The Moodscope Blog
18
October
Receiving/transmitting Thursday October 18, 2018
I have often thought how easy it would be to switch off from others needs at times.
I am a carer for my partner with middle stage Alzheimer's, a dad to a newly qualified teacher setting out in her career and I work part time, look after the family spaniel etc...
You get the drift...
Always aware of others needs and wants sometimes wears me down, I am human and get tired and irritable.
Part of my nature is to be in tune to those close by, to receive their mood and act appropriately around it.
If I could only transmit and switch off from receiving for a spell...
Or getting a balance between receiving and sending would surely be better?
Would that change me as a person?
Having empathy is to me a part of being human and looking after those in need close by is instinctual and so rewarding.
I go to work to switch off from my home work, then sometimes wake up in the night in a swirl of thoughts of things to do, what ifs etc... trying to manage all aspects of life, then in clear moments I realise that whatever happens in the future is mainly out of my control and I can only prepare as best as I can.
These five words mean so much:
One day at a time.
Now if I could transmit my brain activity into physical exercise I would surely be at my target weight too.
What do you wish for?
Have you prepared for life's inevitable outcomes?
Then all that can be done is to enjoy the moment and savour special time together.
Martin
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
17
October
Action Stations! Wednesday October 17, 2018
Yes, I do love my system.
I love my system of scrappy bits of paper and a box to put them in. I know that nothing will get forgotten because it's corralled in the box. Everything is written down.
I love my two-box system – one is today/this week, and one is longer term projects.
But...
Yes, there is a huge BUT.
There is still the problem that there is too much to do. Both boxes are overflowing, and I feel I am drowning in paperwork again. I just can't do it all. I feel overwhelmed and panicky.
So, yesterday, I emptied both boxes out onto the table and went through those scrappy bits of paper and made a list.
In some ways that list was even more daunting, as it covered two and a half sides of my A4 lined paper. It did mean however, that I could start going through those tasks with my coloured pens.
Some of those tasks are urgent and important: writing this blog, for instance. Some are important and fairly urgent, like getting a couple of tax returns in by the end of the month. Some are important because they contribute to my business goals: tasks like going through all the bounced emails from my newsletter and following those up.
And some of them... Well, as my husband would say, "Who will die if you don't do that?"
Sometimes we make work for ourselves. My daughter has an old tablet she no longer uses because it stopped working for her. On my list of things to do is to charge it up and perform a factory reset. But – she got a new phone for her birthday: she uses that phone for everything now. The tablet could sit in my in-tray for ever more and nobody in this family would miss it.
So, I've created another box. A box I've called, imaginatively, "My-can't-face-throwing-it-out-yet-but-it-can-wait-for-three-months" box.
That box has gone under my desk. Right at the back. And I've made a note in my diary to get it out again in three months. It's sealed up at present. And in three months it may well just go in the bin.
It might not, of course. In three months, January 16th, I might have time to reset that Kindle Fire and to watch that free DVD on selling techniques for small businesses. I might. Perhaps.
In the meantime – I looked at those items on my list marked in orange and red and started on them. I've written this blog now: that's one thing I can cross off the list. Even crossing off just one thing feels good.
Writing things down somehow imprisons the fear into those words. The list itself is long, but each task is manageable – even if it's not doable today.
Next is that tax return for my mother. It's a big job and I need to allocate time for it, but I can do it next week. On Tuesday.
Phew! I feel a lot better now.
Mary
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below
16
October
Keys to the Kingdom... of Kindness Tuesday October 16, 2018
Liz's recent post about being kind to oneself and Mirjam's on aiming to increase the "pride" card, made me think...
When I first took on a new position as the nurse in an out-patient clinic, I was given a set of keys on a key chain. At the end of my first day, I accidentally took it home. They were keys for a linen cupboard, blanket warmer, and a row of wheelchairs and would be needed in the morning. It was evening and I was tired, but I had to drive back to the hospital to return them. But I wasn't alone: a voice accompanied me the whole way: "You are so careless... how could you be so forgetful?" and so on - you get the idea - all the way there and back home.
Unbelievably, a month or two later - oops, I did it again. (Thank you, Britney Spears.) After work, I swung my knapsack onto the kitchen counter and heard the little tinkle of metal keys. In my hurry to leave at the end of my shift, I hadn't taken the time to put them in their place. Once again, late at night, I had to drive back to the hospital to return the keys, these for lockers where our patients put their belongings during treatments. They wouldn't be able to get their clothes, which would surely add to their stress, plus the nurses would grumble about the inconvenience I'd caused. Embarrassed, I snuck in, returned the keys, and slunk back out.
Perhaps you won't be surprised to learn that recently, even after more than a year at this job, I did it again. What is it about keys? I know I'm capable and responsible: I've been a safe nurse for 36 years. (I am proud of that.) But about relatively trivial things, my mind drifts away, gets loose and sloppy. Alert and "on" and then I shift into dream mode, and go "off."
But I also know is that my ingrained, always-at-the ready negative self-talk makes any problem worse. When I'm anxious, I get distracted or preoccupied with worries. When I'm depressed, I don't have the energy to be organized or attend to small details.
So I decided a new decision. I can't always avoid making little mistakes, but one thing I can change is the way I treat myself when I slip-up. I'll try to stop the negative self-talk and find something to be proud of in these situation. Thank you Liz, and Mirjam.
Maybe those darn keys can unlock a new path toward letting go of self-recrimination. One day, keys for opening locks will probably be obsolete, but there will undoubtedly be new opportunities to lose or misplace things. My plan is to remind myself that I have a choice to put the key in whichever door I choose. The portal to self-recrimination or the one to self-love. The first has been my go-to, familiar, default stance for many years. The second is exciting and new, but I think, with practice, I can learn it.
Nurse Tilda
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below
15
October
The Journey of 1000 Bridges Monday October 15, 2018
There's nothing I like more than mixing metaphors and conjuring with clichés! Clichés, whilst often over-used (hence 'Cliché'), all contain a nugget of what I'd call, "Folk Wisdom."
Today, I'd love to play with two very well know clichés. Firstly, "The Journey of one thousand miles starts with a single step," and, secondly, "Let's cross that bridge when we get to it."
I've looked into my imagined future. All I see are a thousand bridges to cross to get me anywhere close to back to 'normal'. It's an impossible journey, but I'm of a mind to make it an incredible journey... with apologies to Disney fans who may remember that series.
I'm not alone. So many amazing people have trod a difficult path, have crossed a thousand bridges – one at a time – and have taken those steps that led to something 'better' or 'brighter' or 'bigger' or just simply 'happier'. Oh, and they've faced bigger challenges than I have before me.
The key seems to be in the strategy that empowers their mindset. The strategy is in the blend of our two clichés.
Firstly, it's got to be one step at a time. Have you ever tried to step too far? Perhaps you've had one foot on a boat that's gently moving away from its moorings, and one step on the shore. There may be trouble ahead! Nope, the best strategy is to take tiny steps while they remain tiny!
Secondly, it is only physically possible to cross each bridge as we come to it. Honestly, I find it almost impossible not to think about all those other bridges and the vast distance that needs to be covered or the ground that needs to be recovered BUT I know that I know that I know that I can only cross one bridge at a time.
One bridge, one step. It's the power of one.
Here are my two questions for all of us: "What's your next step?" (And you're only allowed one!) Plus, "What's your next bridge?" (Yes, you guessed it, you're only allowed one.)
Let's take on the challenges just one at a time – anything else is impossible.
Be bold and courageous – but just one at a time.
"The Journey of 1000 bridges starts with a single bridge!"
Lex
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
14
October
And without a care in the world Sunday October 14, 2018
And without a care in the world, there you stood. In the middle of a busy road. In rush hour traffic. Too-fast cars, believing that the see saw of an impatient accelerator/brake is going to move them quicker than the line of metal in front, speeding then shuffling by you with barely a glance.
You held your own, you had the protection of a tiny traffic island. And a pair of summer shorts and a t-shirt. It was a cool Autumnal morning. Not quite able to see breath in air but still crisp enough to require socks and the heady possibility of a scarf with jacket. You stood tall and carefree on your island and threw your head up to the sky and sun.
I realised what you were doing. The sky could not have been more blue. The sun could not have been more resplendent. The trees on your right were flirting with both, like peacocks flashing their finery in time to a beat. And you had decided to plant yourself in the middle of rush hour, in a fairly dangerous place, dressed in very little, to stop, pause, and take a photograph of sky, sun and tree. I decided immediately you are wise fellow indeed.
As I headed onward it gave me a great pile of thoughts to accompany me on my journey. Would you send the photo onward? Would it hit your online social pages? Would it become the lock screen on your phone, popping up in front of your face countless times over the coming days? Would it be shown to someone unable to get out, to give them a taste of the season? Would it ever, maybe, be printed and placed inside an album?
I'll never know the answers. But I know this... your soul sang because of that sky, that sun and that tree and it made my soul sing to witness it.
Take that depression. I have tools you have never even dreamt of.
Love from
The room above the garage
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
13
October
The sun will shine again Saturday October 13, 2018
I received some news today that touched me deeply. It shouldn't have. Or perhaps it should. The fact is: it did.
I don't have anyone to share it with who would understand. Really understand. So I feel alone in my grief: isolated and lonely.
I think about a hug from my husband or a friend; one to take the pain away. But it never does. Friends support, listen, understand and comfort; and they are hugely valuable for that. But the pain remains mine to endure, to accept and to move on from.
So I turn to you my Moodscope comrades to share how much it hurts, how cruel life can be sometimes and how useless I feel to help.
But I do know this: the feelings will eventually pass. Pain and sadness are part of life. But we will heal, we will recover and the sun will shine again.
With love
Shizzle
A Moodscope member
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
12
October
Feel the Force Friday October 12, 2018
I hadn't seen my therapist for two months. She texted me to enquire if I would like my slot again. My every-two-weeks-but-not-in-the-summer Wednesday morning slot. Every September for the last nine years when that text came, I sighed happily and texted straight back 'yes please'. But this time, my first thought was... 'Is it time to say goodbye to my therapist...?'
Of course, two seconds later, my brain went into a spasm of panic. I need her. I admire her. I want to be her when I grow up! She challenges me. She listens to me. She understands me.
What if my ex-husband scares me again? What if my anxiety reaches a peak again? What if my kids/ my mother/ my friend/ my job/ my poor racy head pull me apart with self-doubt again? How would I cope?
I need my therapist.
I don't buy fancy clothes. I rarely drink. I don't smoke. This is how I choose to spend my 'me' money. I allow my brain to breathe, my eyes to cry, my tongue to rant. I allow myself be a cursing, resentful fool but also be a witty, clever story-teller. But yet, it's not pretend. In that room, it's me. The real me. I'm not pandering to anyone. I like the me I am with my therapist.
I have never said those words before. I am going to say them again! I like the me who is in that room with my therapist. And I sense that my therapist likes me too. She doesn't judge me. I love my kids and my friends and my family. But they all judge. For goodness sake, I judge myself - why wouldn't they?
My therapist once said: 'You are a force to be reckoned with and I want you to know that, to feel that...'
Wow!
Me? A force? I carried those words around for weeks. Dark weeks. You know what I mean. And when the darkness turned darker, I reminded myself 'I am a force' and my shoulders straightened and my head tilted higher and I put on my funky shoes and my berry lipstick and I faked the force until I felt the Force. (Yes, I am a Star Wars fan!).
I went to my therapist last week and she asked how I felt when I got her text. I told her the truth. I want to stay in this safe yet challenging space forever but I wonder am I... ready to leave? By asking the question, it certainly suggests I am ready to discuss it.
So, we are not going to rush into anything. It's been nine years. We are going to take it slowly. She said she needed time to say goodbye to me too which I take as a compliment.
I think this will be the only amicable break-up I have had in my life...
Salt Water Mum
A Moodscope member
11
October
Watershed Thursday October 11, 2018
My husband loved photography, and we both loved to travel. This amazing sculpture is made of metal, in Lyon,France. (We liked it more than Paris). I've always been a people watcher, and since his death reminiscence really is the name of the game.
