The Moodscope Blog
20
November
Constant Vigilance! Wednesday November 20, 2019
One of the things I most hate about having bipolar disorder is the way it robs me of my self-awareness.
Yes, I've known something was wrong. You people here knew something was wrong, because I share (nearly) everything with you. My family and friends knew something was wrong.
But it wasn't until my annual check-up at the GP surgery that I realised what it was.
"Hmmm," said the nurse. "I think you need to see the doctor. Can you come back this afternoon?"
No – I couldn't. "Then Monday morning?" This was Friday. Given that GP appointments are about as easy to get as an audience with the Queen, I began to realise she was serious about this.
Then things got even worse.
On Saturday I was sick and shaking before I led my workshop – my favourite workshop: one I've led dozens of times - and exhausted afterwards. On Sunday I had a panic attack in church and had to walk out. The disturbing dreams I'd been having every night got terrifying.
So, first thing on Monday, bright and early, I saw my delightful GP. She smiled at me with genuine warmth and asked how I was – and I burst into tears. Literally in tears on her shoulder – because she's that kind of GP.
And out it all came. At the end of twenty minutes she said, "Let's look at your medication, shall we? Because I don't think the current dose is quite doing the job."
There was a stunned silence from my chair.
You see, after two and a half years on my current medication; having become used to the wonderful effect of "normality", it had never occurred to me that the medication would need changing.
Then I started to do the maths.
Every person who has bipolar disorder has their own pattern. Moodscope is brilliant at enabling us to spot the patterns. And my pattern is to have several small episodes annually, a bigger one every two years and a massive one every four years. When the dose was set, I had just come out of a big one, and I was put on the minimum dose. For two years it has smoothed everything out beautifully. But – I now realise - that dose is not effective against the bigger swings.
When you are taking an effective medication; when you are following a regime that helps you manage your condition; when you take every bit of good advice and see the results; it is very easy to forget that you're still dealing with a dragon, and that the dragon can fight back.
It's not just bipolar disorder; we all deal with the monster of depression.
So, my message to all of you who find the medication works, who do all the right things to manage your condition; don't ever take your eyes off that monster - that dragon – because, believe me, it will never take its eyes off you.
In the words of Professor Moody, Constant Vigilance!
Mary
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
19
November
Go outside Tuesday November 19, 2019
I was watching a programme about wellbeing and it was interviewing couples about exercise. One of the participants said 'I don't understand why people get so het up about exercise. It's simply a matter of going outside and drinking water. Have you found this to be so?
Going outside
Even on my worst days, I always try and get out of the flat. Just a short walk can help change my mood. A couple of years ago, I started to meditate when walking as I found it easier to focus and concentrate on my breath. That provided me with the practise I needed and some kind of routine to fall into when out and about.
Exercise
I haven't been exercising as much as I should but walk to work everyday. It's now built into my routine and takes half an hour. I walk through two parks-and the centre of my city. Before it all appears too idyllic, the parks are beautiful but the high street, usually with the occasional person sleeping rough reeks of urine.
Drinking water
This has proven more difficult to crack. Still finding myself often with a dry mouth, headache and general dehydration. Why oh why don't I remember every half hour to drink a glass of water! I try but instead drink tea by the bucketful. I only drink on special occasions and this has helped enormously with staying well.
In all, I'm well at the moment but often reflect on the basic, small things that help me along and particularly to cope with the bigger issues I face. What small things have you incorporated into your life that help you?
The wee one
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
18
November
Making Your Marvellous Moodscope Mixtape! Monday November 18, 2019
Did you ever make a Mixtape for someone you loved? If you are below a certain age, you may not know what I'm referring to, so let me paint in the background. For most of the Record Industry's history, albums were recorded first onto magnetic tape before being cut to other media such as vinyl. Part of this evolution had a span of years when cassette tape was the most convenient way for folks to do home recording. Many of us would have a cassette-recorder, half the height but similar in size to a shoebox. We'd get this as close to the radio as possible to capture the tunes played by our favourite DJs. Devotion drove this delicate and diligent work!
More importantly, one of the greatest tokens of love you could do for a friend would be to make them their own Mixtape. It took hours and a lot of careful planning. Being such a personalised gift, this thoughtful present could even 'make' a relationship...
