The Moodscope Blog
29
January
Part of the Pattern Wednesday January 29, 2020
Every school day now, for the past six years, my daughters - first just the elder and then the younger too - have been leaving the house at 7am and walking down the road to catch the school bus. I used to go with them, but now they prefer to go alone.
Every day we would pass (they now pass) the main bus stop and would see a young man standing there waiting for his 7.05am bus.
We would nod and he would nod, and we would pass by. I think, about year three, we started to say, "Good morning."
Last year my elder daughter left school and started sixth form college, which meant she did not take the school bus, but instead caught the 7.05am bus from the main bus stop; the same bus as the young man. She would nod and he would nod. She would say, "Good morning," and he would say, "Good morning." Then they would both get on the bus and take separate seats without another word.
Last week she bounced in from college, eager to tell me that she had, for the first time, spoken to this young man and had a real conversation!
She had realised she had known him by sight for six years but knew nothing about him. She also realised that, unless she spoke first, they could spend another six years just nodding at each other.
"Mummy, he's lovely!" she said. "His name is Samuel and he's married, and he has a little baby and he works in the science park. He's an absolute G!"
(I had to look that up. It's a slang term – short for "Gangsta" but I think my daughter uses it to mean "Cool". Her favourite teacher is "An absolute G," and he is most definitely not a "Gangsta"!)
I think most of us have people in our lives we see on a regular basis, but to whom we never speak. It a peculiar kind of relationship. We would miss them if we no longer saw them and wonder why they disappeared.
A friend of mine had two Great Pyrenean Mountain dogs – those giant fluffy white things that you could mistake for a polar bear. When one of them died, she found that people stopped her and asked about the missing dog. One person driving past drew up to speak. "I always see you with the two dogs. What's happened to the other one?" My friend found that she was a part of the pattern in other people's lives.
I suppose I am a part of the pattern in your life. I drop into your in-box on a Wednesday and – although most of you have never met me and do not know me – you care. I am part of your pattern and you might miss me if I were not here.
And you too are a part of the pattern in the lives of more people than you know.
Mary
A Moodscope member.
28
January
Still feeling lost... Tuesday January 28, 2020
It's been a while since my last blog. I've been away on holiday. Now you all probably think, wow that's great! But you know what, I found it quite stressful and a big reason for this is I spent a lot of the time with my partners family abroad... they are great but I'm overwhelmed with it all as I'm not fluent with the language and can't really communicate that well, I just sit and watch and my mind wonders to the negative as to what is being said.
I don't know how to relax about it all, it just seems hard work trying to fit in... well it's all in my head! On top of that since starting a new position at work, suddenly a much higher position has come around in the team and I feel it's created competition to the point where people are trying their best to stand out and just making things awkward. Also being away for 10 days and coming back, a lot has changed so it seems like I've been a little left behind.
Can't stand the way my mood changes quickly from day to day, I just can't explain it. I can be okay with things in general one minute and then something small can easily upset me and then it seems I can go into a spiral of self doubt, worry and general depression.
Will I ever feel like myself again or even normal...
Hope you are all well.
Hugo
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
27
January
Where's Lex? Monday January 27, 2020
No! I'm not your new Monday morning blogger. No one can replace Lex long term. Maybe we can put up with a few weeks but our souls will start to wilt and we will suffer from No Lex syndrome. NLS.
We all say things we regret and sometimes I have said things which I haven't had a clue at the time had hurt someone.
We are only human after all.
The problem with writing a possibly inflammatory or hurtful comment on Moodscope and I have written them myself in the past, is that we don't really know the person we are directing our comment to.
This of course happens with Twitter. It's so easy to sound off on Twitter to an anonymous person or someone we think we know from their celebrity status or whom we've read about in the media.
But our comments can hurt. Sounding off at someone might fill a need in us and I am constantly criticising people to my OH. Of course, I remind him that just as we take a swipe at someone, at the very same time, they're probably taking one at us.
We think we know someone whom we've never met! How daft is that. We think we can tell from what they write that we don't like them but that just isn't logical.
I have made mistakes on Moodscope in the past and often (or maybe only sometimes) I am terribly tempted to write a sarcastic comment even now. However, I try not to as
A) I hate the repercussions and am a coward when it comes to reading what people have written in reply and
B) I must not make a personal comment or even an impersonal comment which implies I know that person deep down and I must be right. Because I don't and I am not.
I totally understand the need for others to criticise. It's human nature and the critical person might actually think they are being helpful.
I for one am very sorry Lex isn't writing for us. I liked what he said and although sometimes it wasn't for me, more often than not I took something from his words. And definitely his replies to my comments always cheered me up.
So when you are ready Lex, please come back! I don't like this NLS. And also I am not you. I don't belong on a Monday blog. You are Mondays for me. It makes Sunday evening worth enjoying! And Monday morning a good place to be.
Baby Come Back!
Jul
A Moodscope Member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
26
January
My box saga Sunday January 26, 2020
As some of you know I use boxes. This is about my newest box.
I am having art therapy. My aim is to become more self caring.
For me it is very helpful to use images combined with a therapist who observes and asks questions. But... it is very expensive, so we agreed I should start reducing my visits. I came up with the idea of a maintenance manual and out of that came my latest box.
In it I have put things that may help keep myself in balance. I try to use it regularly. I've written actions on lolly sticks and I draw one each day. I try to carry out the task. It maybe dance, so I jig round the kitchen; write, paper and pen from the box; draw, crayons there ready. So far it is helping. I go away next week and my box goes with me.
What might you put in a box to help?
You know what I don't have chocolate! Hmmm, Can I express myself in chocolate?
Dido
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
25
January
Regression therapy Saturday January 25, 2020
It is time for me to check in with myself and sort out what's been ruminating around my head for the last few months, that and depression knocking at my door, trying to find room in my headspace again and push the blackness back in, as I push my foot in the door and try to stop it gaining entry.
So I made a decision to go back to therapy, but to find a new therapist. I did really like the last one, but didn't feel challenged enough, maybe that's my personality. I tend to like intellectual rigour and I felt I was just doing an emotional brain dump - which did work after my parents died, I felt as if I just needed to vent my upset and disgust at a life which seemingly had treated me so badly - but I need a bit more now.
So now I'm on a journey with another therapist, he's a man, which is different for me. He does clinical supervision and seems to like explaining things... but he's pricey which is a little more difficult, as it means I'll probably do a month and then have to cut it down quite dramatically. He also does hypnotherapy, as part of the armoury for treatment... so today is the first day I'll be hypnotised to try and look back at the reasons why I only fall in love with a certain type of man, the one who is as he put it a 'Byron type'...
It's the thing that's upsetting me the most at the moment. I spent about four years staying single, I was happy in the last few years, I'd manage to control the grief of my parents dying and the fact I was truly alone and in the words of the Moodscope test, I felt extremely Strong and Proud (both 3).
Then I fell in love, with obviously Lord Byron (apparently a jungian archetype, although needs more research), the great love I had always sought landed in my lap. It was fast and lovely and deep and amazing, so connected and delightful, we loved each other intensely... and then it unravelled, mostly when I kicked back and wasn't the 'in love' passive lovely girl any more. I became the slightly more difficult woman, who's needs weren't being met and I articulated it, gently then with more voice... THE END was nigh, the damage was done, the ghosting, the selfishness (both mine and his) and my childhood came back and I reverted.
So now I'm back in therapy working out why the damage from my schizophrenic mother and loving, but slightly controlling father, still affect and help me to damage myself (or save myself) who knows... So with a sense of trepidation I'm trying to stay calm and walk into hypnotherapy. I know it's not going to give immediate answers and I know it's just a tool in the psychotherapists bag of tricks. I wonder if anyone else has had hypnotherapy as part of their treatment? I know it's personal, but wondered if you felt it helped in anyway? I was also considering talking to him about Carbohydrates whilst I was under, see if I could get value for money :-)
Andrea
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
24
January
Young Dog, Old Tricks Friday January 24, 2020
My step son "M' – let's call him 'M' because it sounds more James Bond-like, doesn't it? – my step son 'M' won't change the toilet-roll. Not, "Can't," but, "Won't."
I find this irritating. He's nearly 30 and will, almost without fail, leave the toilet-roll holder empty when he's consumed the last resource! The replacement is on a spike less than two feet away from the holder. Does the spike have his name on it?
Am I wrong to find this irritating? After all, one of Moodscope's 20 cards is 'Irritable'.
What is definitely wrong is my attitude and desired response. I can be quite sarcastic. I want to give him a training session in how to change the toilet-roll... but I know that he knows full well how to do it. He just expects the toilet-fairy to do it. Clearly, I am Tabitha, the Toilet-Fairy!
I hold my tongue instead of biting him.
I'm not really sure what's happening to me at the moment. I'm not hearing voices. I don't believe in channelling. But I'm picking up thoughts.
Bathed in irritation, I sat down and the thought came: "Look around the room and notice the objects that are red."
"Now, notice what is green. Are there more green objects than red? Or is it the other way around?"
Two colours were enough for me to get the point. The thought 'said', "You are choosing to use selective attention."
"Yes," I responded.
"Do 'M's virtues outweigh his vices?"
"Yes," I answered.
"Then choose to pay selective attention to his strengths, his gifts, his character, his virtues!"
Result? Irritation evaporated. It's a toilet-roll, for goodness sake!
End of blog? No.
I then realised that the irritation was within me – not 'because' of what M was doing or not doing. The irritation in me was looking for a target – a reason to express itself. Now that I know where the real problem lies, I've changed... and M has noticed.
Who knows, he might even put a fresh toilet-roll on the dispenser without having to be nagged.