My neighbour is 92, very elegant, very polite, but I've never seen a sign of emotion. Then at Mr G's funeral on Saturday, as people filed past the coffin, she fell round my neck sobbing. It shook me, so I spent two hours with her this afternoon; she has spent more time in the last 20 years talking to me than with her husband, one son and two daughters.
Her husband was not very lovable, and the children paid rare duty visits, and never stayed in the house. He would not let her touch finance at all, and he would not touch a computer. Neither of the daughters can do the paper work, so the son has to do everything. I think the sobbing in church was seeing me surrounded by family, French and English friends, and my family taking part in the service.
This led me to thinking of our married friends. Some are very happily married, but take separate holidays in complete agreement, as their tastes differ. Then, among my 'sample' the holiday is dictated by the wishes of one partner. One of our most selfish friends (and I am not alone in this opinion) was mad on diving. The best diving is in fairly remote places – major resorts do not usually have good diving. His wife, who is subservient (and suffers frequent depression), loves resorts, pretty clothes, dancing. I gather that deep sea diving is exhausting, so even if there was any night life, he would have been too tired.
The 'Watershed' title presumes that you are married, for better or worse (or in a long-term successful partnership). Then comes death, you are free to do things you would never do with your O/H. Conversely you loved the same things, and, suddenly, you are bereft.
My eldest son's father-in-law was a very friendly man, but such odd ways. He hated travel, and would not go in an aeroplane. He ate no fruit or vegetables; in the May of the year he died he started to be very ill, but refused to see a doctor. By December he was taken into hospital, acute colon cancer. They operated, but he died of a heart attack shortly after. His wife was very sad, but within six months she had realised a dream, and gone to China.
I could cite several couples where one or the other hated travelling. We would say 'Well, come out with a son or daughter, why miss out?' But they were too loyal. When death, or care home, arrives, by the time they have their 'freedom' (by default, not wished for) they are too old, too ill, no money, or scared of travelling. The 'watershed' from being married to being widowed is far greater than the grief.
The Gardener
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below
10
October
No Judgement Wednesday October 10, 2018
If you're reading this, then you've probably been there. Maybe you are there today. You feel terrible. As you think about doing the Moodscope test, your heart sinks further. How active are you? Zero: you can barely make it out of bed. How enthusiastic are you? Well, huh, is there a minus score anywhere on those cards?
Nope. Not doing that test. Not today.
I understand. And I sympathise. Because that's where I am today. I know my score will be down. Not right down – the medication keeps me stable – but not normal. I know when I do the test and that score goes out to my buddies, I will get a couple of anxious emails. I don't want to know how bad I feel. It's just like not wanting to go to my slimming class when I've been stuffing my face with chocolate and with toast spread with peanut butter and marmalade - my go-to when I'm feeling down. Guess what I've been eating over the last few days! No – I don't want to do that test.
So, here's my reasons for taking a deep breath and doing the test anyway.
1) The process of analysing how I feel about each score card gives me more information. I can start to address those issues which score low. I can feel better about the cards which have more healthy numbers. Rather than experiencing a general malaise, I have some areas on which I can act. The Shame card is high. Oops. Because I drank wine last night. I know alcohol is not good for me. I know that, once started, I can't control it. Two glasses last night could mean three or four tonight. Well, I can pour the rest of the bottle down the sink. The Active card is low. Well, duh, of course it is. Wine, plus late night, plus a business event which took a lot of energy. I won't beat myself up about not swimming this morning: I'll plan an early night tonight.
2) Looking at the low score gives me permission to be gentle with myself. Yes, some of the scores were self-inflicted: that doesn't matter. I still have commitments to fulfil today, but I won't ask more of myself than that.
3) If I do the test today, then that means I have a more complete record of my moods. If I only do it when I feel good, then I am like the sundial: "Telling of only sunny hours". If you want to know the time, a sundial is not the most accurate measure. A full and accurate (and annotated) record of my moods is of far more use when I go to my GP. She needs to know about the downs as well as the ups.
So, I did my test. It was low. I decided to make no judgement about it. Two buddies emailed to say, "Be gentle with yourself."
It was okay. Nobody died. Tomorrow is another day.
Mary
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
9
October
Fear of swooping Tuesday October 9, 2018
Nearly every day I go for a walk in the bush/countryside across the road from my home and shop.
It relaxes me and I enjoy looking at trees and hearing the birds chatter in the trees.
Last week I was swooped on by a bird. While it did not touch me it did come very close, then a minute later it came back again. Now in my country we are aware in spring of Magpies, a black and white bird that wants to protect its young by attacking people who walk near its nest. There are websites and radio programs about how to avoid being swooped on. I have never been swooped on in the last 12 years so this was totally unexpected and quite frightening.
I am not someone who is afraid of creatures, I don't mind snakes, spiders or even sharks. Ok, I don't see many sharks on my walk!
I blame Alfred Hitchcock for making me scared of swooping birds in his movie Birds.
For a few days I just avoided the place where the bird was. Then I thought, this is silly, so I started walking past where I saw the bird, but my fear levels would not let me go any further - I went an alternate way.
I could not believe I was afraid of a bird that none of the people living in its path had any trouble with. Many years ago I was attacked by a Magpie and had to have a few stitches in my head. People told me they must like my hair for their nests! I thought having hair that nine out of ten Magpies like, is no consolation for a bloody head.
I finally, after a week, went on my regular walk and had no problem.
I started thinking about fear of animals and where that starts from and how it can affect our lives.
Are you afraid of any animal (not a human!)?
How has it affected you every day life?
If you have managed to overcome you fear, how did this happen?
Mango
A Moodscope member
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
8
October
I'm Possible, Impossible, We're Possible Monday October 8, 2018
How good it feels to be grateful for practical friends. I am 'lucky' enough to have many people who continue to be supportive in the bad as well as in the good times. They are not just fair-weather friends but those types of friends who stick closer than a brother or sister.
Over the positive years, I was one of those trainers who dished out platitudes without proper sensitivity towards other people's pain. Now that I have experienced more of the difficult side of life, I'm in a better position to realise trite words are sometimes unhelpful.
One such platitude is changing the word "Impossible," into the two words, "I'm possible," transforming the meaning though the insertion of a gap and an apostrophe. It's very clever, and I think it even inspired me the first time I saw it. It represents a breakthrough to action – moving from the seemingly impossible to the personal responsibility that says, "Hey, I can do something at least!" Why would I then accuse this of being a platitude?
I accuse it in those situations where it doesn't work. I've been faced with what seems like impossible messes to sort out (they aren't but they seem that way). Jumping to the "I'm possible," frame really hasn't worked for me in this situation. In fact, over time, I've moved from, "I'm possible," to "Impossible"!
Yesterday, however, I came to an awareness of a third option – one that I'd been in receipt of all the time but hadn't recognised the full power of it. It is, "We're possible."
I've got a "Pete" in my life. A really practical, no-nonsense guy. Pete gets stuff done. He came to help me with some of my mess. My point is that there was no way I could do some of the things we achieved on my own. It was genuinely impossible. No amount of psychological mind games of seeing myself as "I'm possible," would have changed it either. No, it was impossible until I got help. I got help, and the impossible became possible.
The messes remain, but some of them were sorted, and I realised like never before that we are not supposed to do everything in a self-sufficient way. "We're possible," is better than "I'm possible," any day.
Today, then, I'm going to suggest we share and celebrate those people in our lives who move us from, "Impossible," to, "We're possible." My thanks go to Pete for starters!
Lex
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
7
October
A Way To Freedom Sunday October 7, 2018
Sharing our past stories with each other helps us to be reconciled to difficult events in our lives. Having once made sense of these we can attain a level of freedom to live in the now.
This idea was inspired by Richard Wagamese [14 October 1955-10 March 2017] who was an Ojibwa Indian from Canada. This also encapsulates for me what happens on the Moodscope blogs and comments that we share with one another. Sharing my difficult experiences and emotions has helped me a great deal especially as I have been frequently supported by fellow Moodscope members.
I have frequently yearned for the inner freedom to be. Life can be very difficult and demanding sometimes. Writing about them on Moodscope or sharing other members' experiences by comments can be a liberating experience. There isn't a need to continue to be uptight or wound up about challenging or unpleasant experiences. As we share freely and receive the support we need we are empowered to grow and live.
Another thing that promotes my freedom is being forgiven. At the end of last week, I saw someone who I may have hurt dreadfully in Mid-May. I apologised for being so crass and asked for the person's forgiveness. Her response was that she didn't remember the episode and to forget about it. I felt as though a huge boulder had rolled off my shoulders and a huge sense of relief came over me. Having been forgiven I also should forgive someone who has offended me. But I find it very difficult to forgive someone who has hurt one of my children. It takes a long time for me to accept my need to let the issue drop. Has anyone else had this experience.
I think of Moodscope as a hub to which I come daily to be nourished, stimulated, encouraged and re-invigorated. I joined just under four years ago to see what it was like so that I could recommend this site to others. I have found it to be extremely beneficial. Thank you Moodscope for being there for me, for your encouragement and thought-provoking blogs and comments.
Orangeblossom
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
6
October
The boxing ring Saturday October 6, 2018
I drank to keep myself company when my partner was continually travelling and absent, in body and soul.
I drank to give me something to lean on during the 4-8pm intense hours of babies.
I drank to forget a pivotal life change.
I drank to provide the cocoon of a hug.
I drank to fill cracks and I hoped the liquid would set and smooth a surface.
I drank and he was still gone.
I drank and 4-8pm still took endurance.
I drank and the memory became stronger.
I drank and the hugger was busy searching for her own.
I drank and the liquid did not set. The cracks remained.
And so I tried without drinking.
Habits take time. Clarity began.
Everything hurt much more.
But now I had a chance to find the plaster box and begin to mend.
Love from
The room above the garage
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
5
October
"Have I finished with you, have I got Amy instead?" Friday October 5, 2018
This was our son speaking, who has severe autism and complex learning difficulties, a little while after he had moved into a residential care home from his home in the family for 19 years. We as a family were at the end of our tether, bless him, and strongly felt we could no longer meet his needs, which were extensive. Today he receives 1:1 sometimes 2:1 care,as he is ambulant, super-fast, exceedingly tall, and very strong. But a tiny child in his brain and bodily functions,alas! Very lovable for all this, needless to say, and so, it was the end of the road for us as a family as far as managing him at home was concerned. With deep regret, but totally united the three of us (we have an adult daughter) that this provision would provide the best answer for the four of us.
And it has. But "finished with you", a direct, almost cutting remark. Such as you might use for an object ("Have you finished with the newspaper?"), or a comfortable armchair. But I was non-plussed. Instead, I saw the question as affirming that he saw the transition from home to care home in those terms. Amy (see the first line) was a marvellous, gifted, intuitive support worker in the care team, who was in post for 13 years, and we thank our lucky stars she happened to apply for the job when she did, straight out of college! She was the same age as our son! And the care provision exceeded our wildest dreams, in that it provided both a safe haven and a place where our dear son was respected and valued for the adorable being he undoubtedly is, with the happy smile which, when he uses it, could melt the ice on a snow- covered mountain!
But... people as objects, albeit cosy, comfy ones? Well, maybe not. Maybe our son had used the language skills he had at his disposal and the sentence came out sounding strange, unfeeling. After all, I had been his Mum for 19 years, and had put many things on hold during that time, including my own career! (And would do it all again, no regrets there). As the weeks and months passed though, I began to see people in a different light. My son's words kept coming back to me, and became somewhat of a jokey expression, a form of shorthand in our immediate family! I did a sideways shift with this comment of his, "finished with you" and thought a lot more about people and their "uses" . I had perhaps expected too much understanding from family and friends about our home situation. They were never to know a lot of it anyway, how could they? Everyone leads a tramline existence, of some sort, and is ploughing their own furrow. Excuse the mixed metaphors!
I have come to an acceptance I think of the limitations we all have, especially my own. Thanks to our son, and his comment. Life is sweeter, and we'll go up to the care home today and fetch him out for a few hours. With any luck, he'll be wearing his huge, heart -warming smile, and even if he never speaks a word the whole time, it'll have been good to see him and be in his company. He gives what he can. As do we all I think.