The dominance of magnetic tape even influenced some of the ways psychologists described how the brain works. A neurosurgeon called Wilder Penfield made amazing discoveries when he stimulated the temporal lobes of some of his patients. With their consent, he applied electrodes to the exposed brain as a prelude to brain surgery. The outcome was that some of the patients re-lived memories in full multisensory detail. The concept was seized upon in the famous book, "I'm OK – You're OK," to explain that our memories are like tapes which record everything we experience. These tapes influence the way we feel and act even if we do not re-experience the memory in the same vivid detail experienced by Wilder's patients. Something in an external event reminds us of an earlier experience (often unconsciously) and all the associated feelings come flooding back.
Whilst the brain is far more complex than this description, there's an action we can take as if this was true enough: making Mixtapes for ourselves. I know for a fact that I have some horrible recordings in my head and heart! If I make a mistake, the self-loathing statements that come flowing out of my mouth indicate a poor self-image. Those horrible words are simply a recording I've replayed far too many times – coaching myself into a low state. It's time for a new recording!
Affirmations are a powerful way of recording a new and more loving Mixtape for yourself. I've just recorded Martine Bolton talking about the publication of her first book, "Your Thinking is Your Superpower." One of Martine's favourite affirmations comes from Louise Hay, author of much loved works such as, "You Can Heal Your Life." The affirmation is:
"This situation is quickly and easily resolved for the highest good of all concerned." Another is like it, "All is well. Everything is working out for my highest good. Out of this situation only good will come. I am safe."
Not only am I recording and playing new Mixtapes for my faithful brain to play, I'm looking for suggestions! What affirmations would you recommend? Is it time for you to record a loving Mixtape for your mind to play?
Lex
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
17
November
What is Truth? Sunday November 17, 2019
The idea of what truth is
Has mystified many people
Over time.
But there are also strangers
To the truth.
When I discover this
About a person
I will never be able
To trust them again.
Truth is apparently nebulous
It is apparently illusive
Your perceptions of truth
Are not always mine.
This has been a great problem
When building up a relationship
I start wondering
'Is this person telling the truth?
When I question a person's veracity
Then the relationship
Can become marred.
I would love to know
Whether certain people
Are telling the truth
Or 'porky pies.'
My perception of truth
May not necessarily be yours.
Zareen
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
16
November
I never thought I would but I did Saturday November 16, 2019
Please tell me about something you never thought you would, but you did.
It can be trying a new food, going to a place, or doing something adventurous you vowed you never would.
If anyone has read some of my blogs you would know I am hopeless at any sport. To say I was lacking in any team sport skills was an understatement.
At school I was not only last person picked, but often I was never picked and I sat and watched.
I would rather do housework, which I do not like, than play sport.
So fast forward to when I went to study after leaving school. I knew no-one and found this new freedom overwhelming. At orientation day I met this friendly girl who asked me to join a team sports club. I told her about my lack of skills but she said this was the friendliest club that had the best parties and I would meet lots of people.
So I joined and had a miserable year as I was the worst player and never went to any party as club members said you should have been here last year.
It was a very cliquey club.
What did I learn? I learnt to not be swayed by someone telling you to try something you feel uncomfortable with.
That is my story what is yours?
Please feel free to share anything that at one time you thought you never would, but you did.
You may be glad you did what you did and it may have changed your life.
Leah
A Moodscope member
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
15
November
Conversation Friday November 15, 2019
Good morning Moodscopers. I have been taking the antidepressant Sertraline for a few weeks now and I am pleased with how well it has worked for me. I go to sleep with a smile on my face and wake up with a lightness and energy that I haven't felt in a while.
I feel like I'm getting more done, but another good thing is that I feel more conversational. I'm not sure if I'm a bit of an introvert, I do find it hard to start a conversation, but can talk a lot when someone engages with me.
One of the things I love about the Moodscope comments is that they inspire conversation. Those of us who have been members for a while and have come to know some of the regular names, have mini conversations within the comments. People always offer love and support when one of us comments about feeling low.
Another way of sitting in on a lively or interesting conversation is to catch some of the programmes they have on BBC radio 4 in the UK. It was while listening to Midweek with Libby Purves, many years ago now, that I first heard about Moodscope. Jon Cousins was on the programme and it sounded like just what I needed. Libby would have three or four guests who sat around a table and chatted about their field of work, but also life, the universe and everything. I loved it.