Even young dogs can learn new tricks 'cos this old dog certainly has.
Tabitha
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
23
January
Medication Thursday January 23, 2020
When I first went on medication, I remember the moment. Sitting in a café, carefully reading through all the disclaimers, wondering if this was a moment of no return as I popped my first pill.
Would they make any difference?
Four years on, I still don't know. Each time I tell the doctor I want to come off them, he/she (there have been several) cautions me against it. Certainly, they say, do not try it in the run up to winter.
I am now much more open about my feelings. But trust them? Personally, I cannot let them have the final word.
When I was considering getting married 20 years ago, I fought tooth and nail against the commitment. It was only friends who helped me see my irrationality. Having proposed, and been accepted, I have never looked back and consider myself the luckiest man in the world. She is one in a million.
When I thought I should carry on with work and refuse help, friends gently said I was making a mistake. When I thought I was not nearly well enough to return to work, the doctor gently said that it would be a key part of my rehabilitation, so long as it was a staged return. I trusted him and he was right.
So can I trust my feelings? Not entirely. I have learnt to be more open, but I have learnt it is not wise to base all my decisions on them alone.
Zenas
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
22
January
It Shouldn't Be This Way! Wednesday January 22, 2020
Sometime in the autumn term, my daughter was invited to take part in a university outreach scheme.
We all assumed this would be a visit to the university with a taster lecture and tutorial session.
It turned out to be rather more than that. She was given a scientific topic (science is her least favourite subject), required to research it, and submit a 2,000-word essay.
The timings were strict but badly communicated, so she was not aware of the correct deadline; neither had she assimilated that points would be deducted for late submission.
Last Monday night, when we realised the essay was due by midnight at the latest, and that it had not been even started was – shall we say – tense.
There was no point in being angry with my daughter. We could neither contact the school nor the university: there was nothing to be done – except provide comfort and a hug.
My own reaction was extreme: I felt I had failed. I had failed to investigate the scheme thoroughly before we agreed to her participation; I had failed to ascertain what work needed to be done and the dates by which it needed to be submitted; I had failed to encourage her to do the work; I had failed to support her as a good mother should. I had failed.
I was desolate. I was more upset than she was!
Fortunately, I saw my therapist that week and she helped me see things in a more balanced light; I was not responsible for the entire mess.
More than that, she helped me address the "It shouldn't be this way!"
The "right" way, of course, is that all communications are clear and precise; all instructions followed exactly and competently with a cheerful heart; all submissions are made fully, on time and (naturally) top marks are obtained.
Oh, what a lovely fantasy that is!
Have you watched the film Forrest Gump? Forrest brings a simplicity to life because he accepts everything as it is without passing judgement on it. It doesn't mean he is not capable of being deeply hurt, but that he doesn't resist the hurt. He can let go and move on.
It's okay to be disappointed that things didn't turn out the way they "should", but that was just a fantasy. Once I brought that fantasy into focus, I could laugh, because life simply isn't like that!
The next day the three of us talked. We agreed that, given her dislike of the subject and the necessity to give priority to her school-work, it would be better for her to withdraw from the scheme.
The world did not end, and her teacher is not angry. It was all a storm in a teacup.
We all have fantasies about the way things "should" be. Most of them shatter when they collide with reality – because they are unrealistic.
Of course, we can aspire to perfection, but – let's get real – it's never going to happen.
Mary
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
21
January
Life with CPTSD Tuesday January 21, 2020
My sleep is broken, I come to consciousness each time with clenched fists, a racing heart, and gasping for breath. My panic morphs the darkness in to terrible threats that I must escape.
Deep breathing, I calm myself as I plan my strategy to reach the kitchen. I must not wake anyone, so I move slowly in the dark, subjugating my need for light, to escape the formless terror, trading it for silence and solitude at my goal.
I greet the faint dawn light of the landing window with some relief, but the fear has seized my spine, and so to descend the stairs safely I shuffle sideways, wincing with each step, and with each creak of the tread. I reach the bottom and I release the breath I didn't realise I had dammed up.
In to the kitchen, I weigh up which light to flip on. Both could wake a sleeper in the next room. I'm frozen with indecision, I don't know how long I stand there.
Finding no answers I opt for a small light, closest to me, and fumble for the kettle. Can I risk filling it? Should I fill one cup as it uses less energy, or fill more so that the next person doesn't need to fill it, and it will still be warm? What would a good person do?
Again immobile, my mind whirling with fear and helplessness, I can move only when the ticking clock finds me and returns me.
I flick the kettle's switch without adding more water, the fear making the decision impossible. I stand again waiting, the boiling of the kettle making my heart race, and I cover my ears with my hands. I start to pace. Maybe I shouldn't have a hot drink, it's all too much to bear. And yet, the promise of the warmth and comfort of the hot cup in my hands drives me forward.
I watch the kettle's switch finally click off, and remove my hands from my ears. I'm so nearly there. I just have to spoon the granules in to the cup, but the chink of the spoon on glass catapults me away from the now.
Moving as an automata, I pour the hot water, and add milk, leaning hard on the knowledge that the shape and feel of the warm cup in my hands will ground me. The heat and taste will assure me that I am, in those few future moments, safe.
I take my cup and head for sanctuary, but glare of the kitchen light calls me back, rooting me to the spot while my mind weighs up whether I can switch it off. I can't leave it on. I can't turn it off. My drink is warm in my hands, but it is not enough to break through the barrier, nor to ease my distress.
Nothing is enough. And yet, I persevere. I persist. I jab at the light switch, action hopefully serving me better than inaction.
I find the sofa in the half light, and slump down, hugging my cup to me. I sip. The warmth permeates, and for a fleeting moment there is nothing other; no fear, no irrationality, no anxiety.
There will be more decisions, more terrifying indecision, more demons dogging my steps to delude me. But, for now, I am alone, it is quiet, I am safe.
Robyn
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
20
January
"These Boots are Made for Walking..." Monday January 20, 2020
I know that because I am so tired most of the time and lack self confidence as a result, I allow people to walk all over me.
When I sleep well, I am much stronger mentally.
So I think over the years, some people close to me have got used to seeing me as a push over, albeit someone who will always try to help and to go to if help is needed, but someone who will take whatever life throws at her on the chin without speaking out in her defence, someone who is ready to blame her own behaviour for the bad behaviour in others.
Now this may seem a very negative picture of myself.
But this is how others see me or rather they must do. Not many I hasten to add but those who really do take advantage of me now and have done so in the past.
When I've slept I feel angry at how defenceless I have become and tell myself this mustn't continue but then I'll have a bad spell of insomnia and am back to square one.
I try to make others' lives easy and make allowances for their behaviour towards me. I know deep down that they are the weak ones but how can I show them without a terrible fall out?
It's a new year. I wonder if I'll be strong enough not to take anymore nonsense from those who choose to bully me. We shall see!
"... and one of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you"!!
Does anyone recognise themselves in my description of myself?
Jul
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
19
January
Free resources... Sunday January 19, 2020
Each experience is our own. Even those shared are not interpreted in the same way. The TINIEST of differences in how we perceive and react to things HUGELY influences how we feel. It fascinates me how something that does not bother one person, can be a major source of agitation for another.
A long 'to do list' might cause panic in one mind yet give comfort of being occupied in another.
The simplest of things can trigger my sudden sensation of feeling completely overwhelmed. It's like a heavy blanket falling out of the sky, dropping down on me closing out the light, the oxygen and the hope of me ever lifting it off. I do lift it off eventually and carry on mostly.
For me, good quality sleep, drinking plenty of water and even the gentlest of exercise, are my "free go to healing tools". They don't fix everything immediately and life can hinder your access to them, but like Moodscope and this amazing community they are always there to tap into.
Jo
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
18
January
A strategy for those tougher days... Saturday January 18, 2020
I have struggled with the ups and downs of my moods for many years. In the past, when things got really tough, I just tried struggling even harder to keep afloat.
The problem with this approach was that no amount of courage and determination seemed to break the grip of depression. Early morning runs, cold showers, endless meditation - none of this really made a difference. If truth be told, they all served to make me feel more miserable and defeated.
So I have now adopted a new strategy - I try and treat myself to a short bout of depression. I give myself permission to retreat to a dedicated comfy room where I will not be disturbed. Here I stock some of my favourite (unhealthy) food from the supermarket, light endless candles, listen to preselected music playlists and watch box sets.
Don't get me wrong, this approach does not take away the pain of depression. However, in a strange way I feel I can enjoy retreating into this safe space at least for a while.
So what are some of those special things that you would fill your own safe space with? Can you allow yourself time to appreciate them in those tougher times?
Nick
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
17
January
Detox Time Friday January 17, 2020
I think it's time for a detox and not just alcohol. I've read with interest about toxic people and how you can identify their behaviour. Eliminating toxins sounds quite harsh when you talk about people but can you recognise any of these... I've had some in my life and some I can't quite get rid of.
The family member that can never quite be happy for your successes and makes you feel like you are stuck right back "there" (the there where you don't want to be any more). You can go back into the mode that you were and it's almost what they expect from you so either wittingly or unwittingly, you find yourself reverting to type... the type they expect from you even though you know you are doing it.
You unsettle them because you change and they can't cope with the change so if they are really awful, they find your "Achilles heel" and they go for it. I'm one of the most defensive people on the planet because all I ever had for a while was myself to defend myself.
I was talked over as a young girl at the family dinner table. The men were more important and what they had to say and football was the order of the day. Perhaps that's why I hate football talk and the Grandstand theme to this day. I remember at a dinner party being asked by a stranger what I did and when I replied that I was a secretary his eyes glazed over and he proceeded to talk over my head to the bloke next to me!!