Sally
A Moodscope member
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
4
October
The inside of my head Thursday October 4, 2018
One of the things that's hard about any mental ill-health is trying to explain it to other people. Depression isn't just 'feeling a bit sad'. Anxiety isn't just 'being worried about things'. PTSD certainly isn't just 'being stressed'. And so on.
I recently read a Christian book about depression [When Darkness Seems My Closest Friend, by Mark Meynell] which used several metaphors that I found extremely helpful for describing experiences I've had, and helping me to understand more about other people's experiences: the cave, the blizzard, the invisibility cloak and so on. Mark is wonderful at finding words that help us to articulate the insides of our heads.
I love words, but I love pictures even more. So I've started to try to draw the inside of my head. After a couple of particularly bad days, I sat down at my desk and came up with the drawing above.
The books on the left represent my brain when it's working normally. All those every day things like 'How to Get Up', 'Leaving the House', 'Making Small Talk', and 'Friends' are easily accessible. And because I can access those thoughts and feelings and all that information and experience, I can act on them. Sometimes even without consciously thinking about it.
But when I'm depressed, my brain is like the picture on the right. The information is still there but it's whirling so fast, I can't read any of it. I can't grab hold of a single thought long enough to complete it. It's not that I've stopped processing, or that I'm processing slowly. I'm not thinking about nothing, I'm thinking about EVERYTHING. And it's utterly paralysing.
I loved drawing this. I loved the process of thinking about how to show what it feels like to be me and the contrast between my normal-functioning and non-functioning brain activity. I loved lining up the books and giving them titles of all the things that I can do straightforwardly on a good day. I loved creating the mess and movement which represent my brain on a bad day.
I also loved sharing this. I put it on Twitter and Facebook and was thrilled when other people said that this was their experience too, and when people commented that it helped them understand a bit more about depression.
So I'm planning to draw a few more pictures of the inside of my head. It seems to help me to process what's happening to me, and if it helps other people articulate more of what's happening to them, I'm delighted.
Have you ever tried to draw the inside of your head? What images would you use? What colours and shapes? Why not give it a go? You don't have to show your drawings to anyone if you don't want to, but you might just find you do!
Ros
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
3
October
Are you a Star? Wednesday October 3, 2018
When you were at school, did you ever get a shiny gold star for a good piece of work?
I was at my company conference this weekend. It was an amazing two days – it always is – and my head is overflowing with the different training we had, the ideas we came up with in brain-storming sessions, the way the company is moving forward...
But then came the awards. Consultant after consultant came up to receive their star awards, not me. Three of the top performing consultants are in my team – but I am not even in the top half of the company, let alone the top ten. I have been doing my job for seventeen years now, and I am still struggling. I feel so ashamed. There is no shiny star for me.
And then I took a step back and thought about it. Given my health issues over the last seventeen years, would it be reasonable for me to be in the top ten? Would it even be reasonable for me to be in the top half? When I look at the challenges my family has faced in the past couple of years, we are fortunate to be here and together as a family. I should thank our lucky stars for that!
Would I dismiss the child with learning disabilities because he never gets a gold star in his book? I would rather be pleased he wrote anything in his book. Would I criticize the person with a leg in plaster if she wasn't placed in the race? No! I would cheer her on for even entering. And if this race were a marathon, which any business should be, then I would cheer even more if she stuck to it, mile after mile, after mile.
I am fortunate to do a job I love; a job which contributes to the world. I have often thought about giving up; but, when I do, I invariably meet someone who says, "I want to thank you – you have transformed my life!" I may not make as much money as when I was an accountant, but – as an accountant – I never changed anyone's life.
So yes, I would love to go up to the front at the conference and get my shiny star. I would love to be applauded and recognised. But I do get individual recognition from the people I have helped with words (I'm red hot on the 60 second presentation) and whom I have encouraged in the past. I do contribute to the company, even if I am not the top performer in terms of the numbers.
So, I don't have that shiny star by my name on our company website. I don't have the glittering glass and brass award on my studio table. But I am a star.
You are a star too. Stop judging yourself by the wrong standards. Look at what you do give, not what you can't. You are a star!
Mary
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
2
October
The Healing Power of Pets Tuesday October 2, 2018
It's a year since we got our 8-week old Labrador puppy, Oscar. During that time he's morphed from a cuddle of cuteness into a much-loved member of the family. Having Oscar wasn't a decision I took lightly and I waited a long time, firstly, to find the right dog and secondly, for the children to be grown-up enough to help look after him.
We're a single-parent family and I was acutely aware (also because people kept telling me) that he would be a tie and a lot of work and I must be made mad to contemplate adding more stress to my life. I may have been mad and he is all those things, but on balance, having him in our lives this past year has been a positive thing, helping all of us deal with the ups and downs of life.
Having a dog gets you out the house and interacting with others. Oscar needs walking every day, twice a day, and we get to walk through such gorgeous spaces that I wouldn't otherwise visit. I've really noticed how the seasons change and I'm much fitter. Some days I don't want to go, but it gets me out of my head and you get to meet and walk with a whole community you never really noticed before – other dog lovers.
A dog can be a real mood enhancer. Oscar's happiness is infectious - he wags his whole body in excitement when he greets you so you can't help but smile however crappy you're feeling. As a mother of teens, lovely though they are, it's great to have someone whose needs are so simple and who is always pleased to see me. You can also learn a lot from him about being in the moment; as long as his belly is full and he's had his walk and a bit of petting, he's happy to just be.
I got the dog for the children too, because they need that unconditional affection as much as I do. They absolutely adore him and although they grumble, also walk and feed him. They like snuggling up with him on the sofa. Sometimes we go out, the four of us, playing hide and seek in the local park – Oscar helps keep us bonded.
There's only one of us who can't stand him and that's George, the cat, but even he is getting better. He's gone from refusing to being on the same floor of the house to sharing a double bed, although if Oscar gets too close, he does get swatted. George is very much the alpha in that relationship.
There are downsides, such as animal hair all over the house and Oscar is a real scavenger, while George does occasionally poo where he shouldn't, but whether it's stroking George or racing Oscar round the park, having them has greatly improved our home life and helps us celebrate the little things.
Do you have a pet? What does he or she bring to your life?
A View From The Far Side
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
1
October
I am going outside for a while Monday October 1, 2018
I have in mind nothing as noble as the famous sacrifice by Captain Lawrence Oates, who said, "I am just going outside and may be some time..." a man who gave his life for his comrades. No, I'm thinking of a different kind of survival.
Today's blog is for those of us who are more introverted – though my hope is that my extraverted Moodscope friends will also find value in it. As an extreme introvert, I am used to getting my 'energy' from inside. 'Inner strength' is something introverts understand well. Quiet, seclusion, ideally silent space, all these have previously worked well for me when I needed to recharge and replenish... when I needed to pause for thought.
But what happens when our internal world decays into chaos, noise, and, frankly, torment? What happens when our inner sanctuary becomes a place of mental torture one needs to escape from? What happens when our thoughts become enemies that steal energy and not friends that bring us strength and hope? In short, we need to go outside for a while.
During these difficult seasons, I have found comfort, release, and escape in movement. A walk through the local vineyard, a car journey through the countryside, a mowing of the lawn – all these have helped.
In a 'stuck' state, I've found the worst thing I can do is to stay still – to stay stuck physically. To move forward, I need to move forward. I also need to make sure my senses are turned outwards and not inwards. The Autumn hedgerows are a powerful tonic for my external senses. Blackberries and hazel nuts, chattering sparrows, and playful flocks of long-tailed tits – these can wrench me out of the hands of my tormentors and bring a few moments of peace. The mists, the fog, the moon... all have offered fresh friendship. The fruit on the vine has given me an image of hope.
If you are currently disturbed, upset, tormented, or even tortured by your inner dialogue, escape with me outside for a while. Deliberately turn your attention to the world outside, in the here and now, and notice what you see, what you hear, what you can physically feel, and even what you may be able to smell or taste. I've just mown the grass before writing this, and the scent coming through the open door is a rescue remedy like no other!
Lex
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
30
September
Smile, you're the best you've ever been... Sunday September 30, 2018
Today I looked at myself with a new set of eyes... well not new exactly, they're the ones I was born with but I saw something different through them today.
The extra pounds creeping on over the years haven't gone unnoticed, the wrinkles forming, the achey bits that didn't used to ache and I've bemoaned the fact that "I'm not what I used to be" more than once but then I saw it...
I am wonderful, there I said it. Not wonderful in a conceited way but because I've overcome so much; a breakdown and learning to live with all that brings, a stroke and consequent physical reminders that crop up when I'm overdoing it! I've lived with [often] crippling asthma, had to undergo regular steroid courses including one continual two year course resulting in 4 stone weight gain and bloating so I could hardly see though my eyes, I've been a long term carer for my 2 wonderful parents and then worked through surviving a broken heart after losing them both within 7 short months of each other, and undergone surgical procedures. I've held down more jobs at once than I care to count, looked after my animal family throughout and all whilst trying to be a good friend, wife and person (whatever 'good' means)
It's true I'm heavier than I should be, slower than I'd like to be and not as pleasing on the eye as I used to be but I've overcome so much I am at last proud of who I've become. The changes are just my little battle scars; my body's way of reminding me just how far I've come. The emotional blips I have to deal with are only like the scars of my physical body, but I have at long last accepted that I do need to be kinder to myself emotionally in the same way I would wear a bandage for a sprained knee or splints for my carpal tunnel. It's no different and I'm no longer ashamed of the fact that there are times I find things emotionally difficult. I now own my emotional wellbeing equally alongside my physical wellbeing.
In the past I'd be happy for people to see my broken leg and yet ashamed of the fact that some days I'd cry for most of it; often without even knowing why – but not having to know why is also part of the acceptance; if I need time out I no longer require a reason from myself.
The saying goes: "If ifs and buts were chocolate and nuts – every day would be Christmas."
Well I just made myself giggle by making this one up "If shoulds and coulds were flowers and buds – everyone's life would be a garden."
So take care of yourself - inside and out, and remember – you're the best you've ever been... because it's life's experiences that have made you the wonderful person you are today x
Rosemary
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
29
September
Holding open the door. Saturday September 29, 2018
Why is it always me who seems to be caught when a flurry of people appear just as I am going through a door, just stood there holding it open politely, yet the rushing crowd pushes through without a glance, without a word.
I am standing there wondering why I bother. Heading on out through the big building I am in I seem to be a magnet when I reach any door suddenly from nowhere people appear, all focused on the exit out, no time to say 'Oh thanks' 'That's kind,' I am intensely annoyed.
Is it me?
Has everyone forgotten the basics of courtesy, I am invisible to them a figure serving a purpose and when that is done a nobody. Forgotten in an instant.
At the next door I decide to join the busy people and surge through in the midst of them.
Caught up in the swarm of feet streaking forward no time to talk, shoulders braced, eyes forward, stepping quickly past the young man stood there smiling holding open the next door, he has manners I think, he has been brought up 'properly' as my mother would have said.
I find myself thrust out onto the pavement in a crazy whirl of squishing and squashing, perfume and sweat dispersing into the air as each person dashes off in different directions, separated by intent purpose to their next destination. I notice the flowers growing in the carefully positioned hanging baskets, lining the hectic streets.
Life seems very forced.
A horn blows loudly, a bird screeches, looking up I notice a pure white cloud drifting by in the bright blue sky. I breathe in and close my eyes.
Walking along the pavement I feel the warmth of the summer breeze on my face, hear above the constant din of the traffic a child's laughter, see a bright red balloon bobbing along in their little hand through the crowds.
These small things ground me, make me myself again.
I live in this artificial world but am grateful for the small things that can make me smile.
I see a woman with a heavy shopping bag struggling to open the door to a café where all she wants is a sit down and a brief moment of calm before starting off once more to her chores.
'Here let me help you' I smile, happy again to hold the door open for her. I am myself again.
Audrey
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
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Blog Archive
- 2018
- December
- Three Gifts
- The paradox of showing vulnerability...
- How do you keep going?
- 'My dream man'
- If? What would Kipling write now?
- When You Don't Get What You Want.