Saturday live, with Rev Richard Coles, is also a round table chat and is often amusing too. Chain Reaction was another fascinating programme, where the previous week's interviewee became the next interviewer of someone they admired.
I don't actually listen to the radio all that much, but when I catch a snippet of something while driving, I can listen again on my iPad.
Only recently I met up with a group of people that I don't know all that well, but I felt included and enjoyed my afternoon immensely. Sometimes I see two or three people deep in conversation, but don't feel I can join in. However, with my improved mood, I am trying more to participate and not feel that I am not worthy.
Let's see if you can strike up a conversation today, and if you cannot get out perhaps you can catch something interesting on the radio.
Wishing you all the best.
Another Sally xx
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
14
November
Like father, like son Thursday November 14, 2019
This is a deep as it gets. The Oedipus complex. Does everyone want to murder his dad? At my father's funeral, I was hugely proud of him. As the oldest son, I wanted to honour his legacy. His values were henceforth my values. I would hear nothing bad said about him.
A year later, the bubble was pricked. Someone asked me, "If you had a son, would you want your son to feel the same way about you that you felt about your dad growing up?" The answer was dead certain "No way!" So what was this loyalty all about, wanting to do everything his way? Shortly afterwards I had swung the other way. Everything bad about me was my dad's fault. The truth about my dad was of course not all one or the other, but a synthesis. He was a human.
I had a joyous occasion recently (fast-forward 30 years). We were on holiday. My 19 year old son, who never knew my dad, asked on the last evening if we could go for a walk after dinner. My mind went into overdrive. What had I said? Did he detect problems between me and my wife/his mum? Things can sometimes be fractious. Had he got someone pregnant? None of the above. Instead, we had the most beautiful walk. He said things I could never have said to my father. He said I was the hardest person to speak to about this issue, but he knew I was the one who could help him most.
We could have walked for hours, down the dark lanes, lit only by a phone torch. I was in heaven. I loved being with my son. We were close. Best of all, the spell had been broken. My son had a relationship with me which I never had with my father. Or to quote the film Lawrence of Arabia, "It was not written."
Zenas
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
13
November
Little Things, and Bigger Things Wednesday November 13, 2019
Life's been a bit grim lately, and overwhelming.
I'm rather proud however, of the way I have reacted. It's easy to wallow in the negative feelings and to hold a long, long pity party. And – yes, I will admit I have felt very sorry for myself from time to time; surely that's allowed? But I've also purposely done some positive things and refrained from negative things. And – they have helped, so I'll share them here, because we all have moments when life gets grim. Most of you are dealing with clouds far darker than mine and I humbly accept that. I also accept that some of the things I've done cost money and that money is a challenge for many.
I think the most powerful thing for me was the decision to be positive and move forward. It didn't feel any better at the time, but everything from there has been brighter.
I've always liked Steven Covey's first rule in his Seven Habits of Highly Effective People; "Begin with the end in mind." If you know what you want in the end, it is easier to make decisions based on working towards that end. If you want to be happy you need to work towards that happiness, even if you can only take baby steps.
The first thing is a bit controversial, I suppose. Nobody likes a Moaning Minnie, so I've purposely withdrawn from all but a few close friends. I don't want to spread gloom or to constantly rehearse my litany of woes. Yes, we all need our support network, but sometimes less is more: fewer friends give stronger support.
I've made the time to speak to and spend time with those friends and to purposely listen to their stories. They have their own challenges and triumphs and it's been good to be more involved with them and less with myself.
I've booked another series of sessions with my therapist. This will be painful, I know, but beneficial.
I picked the last roses from the garden and arranged them in my office. Very importantly, I didn't beat myself up about the state of that garden. An untidy and overgrown garden is better for the wildlife anyway!
I made birthday cards for my niece and brother. That was soothing.
I had a little clear-out. Nothing major – I just shifted a few things out of the door, so my office looks clearer.
I visited a cathedral with a friend and bought a CD of organ music – I'm playing it now. I love organ and choral music: rock might be more your thing.
I've burnt my scented candles (except not today as the roses smell so nice).
I gave myself a pedicure; it made me feel that I was honouring myself: giving myself time.
Most important of all, I am giving myself permission not to be perfect.