I remember the friend who said "Oh are you still a secretary" and berating me because I hadn't at that time managed to get out of that role... (the one who got gifted a house by her parents and then married a rich man and dropped out of training to be a chartered accountant – she got the certified instead – as she thought she was entitled to a life of ease!). Another friend who was gifted a house (again!) and her stock phrase was "It's alright for some"...!!
You know how I ended up realising it – I asked myself how I felt after I'd seen them. Always sh*t about my life, feeling sorry for myself, feeling small, worthless and envying them for what they had rather than realising what I did have myself that they would never have. Those people never want to give you a leg up if you are falling... they want you down there, not successful, not growing. So I said yes to a detox and the friendships gladly went to the wall. They may have changed or maybe not, but I have and I won't put up with it any more.
What do you want to detox from your life? Have you done it and how did you feel? Are you still wanting to do it? Have you identified the toxins? Remember this. YOU DESERVE BETTER.
Liz
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
16
January
Life stinks. And then you die. Thursday January 16, 2020
I have written some graphic things in my journal. It can seem like navel-gazing, but actually I have found it helpful.
Sometimes, as guided by my counsellor, I write out numbered fears. Then I counter them with a series of facts. This is sometimes called 'challenging'; confronting bad ways of thinking with some truths/alternative ways of thinking. I suspect this will be familiar to those who have had CBT – Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Most days, this works. Not all, but most days.
My journal also helps me gain perspective. Does life seem particularly bad this week? Skip back 3 months, 6 months, one year, and what do I find? I was in a really bad place "back then", and guess what? I came through it. Wasn't I negative back then? Somehow I feel better about my supposed problems now. I am actually behaving roughly normally. I just have a tendency to be negative. And that is OK.
Zenas
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
15
January
Accepting Help Wednesday January 15, 2020
A couple of weeks ago my sister in law broke her ankle.
Naturally, we were all very sorry for her. I empathised particularly: some of you may remember that I broke my ankle in February 2016; I would not wish it on anyone.
I texted my brother. Not my sister-in-law, because I remembered all too well how completely out of it on painkillers I was when I was in her position, but my brother; I knew he would be picking up the pieces.
"Tell me how I can help!" I said. "Can I cook some meals for you and bring them round? Do you need the children taken anywhere?"
He was grateful for my offer of help and asked me if I would pick up his daughter from the school bus one evening when he had a meeting and couldn't get back. In the end, he did get back in time and so my taxi service was not required. I felt almost disappointed: I would have liked to have helped.
They were inundated with offers of help. We humans are hardwired to offer help when disaster strikes – even for such a minor disaster as a broken ankle. (Just saying – when you're lying on the sofa with your leg elevated, unable to do more than use your crutches to get to the toilet – it doesn't seem so minor!)
When disaster strikes, we are automatically prompted to help; it's as if we're hardwired to do so. We really want to help and are distressed when it seems there is nothing we can do. So many of us are upset that we can do nothing for the victims of the fires in Australia. We are too far away to do anything but send money and prayers, and that hurts us deep inside.
When we have more long-term challenges, offers of help may be less forthcoming but they are still there, especially if we ask.
How do we react when we are the ones in need and others offer help?
I suggest that we are reluctant to take up those offers. We don't want to put anybody out. We don't want to be a nuisance. We do not want to appear "needy".
Yet, if we can offer help, we are hurt when that help is refused.
Community is based on give and take. It makes us feel good when we can give but we should also practice being gracious receivers as well as generous givers. We should practise asking for help.
In the depths of depression, in the belly of the great grey beast, we may not even be able to formulate that cry for help: everything is numb; we cannot even think of anything that could help.
So, the time to ask is when we are well – knowing (sadly) we will be ill again. Let people know what they can do for us when we are ill.
We would do it for others; let them do it for us.
Mary
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
14
January
Self-return Tuesday January 14, 2020
A couple of years ago, we installed a self-issue machine in the library – it allows our readers to return their own books – and it made me think of something...
In 2010, I lost the sight in my left eye.
In 2013, I lost my sight almost completely.
I am one of the lucky ones; because I have relapsing-remitting MS, my sight came back, or at least to what is described as 'near-normal'.
For every relapse there is nerve damage that will never recover. It may be minor damage and functions may return to 'near-normal' but when I'm fatigued or the weather is hot or humid my vision can fog. My eyes take longer to adjust to different levels of light, and brightness is particularly painful. They also do an amazing dance when I try to track anything that moves to the left.
Reading takes more time than it used to, and I find it more difficult to take in information through my eyes; bad photographs on small phone screens, disentangling all the sights in a busy place, or being in a room with more than a couple of faces at a time, for example.
When I lost my sight, I also lost the use of my right side.
As a reader, a walker/cyclist and a very independent introvert, I didn't know what to do with myself – I couldn't entertain myself with books, I couldn't escape the house, I needed other people to help me with tasks as basic as cleaning my teeth.
I had to ask for help and let other people in, I had to be patient, I had to spend time with myself, to sit and face myself without distraction and confront my own inner world.
It was terrifying.
But I noticed something important.
When I slowed down, I became calmer and more sanguine, more accepting and more able to respond rationally and reasonably to what happened around me.
As I recovered and returned to a not-so-near-normal life, everything became busier again and the rushing came back. And so did the inner critic, the irrational responses, and the inability to sit still and allow the thoughts to settle. Meditation helps, but it's the slowing down of life that made the difference.
Today, I have forgotten to bring my phone to work so I won't be able to listen to Radio 3 during my breaks or a meditation or text friends. I will have to sit with myself.
Very timely, given how active my inner critic has been lately.
The Librarian
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
13
January
Your Moodscope Monday January 13, 2020
Here's a physical challenge. Fret not, it won't require muscle strength, just mind strength. Moreover, the blog is not ruined if you don't have a go. It's just fun.
You'll need six sticks of equal length.
I use pencils, or pens, or chopsticks, knitting needles – but anything will work, even knives (blunt ones!)
Lay out three of the 'sticks' so that they form a triangle with equal length sides.
Now, I promise you it is possible to use the other three 'sticks' to add three further triangles of equal size. Yes, you will end up with four triangles of equal dimensions to the first triangle. I did not solve this problem, though I was wowed by its solution.
...more on this later.
The message is about four triangles. These represent how Moodscope can become an ever more significant source of strength in your life.
The first triangle I call "Connection". You can strengthen your experience by strengthening your connection in three ways.
Firstly, the frequency of interaction with the 'test'. The more you do it, the more you're connected to the benefits.
Secondly, the depth of commitment to the system – the paid for version gives you more data, and data shared and interpreted can bring you a breakthrough.
Thirdly, your engagement with the blog. You don't have to write one – it's not for everyone – but you can share it and comment. It's easy and it makes it 'yours'.
SPOILER ALERT
How did you get on with your six sticks and four triangles?
The only way to solve it is with higher thinking – you have to build up. In other words, you make a tetrahedron with the other three sticks – a pyramid with a triangular base. Clever, isn't it? I wish I was that clever.
Whatever happens next in the world, we are all going to have to create more options with less resources. Six sticks can make four equally-sized triangles. I was SO moved by Leah's blog, and she has inspired the naming of the other three triangles:
Contribution
Collaboration
And
Currency
Let's deal with 'currency' first. Moodscope will only remain a part of your life if you get something from it – not cash perhaps but a pay-off in other ways. It's got to 'work' for you. I believe 'connection' is a currency. I have an ever-stronger sense of connection with you, my tribe. This keeps me going and builds me up.
Two other 'pay-offs' are the currencies of confidence and competence. Writing the blogs and commenting on others' blogs has boosted my confidence. Learning from your blogs has boosted my competence. Moodscope, for me, is an enriching experience. Thank you.
Collaboration – the next side of the tetrahedron – is a side I'd like to see more of, and it connects with Contribution too. Mental Health issues are everywhere once you know what to look for and what to say. We need to know what to look for and what to say. Guess what my next blogs will be on!
My point is that I want to become an ambassador for Moodscope – to represent 'us'. At a business networking meeting last Friday, I got talking to a Banker who was running a wellness day at Barclays Eagle Lab next Wednesday. I gave him a card with Moodscope's details on and he said, "Oh, do you do presentations?"
Guess what I'm planning to do!
I want to 'get' more from Moodscope by 'giving' more to Moodscope and 'getting' out there. If you're interested in this too – making Moodscope more 'Your Moodscope' – let's have a discussion here and think about how we could get the right tools to do this good work.
Lex
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
12
January
My 'Happy box' and my 'box of Burdens' Sunday January 12, 2020
I have a 'happy box' where I keep physical mementos from people who are and were vital in my life. That's the easy part. Recently I have struggled to find a way to 'contain' my fears, sadness and other burdens that seem to be increasing in my life, especially now that my family and I are getting older.
For many years I have had my 'Happy Box' on a shelf in my closet. It's a real box which originally held greeting cards. Inside I put special birthday cards, photos of family and other significant people in my life. I also have the last letters from my twin sister, before she passed away in 1982. I often open the box and can physically touch and see the photos, read the cards and letters. They are happy souvenirs and I cherish them.
Recently I have been feeling triggered by sad events. My mind goes over these sad thoughts, over and over again, and it is difficult for me literally 'put them aside'. So I thought about my 'happy box' and decided to create my 'box of burdens'. I found an old metal box and I put a post-it labeled 'my box of burdens' on the top. I have since written on a piece of paper the events that are triggering my fears and sadness and folded it in the box.
Now I can keep both my 'happy box' and my 'box of burdens' on the shelf and I really feel more balanced, calm and serene. I can open each box and add items to each of them. More importantly I can CLOSE the boxes and remember that every feeling now has its 'home'.