- Something's changed
- 12 Aspects of Gratitude
- Engaging with our senses
- Three little words
- The Comfort of the Familiar
- Choices
- Just The Way You Are
- Changes
- More Motivation
- Onwards soldiers! Left. Right. Left. Rig...
- November
- Sticks and Stones
- Two Devils
- "Moving forward with you no longer in my...
- Madison's Story
- I know where I am going. (No I don't.)
- Simple idea produces a simple blog
- Walking - the new meditation
- Irrational Fears
- How do you push yourself – in a good way...
- I am not your stress ball.
- Anger
- Role-ing with the punches
- I Know You Don't Know But...
- A.D.H.D.
- Calming oneself.
- The Middle Way
- Staying present
- Grief, misery, overwhelm and depression....
- Whistle while you work
- Mind The Gap
- The power of touch
- Emotional Blueprints and Home Improvemen...
- Project ME
- By any other name
- No Man is an Island
- Melancholy Lane - No Through Road
- October
- Just a moment
- Man-child
- Act Your Age
- Why isn't mental health taken more serio...
- Beautiful Scars
- This is my Graph.
- My perfect (2nd) cousin
- Drink Me!
- Thumbs up!
- Can you say goodbye to being ashamed?
- I am an addict...
- This old house
- Sometimes, things take longer.
- It's like riding a bike... How to manage...
- First and Last
- Angelica Waits
- Aftermath
- SF Botanical Garden
- Receiving/transmitting
- Action Stations!
- Keys to the Kingdom... of Kindness
- The Journey of 1000 Bridges
- And without a care in the world
- The sun will shine again
- Feel the Force
- Watershed
- No Judgement
- Fear of swooping
- I'm Possible, Impossible, We're Possible...
- A Way To Freedom
- The boxing ring
- "Have I finished with you, have I got Am...
- The inside of my head
- Are you a Star?
- The Healing Power of Pets
- September
- I am going outside for a while
- Smile, you're the best you've ever been....
- Holding open the door.
- Embracing mental illness
- Messages that save me.
- Overwhelm and the Common Cold
- Can you set boundaries?
- Remember Me
- Sunday Blues and contemplating THE Recip...
- A change is gonna come
- Tigers
- Breaking Childhood Habits
- The Ghost of Judgement Past.
- On Pride and Fairness
- The Washing Machine
- Running In The Air
- The importance of being earnest...ly kin...
- Do we ask too much of the medical profes...
- Every day
- Pool Rage.
- How to Think Straight
- Today is World Suicide Prevention Day
- Serendipity
- Little things
- Silence is golden?
- I am being evicted
- Nothing to be ashamed of
- Things That Thrive Underground.
- My house is untidy.
- Do You Have a 10 Gallon Capacity for Lov...
- Fight to find balance
- Surfin'
- August
- A Fresh Pair Of Eyes
- Lost for words
- Brief encounters
- The the Protestant Work Ethic
- Mid-life crisalis
- POP! Goes Success!
- The best tonic
- Friend or Foe?
- Three is a magic number
- Healing.
- The Mouse and the Elephant
- Does Bipolar hinder or help in the workp...
- The Magic Plaster
- George
- Chopin list
- I will stop apologising for...
- Sit? or Tis?
- Systems
- Anxiety
- What Gets You Energised?
- Thought For The Day
- Becoming Real
- People who need people.
- It's not always what it looks like!
- How to Train Your Dra– Um – Moodscope Bu...
- Passing on kindness
- Tell me something...
- Music to help with anxiety/depression.
- Lessons from the past
- The Blindspot...
- The Mad Half Hour
- Test
- July
- Feeling the Pain
- Do I know you?
- 3 2 1 Change
- Do you have a story to tell?
- Cherry Picking
- Are you afflicted with endoftermitis? No...
- Lots of 'D's' and too many 'buts'
- Poetry as Therapy
- Why volunteer?
- I Am
- What trips off your tongue?
- The Harvest Is In.
- Why do things always happen to you?
- A message of hope
- Are Your Friends Normal?
- Why do I feel this way?
- An unintended gift from my Dad...
- Working on the chain gang
- To Cuff or not to Cuff...
- Relational Frame Theory 101
- Just, no.
- The Demon Drink.
- Parenting
- "Let it Go!" Sing, "Let it Be!"
- On your own
- Ready, steady, STOP
- We won!!
- What Other People Think
- Every Breath You Take.
- Taking in the good
- Press [Pause] then [Shift] [Delete]
- June
- What is the point of it?
- My bundle of warm fuzzy.
- Shame & Disappointment
- Are you outraged?
- Old Man Trouble.
- A guide from beyond.
- To Think and To Own
- Keeping an Open Mind
- I had a dream
- Surfin'
- Please don't mollycoddle me.
- A Moment in Time.
- Determination, the two-edged sword
- What would you do?
- Message to myself.
- A Little Food for Thought...
- Coping with people being nice after a co...
- Do you ever catch yourself using...
- Come Sweet Slumber, Shroud Me in Thy Pur...
- Life is too short to hospital a corner
- What doesn't kill you
- The Thorny Question of Help
- Words: friends or foe
- Drains and Radiators
- Help millions manage the daily grind of ...
- Goals Revisited.
- No cheating now.
- 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... from Autopilot ...
- May
- Things that might help...
- Am I good enough?
- The time has come...
- Hold On
- Is Family Therapy Beneficial? Discuss.
- Death by chocolate.
- The Roller Coaster Week
- The perfection trap?
- The Need for Mental Health Leave.
- I'm not so bad am I?
- Ommmmm
- Who Are You? And What Have You Done With...
- Another day. Another death.
- Hostile Henry.
- I'm Game...
- What I learnt from my shop.
- More Worries.
- Facing Challenges and Feeding my Inner L...
- Small Pleasures.
- Walking on air.
- When In Rome.
- I will if you will.
- Fluffy white bunnies, crawling spiders a...
- Choose your battles wisely.
- My sink is full.
- It's Got to be Perfect.
- Worries.
- Count to Ten and Grin.
- It's a goal.
- Men in Lycra.
- My Untidy Genes.
- Our big emotions.
- It's Going to be Terrible!
- April
- Moodscope Crowdfunding campaign – can yo...
- From Dreams to Destiny.
- Inward Journey.
- The Bunny Girl.
- Facebook.
- My friend anger.
- Don't You Forget About Me.
- Saving it for best.
- Improvise Your Way to Joy.
- My kingdom for a tree!
- Dream on.
- Things I have done today.
- Nurturing.
- The Art of Noise.
- Toxic time, the fast show and... tea.
- Keep on keeping on part 2.
- Childhood.
- Dinner Parties.
- Is significant change possible?
- Race to the finish line.
- The Lap of the Gods.
- Shapeshifter.
- And I dreamed I'm an Eagle.
- Still in recovery but enjoying the journ...
- I seem to be going to a lot of funerals ...
- Fancy writing a blog for Moodscope?
- Running round in circles.
- Dreicht and Hygge.
- Baggage.
- Feeling the feels.
- Test
- March
- Loss.
- The struggle to get started.
- Feeling depressed or depressed?
- A talent to amuse?
- Rats in the Cellar.
- Where Do I Start?
- Urma Upset Gets A Surprise.
- The black dog.
- Demise of the Whack-a-Mole.
- I'm so busy my head is spinning.
- You are here.
- Permission Granted.
- What did the Moodscope Research say?
- Margot the Meerkat Stands to Attention.
- Something in my brain went 'ping'.
- Bereavement.
- See-saw Margery daw.
- Invisible pain.
- Mother Knows Best.
- Stuck.
- When Ratty Met Shelley.
- I'm forever blowing bubbles.
- More than Meatballs and Malm.
- Been there, done that.
- It. Just. Is.
- Gifts with Strings Attached.
- What I have, not what I am.
- The Moodscope Men - Dr Interested.
- Four little words.
- Is it complicated to keep it simple?
- A little kindness goes a long way.
- February
- Anger Management.
- I promise.
- Decisions! Decisions! Part 2: The Barrag...
- The Shadow of the Demon.
- It's all about you.
- Feeling stupid, feeling small.
- What is confidence?
- When I was a little girl.
- Building in Some Slack.
- There must be instructions somewhere.
- Life is like a camera.
- Every silver lining has a cloud.
- Could today be the start of a new life f...
- Community.
- Decisions! Decisions! Part 1: The Big On...
- What's Love Got to Do with It?
- I am no longer a child without choices.
- The Moral of the Story.
- Getting mucky.
- Knitting. Not really.
- I don't do mornings.
- And then I went in...
- The Man in the Mirror.
- 5 ways to celebrate Being Ourselves at w...
- AC DC and EC.
- Once Upon a Blue Moon.
- Mindfulness.
- Let your light shine.
- January
- I have three children.
- What Have You Done To Make You Feel Prou...
- Do you really think it is better to give...
- Not Now Nagatha!
- The Miner.
- Judgemental, Moi?
- I can feel a light inside.
- Best things in life are not things...
- Ambushed.
- A Breakthrough!
- Please tell us what you think?
- Ping! Dinner is Served.
- I spied upon a New Year party.
- The Power of Nice.
- Disappointment.
- Why Worry?
- The Root of all Evil?
- Healed by Music.
- In The Hole.
- Life...
- Your Comfort Blanket.
- The Rabbit of Destiny!
- Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien.
- How can I forgive?
- Sceptic Tank.
- Have you ever tried running in wellies?
- Impatience.
- Fridays.
- 2017. What a year...
- "Standards Must Be Maintained!"
- Letting My Compass Be My Guide.
- December
- 2017
- December
- A rebellious lack of resolution.
- No resolutions, no pressure.
- Never surrender!
- Different strokes for different folks.
- From thinker to doer.
- The Terrifying Prospect of Another Year....
- I'm fine, just a little tired.
- Merry Moodmas.
- Are you a party person?
- Blog through the fog.
- Christmas approaches...
- For times of need.
- Christmas and Candles.
- Are you a weed?
- It's The Most Vulnerable Time of the Yea...
- Tis the season (part iii).
- Waking up to a positive, energetic day.
- Rip it up and start again.
- Let your happiness start now.
- Mens Sana in Corpore Sano - Parte Quinqu...
- Do You Wanna Build A Snowman..?
- How can I help?
- Tis the season (part ii).
- Alert and Ashamed.
- They can't take that away from me.
- Fancy writing a blog for Moodscope?
- Mens Sana in Corpore Sano - Pars Quattu...
- Who am I? What am I? Where am I?
- Two friends and one enemy: Could, Should...
- Tis the season (part i).
- Feeling Cold.
- November
- Not my favourite words.
- Forgive them! You're joking!
- Mens Sana in Corpore Sano – Pars Tres
- Losing the Plot.
- Now Here's A Thing.
- Worry.
- Hello.
- Oh me, oh my!
- Gilt - Ignore it, live with it or purge ...
- Mens Sana in Corpore Sano – Pars Duorum....
- Sleep.
- SSDD.
- How not to write a blog.
- Collateral benefit.
- Murders, muffins and music.
- How to fool the world.
- Mens Sana in Corpore Sano – Pars Una.
- Sharing my journey.
- Forgive them - they haven't got a clue!
- The next big thing.
- Lest We Forget.
- If.
- Active and Afraid.
- Dealing with Frustration.
- What do I want?
- On Second Thought.
- Feng Shui and Autumn.
- Dealing with intertia.
- The Times they are a Changing.
- Hello you.
- October
- Stepping Out of Time.
- How to Have a Better Brain.
- The Straw that Saved the Camel's Back.
- I'm here for you.
- Balancing strengths and weaknesses.
- Bedtime.
- Smiling on the inside.
- Wednesday's Child.
- Being Happy.
- Digging Out Anger from the Roots.
- The Rainbow.
- Nourish your mind, body and soul.
- Remind me: What are the 20 Moodscope car...
- Those difficult decisions.
- I Must Go Down to the Sea Again.
- What helps you?
- All Your Life Is A Rehearsal For Today.
- The cogs turn the wheel.
- How do you handle rejection?
- I am feeling lonely.
- Slow down, you're going too fast now.