Big things and little things, but all positive. I'll know they've worked when my Moodscope score returns to "normal".
Mary
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
12
November
'But' Tuesday November 12, 2019
I read Moodscope every day and have done for quite some time now. It has helped me so much through darker times of my depression but also on good days. I could talk about so many things, but I think I would like to mention the topic 'Relationships'. A conversation I had with my mother today, which involved tears and laughter.
So I have been single for seven years now, have two amazing kids, independent person, job, drive, like holidays and meeting up with friends. But there is a 'But'. I often think after unsuccessful dates over the seven years, am I going to be alone forever? Will I meet someone on my wavelength? I'm not abnormal to think this way am I? Surely people aren't all about themselves and selfish for just them.
This year has challenged me in relationships, not just a male companion who yet again wandered out of my life after many promises, but the other relationship I've been hurt by is a long term and this is a 30+ year female friendship whom I have shared lots with, who has sadly departed from our friendship about 4 months ago now. What a blow, I didn't expect it and its really knocked me quite alot. Analysing all our messages, looking at photos, I've questioned the friendship, has it ever been real? I know on my part it was, but never did I think I would question it. So this has knocked my mental health a bit and although it all probably reads a little bit higgledy piggledy I'm sure you understand...
Claire
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
11
November
Shift Happens Monday November 11, 2019
Yes, you heard accurately... shift happens!
This week, my friend Sam shared his experience of being stuck in traffic for nearly three hours only (normally) minutes from home. This was after a long journey of over five hours. Sam said it was the first time he'd ever seen a sign warning drivers to stay in their cars.
How would you respond in such a situation? Would you be honest and acknowledge that you were tired and that the last thing you needed was a three hour delay getting back to your family at home? Or would you, like Sam (who is a Mindset Master), suddenly be overcome with a sense of gratitude that he had avoided what was clearly a horrible accident. If he'd been a few minutes before, he may have been the victim.
In psychological warfare techniques like Neuro Linguistic Programming, this shift of meaning is called 'Reframing'. It literally puts the experience in a new frame that shifts the way we feel about an event.
Relationships really relish reframing. For example, if you and I were to become Mindset Masters, like Sam, we'd ascribe the highest motives to everyone's behaviours. We'd actively choose to imagine (and, yes, it is imagining) the very best of reasons behind everything we experience.
The power of reframing is that it frees us from what I call 'The Tyranny of the Absolute'. Let me explain. If I only have one absolute interpretation of somebody's (usually negative behaviour), I'm stuck. There's no negotiation. There's no room for manoeuvre.
This often happens in well-established relationships where one person 'mind-reads' the reason behind the other person's behaviour. They know them so well, they think they know 'why' somebody did something that made them feel bad, good, or whatever label you want to put on your feelings.
Let's face the facts – this is always mind-reading. We don't know. And since we don't know for sure, how much better it is to cut them some slack and allow space for reconciliation.
Mastery is a long way off for me. I still get annoyed when the computer doesn't do what I desire – and still occasionally blame it as if it was deliberate! I'm hoping that one day, I may grow up and realise any technical problem is not personal! However, I do have an element of wisdom entering into my mind now. It goes, "What if..." and in the gap caused by looking for a positive 'What if' – shift happens.
What examples do you have of re-interpreting events so that they make you feel less frustrated and more empowered or resourceful?
Lex
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
10
November
Granny Sunday November 10, 2019
My beloved Grandmother died five months ago. She was so much more that just another relation. Granny was my North star, my port in a storm, my cheer-leader, my role model. I could carry on but words can never convey her importance in my life and to my psyche.
Despite the fact she had been slowly deteriorating mentally and physically over the last 10 or so years, like an intricate tapestry losing its detail, her ongoing physical presence was reassuring. Still able to listen and give a response that was always helpful, never judging and always spoken from a position of love. Still able to hold my hand and just be with me, especially when I struggled to be with myself.
I feel the pain now, an ache in my heart area. Something that in some ways I have wished to feel over these past months but haven't been able to, the medication that I take for my mood numbing my feelings and of course protected by the initial denial stage of grief itself. I've not known how best to view this. Caught between knowing that the medication is keeping me well or well-ish but less cognitively sharp than I would like to be.