What's in your 'happy box' and your 'box of burdens'?
Christine
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
11
January
What's in a name? Saturday January 11, 2020
I have a black dog. Well, she has some white on her, too, but her predominant colour is black. She is kind, funny, protective and a constant companion that greets me with a smile. Tessa came to me when her previous family admitted they didn't have the time to train her or give her the affection she needs and I am so grateful to them for having the strength to do this. My life is richer for her presence.
Whenever I hear someone speak of their black dog, I wonder if they also have a Border Collie that brings them joy and then I realise that they speak of a different black dog... a black dog that follows them around and sucks the joy from their lives. How can this be? Is it not like claiming that a black cat is unlucky? Even when the evidence proves the lie? Is this a sign that we, as humans, try to hide something that we find uncomfortable to discuss?
These days, there is still a stigma attached to confessing (as if it is a dirty secret) mental illness. Depression; anxiety and PTSD are all too often whispered in conversation. We seek answers from distant friends or social media and seldom share the information with others.
We don't hide the fact that we need glasses to read, or a cane to walk, so why the stigma attached to mental illness? Why fight against treatment, be this medication or therapy, for a mental disorder? These are the very things that can help us best. A good therapist can help you make sense of the monsters that visit at night. A good doctor can identify a missing chemical and help provide relief (and release) in the form of medication.
Mental illness can't be cured, just as a gimp leg can't be cured. We learn to live with it and work around it. Perhaps it is time to see mental illness in the same way.
My name is Cyndi and I have PTSD.
Cyndi
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
10
January
Our glorious natural world Friday January 10, 2020
Nature was my rescue boat – it always has been. I hadn't realised just how much of a lifeline it threw me until it felt out of reach. Having that thing you do when you are worried, anxious or upset, that thing that without even noticing or trying, brings a sense of peace and focuses you on the present, that seems to me a vital ingredient for mental health. For some people that's running through the mud, sexy salsa dancing or yarn bombing their local lamppost. For me it was forests.
I've always loved being among trees, that feeling of walking in an old place, full of a sense of magic and the quiet rustling of leaves. I was always trying to work out where that squirrel just disappeared to or what kind of bird was making that odd noise. Then a year ago I was badly bitten by a dog and suddenly that all stopped. The walking was replaced with chronic pain, hospital appointments and at 35, a walking stick, and an uncertain future. Depression quickly followed digging its claws deep into me. Perhaps it was always lying dormant, kept only at bay by my "forest bathing" but it's here now and so much worse that the scars left by the dog.
I tried to find something else to release the stress - but banned from all physical exercise by my doctors nothing seemed to cut it. I tried reading more, baking bread, joining a choir, seeing friends – all those things people generally suggest but I remained flat and broken, raw on the inside from the sense of loss.
And then it hit me – having a fall back for your stressbuster is a great idea, but why not adapt what you love instead. So one day I switched from focusing on what was now impossible to a new possible. Taking my car I drove through the countryside – I had no plan, no route or direction but just being out of the house and seeing the trees was the first dose of my natural medicine. Tentative hobbled steps followed: finding woods with car parks where I could just get out and sit in the trees, getting to know all the benches in my local park, RSPB reserves with cafes overlooking water and finding nature in the urban – bird feeders bring the forest to me when the pain is too much. Of course there are days I still shed tears for my missed long walks through a forest but I can breathe better knowing I've new ways to get my nature hit now.
So my advice to you – try a daily dose of our glorious natural world and if you think you are loosing something maybe it's a chance to rediscover it another way. You are stronger and more resilient than you think.
Steffi
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
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Blog Archive
- 2020
- March
- We are the nicest people
- Sobriety
- Real-life heroes
- Only Connect
- It's Getting Real – and I'm Still Reelin...
- Don't panic, don't panic!
- Waiting for Collection
- To brighten your day
- Now you see it
- There are ALWAYS helpers
- Uncertainty
- The Map is Not the Territory
- It just takes time
- What are you borrowing from the future?
- Filling The Void
- The kindness crème
- Hiding
- Being sensitive
- This Year, Next Year, Sometime Never...
- Clucky friends
- Rise and Shine!
- Not what I expected...
- Too much knowledge
- Sharing
- Rabid dog chasing its own tail in my hea...
- The Value of Silence
- Time to write a piece for Moodscope?
- Lightning Strikes
- February
- A Blank Question Paper
- This Modern World
- Bullying
- Slippery Slope
- I've Got a Little List
- What have they scored Miss Ford?*
- Look How Far
- What brings you joy?
- Are you a member of the early morning cl...
- Stars can't shine without darkness...
- Che Sera Sera
- The Power of Hugs
- Attempted burglary
- Tom Cat
- Wandering
- Love...
- Judging without facts
- Get off my land!
- Imagined Dragons
- Are you struggling? I am...
- "I'm Broken... Please, Don't Fix Me!"
- Pebbles and Rocks
- Forgiving the Crumpet Thief
- Achievements
- The Big Issue
- Icebergs
- Self worth
- Our Space
- The power of positive feedback.
- The Big Issue
- Test
- January
- My Wallet is locked in my Fridge...
- Difficult times
- I've come a long way!
- Part of the Pattern
- Still feeling lost...
- Where's Lex?
- My box saga
- Regression therapy
- Young Dog, Old Tricks
- Medication
- It Shouldn't Be This Way!
- Life with CPTSD
- "These Boots are Made for Walking..."
- Free resources...
- A strategy for those tougher days...
- Detox Time
- Life stinks. And then you die.
- Accepting Help
- Self-return
- Your Moodscope
- My 'Happy box' and my 'box of Burdens'
- What's in a name?
- Our glorious natural world
- It has only been 7 days
- The Sorting Hat
- The Fires
- Bigger Windows Let In More Light
- Half full, half empty, or neither?
- Nourishment Not Punishment
- Time to write a piece for Moodscope?
- Is this it?
- My box saga
- March
- 2019
- December
- Change
- Auld Years Night and Hogmanay
- Joy Juice
- Is it possible to overshare?
- My Time
- Standing Alone
- Telling the cards
- It's Only One Day
- Merry Moodmas
- Permission Granted
- Loneliness at Christmas
- What does it rob you of? And some other ...
- Seeing Stars
- It wasn't Christmas
- The Things People Say
- Keeping my head above water
- Christmas Past and Christmas Present
- Farmer Barleymow
- Advice and criticism - accept or resent?...
- Navigating the ups and down
- Accept or change?
- Deliverance
- Trust your feelings?
- On Velcro and Teflon
- Three boxes
- So this is Christmas...
- Isn't the brain wonderful or is it??
- Nihilism or not?
- Anchorage
- Sticking to the point
- Batteries Not Included
- November
- Magical thinking
- I'm only human after all
- Associations
- Feeling like a fraud
- This is not real
- Are you brave?
- Celebrating Freedom
- And so I think
- Re-drawing my boundaries
- Good neighbours
- You CAN make a difference
- Constant Vigilance!
- Go outside
- Making Your Marvellous Moodscope Mixtape...
- What is Truth?
- I never thought I would but I did
- Conversation
- Like father, like son
- Little Things, and Bigger Things
- 'But'
- Shift Happens
- Granny
- Everything is copy
- In the dumps
- Privilege, luck, hard work or genetics?
- It's All Too Much!
- Trying too hard
- Emotional Assets
- Judgement
- Mindfulness in town and country
- October
- My Life in Your Hands
- Listening
- Depression and Misery
- Crammed up
- Firewalker
- On Being Human
- It's not what you can't do but what you ...
- How well do you know yourself?
- Resilience
- Deeply Uncool
- Interpretation and Expectation
- Go Where You Are Looking
- Thanks coach
- That girl
- Talking and more...
- A low grade fever
- We Don't Need No Education
- The Silence
- Open All Hours
- Have table, will sit
- Treasure
- What are you reading?
- Every mind matters - Who are our heroes?...
- Personal Philosophy
- Can you go 7 weeks, 7days, or even 7 hou...
- Extraction
- The Alphabet of LOVE or the ABC's of LOV...
- Experiences of a manic depressive 26 yea...
- What it's like to be depressed
- What do we want to know?
- To Err is Human
- September
- Why?
- Hitchhiking to Happiness
- Being
- From a mother
- A friend with MS
- Still needed
- What Are You Good At?
- Decluttering
- The Delight of Don't
- Two Roses on a Stem
- Mum's Unfinished Masterpiece
- I hear you
- A good read
- Everyone Needs Someone
- The Therapeutic Benefits of Music and Mo...
- What Would You Rather...
- From crutches to baby steps
- Can you enjoy without remembering?
- You can't make a difference
- The black hole
- Get it Out of Your Head!
- Where your attention goes... grows
- Beyond Best Intentions
- I've got a dream
- Be Polite
- Intermittent Faults
- Eye Movement Densensitization Reprocessi...
- Listen to Your Mother
- Count your blessings and other things!
- Maybe, Maybe Not
- Test
- August
- Cigarette anyone?
- An Angel Boy
- Disagreeing with respect
- Redemption of a balanced soul
- Where do you Spend Your Energy?
- Survival
- Joy from Learning
- Tattie magic
- Oh no not again!!
- It's all Loss
- Feel the fear... and do it anyway.
- You've Got a Friend in Me
- The Danger of a Single Story
- Balance
- Hello, you're doing great
- Learning never stops
- Hello everyone...
- Is it really a good idea to have any exp...
- Facing Loss!
- Decluttering
- You Are My Hero
- Have travel cot, will shower
- It's OK to not be OK 100% of the time
- Therapy
- The state of the world
- Getting Good
- Why me?
