of first aid
2)YD agreeing to try and electric toothbrush(she's hypersensitive to things in her mouth) again.
3)starting counselling sessions
Seaweed x 

DrCarrie

There was a lot of awesomeness yesterday, but did have a spend. 

Grateful for my choir and going for drinks with them, belly roll laughter and a break in the rain. 

grandmanerd

I didn't check in yesterday evening either. I was fighting to keep my eyes open long before 8 pm, nearly came on just to say I was going to sleep and then turned the laptop off instead.

Grateful for a postcard from the Council to say we are getting the free skips next week (rubbish amnesty) so I can dispose of the old toilet seat, multiple old laptops (they just go on the shelf because I'm not allowed on the tip and I don't like putting them in the bin - I've been told it's okay if there are no other options) and whatever else I can gather before then (Monday and Thursday 10 am - 2 pm).

Lovely curry with most of a bag of frozen cauli (defrosted last week to make room for new stuff)

Receiving the paperwork following on from last week's phone call (I did the post, I'm trying to do clutter fairy's 5 minute maintenance tasks when and where I can (most of them take me longer than 5 minutes, they halt the flow of more things coming in whilst you are working on reducing what you already have). I know I'm 'trying to do' lots of things and I might not get them all done but some are partly established habits and some are ingrained (getting rubbish/ recycling out of the house) so not lots of new habits but building on what I have. 

grandmanerd

Thursday 3rd August 2023

Stay in the moment
The practice of staying present will heal you. Obsessing about how the future will turn out will create anxiety. Replaying broken scenarios from the past causes anger or sadness. Stay here, in this moment.
(s. mcnutt)

Six Ways to Set Realistic Goals When You are Chronically ill (mostly taken from the Health Sessions by Jennifer Mulder - bracketed bits from me)
We all know about SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant/ Realistic, Time-bound). however when chronic illness symptoms flare up, leaving you bed-bound, immobile or in need of rest, the best laid plans go out the window (I think this is what happened to me last month. I struggled to get things back on an even keel, clean clothes, clean pots, some clear spaces and then I could barely walk for a few days - fortnight and just watching everything slide away from me sent me into a depression spiral).

When chronic illness makes your daily life unpredictable, how can you set goals you can actually achieve?
Jennifer tried to do things differently
1    Pick a theme word for your year (month/ week/ different focus area on different days of the week). 
Instead of setting specific goals and getting frustrated when she failed to meet them, she switched her focus to 'how she wanted everything to feel'.

If you want to improve your health, then walking 10,000 steps (I wish), eating veggies at every meal and meditating each morning are SMART sub-goals. However if you're stuck in a dark room with a paralysing migraine (for me it would be only being able to hobble to the bathroom and back, holding onto walls, doors and furniture to manage that on really bad days), you won't be able to do those things. 

Shifting the goal to one of 'feeling comfortable in your own scheme' means that on sick days you could still work on body acceptance, do a relaxing body scan (CBT exercise I learned last year) or make a health boosting hot drink. 
These self-care activities will give immediate results and increase your motivation to continue with healthy habits.

So take a moment and vividly imagine how you want the next year or season to feel. Do you wish to feel more energetic or long for adventures? More serenity, balance and peace of mind? Experience more joy every day? When you pick a theme word your destination is still clear, but the path you take will vary with your fluctuating health.

2   Have a game plan and a back up plan Ditching SMART goals doesn't mean you don't have plans but they are fluid and can be adjusted as the situation changes. For the chronically ill, sticking to plans is not a matter of willpower alone.  Sleepless nights, sick kids, symptom flare ups and doctor visits can use up your available energy, so you need plan b. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

So  map out any obstacles and how to get round them
a)    Buffer time in your calendar to allow for sickness or rest days
b)    Divide your To Do list into high energy and low energy tasks, so you can still get some things done on 'bad days'
c)     Prepare by making meals to freeze for 'bad days' and plan easy activities to keep children occupied

Sometimes giving in to the need for rest is the most productive thing you can do and that's easier if you know it doesn't affect your overall plan.

3 Think Small Habits shape our lives because we do them regularly. When life gets in the way or we just don't feel like exercising/ having a salad/ meditating today our good intentions fall by the wayside. 

What could you do that helps you stick to the healthy habit that helps you achieve your goals, even on your worst days? 

Come up with the smallest possible habit, one that you can do even when you're sick, busy and overwhelmed. You might be able to walk one block, eat veggies for lunch or get outside every day on bad days. This is your baseline, the tiny habit that you do no matter what. (Jennifer recommends James Clear's Atomic Habits).