- Giving Comfort.
- World Mental Health Day 2017.
- Back to University.
- Being nice.
- Let us have garlic.
- What would you do if I sang out of tune?...
- Confronting the elephant.
- My BFF and Me!
- Go with the flow - Part 2.
- September
- Better to change the lightbulb (twice) t...
- My secret self.
- Not either/or but both - and...
- Does anyone need to visit the loo before...
- Taking control.
- Feeling Helpless.
- Autumn Days.
- I know what your Super-Power is.
- What's in a name?
- The dark wolf and the light wolf.
- I never promised you a rose garden.
- The Pressure to get Motivated.
- Getting it Out There.
- Go with the flow – Part 1
- Are You Ready To Commit Your Next Offenc...
- A Moment of Calm.
- You have a boundary problem!
- He is his father's son.
- What stigma?
- How Much is Physical?
- Please like me.
- The Flea in Me, who said, "That won't wo...
- Shadows.
- Warrior Training.
- Busyness and resting.
- "A spot of D.I.Y."
- Letter to Bradley – Age 12
- I believe in fairies.
- When Harry Met Joe – a Windows Fairy Tal...
- Reasons To Be Cheerful.
- Saying Goodbye.
- Better to change the lightbulb (twice) t...
- August
- Boys Don't Cry.
- Waving but refusing to drown.
- Building Something Amazing.
- Facing an uncomfortable truth.
- Love me... love me not.
- Pinny on!
- N.E.D.
- An uphill descent.
- Where will it all end?
- Mudflats.
- Abigail and Sarah.
- Feeling my feelings.
- Comfort zone stay or leave?
- Terrible at accepting help.
- When the rain stops pouring.
- Panic Attacks.
- Strongly Anthemic.
- Where shall I start?
- How You See People Changes What Happens ...
- At Sea Without a Compass.
- Finding my home.
- Get a Life.
- Friendship with self.
- Lions and Bears, Wolves and Dolphins.
- Day Release.
- Framing FOR Complaining.
- Stormy bears.
- Peter and Penelope.
- This will pass.
- A Day at a Time.
- July
- Twos and Zeros.
- The Down Side of the High Side.
- The Most Beautiful Bridge in the World.
- Joie de vivre.
- Art Vs Monsters.
- Not Today Thank You.
- Married, Single, or otherwise Engaged.
- It's Only Feelings.
- In the face of rejection.
- Lessons from a Burlesque Dancer.
- A friend of dorothy.
- Walk a mile in my shoes.
- "My Brain - It's my second favorite orga...
- Never alone.
- Just Like Herding Cats
- When is a house a home?
- What If Life Was A Computer Game?
- What colour are you?
- Do you have a story to tell?
- Masterpiece in Progress:
- Rumination.
- Do it Your Way.
- Self harm.
- The Wizard of Time.
- Through the glass.
- Holiday dilemma.
- My blog.
- Time is the key.
- That Which Hurts Us Most.
- Moving on.
- Happeness.
- Teddy Bear Therapy.
- June
- 'Milestone' birthdays, fete or forget?
- To me, to you, to me.
- Not guilty.
- Putting Pen to Paper.
- We All Matter.
- Pearl Fisher or Pearl Crusher?
- Nothing new under the sun.
- I am NOT worthless.
- Time to fess up.
- Choose your words.
- Mr Fixit.
- Love Is In The Air.
- Contagious Stories.
- I lost my mind.
- Do I sound like that?
- Post 'pain body'.
- The Internet.
- Deep Space and Calcutta.
- Socialising.
- Are You Into Shelf-Development?
- Now.
- Can there be too many questions?
- Market Research – pigeon holing.
- Boundaries.
- Mea Culpa.
- The Librarian and The Critic.
- Collective Grief.
- Mix and match.
- May
- Noise.
- To see ourselves as others see us.
- No self-pity and no shame.
- The Frenemy in the Passenger Seat.
- Being Grateful.
- Moodscope in not one but 153 words.
- Mirror, Mirror.
- Sing a new song, Chiquitita.
- Show me the menu.
- Labels, traits, illness, syndrome - what...
- Courage, mes braves!
- No regrets.
- Moodscope in One Word. Up for a challeng...
- It's the Only Thing to Make Sense.
- Learning from comments.
- Recovery Colleges - a new concept in men...
- Living the Life..!
- There's Probably a Word for It.
- There's Probably a Word for It.
- Honestly Ungrateful.
- Daisy and the Lawnmower Man.
- Spring - Coming out of the Shadows.
- How do you ride the wave?
- Let the bakers bake and the butchers but...
- Listen to me.
- Out and Aloud, If Not Proud.
- Surviving or Thriving?
- From possible to Impossible to I'm possi...
- A year living with .....a rescue dog!
- "It is what it is."
- Invisible.
- Remember the feeling.
- Pride Comes After a Fall.
- Self-congratulation.
- April
- How do we keep going?
- Return.
- Wanted: Target (and the self-discipline ...
- Letter to my alcoholic sister.
- Preparing to Stay Well.
- Nursing a Grudge.
- Hope dashed.
- Preparing to Stay Well.
- A Manifesto for a Life to the Full.
- Gardeners World.
- Is your job worthwhile?
- That Moment.
- Hello gorgeous.
- Alternative Reality.
- Harry - Thank you!
- Who's your hero?
- Hang On...
- It Will Pass.
- No, you can't have a 3.
- Tired from dreams.
- Life is a Bowl of Cherries.
- Giant Haystacks.
- March
- Piling is NOT filing.
- Memories are made of this.
- Seven days of sanity.
- Self-care.
- Silencing the Expert.
- Desirable Punishment.
- What do you think?
- "Don't Worry, Be Crappy!"
- I Will Love Again.
- My score is down – so what?
- Comfort foods and healthy habits.
- A Jigsaw of Me.
- Minimally Happier.
- Just a bit of fluff?
- The Perils of Plank-Eye, The Pirate.
- Altered sensations.
- An interview with myself.
- Do you seek approval?
- Solution searching.
- We have Normality. I Repeat, We Have Nor...
- Invisible.
- The Dog, The Kids, And The Radio Show.
- Endings.
- How @findyourwe Helped Me
- Is everything out to get me?
- Living guilt free - is it possible?
- Home for a Dozen Horses.
- How much should I share?
- The Magic of Milestones.
- The Empty Chair.
- I can and will.
- Being a Highly Sensitive Person.
- Talismans.
- What You Are, Not What You Do.
- What's in your Story Box?
- What's in your Story Box?
- Magic George.
- Welcome to Normaltown.
- Whatever happened to old so-and-so?
- It's only a week...
- The Unbearable Whiteness of Swans.*
- February
- #HappyActs.
- I Don't Do 'Demanding'.
- Grace.
- Life goes on.
- It was just a wig.
- Let it go... Let it go...
- Dealing with anxiety.
- Reconciliation and Restoration.
- One sided.
- Alice or Malice in Wonderland?
- Can't sleep.
- Today I was amazing.
- Why don't you smile?
- Bottling Life's Pleasures.
- When I'm Cleaning Windows.
- Simple pleasures
- Your Story, My Story, History.
- The Dark Side of Attachment Addiction.
- Is there a certain way to grieve?
- What is missing?
- Three true stories of kindness.
- Lost in Music.
- After you stumble...
- Causes and Effects.
- Blowing a fuse.
- My New Different.
- Personal Prescription.
- January
- The pros and cons of people pleasing.
- The Perfect Family.
- Hoist by my own petard.
- Kaizen - the Zen of Success?
- On the periphery.
- What do You think?
- Second Year Running.
- A view with a room.
- Put on Your Own Oxygen Mask First.
- The Happy Kitchen: Good Mood Food.
- Rejuvenate.
- Christmas.
- Would you like to write a blog for Moods...
- Buttercups.
- Developing self value.
- Teaching and Learning.
- How can we prevent future mental illness...
- Wisdom 31:15 A Daily Joy.
- Routine.
- Let's rock.
- Hell is other people.
- Character Building.
- Unashamedly Political – Without the Part...
- Objects with meaning.
- Have > Want.
- Winning at life!
- In and out of sync.
- Thank you and Farewell to a Duke And the...
- Are there any positive benefits from dep...
- Making Plans for Nigel.
- The good, the bad and the ugly.
- Victory in many disciplines comes from h...
- December
- 2016
- December
- Happy New Year!
- Something new.
- I shall perfectly be perfect!
- There Was a Little Girl.
- Goodbye 2016.
- New Beginnings...
- Let me treat you.
- Merry Christmas!
- "Happy Holidays" Depression
- How would you react?
- Merry Moodmas.
- All I Want for Christmas...
- So, what to do when you are...
- Turn Your Guilt into Gilt.
- To trust? Or not to trust?
- Is that you?
- What is the matter?
- Hypomania - my strategy.
- Winter Comfort.
- A rite of bloggage.
- "A vision that you cannot see is not a v...
- Happiness is a choice.
- Kicking the Leaves.
- Who stole 2016?
- Does Counselling do it for you?
- More on Drugs.
- P.S. It's just a day.
- Here I Go Again.
- The Trees at Oakley.
- Talking.
- Out of the blue.
- November
- Heavy Handed Help.
- Drugs, Drugs, Glorious Drugs (With Apolo...
- Blogs.
- Don't.
- Hanging by A Thread.
- Ghost in the House.
- Marionette.
- Comfortably Numb.
- Change of State.
- It's a beautiful world.
- There's a submarine in my consciousness....
- But you look alright...
- Food for Thought Doctor.
- Who am I?
- The Deific
- Thank You Ola!
- Friend or foe?
- Rock Paper Scissors.
- Dear children this is a hill.
- Creativity and what it means to me.
- Creativity and bipolar-my story.
- Tough Love from a Tender Heart.
- The Flung Gauntlet.
- Small changes.
- Saying 'No' to 'No'!
- Life is too short.
- Water in the Desert.
- Once upon a mood.
- Death of a friend.
- These Cruel and Vicious Things.
- October
- PTSD, a small word with big consequences...
- Crossing the Line (The Double Yellow one...
- Thoughts in a malestrom.
- Repeat.
- Creation.
- Confronting avoidance.
- Bi-polar Exploding Hedgehog!
- See, Feel, Doubt.
- You're Just My (Arche)Type.
- I took my Mind for a walk.
- My best friend the tree.
- Carers - Is there a formula?
- Can you always accentuate the positive?
- Drastic Action!
- What get's you through?
- Jack Out-of-the-Box.
- Would you like to write a blog for Moods...
- Why I'm comfortable with 0%.
- Routine Sleep.
- The harvest.
- Waterblogged.
- The healing power of art (poetry).
- To Permit or To Forbid - that's a BIG qu...
- The right tool for the job.
- Harnessing Percy.
- How to help.
- How much is too much?
- That Emmental Moment.
- The two of me.
- Alpha and Omega.
- Making Friends with Demons.
- Fly away poisoned parrot – with thanks t...
- September
- My bed
- A sense of perspective.
- When The Going Gets Tough...
- Talk about a dream.
- See Hear Say.
- Will it be okay?
- Is decision making driven by emotion?
- Life as a 'Pure Manic'.
- Structure.
- What Doesn't Kill Us...
- Take flight.
- "Don't Go Changing, Trying To Please Me....
- September.
- Good enough to bottle.
- Crossed wires.
- Awareness.
- Out of Nowhere.
- It's the small stuff that makes the big ...
- The Garden of Your Mind.
- Alarm Bells.
- Surprise Surprise!
- 'What goes around comes round'.
- The role of photos?
- Once Upon A Time...
- Roadside Assistance.
- "Mustobeytion!"
- Meditation's what you need.
- To Love Myself?
- Those uncomfortable feelings.
- August
- People Watching. What we can learn.
- Warm Patches, Strong currents and Consta...
- Breaking the Spell
- A new day. A new week...
- It's a "Pit Stop".
- Unfinished business.
- Great Expectations.
- The Good Black Dog.
- Dog therapy.
- Sometimes I Sing.
- Did I mention I work in a Hospital?
- I will not let my condition define me.
- The simple words of the wise Dr.
- Me, my funk and I.