- Because
- Things people have said to me
- Paintbrush down
- Admitting you have a problem
- July
- Seeing things
- Cooking and Gratitude
- Coping Techniques for Stress and Anxiety...
- Chapter and Verse
- Letting children be children at a formal...
- Car
- Snakes and Ladders
- Confidence required
- A Strange Friend Indeed!
- Pressure
- Crafting Calmness
- And...?
- Minding the mind
- Am I really worthy?
- 250 Days Sober – What Have I Learnt?
- Delete Yesterday
- I Like Culture
- Self-Loathing
- Fighting Mental Health Challenges Like t...
- When I was 7...
- A Job Half-Done.
- June
- Unwanted antannae, pickle loving and ove...
- Sorry not Sorry
- School is in
- TFP Part three
- TFP part two
- The Pangs of Grief
- What have I learned?
- Breadmakers
- My debt to Moodscope
- Sick Note
- Get to the Point
- How full is your tank?
- Your cup is not mine
- Anxiety in my life
- From Grief to Giggling
- Eating Right
- Let down by the Authorities
- Shinrin-Yoku
- How not to be perfect?
- How not to make a baby smile
- Having a buddy
- Alterations
- Water Way to Go!
- Three Questions about BPD
- The Magic of Tintagel
- Community
- JOMO
- Do we put too much pressure on ourselves...
- The Cycle of Trauma
- Are You Getting the Love You Need?
- Does the weather improve/worsen your dep...
- Jump Up to Happiness
- Knowing how to be
- Get Lost
- Take Pride
- Thanks!
- Fifteen Minutes – and GO!
- Are our mental health issues being treat...
- I Don't Get It Yet
- Why?
- May
- My housework phobia
- Breakfast, Dinner and Tea
- Overly sensitive
- Hall of Mirrors
- 5 Ways to Wellbeing – Learn
- Enhanced Reality
- Half the World Away
- Be Like Barney
- A watched kettle never boils
- Maybe Nietzsche was Right...
- What Happened When She Smacked Me!
- In Remission
- Self Esteem
- Come, journey with me
- Dear Yvonne
- Could your moods be menopause-related?
- There is always a way forward
- Keeping Up Appearances
- TFP
- Mirror, mirror on the wall...
- That little light...
- Good Vibrations
- Fear and anxiety
- It was only a Pair of Curtains
- Getting Depressed About Being Depressed
- What makes a social 'animal'?
- Reboot Ritual
- Traffic light heroes
- What was I thinking?
- Five Ways to Wellbeing - Take Notice
- Practicing what you preach
- April
- Going Down to the Sea (Again)
- Juggling Motherhood
- Semi;Colon
- Wax your surf board, we're going in
- A Good Breakdown
- Fancy writing a blog for Moodscope?
- Words...
- Talking About the Weather
- Do you need an expert?
- Joining the SAS
- Alchemy for Pain
- Pop wood inth door...
- I know how you feel
- Looking back
- Our Lady of Paris
- Social Hibernation
- The Joy of the Endgame
- Keep Smiling
- Who am I?
- High as a kite
- Love Potions for Ourselves
- The Cost
- Let's bake a cake
- Could You? Would You?? When???
- Tolerance for imperfection
- The trouble with families
- Whistle a Happy Tune
- Five ways to Wellbeing - Be active
- Therapeutic Hugs
- Gender stereotyping in mental health
- March
- Can You Feel It Springing Up?
- "Another time, another place... But not ...
- Speedos and bikinis optional
- Life is a Balancing Act
- How do you know you are sane?
- An Invitation
- 5 Ways to Wellbeing – Connect
- Stretch Sprint Pause
- Halfway Down
- My eureka moment
- How did you meet Moodscope?
- Criticism - can 'bad' criticism be good?...
- Stepping Back
- Spring clean
- Affirmatively a Moodscope Member
- The half and half walks
- The mental merry go round
- How I worked my way out of depression (P...
- How I worked my way out of depression (P...
- Lent
- This word belongs in the bin
- What Do You Want To Be Remembered For?
- Pull me back into the shallows: an open ...
- Healing hurts
- Blind Spot
- The well from which wishes come
- If I Were Perfect
- Doing something, anything, in this case ...
- Catastrophising
- Sunday b****y Sunday
- Room 101
- February
- Procrastination
- Starting over
- Getting Stuck!
- I do believe (in fairies). I do. I do
- How to get more energy
- Who decides what is good for me?
- The Lonely Dot
- They f*** you up Your Mum and Dad
- Singing in the rain
- The Journey and the Destination
- All the things I never did...
- Magic Words
- How do you feel?
- Switching off and starting again
- What Moodscope means to me
- The Comparison Monster
- What if They Find Me Out?
- Choice
- You are an angel to someone
- Three Cheers for Hope
- Just how certain are you that the lifeti...
- The Art of Being Happy
- Fume, fume...
- Fifty Shades of Grey
- "I don't deserve this"
- The Day Before Happiness
- Be gentle with yourself
- Shining light onto the darkness
- January
- Does practice make perfect?
- Addictions
- When You’ve Tried EVERYTHING!
- I am worth it.
- Life in True Colours
- What is 'IT'?
- My To 'Done' List
- We are only human
- Invitations to peoples' houses
- Just in Time
- Fractures, friends and healing
- Kindly, interrupt me
- Legacy
- What have I learnt this year?
- Write that blog!
- Strategies for (Temporary) Relief
- My big day
- Time to stop
- Fixing the Light
- Pretty Ugly
- Just bumbling along
- Feeling different for the first time
- Light at the end of the tunnel
- Your Candle.
- The Science bit
- Making Sense of Mood-Boosting
- Steps to take to manage bipolar episodes...
- The spiritual side of life...
- Our door's always open, please [don't] c...
- May your New Year be a happy one
- Do What Brings You Joy!
- December
- 2018
- December
- Easy like Tuesday morning
- For Today Only
- A Christmas poem
- A weight in a manger
- That after Christmas feeling
- Surviving my twin sister's death by suic...
- The Bane of Christmas (Just) Past.
- Merry Moodmas
- Hello there
- The Meaning of Christmas
- Oh holy night, the cheese is brightly sh...
- What not to say to a friend experiencing...
- The Greatest Gift is You
- How to be your own grandparent
- Is it me or why do I feel guilty?
- Three Gifts
- The paradox of showing vulnerability...
- How do you keep going?
- 'My dream man'
- If? What would Kipling write now?
- When You Don't Get What You Want.
- Something's changed
- 12 Aspects of Gratitude
- Engaging with our senses
- Three little words
- The Comfort of the Familiar
- Choices
- Just The Way You Are
- Changes
- More Motivation
- Onwards soldiers! Left. Right. Left. Rig...
- November
- Sticks and Stones
- Two Devils
- "Moving forward with you no longer in my...
- Madison's Story
- I know where I am going. (No I don't.)
- Simple idea produces a simple blog
- Walking - the new meditation
- Irrational Fears
- How do you push yourself – in a good way...
- I am not your stress ball.
- Anger
- Role-ing with the punches
- I Know You Don't Know But...
- A.D.H.D.
- Calming oneself.
- The Middle Way
- Staying present
- Grief, misery, overwhelm and depression....
- Whistle while you work
- Mind The Gap
- The power of touch
- Emotional Blueprints and Home Improvemen...
- Project ME
- By any other name
- No Man is an Island
- Melancholy Lane - No Through Road
- October
- Just a moment
- Man-child
- Act Your Age
- Why isn't mental health taken more serio...
- Beautiful Scars
- This is my Graph.
- My perfect (2nd) cousin
- Drink Me!
- Thumbs up!
- Can you say goodbye to being ashamed?
- I am an addict...
- This old house
- Sometimes, things take longer.
- It's like riding a bike... How to manage...
- First and Last
- Angelica Waits
- Aftermath
- SF Botanical Garden
- Receiving/transmitting
- Action Stations!
- Keys to the Kingdom... of Kindness
- The Journey of 1000 Bridges
- And without a care in the world
- The sun will shine again
- Feel the Force
- Watershed
- No Judgement
- Fear of swooping
- I'm Possible, Impossible, We're Possible...
- A Way To Freedom
- The boxing ring
- "Have I finished with you, have I got Am...
- The inside of my head
- Are you a Star?
- The Healing Power of Pets
- September
- I am going outside for a while
- Smile, you're the best you've ever been....
- Holding open the door.
- Embracing mental illness
- Messages that save me.
- Overwhelm and the Common Cold
- Can you set boundaries?
- Remember Me
- Sunday Blues and contemplating THE Recip...
- A change is gonna come
- Tigers
- Breaking Childhood Habits
- The Ghost of Judgement Past.
- On Pride and Fairness
- The Washing Machine
- Running In The Air
- The importance of being earnest...ly kin...
- Do we ask too much of the medical profes...
- Every day
- Pool Rage.
- How to Think Straight
- Today is World Suicide Prevention Day
- Serendipity
- Little things
- Silence is golden?
- I am being evicted
- Nothing to be ashamed of
- Things That Thrive Underground.
- My house is untidy.
- Do You Have a 10 Gallon Capacity for Lov...
- Fight to find balance
- Surfin'
- August
- A Fresh Pair Of Eyes
- Lost for words
- Brief encounters
- The the Protestant Work Ethic
- Mid-life crisalis
- POP! Goes Success!
- The best tonic
- Friend or Foe?
- Three is a magic number
- Healing.
- The Mouse and the Elephant
- Does Bipolar hinder or help in the workp...
- The Magic Plaster
- George
- Chopin list
- I will stop apologising for...
- Sit? or Tis?
- Systems
- Anxiety
- What Gets You Energised?