What I do know is that Granny always said that her strength would live on in me and that she would say that I am doing well. My ability to feel will allow me to heal and pass through this stage and that the feelings of loss now are part of the love then.
Knowing that I can, as we all can, become my own cheer-leader and all I need to do today is get to bed time, put my head on the pillow and sleep, tomorrow is another day.
Catherine G
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
9
November
Everything is copy Saturday November 9, 2019
I saw a documentary about the wonderful and talented Nora Ephron, an American journalist, writer, and film maker. She is best known for her romantic comedy films like When Harry Met Sally..., and Sleepless in Seattle.
The Title of the documentary 'Everything is copy' was something Nora's mum who was a writer used to say. Nora did take everything from her life and used it in her writing. Heartburn the movie is based on the breakup of her marriage.
When Nora found out she had leukemia she did not choose to share it with the public and indeed she found not everything is copy. In fact many of her friends only found out how ill she was when they read the death notices.
So maybe even for someone who shared all parts of her private life , even for her, Everything is not copy.
Now in a world, when people reveal what they ate for lunch and their inner most thoughts and feeling on social media every day and sometimes every hour, is everything suitable to be published online or written in a book or talked about a radio or even put in a blog?
I like moodscope blogs because people will share their personal stories with honesty and appear vulnerable.
I must admit I don't often write about my children or my partner as I feel while I can share things about myself, I would respect their privacy unless I have asked them if it is ok. I think in my own life there would be boundaries I would not share here.
I wonder what you think. Do you believe that Everything is copy? Is everything available in one's life or others to be written about and shared with the world?
Do you have boundaries about what you share online or offline?
Do people have the right to use other people's stories or write about family and friends even if they are disguised, whether on FB, Instagram, for TV, movies, books, articles blogs etc, without asking them first?
Leah
A Moodscope member
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
8
November
In the dumps Friday November 8, 2019
Hi all, thought I'd have another attempt at this blog thing since my last 'what it's like being depressed'. I must say I was pretty overwhelmed at the response and it gave me some sense of it don't feel abnormal', however my general mood pretty much is in the dumps and it seems to shift not matter how hard I try as I still feel lost.
Now, this might sound like a 'poor me' cry for help and it probably deep down is as I can't make sense of things and can't pinpoint exactly what is causing these awful 'I'm not worthy' feelings. Not even continuous exercise is helping lift it! Struggling with sarcasm/sarcastic people... how do you deal with it in general? Trying to tackle one thing at a time and to understand whether being depressed is causing me to take things personally...
I wonder...maybe you can share your experiences with me?
Hugo
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
7
November
Privilege, luck, hard work or genetics? Thursday November 7, 2019
I may be pedantic, but twice recently the word 'privilege' has been used on Moodscope in the wrong context. A couple of weeks ago Mary described a family holiday in Wales. The gist was that a disparate group (of tastes, although one family) of wife, husband, two teenage girls, all got something which they saw as a great experience. One reply indicated that only the rich and privileged could afford such a holiday.
I wrote a blog longer ago dwelling on aspects of childhood (my children) in the 1950's and 60's. The gist was that we had acquired a large house (a cheap wreck which we had built on to) and a large garden. Our five kids had room to have friends around, make as much noise as they liked (no neighbours) and have animals. This, too, was described as 'privilege'.
I looked the word up, basically an 'exclusive advantage or right' i.e conferred, not earned.
I have been (favourite occupation) 'dissecting' the people who have come to my nearly stillborn 'Talking shop'. One lady after nearly three hours of conversation made me feel small, in my presumption that everybody had the same chances as me. She has had poor sight from birth. She has never been able to drive a car. I have driven everything I could get my hands on (the faster the sports car the better) since I was 13. I cannot imagine not driving a car.
We have had three days incessant rain. If you had a hospital appointment life would have been hell. Excellent major hospital and polyclinic in nearest big town, 15 minutes by car. But public transport here does not take you where you want to go, taxis reasonable but exorbitant if you have little money. Friends offer, but you don't like to ask when you do not know how long they will have to wait. Charitable organisations non-existent.
I was explaining how I designed my fashionable clothes on dolls, then, great big feet, she could not see intricate design and detail. But she must have acquired, reading large print, her work and listening, a wide grasp of current affairs, as she can converse knowledgeably, But she is very introverted and shy, is one surprised?