- Frayed Around the Edges.
- My Cornish Pixies.
- A Joy Ride in a Paint Box.
- I can't stop hoping and dreaming.
- I wish I had known...
- Downloading.
- It's the tone of your voice!
- University Reunion.
- Pretend Meaning.
- Invitation to Dance.
- For a relaxing vacation, look to the dat...
- Hey, how you doin'?
- Saved!
- Schools Out for Summer!
- I want to Be Alone (part sixty-seven).
- Self Portrait.
- July
- You can't change your past but you can c...
- I am happy. Or am I?
- Rest or roam?
- To my loved ones, when dealing with me o...
- Coping with 'Moods' through the ages.
- When You Need to be Selfish.
- What's in your bedroom?
- Too Little, Too Late?
- Losing someone dear to you.
- The Times They Are A Changing.
- If I didn't think.
- Personalities and Comfort Zones.
- Give and Take.
- Songs from the seagulls.
- Life's Amplifiers.
- KEEPING THE LID ON – 2
- Trapped.
- Waking up sad.
- Choose your maxim.
- The Future and the Past.
- My old shoes.
- Involvement = Commitment.
- Lifelong Depression Revealed as Bipolar ...
- Music Therapy for Bouncing Back.
- Would you like to write a blog for Moods...
- Wellness.
- Hard Times.
- Playing Volleyball? Wear Sunscreen.
- Ebb and Flow, For and Against, To and Fr...
- Three Days of My Life.
- Improve your inner confidence and self-c...
- June
- No Idea.
- Desiderata.
- Coming Back from War.
- On the subject of caring.
- KISS and Make-Up.
- Neighbours.
- My .............. used to say.
- Labour and other Pains.
- Nappies on!
- Respect Yourself.
- The Power of Language.
- The Proactive Mower.
- Who knows best?
- Finding Ways to Heal Yourself.
- Togetherness.
- Laugh, love and Live.
- Foul Weather Friends.
- Ridicule or educate.
- "The Way You See Your Life Shapes Your L...
- Perfect ten.
- Stop, Look and Listen!
- The Wisdom of Cats.
- Once upon a time.
- From Russia With Love.
- Remote Control.
- One More Night Among The Frogs.
- Ebb and Flow.
- I like food...
- Would I lie to myself?
- Finding Happiness.
- May
- The Patronus Charm – A Practical Guide.
- Untitled.
- Is It Time To Go Down Your Drawers?
- Determination.
- Retrain the Brain.
- Personal Victory.
- Just for a laugh.
- Future Perfect.
- Dance me to the end of love.
- So, tell me what you want, what you real...
- Depression!
- Adjustments.
- The Wisdom of Toothpaste.
- When you least expect it.
- Taking it the Right Way.
- Trusting.
- The Thief.
- I love Moodscope.
- To compare or not to compare.
- Playing the Blues...
- Sailing Solo.
- Cursing, Therapy and the D word.
- That Perfect Moment.
- The Metaphor that answers the question, ...
- If you are missing.
- How will you change your day?
- How to nudge your way to happiness.
- Senescence.
- Playing Your Part.
- A question of balance.
- The A to Z Guide to Life: Letter S for S...
- April
- Building blocks.
- You don't have to be a streaker, a flash...
- Friends.
- What we look for we find...
- Holding on... And letting go.
- Is happiness always the answer?
- R for Resillience.
- In Darkness.
- Becoming a "BUT" Watcher.
- Trying to make sense of it.
- Being The Problem.
- Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craf...
- Seven words for Love.
- Ebb and Flow, For and Against, To and Fr...
- Hot Coals.
- Courage - Self defence or expediency?
- The Cycle of Change – Part 2
- Can I Show and Be Me?
- The Cupboard Under The Stairs
- Can you help? We think you can...
- Yours, Unconditionally.
- Performance Related Happiness.
- Do not apologise for crying.
- The Cycle of change.
- Don't Blurt – Believe... in yourself.
- The Prisoner of Azkaban.
- Concentration.
- Crossed My Heart; Hoped To Die.
- How I wish you understood.
- My therapy journey – part two.
- March
- Health week.
- Mindfulness and Mindfulness Training: Th...
- Eating Worms.
- Professional Aunt No Kids.
- The A to Z Guide to Life – Letter P for ...
- Too many choices.
- Good things come in furry packages.
- Saturation.
- Pain is inevitable – suffering is option...
- The Honourable Company of Silver Miners....
- In the room above the garage.
- Critical Condition.
- 10 Keys to Happier Living and a Great Dr...
- The Kindness of Strangers.
- What's in a Word?
- Mud, mud, glorious mud.
- Paying the Price.
- Why I talk to machines.
- The A to Z Guide to Life – Letter 'O' fo...
- Who ate my marshmallow?
- Modern definition of insanity – to conti...
- Metaphorical Rainbow.
- My Inner Critic.
- In search of Perfection.
- Happy Songs.
- 'N' for Nutrition!
- My therapy journey – chapter one.
- Big Spender.
- And you took my hand.
- Do you WANT TO... really?
- I am Titanium.
- February
- Navigating Grief with Moodscope.
- The A to Z Guide to Life, Letter M for M...
- "Pick me, Pick me!...please!
- Little Boxes.
- Mooching with the MOOCs.
- Humans are Emotional First and Rational ...
- Visible Injury.
- Mental health sufferers need your help!
- The A to Z Guide to Life: Letter "L" for...
- Use by date.
- Simplicity.
- Walking on the Moon.
- Who Are YOU?
- Almost Heaven.
- You asked for it...
- The A to Z Guide to Life: K for Kinaesth...
- A lot of loss.
- Fomo.
- Confident Vulnerability.
- Resilience and our little ones.
- Horrid Nasty Stinking Cold!
- I'm not OK.
- The A to Z Guide to Life: J for Joy.
- Lost & Forlorn.
- My finest moment...
- Living with the tough stuff.
- Share my laughter as well as comfort my ...
- A Life threatening Illness.
- My Five Currencies.
- January
- The A to Z Guide to Life – Letter 'I'
- The A to Z Guide to Life – Letter 'I'
- Fantasy v Reality.
- The path to serenity.
- Connecting with Your Inner Sunflower.
- What we look for, we find...
- Tidying Up.
- We are all Students of Life.
- The A to Z Guide to Life – H is for Hope...
- Going Steady.
- "My name is Lauren and..."
- Hang in there.
- Living in the Now – the Mental Health Ch...
- Home Decoration.
- Is It Time For An Emotional Tune-Up?
- The A to Z Guide to Life – Letter "G"
- The Ebb and Flow of Life.
- I did it! I went to the moon...
- Be the Change... forgive.
- Love Smart, Not Hard.
- The Man Who Fell From Earth.
- Remake my beating heart.
- A to Z Guide to Life – F is for 'Faith'
- Up and Down.
- A Survivor.
- Time & Authenticity.
- Learning-innings.
- A different Perspective.
- Jane, Janus, January.
- The A to Z Guide to Life - Letter 'E'
- Be the change you want to see revisited....
- January is the new April.
- December
- 2015
- December
- Happy New Year!
- Be the Change You Want to See...
- New Year – Same Old You...
- There I am.
- The A to Z Guide to Life - Letter 'D'
- Train of Thoughts.
- Remembering What You're Made Of.
- A Meditation on Light.
- How will I respond today – as a child or...
- Merry Moodmas.
- My tool box for recovery.
- The A to Z Guide to Life - Letter "C"
- Virtual Christmas lunch.
- Small steps work best.
- Did Starsky and Hutch wear Christmas car...
- One Step/Day at a time.
- Things We Learn From Our Children.
- Are you a hibernator?
- The A to Z Guide to Life - Letter 'B'.
- The Law of Attraction.
- Run for home...
- Where am I now?
- Taking a break.
- Let It Be Enough.
- Celebrate success.
- Count your blessings one by one.
- Song of faith.
- Would you like to write a blog for Moods...
- What's the meaning of life?
- Restoring Normality.
- October
- The A to Z Guide to Life - Letter "A"
- Words, Will and Ways.
- Loneliness to solitude.
- Lifting the lid...
- Witty Woo!
- The Road Less Travelled - again.
- Let's All Be Sad Together.
- Good Enough.
- Sow before bedtime.
- A clean sheet.
- The hokey cokey.
- Say after me: I BELIEVE...
- Respect is two way.
- Carrion Comfort.
- Wisdom received from Moodscopers - Part ...
- Admit, Emit or Omit?
- Gollum in the Kitchen.
- Towards or Away From?
- Tickets please!
- Do I exist?
- Tell Me Your Story.
- To hold on or to let go.
- The Three Gifts.
- Darth Vader does Charlotte's Web, a true...
- Anxiousness...
- What recovery means to me.
- To be nobody but yourself...
- Solitary Confinement.
- Here's to brighter mornings.
- Ten Good Friends.
- The visitor.
- Flaky time.
- Human Dis-Illusion.
- November
- Notes to a Nearly Depressed Me.
- The A to Z Guide to Life - an introducti...
- No ink to leave a mark.
- Your best friend wouldn't tell you.
- Adult Orphans.
- Twenty-One today...
- The Best Laid Plans...
- The Knights in shining armour.
- Are we the new normal?
- The Volcano Within.
- Why you're afraid of me.
- What do you say next?
- Did you remember to log out?
- An Awkward Question.
- Hope.
- Vinnie The Bouncer.
- Fleur - my lifeline.
- Wisdom received from Moodscopers. Part 3...
- Party songs.
- I Want to be Clearer.
- Hugging your GP.
- A workman and his tools.
- Taking The Plunge.
- Take my advice.
- Today's blog comes to you from a Mental ...
- Love you gran.
- The Modern Day CV.
- Depression's Twin Sister.
- Wisdom received from Moodscopers. Part 2...
- September
- Is colouring calming?
- Not My Circus, Not My Monkeys.
- Thank-you Moodscope.
- Planting Trees.
- The ladder.
- Family favourites.
- Simpletons R Me!
- The Journey... Your Journey.
- Keeping Vigil.
- Sleepless in Suburbia.
- Worrier or Warrior?
- What makes you feel you belong?
- The power of memories.
- I choose life.
- Driving - The Road Les(s) Travelled...
- A Plague (of shrimp) Upon Your House – A...
- 149 days.
- I Long For Structure.
- For every season there is a reason.
- True Colours.
- What have you done today to make you fee...
- The Parable of the Spanish Pueblos...
- Often the Best Thing to Do; Always the B...
- Today comes only once in a lifetime.
- A Walk in the Park?
- Improving life... one conversation at a ...
- My intuition.
- My magical Gumboots.
- Job Satisfaction.
- Friends for Life.
- August
- Accepting we are who we are.
- Life to the Max?
- Physical things to bring comfort.
- This old dog can learn new tricks.
- If I were young again...
- Are you an optimist?
- Laughter therapy. Have you tried it?
- One Quarter of a Mile.
- What if?
- To peak early or bloom later.
- Piglet and Pooh – Over to You.
- Your kiss is on my list.
- Redemption.
- From whence cometh your help?
- Rhythms, Cycles and Ripples, part 1.
- What's your story?
- Good thought cinema.
- A Walk In The Park.
- Finding 'Me' – Is All That's Real.
- Dear Mum.
- "Change something."
- Making Associations.
- Me and my friend alcohol.
- What's happening here?
- Sorry.
- Thinking is not living.
- Thank You For The Music (Room).
- Moodscope is getting better…
- Breaking Associations.
- The Father of My Children.
- July
- Think before you speak.
- I'm a slow learner.
- Who Are You?
- Quite Frankly Terrified!
- Procrastination and Depression.
- These three remain.
- The Art of Mindfulness
- I woke like Lily Munster.
- Surfing the waves of life.
- Time – It's ALL Yours.
- Confined By, Defined By, or Refined By?
- My cat Tilly - the messed up one.
- You can't make an omelette without break...
- Living in the moment...
- Eleanor Rigby was surely a Ninja.
- HumanKindness.
- Bi-polar for Dummies 2.
- Bi-Polar For Dummies.
- Do or Don't?
- What's your poison?
- What is a normal mood?