- Thought For The Day
- Becoming Real
- People who need people.
- It's not always what it looks like!
- How to Train Your Dra– Um – Moodscope Bu...
- Passing on kindness
- Tell me something...
- Music to help with anxiety/depression.
- Lessons from the past
- The Blindspot...
- The Mad Half Hour
- Test
- July
- Feeling the Pain
- Do I know you?
- 3 2 1 Change
- Do you have a story to tell?
- Cherry Picking
- Are you afflicted with endoftermitis? No...
- Lots of 'D's' and too many 'buts'
- Poetry as Therapy
- Why volunteer?
- I Am
- What trips off your tongue?
- The Harvest Is In.
- Why do things always happen to you?
- A message of hope
- Are Your Friends Normal?
- Why do I feel this way?
- An unintended gift from my Dad...
- Working on the chain gang
- To Cuff or not to Cuff...
- Relational Frame Theory 101
- Just, no.
- The Demon Drink.
- Parenting
- "Let it Go!" Sing, "Let it Be!"
- On your own
- Ready, steady, STOP
- We won!!
- What Other People Think
- Every Breath You Take.
- Taking in the good
- Press [Pause] then [Shift] [Delete]
- June
- What is the point of it?
- My bundle of warm fuzzy.
- Shame & Disappointment
- Are you outraged?
- Old Man Trouble.
- A guide from beyond.
- To Think and To Own
- Keeping an Open Mind
- I had a dream
- Surfin'
- Please don't mollycoddle me.
- A Moment in Time.
- Determination, the two-edged sword
- What would you do?
- Message to myself.
- A Little Food for Thought...
- Coping with people being nice after a co...
- Do you ever catch yourself using...
- Come Sweet Slumber, Shroud Me in Thy Pur...
- Life is too short to hospital a corner
- What doesn't kill you
- The Thorny Question of Help
- Words: friends or foe
- Drains and Radiators
- Help millions manage the daily grind of ...
- Goals Revisited.
- No cheating now.
- 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... from Autopilot ...
- May
- Things that might help...
- Am I good enough?
- The time has come...
- Hold On
- Is Family Therapy Beneficial? Discuss.
- Death by chocolate.
- The Roller Coaster Week
- The perfection trap?
- The Need for Mental Health Leave.
- I'm not so bad am I?
- Ommmmm
- Who Are You? And What Have You Done With...
- Another day. Another death.
- Hostile Henry.
- I'm Game...
- What I learnt from my shop.
- More Worries.
- Facing Challenges and Feeding my Inner L...
- Small Pleasures.
- Walking on air.
- When In Rome.
- I will if you will.
- Fluffy white bunnies, crawling spiders a...
- Choose your battles wisely.
- My sink is full.
- It's Got to be Perfect.
- Worries.
- Count to Ten and Grin.
- It's a goal.
- Men in Lycra.
- My Untidy Genes.
- Our big emotions.
- It's Going to be Terrible!
- April
- Moodscope Crowdfunding campaign – can yo...
- From Dreams to Destiny.
- Inward Journey.
- The Bunny Girl.
- Facebook.
- My friend anger.
- Don't You Forget About Me.
- Saving it for best.
- Improvise Your Way to Joy.
- My kingdom for a tree!
- Dream on.
- Things I have done today.
- Nurturing.
- The Art of Noise.
- Toxic time, the fast show and... tea.
- Keep on keeping on part 2.
- Childhood.
- Dinner Parties.
- Is significant change possible?
- Race to the finish line.
- The Lap of the Gods.
- Shapeshifter.
- And I dreamed I'm an Eagle.
- Still in recovery but enjoying the journ...
- I seem to be going to a lot of funerals ...
- Fancy writing a blog for Moodscope?
- Running round in circles.
- Dreicht and Hygge.
- Baggage.
- Feeling the feels.
- Test
- March
- Loss.
- The struggle to get started.
- Feeling depressed or depressed?
- A talent to amuse?
- Rats in the Cellar.
- Where Do I Start?
- Urma Upset Gets A Surprise.
- The black dog.
- Demise of the Whack-a-Mole.
- I'm so busy my head is spinning.
- You are here.
- Permission Granted.
- What did the Moodscope Research say?
- Margot the Meerkat Stands to Attention.
- Something in my brain went 'ping'.
- Bereavement.
- See-saw Margery daw.
- Invisible pain.
- Mother Knows Best.
- Stuck.
- When Ratty Met Shelley.
- I'm forever blowing bubbles.
- More than Meatballs and Malm.
- Been there, done that.
- It. Just. Is.
- Gifts with Strings Attached.
- What I have, not what I am.
- The Moodscope Men - Dr Interested.
- Four little words.
- Is it complicated to keep it simple?
- A little kindness goes a long way.
- February
- Anger Management.
- I promise.
- Decisions! Decisions! Part 2: The Barrag...
- The Shadow of the Demon.
- It's all about you.
- Feeling stupid, feeling small.
- What is confidence?
- When I was a little girl.
- Building in Some Slack.
- There must be instructions somewhere.
- Life is like a camera.
- Every silver lining has a cloud.
- Could today be the start of a new life f...
- Community.
- Decisions! Decisions! Part 1: The Big On...
- What's Love Got to Do with It?
- I am no longer a child without choices.
- The Moral of the Story.
- Getting mucky.
- Knitting. Not really.
- I don't do mornings.
- And then I went in...
- The Man in the Mirror.
- 5 ways to celebrate Being Ourselves at w...
- AC DC and EC.
- Once Upon a Blue Moon.
- Mindfulness.
- Let your light shine.
- January
- I have three children.
- What Have You Done To Make You Feel Prou...
- Do you really think it is better to give...
- Not Now Nagatha!
- The Miner.
- Judgemental, Moi?
- I can feel a light inside.
- Best things in life are not things...
- Ambushed.
- A Breakthrough!
- Please tell us what you think?
- Ping! Dinner is Served.
- I spied upon a New Year party.
- The Power of Nice.
- Disappointment.
- Why Worry?
- The Root of all Evil?
- Healed by Music.
- In The Hole.
- Life...
- Your Comfort Blanket.
- The Rabbit of Destiny!
- Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien.
- How can I forgive?
- Sceptic Tank.
- Have you ever tried running in wellies?
- Impatience.
- Fridays.
- 2017. What a year...
- "Standards Must Be Maintained!"
- Letting My Compass Be My Guide.
- December
- 2017
- December
- A rebellious lack of resolution.
- No resolutions, no pressure.
- Never surrender!
- Different strokes for different folks.
- From thinker to doer.
- The Terrifying Prospect of Another Year....
- I'm fine, just a little tired.
- Merry Moodmas.
- Are you a party person?
- Blog through the fog.
- Christmas approaches...
- For times of need.
- Christmas and Candles.
- Are you a weed?
- It's The Most Vulnerable Time of the Yea...
- Tis the season (part iii).
- Waking up to a positive, energetic day.
- Rip it up and start again.
- Let your happiness start now.
- Mens Sana in Corpore Sano - Parte Quinqu...
- Do You Wanna Build A Snowman..?
- How can I help?
- Tis the season (part ii).
- Alert and Ashamed.
- They can't take that away from me.
- Fancy writing a blog for Moodscope?
- Mens Sana in Corpore Sano - Pars Quattu...
- Who am I? What am I? Where am I?
- Two friends and one enemy: Could, Should...
- Tis the season (part i).
- Feeling Cold.
- November
- Not my favourite words.
- Forgive them! You're joking!
- Mens Sana in Corpore Sano – Pars Tres
- Losing the Plot.
- Now Here's A Thing.
- Worry.
- Hello.
- Oh me, oh my!
- Gilt - Ignore it, live with it or purge ...
- Mens Sana in Corpore Sano – Pars Duorum....
- Sleep.
- SSDD.
- How not to write a blog.
- Collateral benefit.
- Murders, muffins and music.
- How to fool the world.
- Mens Sana in Corpore Sano – Pars Una.
- Sharing my journey.
- Forgive them - they haven't got a clue!
- The next big thing.
- Lest We Forget.
- If.
- Active and Afraid.
- Dealing with Frustration.
- What do I want?
- On Second Thought.
- Feng Shui and Autumn.
- Dealing with intertia.
- The Times they are a Changing.
- Hello you.
- October
- Stepping Out of Time.
- How to Have a Better Brain.
- The Straw that Saved the Camel's Back.
- I'm here for you.
- Balancing strengths and weaknesses.
- Bedtime.
- Smiling on the inside.
- Wednesday's Child.
- Being Happy.
- Digging Out Anger from the Roots.
- The Rainbow.
- Nourish your mind, body and soul.
- Remind me: What are the 20 Moodscope car...
- Those difficult decisions.
- I Must Go Down to the Sea Again.
- What helps you?
- All Your Life Is A Rehearsal For Today.
- The cogs turn the wheel.
- How do you handle rejection?
- I am feeling lonely.
- Slow down, you're going too fast now.
- Giving Comfort.
- World Mental Health Day 2017.
- Back to University.
- Being nice.
- Let us have garlic.
- What would you do if I sang out of tune?...
- Confronting the elephant.
- My BFF and Me!
- Go with the flow - Part 2.
- September
- Better to change the lightbulb (twice) t...
- My secret self.
- Not either/or but both - and...
- Does anyone need to visit the loo before...
- Taking control.
- Feeling Helpless.
- Autumn Days.
- I know what your Super-Power is.
- What's in a name?
- The dark wolf and the light wolf.
- I never promised you a rose garden.
- The Pressure to get Motivated.
- Getting it Out There.
- Go with the flow – Part 1
- Are You Ready To Commit Your Next Offenc...