Another has had two fairly major strokes, and has returned to near normal. She is lucky, because she and her husband ran the opticians here, taken over by their son. He has four children, so she and her husband saw a lot of them. Their daughter has six children, and lives in Paris, so they have been much called on for grand-parent duties (just behind the Champs-Elysees).
A man I worked closely with on exhibitions has advanced Parkinsons. His tough little wife peeped in my kitchen – much admired. When she left school she worked a sewing machine there, alterations and repairs, with an old wood stove to keep them warm. She had no resentment that I was able to turn it into such an enviable room. So, how do you cope when life gives you a raw deal? I feel chastened by these people.
The Gardener
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
6
November
It's All Too Much! Wednesday November 6, 2019
I've been having nightmares: let me tell you about them! Oh, I know the definition of a boring is someone who insists on telling you their dreams, but bear with me, please.
In the first dream I am running a Colour Analysis Workshop. My clients are lovely but, as I reach for the tools I need, my entire family invade my studio space; bringing with them furniture from the rest of the house, piles of old clothes and even the contents from my childhood dressing up box! I can't find anything under the mountains of stuff and grow increasingly panicked.
In the second dream I am taking an exam which comes in three parts. The first is a written paper. It is hard and I know I got only half the marks. The second is an obstacle course and I get stuck at the first challenge - a vast pit of slimy, sticky mud. The third part is a presentation. I am confident here because I know I am good at speaking. As I step up onto the podium to start, I realise I cannot find my notes. Instead of my clear notes in the folder, there are pages of unrelated materials; all torn and messy. I cannot give my presentation and ignominiously fail the exam.
I don't think we need a degree in psychology or dream analysis to see what is going on here. I feel as if my life is descending into chaos. The joint demands of my business and family – that includes my extended family, for whom I have administrative and financial responsibilities – are overwhelming. I feel inadequately prepared for all the challenges in my life and thus a failure.
On 11th September I wrote about dealing with overwhelm. I wrote about getting everything out of your head and onto paper. I have taken my own advice, but it still seems all too much.
But, what to let go?
"Why don't you give up your business and just be a stay at home mum?" asked my younger daughter yesterday? But I love my business, and we need the money.
"Can't someone else do the family and trust finances?" ask the close friends to whom I have confided. Well, no – not really; nobody else has the skill and a professional costs too much.
And – the family – well – family, you know?
So, for the sake of my mental health, I need to find a way through.
It sounds counter-intuitive, but the first thing I am doing is making time to do some relaxing things. I am spending time making Christmas cards and tomorrow I'm having lunch with my sister.
I'm scheduling, and not beating myself up when the scheduling slips.
I'm committing myself to swimming 500m each morning: it's my mediation time as well as exercise.
And I'm writing it all down here and sharing it with you. It helps me, and I hope it might help some of you, if you too are in overwhelm.
Mary
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
5
November
Trying too hard Tuesday November 5, 2019
I am struggling with a major issue at the moment, I was about to call a close friend whose advice I really value, but I did not. I went for a walk despite the driving rain. Rather than tilt my head downwards to protect myself from the wind and rain, I zipped my rain jacket up to my neck and turned my face towards the sky as I would on a sunny day. Embrace the rain I thought to myself, accept it rather than turning away from it. What is so bad about lovely fresh rain on my skin anyway – actually much better than the drying sun which simply ages it.
With my head tilted to the grey cloudy sky and my stride lengthening, I walked confidently as I embraced the weather conditions as they were, not as I wanted them to be.
After a while, I sat on a bench facing the sea, the rain stopped and the sun was trying its best to break through the heavy cloud cover. I watched the monstrous waves crash and disperse on the shore pulling the pebbles back into the sea before forming and crashing again. Crash and disperse, crash and disperse, each moment completely unique, pebbles thrown around, scattered, bumped, bashed, rearranged.
I watched the waves as I tried to figure out what to do next. The answer wasn't obvious. I was looking too hard. I was looking for the waves to answer my question, but they simply rolled in and out oblivious to my conundrum and needs.
I don't have a solution right now to my present predicament, but the more I search for one, the more elusive it becomes and the more tangled my thinking gets. I go round and round in my spaghetti mind getting more and more frustrated and further away from that which I seek.