- Life's Real Facts - Feelings.
- Managing Friends 101 – The Basics.
- From here to somewhere.
- Making Friends with the Lizard.
- I am kind. I am smart. I am important.
- A sufferer's night.
- The Perfectionist's Guide to Visiting an...
- Life!
- June
- A cry for help.
- Be yourself.
- Managing the Highs.
- Head, heart, nature.
- The Enemy of My Enemy.
- Thank you for helping me gain some balan...
- In the End, There Is Only Room for Love....
- The three Marriages of Life.
- Cheer squad.
- Meeting Men in the Sauna.
- I'm a bit of a Chill Bill. Whilst I'd lo...
- Jailbreak.
- Sometimes bad things happen for a reason...
- Seven years bad luck...and counting.
- The Wisdom of the Rose.
- Ouch the sun hurts!
- Who Are You and What Have You Done With ...
- Depressive's Guide to the Wedding Season...
- L'exercise regime per annum.
- What goes up must come down!
- Just relax.
- Walking Streets at Midnight.
- I get it now dad. I get it.
- Trevor Believes in Polar Bears.
- Resilience.
- Jedi Nights Yes, I know that's spelt wro...
- Putting the pieces together again.
- A reason to hold on.
- Sitting on a sun dial.
- Comin Home...
- Unexpected side Benefit.
- Looking long.
- May
- A Box with Rules.
- The Depressive State.
- Are you going to take some action?
- Got a hanky?
- Seeking.
- Catharsis.
- I can fight this demon.
- My Enemy...
- I just didn't feel anything.
- Art in a bookcase.
- Passion...THE driving emotion.
- My Demons Don't Post On Facebook.
- Just suppose...
- Charity begins...
- Climbing my way out of the valley.
- Soldier Boy.
- A list of goodly things.
- Humans – Emotional First - Rational Seco...
- Can't Remember... What was it Again?
- Keep rattling those chains.
- Dear Diary.
- Reach out to family and friends.
- Broken Crayons Still Colour.
- Forge meaning...build identity.
- Getting up and Moving.
- Take That Look Off Your Face!
- The magnifying mirror.
- Connect Four.
- Mindfulness.
- Here goes...
- April
- Emotional core strength.
- Hope Springs Eternal.
- Empowered.
- Do only fools rush in?
- WLC = Whinge, Learn, Change.
- All about the dogs.
- Turn round 180 degrees.
- Thou Doth Procrastinate Too Much.
- The great outdoors indoors.
- Brain Muscle Memory.
- One less thing.
- Practical Hugging 101.
- Deep Dark Depression.
- Can not judging others make it easier to...
- Human shadows.
- Would you like to export your Moodscope ...
- Bad Thoughts.
- "Laugh and the world laughs with you, cr...
- BAM. Change. BOOM. Regret.
- Myth No. 91 - Depression is like the flu...
- You're A True Gem.
- What have you done since Les's blog last...
- Chronic pain. It need not be so.
- You Can't Share a Hug On-line.
- Do you need more space?
- Living Goals [POWERFUL Goal-Setting part...
- City Ambience.
- You can't not communicate, so...?
- Do you have a warrior spirit?
- What makes your heart sing?
- March
- Depression Lite.
- Let's get the show on the road.
- Keeping It Short and Simple.
- Would you like to write a blog for Moods...
- Anthropomorphic.
- As I began to love myself.
- We Find What We Look For.
- Frozen Treacle.
- Sling your hook.
- Faith – The Final Frontier.
- Just imagine.
- Keeping the lid on.
- Let's spread a little happiness.
- How do you receive the world?
- Resilience.
- Dear Bipolar...
- The Road from Hope.
- International Day of Happiness 2015
- Playing with Time.
- 5 Easy Ways to Boost Confidence Levels.
- Did You Take Time Today - To Be Truly Hu...
- Coming Out.
- Darwin Ate an Owl.
- Harbour lights.
- Pushing the Button.
- Conformity.
- A balance sheet for life.
- Mind the Gap.
- Biker Music.
- What do I choose today?
- Means, Opportunity, Motive.
- February
- Don't just sit there do something!
- Coming out.
- The Tale of Two Labels.(apologies to Dic...
- The Loss of Ancient wisdom.
- Is it time to change your lens?
- To Keep a Stiff Upper Lip - or To Throw ...
- O Dear.
- Reflections.
- Feeling watchy!
- Handling change.
- The power of 'offering' (not telling).
- You Can't Choose Your Family. Or Can You...
- The love that is inside.
- A POWERFUL Question.
- Untangling the myth.
- Welcoming the inner child.
- Something better change.
- The Gift of Darkness.
- Sad memories can have a silver lining.
- To Exercise or to Exorcise?
- Being ‘okay’.
- Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?
- I want to make mental health real and ok...
- It's a crying Shame.
- How to Become a Male Underwear Model in ...
- Blinded by the light!
- Do you need a routine?
- January
- Running the Stop Sign.
- After the storm.
- A great film.
- A great film.
- Moving can be SO hard.
- As The Daffodils Fade.
- Trading shoes.
- Blue Monday.
- The Compassionate Mind.
- What I make you mean.
- You've got to laugh!
- To know and not to say = trouble.
- I Believe I can Fly!
- An important list.
- Strike 3... 4... 5...?
- You've got to accentuate the positive an...
- I'd like you to be the first to know!
- Affirmations.
- Recovery...
- When Mr Grumpy Came To Stay.
- Same recipe. Different Cake.
- Lex v5.312 - all will be explained.
- Be more dog.
- Gerald Wears Tights.
- What did you want to be when you grew up...
- The True ‘Heart’ of Change.
- The light at the end of the tunnel may n...
- Let's count our blessings.
- "Let me inter//rupt you there!"
- Create your own reality.
- A Passion For Onions.
- Renegotiate and Remortgage!!
- December
- 2014
- December
- Fed up with hearing Happy New Year?
- Resolution is not for me.
- Marching Forwards.
- What is your refuge?
- Are you being true to yourself?
- Changing History: War and Peace.
- It pays to play.
- Doing Christmas Properly.
- Wear Epic pants!
- Nothing to fear.
- How We Learn – The Four Seasons.
- Merry Moodmas.
- Don't let your 'Stress bucket' overflow....
- A Community of Support.
- So Who Are you – Really?
- I am nervous. I am frightened. I am sure...
- Your Gift of Time.
- If a Con's Worth Doing...
- A safe place to be.
- My song about the kind of love that sust...
- Sticks and stone may break my bones, but...
- Ticket To Ride.
- Feeling on top of the world.
- Amazingly Simple.
- Build only with the smallest bricks.
- When was the last time you felt happy?
- Are you going to be alone this Xmas?
- How do we lead?
- My Drug Of Choice.
- Coming out of the dark.
- November
- 5 Star Inspiration and 1 Inspiraction.
- Bad Days Depend on the Way you See Them....
- Learning to Live With Life!
- What do we value?
- Changing your mind: Becoming a child aga...
- Piggy In The Middle.
- Chooseday.
- I can fight this demon.
- I Am Not My Thoughts or Emotions.
- So sorry Spike.
- Sex And Depression.
- A way to say thank you...?
- You can't condemn it until you've tried ...
- "The Moodscope Mobile App made such a po...
- The revolving door.
- Find the beauty of your mind.
- Just stop.
- The art of happiness.
- A Soft Place To Fall.
- Changing your mind: Taking a Line for a ...
- Two Mile Walk.
- Self-Care is not Self-ish.
- Trust that the fog will clear.
- Bereavement and Depression 4 of 4.
- Bereavement and Depression 3. It's compl...
- Bereavement and Depression 2. Liquorice ...
- Bereavement and Depression 1. My Cat Ha...
- Gardening of the Mind.
- October
- Was it post-traumatic stress?
- Changing your mind: The Mindful Walk.
- Decluttering the mind.
- The window.
- Did your Mother Give You Depression?
- It is well with my soul.
- Burnt out.
- Running saved this man's life...
- Changing your mind.
- Connecting with the soul.
- What Will Make Your Heart Sing...?
- It's Not You; It's Me (Or Maybe Them)!
- It felt like my life had ended.
- A welcome pep talk.
- Breaking Family Patterns.
- Creativity saves the sanity.
- 'I dwell in possibility' – Emily Dickins...
- The Wisdom of Geese. A Story of Hope for...
- Insane Accuracy.
- Cold feet syndrome.
- Rite of Passage #1 "The Bath".
- I am definitely so much more than my dep...
- Dancing with our thoughts.
- Willful Blindness.
- A few pretty things.
- Stationary Rollercoaster.
- Laughter is the best medicine.
- Are you struggling?
- When a blue moon rises.
- A feeling of calm.
- Walking Up The Down Escalator.
- At what point do you embrace the only th...
- September
- "I am the master of my Fate, I am the ca...
- It's OK Not To Be OK.
- Untitled.
- Keep in touch - it's easier than ever.
- Let me compare me to a summer's day.
- Live and smile.
- A part of life that many don't see.
- Hello Darkness, My Old Friend.
- Even a chore can be uplifting!
- Bend and not break.
- An adjustment technique for sceptical bo...
- The Evil of Emails.
- How Can You Prove You Are Not a Robot?
- Taking care to care.
- The Sun Will Come out Tomorrow.
- There's a hole in my sidewalk.
- Affirmations A-Z.
- Cubism and sensitivity.
- Life is a road trip.
- Try and connect with someone every day.
- The power of emotion.
- Moments of Joy (Bring Me Flowers).
- Vacant or engaged?
- Strategies.
- Feral Pumpkins.
- Slog on!
- It's all about balance.
- How at Sea are We?
- Some Things Are Best Done Alone.
- What lights your fire?
- August
- My breakdown.
- Everybody is a genius.
- Community spirit.
- Masking life?
- My Three Friends.
- The perfection trap?
- Acceptance.
- Untitled.
- The seasons of mood.
- Too much information?
- Burden
- Memories are made of this...Emotions.
- What colour glasses are you wearing toda...
- Taking care of the feelings. How?
- T-shirt rolling.
- Is it important to love yourself?
- I am far from perfect.
- Where do you find your solace?
- Living or hoping, dying or coping?
- Robin Williams, Super Hero.
- Depression film club.
- When will I get better?
- You can overcome anything.
- Untitled.
- Self Awareness - the Door to Healthy Cha...
- Feeling sad.
- Cat Among The Pigeons.
- Who am I?
- Who are the mad ones?
- Recording the Good Days.
- Getting Better.
- July
- Don't Panic!
- Human-Beings or Human-Doings?
- Holiday Preparations
- Self Soothing.
- Time to look after yourself, now!
- The Puss Pages.
- Are you stressed?
- Healing Myself.
- When we need help - Ask.
- What is 'Normal'?
- Happy Talk.
- Into every life a little rain must fall....
- I just have to remember I'm still me.
- Mindful and Soothing.
- Just do one thing each day.
- Young girl crying.
- Managing Your GP.
- Your comments count!
- The Golden Gate.
- To understand all is to forgive all.
- Anxiety, what a pest it is.
- Club 45.
- Moray Moodscope 2.
- Holly Golightly adored Tiffany's and me?...
- Superpowers.
- I am Worthy. A guide to self-worth.
- The start of my journey to recovery.
- I was just suffering with 'life'.
- Foot In Mouth Disease...
- Do half of it – or think of a different ...
- June
- Accepting Help is Hard.
- Man's best friend.
- My Moodscope return.
- Overwhelmed.
- Stuck.
- Would you like to write a blog for Moods...
- How are you coping with life?
- School report.
- Seeking advice on moving forwards.
- Why Bipolar is misunderstood.
- A Healing crisis - Part 2
- A Healing Crisis - Part 1
- The Guest House.
- Creating pockets of freedom in the mind....
- Grief and the bank – revisited.
- Keeping an eye on things.
- Thanks for always being there.
- Solitude.
- Who are you?
- Don't do something: just sit there!
- Glass half empty?
- A standing ovation
- Trees are cool.
- Have you reached your ULP?
- Judgements - Are you both judge and jury...
- Put your hands in the air, put your hand...
- Find your verse to find your voice.
- We Don't Always Know.