- A Moment of Calm.
- You have a boundary problem!
- He is his father's son.
- What stigma?
- How Much is Physical?
- Please like me.
- The Flea in Me, who said, "That won't wo...
- Shadows.
- Warrior Training.
- Busyness and resting.
- "A spot of D.I.Y."
- Letter to Bradley – Age 12
- I believe in fairies.
- When Harry Met Joe – a Windows Fairy Tal...
- Reasons To Be Cheerful.
- Saying Goodbye.
- Better to change the lightbulb (twice) t...
- August
- Boys Don't Cry.
- Waving but refusing to drown.
- Building Something Amazing.
- Facing an uncomfortable truth.
- Love me... love me not.
- Pinny on!
- N.E.D.
- An uphill descent.
- Where will it all end?
- Mudflats.
- Abigail and Sarah.
- Feeling my feelings.
- Comfort zone stay or leave?
- Terrible at accepting help.
- When the rain stops pouring.
- Panic Attacks.
- Strongly Anthemic.
- Where shall I start?
- How You See People Changes What Happens ...
- At Sea Without a Compass.
- Finding my home.
- Get a Life.
- Friendship with self.
- Lions and Bears, Wolves and Dolphins.
- Day Release.
- Framing FOR Complaining.
- Stormy bears.
- Peter and Penelope.
- This will pass.
- A Day at a Time.
- July
- Twos and Zeros.
- The Down Side of the High Side.
- The Most Beautiful Bridge in the World.
- Joie de vivre.
- Art Vs Monsters.
- Not Today Thank You.
- Married, Single, or otherwise Engaged.
- It's Only Feelings.
- In the face of rejection.
- Lessons from a Burlesque Dancer.
- A friend of dorothy.
- Walk a mile in my shoes.
- "My Brain - It's my second favorite orga...
- Never alone.
- Just Like Herding Cats
- When is a house a home?
- What If Life Was A Computer Game?
- What colour are you?
- Do you have a story to tell?
- Masterpiece in Progress:
- Rumination.
- Do it Your Way.
- Self harm.
- The Wizard of Time.
- Through the glass.
- Holiday dilemma.
- My blog.
- Time is the key.
- That Which Hurts Us Most.
- Moving on.
- Happeness.
- Teddy Bear Therapy.
- June
- 'Milestone' birthdays, fete or forget?
- To me, to you, to me.
- Not guilty.
- Putting Pen to Paper.
- We All Matter.
- Pearl Fisher or Pearl Crusher?
- Nothing new under the sun.
- I am NOT worthless.
- Time to fess up.
- Choose your words.
- Mr Fixit.
- Love Is In The Air.
- Contagious Stories.
- I lost my mind.
- Do I sound like that?
- Post 'pain body'.
- The Internet.
- Deep Space and Calcutta.
- Socialising.
- Are You Into Shelf-Development?
- Now.
- Can there be too many questions?
- Market Research – pigeon holing.
- Boundaries.
- Mea Culpa.
- The Librarian and The Critic.
- Collective Grief.
- Mix and match.
- May
- Noise.
- To see ourselves as others see us.
- No self-pity and no shame.
- The Frenemy in the Passenger Seat.
- Being Grateful.
- Moodscope in not one but 153 words.
- Mirror, Mirror.
- Sing a new song, Chiquitita.
- Show me the menu.
- Labels, traits, illness, syndrome - what...
- Courage, mes braves!
- No regrets.
- Moodscope in One Word. Up for a challeng...
- It's the Only Thing to Make Sense.
- Learning from comments.
- Recovery Colleges - a new concept in men...
- Living the Life..!
- There's Probably a Word for It.
- There's Probably a Word for It.
- Honestly Ungrateful.
- Daisy and the Lawnmower Man.
- Spring - Coming out of the Shadows.
- How do you ride the wave?
- Let the bakers bake and the butchers but...
- Listen to me.
- Out and Aloud, If Not Proud.
- Surviving or Thriving?
- From possible to Impossible to I'm possi...
- A year living with .....a rescue dog!
- "It is what it is."
- Invisible.
- Remember the feeling.
- Pride Comes After a Fall.
- Self-congratulation.
- April
- How do we keep going?
- Return.
- Wanted: Target (and the self-discipline ...
- Letter to my alcoholic sister.
- Preparing to Stay Well.
- Nursing a Grudge.
- Hope dashed.
- Preparing to Stay Well.
- A Manifesto for a Life to the Full.
- Gardeners World.
- Is your job worthwhile?
- That Moment.
- Hello gorgeous.
- Alternative Reality.
- Harry - Thank you!
- Who's your hero?
- Hang On...
- It Will Pass.
- No, you can't have a 3.
- Tired from dreams.
- Life is a Bowl of Cherries.
- Giant Haystacks.
- March
- Piling is NOT filing.
- Memories are made of this.
- Seven days of sanity.
- Self-care.
- Silencing the Expert.
- Desirable Punishment.
- What do you think?
- "Don't Worry, Be Crappy!"
- I Will Love Again.
- My score is down – so what?
- Comfort foods and healthy habits.
- A Jigsaw of Me.
- Minimally Happier.
- Just a bit of fluff?
- The Perils of Plank-Eye, The Pirate.
- Altered sensations.
- An interview with myself.
- Do you seek approval?
- Solution searching.
- We have Normality. I Repeat, We Have Nor...
- Invisible.
- The Dog, The Kids, And The Radio Show.
- Endings.
- How @findyourwe Helped Me
- Is everything out to get me?
- Living guilt free - is it possible?
- Home for a Dozen Horses.
- How much should I share?
- The Magic of Milestones.
- The Empty Chair.
- I can and will.
- Being a Highly Sensitive Person.
- Talismans.
- What You Are, Not What You Do.
- What's in your Story Box?
- What's in your Story Box?
- Magic George.
- Welcome to Normaltown.
- Whatever happened to old so-and-so?
- It's only a week...
- The Unbearable Whiteness of Swans.*
- February
- #HappyActs.
- I Don't Do 'Demanding'.
- Grace.
- Life goes on.
- It was just a wig.
- Let it go... Let it go...
- Dealing with anxiety.
- Reconciliation and Restoration.
- One sided.
- Alice or Malice in Wonderland?
- Can't sleep.
- Today I was amazing.
- Why don't you smile?
- Bottling Life's Pleasures.
- When I'm Cleaning Windows.
- Simple pleasures
- Your Story, My Story, History.
- The Dark Side of Attachment Addiction.
- Is there a certain way to grieve?
- What is missing?
- Three true stories of kindness.
- Lost in Music.
- After you stumble...
- Causes and Effects.
- Blowing a fuse.
- My New Different.
- Personal Prescription.
- January
- The pros and cons of people pleasing.
- The Perfect Family.
- Hoist by my own petard.
- Kaizen - the Zen of Success?
- On the periphery.
- What do You think?
- Second Year Running.
- A view with a room.
- Put on Your Own Oxygen Mask First.
- The Happy Kitchen: Good Mood Food.
- Rejuvenate.
- Christmas.
- Would you like to write a blog for Moods...
- Buttercups.
- Developing self value.
- Teaching and Learning.
- How can we prevent future mental illness...
- Wisdom 31:15 A Daily Joy.
- Routine.
- Let's rock.
- Hell is other people.
- Character Building.
- Unashamedly Political – Without the Part...
- Objects with meaning.
- Have > Want.
- Winning at life!
- In and out of sync.
- Thank you and Farewell to a Duke And the...
- Are there any positive benefits from dep...
- Making Plans for Nigel.
- The good, the bad and the ugly.
- Victory in many disciplines comes from h...
- December
- 2016
- December
- Happy New Year!
- Something new.
- I shall perfectly be perfect!
- There Was a Little Girl.
- Goodbye 2016.
- New Beginnings...
- Let me treat you.
- Merry Christmas!
- "Happy Holidays" Depression
- How would you react?
- Merry Moodmas.
- All I Want for Christmas...
- So, what to do when you are...
- Turn Your Guilt into Gilt.
- To trust? Or not to trust?
- Is that you?
- What is the matter?
- Hypomania - my strategy.
- Winter Comfort.
- A rite of bloggage.
- "A vision that you cannot see is not a v...
- Happiness is a choice.
- Kicking the Leaves.
- Who stole 2016?
- Does Counselling do it for you?
- More on Drugs.
- P.S. It's just a day.
- Here I Go Again.
- The Trees at Oakley.
- Talking.
- Out of the blue.
- November
- Heavy Handed Help.
- Drugs, Drugs, Glorious Drugs (With Apolo...
- Blogs.
- Don't.
- Hanging by A Thread.
- Ghost in the House.
- Marionette.
- Comfortably Numb.
- Change of State.
- It's a beautiful world.
- There's a submarine in my consciousness....
- But you look alright...
- Food for Thought Doctor.
- Who am I?
- The Deific
- Thank You Ola!
- Friend or foe?
- Rock Paper Scissors.
- Dear children this is a hill.
- Creativity and what it means to me.
- Creativity and bipolar-my story.
- Tough Love from a Tender Heart.
- The Flung Gauntlet.
- Small changes.
- Saying 'No' to 'No'!
- Life is too short.
- Water in the Desert.
- Once upon a mood.
- Death of a friend.
- These Cruel and Vicious Things.
- October
- PTSD, a small word with big consequences...
- Crossing the Line (The Double Yellow one...
- Thoughts in a malestrom.
- Repeat.
- Creation.
- Confronting avoidance.
- Bi-polar Exploding Hedgehog!
- See, Feel, Doubt.
- You're Just My (Arche)Type.
- I took my Mind for a walk.
- My best friend the tree.
- Carers - Is there a formula?