4   Never miss more than a day We all have days when we don't stick to our habits and plans but if pain, fatigue and brain fog mess up your plans too often, the good habit slips away. So never miss more than a day. If you miss a day, get back on track on the next day. This can be hard but stick to your smallest habit and your back up plan.

5   Focus on rhythms not schedules A strict schedule is not usually successful  for spoonies and you may feel lousy about not getting things done. If you struggle with inflexible plans, try creating a daily rhythm that works for you. eg You could go for a gentle walk in the morning but not at a specific time. Early if you feel you want to, later if there's something else that needs doing (or if you feel creaky and need more time for your body to get going). Do high focus work and physically demanding work (that would be walking down the yard or getting myself up or down stairs) when you have most energy.

By listening closely to what your mind and body need, you can get much more done than by using a rigid timetable.

6   Let go of the end result Goals are by nature future-oriented, often with a specific outcome in mind. However with chronic illness the journey matters as much as the destination.

You may dream of dancing again and showing off your moves on New Years Eve or your birthday. However if you were ill or injured on that day, would it cancel all the progress you've made? Learn to be satisfied with the work you have done even if it's less than someone else might do or what 'healthy you' would have done. Take pride in your achievements, in doing all that you can (without making yourself ill). The striving is almost equally as important as the result.

(I have another article on establishing routines rather than goal setting but I think this is enough for now)

Daily Reminders
1   Be really nice to yourself
2   Say 'yes' to meeting a need
3   Pay attention to how you talk to yourself
4   Take a really deep belly breath
5   Cheer yourself on
6   Be gentle with your feelings
7   Do one thing that makes you really happy
8   Express yourself in a 'positive' way
(mommywarrior blog)

Toni'sfriend

NSD No 2

Thank you for the suggestions, Grandmanerd. Lots to think about there although, in truth, I find it difficult to concentrate on the present. I'm always planning for the future but I do really need to let go of the past. There is nothing you can do to change it.

Well, I've had a lovely day. Some of you will remember that last month I had an afternoon of childminding/dog sitting. Today my neighbour gave us an lovely afternoon tea. Sandwiches, cream and jam scones, cream cakes, cakes, brownies, tea. It was such a lovely surprise and a really nice thing to do because looking after them for a few hours was no problem at all. In fact, it was a pleasure.

Cat sitting has been an experience. We couldn't get my neighbour's door to open (something wrong with the lock) but eventually my neighbour's son managed it so we now have a furry guest until Saturday. He was a bit unsettled at first but once he had a pad about and and bit of an explore he was fine. He's a bit of a wanderer and a hunter but he seems quite happy.

Abundant - I'm glad to see that you've adopted that mindset about work. When I worked, I did far more than I was paid for (working through breaks, bringing stuff home, etc) whilst other people who did much less got paid just the same and, in some cases, were clever enough to take the credit for things they hadn't done. 

So, a healthy dinner of haddock, potatoes, green veg and parsley sauce tonight.

Have a nice evening, everyone. xxxx

lcc86

Evening turtles

Woke up feeling a little better but the headache is a persistent little b**ger and doesn't quite want to leave! Also feeling unwell generally so have been able to book a GP appointment as I think I may have a stomach ulcer (or reflux, used to suffer with that a lot). We shall see.

Had to go on a work visit this morning but then worked from home this afternoon. I have a really important report that I'm working on and not much time to do it so I cracked on with that and logged off at 5.30. Hope to get more done tomorrow. 

NSD today and I also managed two short walks, about 20 minutes each. Hoping to get to the gym tomorrow morning but only if this damned headache disappears!

f0xh0les

Today I was kind, I have arranged to meet up with a friend next week, who is in a bit of a crisis, we will have lunch, it will be lovely, she will talk, I will listen.

DH has announced he has meetings on certain dates he has to attend. The holiday abroad is now out the window. The dates we can do are cost-prohibitive.  I am gutted, but they will be there next holidays, and I will have had a bit more time to save.

We got flooded today. The roof bedrooms got a slight drip.  My bedroom got flooded by the full gutter above it, and has somehow managed to come pouring in the top of the window (grrr!).  Luckily it only pelted down for 10 minutes.

The roof is back to being the main concern. Got on to the 2  builders who have had 28 days and have not managed to quote for the work, and asked for the quotes.  

If the quotes do not appear, they can at least give me the flippin plans back.   I am very unimpressed right now.

But at least I am now dry, as is the house.