The answers come when the questions cease and so I stopped looking for a solution. I stopped trying to make something happen. I stopped trying to figure out the best thing to do. I stopped berating myself for having got to where I am. I stopped being annoyed with myself for not knowing what to do next.
I stopped.
There is no point in my looking outwards for a solution, in looking to others to solve my problems and provide answers. No one knows better than me what is right for me and if I don't know, how on earth can anyone else know?
The best gift I can give to myself is to be able to know what to do when things are tumultuous and that might simply be nothing at all but ride it out. To be the pebble, tossed around and accept where I land. Is it not all this bashing around afterall that smooths and polishes the pebble taking away its hard jagged edges?
The waves were teaching me something afterall, I just didn't know it at the time.
Millie
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
4
November
Emotional Assets Monday November 4, 2019
[To listen to an audio version of this blog please click here: http://bit.ly/2WFQW6d
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One of my favourite quotes is from Maya Angelou. She says,
"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
Doesn't it feel great when someone genuinely asserts, "I love you!"? My favourite, though, is not love, it is belief. When someone says, "I believe in you!" I feel like doing even more 'stuff' for them to believe in!
My mission, nowadays, is to make people feel great in three specific areas:
Faith
Hope
Love.
I'm told the greatest of these is love, but I choose not to tell everyone I meet that I love them! What I do want to do is make sure I leave them feeling loved – or at least valued and respected.
If I can have an encounter with you where I leave you convinced that I believe in you, that's an awesome achievement. Several people have given this gift to me over the years, and it's the main one I love to pass on. People are amazing, and, even more amazingly, they so often don't see this! Helping the scales fall from their eyes so that they can recognise their potential is the best vocation on the planet!
Then there's hope. This is such a precious gift. Again, for me, it's about convincing someone that there is a better, brighter, bigger, and bolder future ahead of them. The way is unlikely to be easy, but the results will be worth it. It's what many people call 'faith' – a belief in the future – but it's really the accurate definition of 'hope'. Faith says, "I believe in you now." Hope says, "I believe you have a bright future."
Of course the older we get, the tougher the hope challenge can be. Let's be fans of realistic hope. I may 'wish' I had the health of a 20-year-old, but that's not realistic. True hope isn't wishful thinking. Rather, true hope is a compelling vision to do with the yet unseen (in the evidential world) and future.
Moodscope is a powerful means to a hopeful future. Those of us who have travelled together for a few years have seen one another survive and even learn to thrive. It's a rocky road with many diversions, valleys, and tough hills to climb... but we've survived so far!
Hope is a vulnerable area for those who are feeling despair – hope's opposite. We can go a long, long way toward helping one another if we can alleviate many of the fears of the future that are the enemies of hope. Our blogs can be a channel of comfort into one another's lives.
Why am I sharing all this? I'm sharing this because I think focusing on how you leave others feeling is a worthwhile and noble way to invest your time and energy.
If we can leave others believing more in themselves, hopeful about the future, and loved, respected, and appreciated – well then, that's a great purpose to pursue.
Let's try it today, and notice what happens. I'm going to make it my goal to leave at least one person more hopeful about their future, confident in their abilities in the present, and loved regardless of their performance.
Lex
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
3
November
Judgement Sunday November 3, 2019
J is for judging people which we all do. Fairly or unfairly. We know only what we see displayed by their behaviour, not the whole of them. Alas. If only we knew...!
U is for usual. It is usual to greet, thank, be civil and praise. If someone fails to do this, does it make them any less human or deserving?
D is for dread. Dread and fear of putting a foot wrong. Some people seem to be looking for you to do this. To pounce and condemn.
G is for generous spirits. They are thankfully everywhere. Kind words heal wounds and nourish the soul.
E is for everyone. Everyone needs love and understanding. Even when they don't behave well. We haven't walked a mile in their shoes.
M is for mercy. Show mercy to the man with the Big Issue, for instance. Alright, so he might be a rogue, but then, he might not be. Give him the benefit of the doubt.
E is for essence. And unique qualities. What is the essence of your being? How do you like to define yourself, in essence?
N is for nurture. Nurture your inner self. Be kind to it, that way, you'll treat others similarly well.
T is for tenacity. Holding on, koko, or keeping on keeping on. Which Moodscopers have in abundance, thank goodness!