- The Abundant Life - 7 of 7 - Sensitivity...
- Handbook of life - a few more tips...
- That's Me In The Corner...
- May
- Pink Mist.
- Anyone else fed up?
- A Heartfelt Blog.
- Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
- A More Abundant Life; part 6 of 7.
- A love letter.
- Emoticons - Like, Love, Loathe?
- You're always happy. How do you do it?
- A More Abundant Life; part 5 of 7.
- To Be Strong - Is To Forgive.
- Disconnect to Connect.
- It's a Physical Thing.
- A More Abundant Life; part 4 of 7.
- 'Y' is for 'You'.
- 'T' is for Triggers.
- 'E' is for Exhale.
- 'I' is for Insomnia.
- 'X' is for X-cellence, with another chan...
- 'N' is for the Power of Now and News of ...
- 'A' is for Anxiety, Adrenaline and A Giv...
- A Moodscope giveaway!
- Finding peace.
- "I do therefore I am."
- Chapters of Your Life...
- Let's Hear it for the Drugs!
- A More Abundant Life; part 3 of 7.
- Do you ever H.A.L.T. to help yourself? r...
- I believe in you all...
- The storm will end.
- A More Abundant Life; part 2 of 7.
- April
- Untitled.
- Not What I Was Expecting.
- A More Abundant Life; part 1 of 7.
- Big picture learning.
- The Ebb and Flow of the Moodscope Cards....
- Which 'one' inside us do we feed...frien...
- Give me a break...
- Can you be your own best friend?
- Running for the dungeon.
- Therapeutic Bullying.
- The bubble.
- 10 tips for a healthy life.
- More action, less thought!
- To listen is to heal...
- Driving you crazy.
- Bottling a positive mood.
- Temporarily stranded but never stuck. (2...
- Temporarily stranded but never stuck. (1...
- Decisions.
- The Hunger Games.
- Who needs to hear your heart again?
- Don’t pet the porcupine.
- Hold the vision, trust the process.
- A 'Play'ful approach to mood.
- Say Yes!
- When in Happyland do as the Happy do.
- Is your life 'Out of Order'?
- Touched by the Emotion.
- Are the voices talking to you?
- March
- Don't give up.
- Why smile at a stranger today?
- There's good news and there's bad news.
- A smile wrapped around some lovely wisdo...
- Side effects.
- Pain yet hope inside.
- Giving it up.
- Giving my soul a chance to heal.
- Hello? Anybody there?
- Time to think.
- I Am What I Am.
- Do you ever H.A.L.T. to help yourself?
- What really makes us happy?
- The value of the closed door.
- A means to an end, or making the means t...
- Unafraid of murder!
- 'Arnold'.
- Is your dustbin overflowing?
- The Good Deed Feed.
- Blogging Your Way to Growth...
- Welcome to my world.
- Let Me Ask My Manager.
- Managing your magnet.
- In Praise of Buddies.
- Finding a key to your cage.
- One for the men out there.
- Who Are You Travelling With?
- Grief and the Bank.
- A sense of humour is really important.
- Be a tap not a cup.
- More Blogs Please.
- February
- Flip the biscuit.
- Who inspired you?
- Please don't let me feel misunderstood.
- Feedback.
- Imagine.
- Tea and biscuits anyone?
- EQ before IQ Except After Death.
- I feel.
- Just some thoughts...
- The Emotional Cost of Clutter.
- The need to re-balance.
- Breaking down my emotions.
- The right prescription...
- Walking into the fog.
- Lost in the 'Busyness' of Life.
- A Hopeful Romantic.
- A contradictory enigma.
- There are many more poems written than a...
- Who you are is what makes the difference...
- Help! When did this happen?
- Life is an Inside Job.
- Remember to put the glass down.
- Humans of New York.
- Don't yuck someone else's yum.
- Forewarned is Forearmed.
- Looking for an alternative.
- Playing the excited card.
- Acceptance.
- January
- Walking the Talk in Health.
- A winter picnic.
- Explaining how you feel.
- Felling the Tree.
- Combatting negative thoughts.
- Playing the Ashamed card.
- Make someone smile.
- Instructions for a bad day.
- Living with bipolar.
- Let's talk about endings again.
- Creating your own happy ending.
- How do you handle endings?
- Blooming Monday.
- It's okay to be not okay.
- Untitled.
- Ask a question. Any question!
- Bullying. Don't put up with it. Stop it ...
- Playing the Active card.
- It's January – Let's Diet!
- Please keep an eye out for Wednesday’s e...
- Breathe yourself happier.
- 'Just Do It'.
- Coping when unable to work (Part 3).
- Coping when unable to work (Part 2).
- Coping when unable to work (Part one).
- Mad Dogs and Englishmen...
- Playing the Nervous card.
- Physically Fit, Mentally Ill.
- The Happy diet.
- Don't underestimate the power of languag...
- Self-awareness.
- December
- 2013
- December
- Resolutions and Good Intentions.
- Live a longer and happier life.
- Playing the Upset Card.
- Can we really be comfortable with oursel...
- Draw something, anything!
- You have to be comfortable with discomfo...
- Happy Christmas.
- Merry Christmas Blues.
- Playing The Proud Card.
- Grow where you're planted.
- Improving mood.
- Money.
- Never be indifferent to indifference.
- Black dogs, black cats and dirty great L...
- Who helps you get back up each time you ...
- Playing The Attentive Card.
- I had a black dog, his name was depressi...
- Taking control of your care.
- Taking personal responsibility.
- Post and purrs.
- A simple list.
- Essential Information.
- Playing the Strong Card.
- Negative thinking.
- Who’s That Guru?
- Small things first.
- How are the four rooms in your life?
- Having an 'under the hedge' day.
- Thank your liver.
- Playing the Scared card.
- November
- What path are you on...or are you lost i...
- Mood managing.
- Untitled.
- Appreciating my medication.
- Napping is for life not just for babies!...
- Escape or Escapism.
- Is yours a full and happy life?
- Playing the 'Interested' card.
- Do or do not.
- A sense of humour.
- We've been listening to you...
- I want to be Alone!
- The Safety zone.
- The Enthusiastic card.
- Who are Moodscopers?
- ...look at it.
- What ever happened to the mirror that sh...
- 5 (Essential) Tips for a Mindful Christm...
- Emotional Withdrawal.
- Alive again.
- Irritable – defined as 'Feeling Easily A...
- Cupcake land.
- The gift of rain...
- Mindfulness
- Reflect, don't blame.
- The Futility of "Why?"
- Balance.
- Playing the 'Guilty' Card.
- Each day we have choices.
- Highly sensitive people.
- October
- Go on a mental holiday.
- Snakes and Ladders.
- Soft Time, Flow Time, Lost Time.
- Playing the 'Afraid' Card.
- Victor Frankl.
- One step at a time.
- A Disciplined life.
- APET (Activating agents, pattern matchin...
- Self-Compassion.
- Apple Day.
- Playing the 'Inspired' Card.
- Using Imagery To Explore Thoughts And Fe...
- Be true to yourself.
- Connecting the dots.
- Bring back the boutonnière!
- Mummy: I'm so miserable and I don't know...
- A five-minute wonder.
- Playing the 'Hostile' Card.
- Use your heart as a compass.
- Your blog here.
- Confessions of a 50-year-old.
- Thriftiness.
- Nothing to be Depressed About.
- Ode to October.
- Playing the Alert Card.
- Pattern matching part 3.
- Everything stops for tea.
- Family Matters.
- Pattern matching part 2.
- Grumpy Morning Faces.
- September
- Unblocking Negative Thoughts.
- Playing the 'Distressed' Card.
- Pattern matching part 1.
- Cherokee wisdom.
- Please understand me.
- Activating Agents part 3.
- Time is a great healer, maybe, but there...
- The cold with a sting in the tail.
- Playing the 'Determined' Card.
- Sunday 22nd of September marks the first...
- The Elephant in the Fridge – Revisited.
- The last 4 doctors.
- Chasing Morpheus.
- Letting out the mad.
- It's a goal.
- The art of bathing.
- The elephant and the fridge.
- Activating Agents part 2.
- Playing the "Jittery" Card.
- The 20 Moodscope cards.
- Activating Agents part 1.
- Round Pegs in Square Holes.
- Create something. Anything!
- The Gentle Author.
- The gift.
- What was their name?
- A day to remember.
- Back on the chain-gang...
- Exercise and connection; Two very human ...
- A Lie About Sleep.
- August
- Hi I'm Pete and I'm lonely.
- Let's Go Fly A Kite.
- Fuzzies and Fizzies.
- Is depression illness or injury?
- How Moodscope Improves Your Results with...
- Are you an Eeyore or a Piglet?
- Look Good Feel Better.
- The high road or the low road.
- Write your own self-help book.
- Why exercise should be fun.
- Coming Seventh (Out of Nine).
- The Question of Ownership.
- Plant flowers.
- Taking things to HEART.
- Time's Arrow.
- Wildlife and wellbeing.
- A Beautiful But.
- The line in the sand.
- Doing the right (unpopular) thing.
- Mood boards.
- Flipping the lid.
- Calm as balm...
- I'm all ears.
- I'm all ears.
- Sleep - Switch off to switch off.
- Running on empty.
- You're hired!
- Thank goodness for Moodscope.
- Prozac nation.
- What's your favorite?
- The learning carriage.
- July
- It's not me, it's you.
- Sleep well tonight.
- The holiday challenge.
- Pins and prickles.
- The power of intention.
- Now breath deeply.
- Beating the dragons.
- The missing factor.
- Vincent van Gogh.
- Books to boost your mood.
- That's not my therapist!
- The humble golf ball.
- Try things you think you don't like.
- Parting is such sweet sorrow.
- Press Pause and 'Mind the Gap'.
- Beautiful daily rituals.
- Proud.
- Fake it to make it.
- Keyboards and keypads to the rescue.
- They are my everything.
- The Five Languages of Love.
- Check the Brakes.
- The Voyager.
- Genetic Inheritance.
- Quick, clean up before the Cleaner arriv...
- You can handle more than you imagine.
- The Muppets in your mind.
- Genetic Inheritance.
- Something to chew on.
- Exercise. Not so tough?
- A million years. A million monkeys.
- Talking to the child within.
- June
- How am I feeling?
- Look around.
- I hear what I'm saying.
- Big boys do cry. And that's no bad thing...
- Wild White Cattle of Chillingham.
- Think of a lighthouse.
- Much ado about nothing…
- The invisible illness.
- Hold a poem in your body.
- Google Earth and The Bigger Picture.
- Here's to your left eyebrow!
- Not the sporting type?
- Let it be.
- Let it be.
- Just a note.
- Clothing by mood.
- Practice makes . . .
- Break the self-criticism habit.
- Hug your way to happiness.
- Hello, I am feeling very tired today!
- Not Quite Hell!
- Hopeful about hope.
- Diagnosis – Mad Wife in the Attic!
- To worry or not, that is the question.
- InewsU.
- Knocking the parrot off its perch.
- Awareness of pain.
- Gratitude.
- The monster in the wardrobe.
- Gratitude.
- The Beauty of I Am.
- May
- Hello.
- The Beauty of Imperfection.
- Avoid the news.
- Life as an accomplished marathon runner....
- Turning black thoughts into a different ...
- Holi-hour
- Don't look back in anger...
- Taking Control.
- Purring and wagging.
- Hello, I'm Mary and I'm bi-polar.
- The blue train. Metaphor 3.
- Purring and wagging.
- Managing thoughts. Metaphor 2.
- Looking at things differently. Metaphor1...
- Your flexible friend.
- Tricks with quicksand.
- Knock knock…
- What is happiness anyway?
- Breaking the worrying habit.
- Who can I talk to?
- Smiling inside and out.
- Different strokes for different folks.
- You are what you don't eat.
- Why trying to stop anxious thoughts does...
- Message from the Moodscope Team.
- May our paths cross again soon.
- Mars, one-way please.
- Wear sunscreen.
- Pay attention and get a great return.
- Please do it your way.
- Dr Seuss had it right.
- Sad to say, I'm leaving.
- Who writes this stuff?
- April
- December
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