(My loose (and by no means definitive!) interpretation of the word "judgement" as an acrostic. Humbly offered. I like acrostics because they get my mind thinking.)
Love
Sally
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
2
November
Mindfulness in town and country Saturday November 2, 2019
I don't know if I've got this right, but mindfulness seems to be about not relying on my mind to work my way out of every anxiety. My mind sometimes works very fast indeed. When my anxiety is up, I can think of reasons for, and reasons against, almost anything I do. Should I do this first? Or that?
Mornings are generally (but not always) worse for my mind racing. I can calm it by taking a short walk before going to work. Observing horses. Hedgerows. Looking to see if I can see the swallows. Admiring the shapes of the trees. Hearing. What can I hear? A snuffle behind the hedge. A distant train. Birdsong. More rustling. Do the horses have a relationship? What can I smell? By this time, my mind has dis-engaged. My other senses are engaged. The problems aren't solved, but the respite is welcome.
In town, I do some alternative mindfulness. Bizarrely, I like buildings. I observe them. I look at the sequence of shapes. The proportions. I count windows or pillars for symmetry. I suddenly notice a decorated stone strip I never saw before. Was it essential? Why did I never notice it before? Are those lines really parallel? Again, I am losing myself in my surroundings. My mind is no longer worrying over problems like a dog worrying over a bone. It is observing, marvelling. The problems aren't solved, but the respite is welcome. Sometimes the respite is all I need. It certainly doesn't do any harm!
Zenas
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
1
November
My Life in Your Hands Friday November 1, 2019
Could you make a better life of my life? I've often wondered how, in different hands, my life might be. Of course I can never know, and neither can you... but would you feel lucky... or short-changed? Would you think you had been hard done by or had a great time? Could you look at me in the mirror and say well done. I don't find that particularly easy to do – in fact it's near impossible.
I could give you a description of me and a bit about my life. Tall-ish, 5 foot 6 and a half (the half is important)... long-ish blonde hair, slim-ish (used to be a 10, now I am a very fat 10 i.e. a 12 – laughingly which I see as a complete failure on my part), young-ish 50 something, with a blossoming very fulfilling self-employment, another half who adores me but also takes the mick, a stepdaughter who seems to really like me, more than a handful of friends and special people that care for me, a crazy home in the Highlands which all our visitors find easy to relax in, and a new dog that is totally gorgeous.
On the surface, I seem like I am successful. But... I am also an orphan (I really miss my parents and particularly hate what would have been my mum's birthday which is also near Christmas, another time I find very difficult for what reason I do not know why), I am a depression survivor, a body dysmorphic since the age of 12 (and people who see me and know me find this very very difficult to understand which makes it all the more bloody isolating), I compare myself CONSTANTLY to others and feel I fall short in most respects.
I'm desperate to change aspects of myself but I also cannot be bothered, which frustrates the hell out of me – I am a Pisces... perhaps that explains it! But don't feel sorry for me. I know I'm an empath, but I'm also blunt, I am a mass of contradictions, I do think I am slightly on some kind of spectrum and I am a complicated person, but in some respects I'm also straightforward. I also giggle uncontrollably and cry occasionally, I find simple things beautiful but sometimes crave for a more glamorous life... yet I know deep down I'm an old hippy at heart.
I spent so long in my life trying to get everyone to like me and now I really don't give a f*ck. Even though I have low self-esteem, I think people that dislike me just don't get me and are missing something. However, I do think that I often would love to say to someone... here you go... make something of my life, make it better, make me happier, make me successful. Isn't it strange? Have you ever felt like this? I'm sure I'm not alone but I'd like to know your thoughts...
Liz
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
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- Does practice make perfect?
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- When You Don't Get What You Want.
- Something's changed
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- Sticks and Stones
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- Madison's Story
- I know where I am going. (No I don't.)
- Simple idea produces a simple blog
- Walking - the new meditation
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- I am not your stress ball.
- Anger
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- A.D.H.D.
- Calming oneself.
- The Middle Way
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- Project ME
- By any other name
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- Melancholy Lane - No Through Road
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- 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!
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- I am an addict...
- This old house
- Sometimes, things take longer.
- It's like riding a bike... How to manage...
- First and Last
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- Action Stations!
- Keys to the Kingdom... of Kindness
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- And without a care in the world
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- 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
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- 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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