- Can you always accentuate the positive?
- Drastic Action!
- What get's you through?
- Jack Out-of-the-Box.
- Would you like to write a blog for Moods...
- Why I'm comfortable with 0%.
- Routine Sleep.
- The harvest.
- Waterblogged.
- The healing power of art (poetry).
- To Permit or To Forbid - that's a BIG qu...
- The right tool for the job.
- Harnessing Percy.
- How to help.
- How much is too much?
- That Emmental Moment.
- The two of me.
- Alpha and Omega.
- Making Friends with Demons.
- Fly away poisoned parrot – with thanks t...
- September
- My bed
- A sense of perspective.
- When The Going Gets Tough...
- Talk about a dream.
- See Hear Say.
- Will it be okay?
- Is decision making driven by emotion?
- Life as a 'Pure Manic'.
- Structure.
- What Doesn't Kill Us...
- Take flight.
- "Don't Go Changing, Trying To Please Me....
- September.
- Good enough to bottle.
- Crossed wires.
- Awareness.
- Out of Nowhere.
- It's the small stuff that makes the big ...
- The Garden of Your Mind.
- Alarm Bells.
- Surprise Surprise!
- 'What goes around comes round'.
- The role of photos?
- Once Upon A Time...
- Roadside Assistance.
- "Mustobeytion!"
- Meditation's what you need.
- To Love Myself?
- Those uncomfortable feelings.
- August
- People Watching. What we can learn.
- Warm Patches, Strong currents and Consta...
- Breaking the Spell
- A new day. A new week...
- It's a "Pit Stop".
- Unfinished business.
- Great Expectations.
- The Good Black Dog.
- Dog therapy.
- Sometimes I Sing.
- Did I mention I work in a Hospital?
- I will not let my condition define me.
- The simple words of the wise Dr.
- Me, my funk and I.
- Frayed Around the Edges.
- My Cornish Pixies.
- A Joy Ride in a Paint Box.
- I can't stop hoping and dreaming.
- I wish I had known...
- Downloading.
- It's the tone of your voice!
- University Reunion.
- Pretend Meaning.
- Invitation to Dance.
- For a relaxing vacation, look to the dat...
- Hey, how you doin'?
- Saved!
- Schools Out for Summer!
- I want to Be Alone (part sixty-seven).
- Self Portrait.
- July
- You can't change your past but you can c...
- I am happy. Or am I?
- Rest or roam?
- To my loved ones, when dealing with me o...
- Coping with 'Moods' through the ages.
- When You Need to be Selfish.
- What's in your bedroom?
- Too Little, Too Late?
- Losing someone dear to you.
- The Times They Are A Changing.
- If I didn't think.
- Personalities and Comfort Zones.
- Give and Take.
- Songs from the seagulls.
- Life's Amplifiers.
- KEEPING THE LID ON – 2
- Trapped.
- Waking up sad.
- Choose your maxim.
- The Future and the Past.
- My old shoes.
- Involvement = Commitment.
- Lifelong Depression Revealed as Bipolar ...
- Music Therapy for Bouncing Back.
- Would you like to write a blog for Moods...
- Wellness.
- Hard Times.
- Playing Volleyball? Wear Sunscreen.
- Ebb and Flow, For and Against, To and Fr...
- Three Days of My Life.
- Improve your inner confidence and self-c...
- June
- No Idea.
- Desiderata.
- Coming Back from War.
- On the subject of caring.
- KISS and Make-Up.
- Neighbours.
- My .............. used to say.
- Labour and other Pains.
- Nappies on!
- Respect Yourself.
- The Power of Language.
- The Proactive Mower.
- Who knows best?
- Finding Ways to Heal Yourself.
- Togetherness.
- Laugh, love and Live.
- Foul Weather Friends.
- Ridicule or educate.
- "The Way You See Your Life Shapes Your L...
- Perfect ten.
- Stop, Look and Listen!
- The Wisdom of Cats.
- Once upon a time.
- From Russia With Love.
- Remote Control.
- One More Night Among The Frogs.
- Ebb and Flow.
- I like food...
- Would I lie to myself?
- Finding Happiness.
- May
- The Patronus Charm – A Practical Guide.
- Untitled.
- Is It Time To Go Down Your Drawers?
- Determination.
- Retrain the Brain.
- Personal Victory.
- Just for a laugh.
- Future Perfect.
- Dance me to the end of love.
- So, tell me what you want, what you real...
- Depression!
- Adjustments.
- The Wisdom of Toothpaste.
- When you least expect it.
- Taking it the Right Way.
- Trusting.
- The Thief.
- I love Moodscope.
- To compare or not to compare.
- Playing the Blues...
- Sailing Solo.
- Cursing, Therapy and the D word.
- That Perfect Moment.
- The Metaphor that answers the question, ...
- If you are missing.
- How will you change your day?
- How to nudge your way to happiness.
- Senescence.
- Playing Your Part.
- A question of balance.
- The A to Z Guide to Life: Letter S for S...
- April
- Building blocks.
- You don't have to be a streaker, a flash...
- Friends.
- What we look for we find...
- Holding on... And letting go.
- Is happiness always the answer?
- R for Resillience.
- In Darkness.
- Becoming a "BUT" Watcher.
- Trying to make sense of it.
- Being The Problem.
- Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craf...
- Seven words for Love.
- Ebb and Flow, For and Against, To and Fr...
- Hot Coals.
- Courage - Self defence or expediency?
- The Cycle of Change – Part 2
- Can I Show and Be Me?
- The Cupboard Under The Stairs
- Can you help? We think you can...
- Yours, Unconditionally.
- Performance Related Happiness.
- Do not apologise for crying.
- The Cycle of change.
- Don't Blurt – Believe... in yourself.
- The Prisoner of Azkaban.
- Concentration.
- Crossed My Heart; Hoped To Die.
- How I wish you understood.
- My therapy journey – part two.
- March
- Health week.
- Mindfulness and Mindfulness Training: Th...
- Eating Worms.
- Professional Aunt No Kids.
- The A to Z Guide to Life – Letter P for ...
- Too many choices.
- Good things come in furry packages.
- Saturation.
- Pain is inevitable – suffering is option...
- The Honourable Company of Silver Miners....
- In the room above the garage.
- Critical Condition.
- 10 Keys to Happier Living and a Great Dr...
- The Kindness of Strangers.
- What's in a Word?
- Mud, mud, glorious mud.
- Paying the Price.
- Why I talk to machines.
- The A to Z Guide to Life – Letter 'O' fo...
- Who ate my marshmallow?
- Modern definition of insanity – to conti...
- Metaphorical Rainbow.
- My Inner Critic.
- In search of Perfection.
- Happy Songs.
- 'N' for Nutrition!
- My therapy journey – chapter one.
- Big Spender.
- And you took my hand.
- Do you WANT TO... really?
- I am Titanium.
- February
- Navigating Grief with Moodscope.
- The A to Z Guide to Life, Letter M for M...
- "Pick me, Pick me!...please!
- Little Boxes.
- Mooching with the MOOCs.
- Humans are Emotional First and Rational ...
- Visible Injury.
- Mental health sufferers need your help!
- The A to Z Guide to Life: Letter "L" for...
- Use by date.
- Simplicity.
- Walking on the Moon.
- Who Are YOU?
- Almost Heaven.
- You asked for it...
- The A to Z Guide to Life: K for Kinaesth...
- A lot of loss.
- Fomo.
- Confident Vulnerability.
- Resilience and our little ones.
- Horrid Nasty Stinking Cold!
- I'm not OK.
- The A to Z Guide to Life: J for Joy.
- Lost & Forlorn.
- My finest moment...
- Living with the tough stuff.
- Share my laughter as well as comfort my ...
- A Life threatening Illness.
- My Five Currencies.
- January
- The A to Z Guide to Life – Letter 'I'
- The A to Z Guide to Life – Letter 'I'
- Fantasy v Reality.
- The path to serenity.
- Connecting with Your Inner Sunflower.
- What we look for, we find...
- Tidying Up.
- We are all Students of Life.
- The A to Z Guide to Life – H is for Hope...
- Going Steady.
- "My name is Lauren and..."
- Hang in there.
- Living in the Now – the Mental Health Ch...
- Home Decoration.
- Is It Time For An Emotional Tune-Up?
- The A to Z Guide to Life – Letter "G"
- The Ebb and Flow of Life.
- I did it! I went to the moon...
- Be the Change... forgive.
- Love Smart, Not Hard.
- The Man Who Fell From Earth.
- Remake my beating heart.
- A to Z Guide to Life – F is for 'Faith'
- Up and Down.
- A Survivor.
- Time & Authenticity.
- Learning-innings.
- A different Perspective.
- Jane, Janus, January.
- The A to Z Guide to Life - Letter 'E'
- Be the change you want to see revisited....
- January is the new April.
- December
- 2015
- December
- Happy New Year!
- Be the Change You Want to See...
- New Year – Same Old You...
- There I am.
- The A to Z Guide to Life - Letter 'D'
- Train of Thoughts.
- Remembering What You're Made Of.
- A Meditation on Light.
- How will I respond today – as a child or...
- Merry Moodmas.
- My tool box for recovery.
- The A to Z Guide to Life - Letter "C"
- Virtual Christmas lunch.
- Small steps work best.
- Did Starsky and Hutch wear Christmas car...
- One Step/Day at a time.
- Things We Learn From Our Children.
- Are you a hibernator?
- The A to Z Guide to Life - Letter 'B'.
- The Law of Attraction.
- Run for home...
- Where am I now?
- Taking a break.
- Let It Be Enough.
- Celebrate success.
- Count your blessings one by one.
- Song of faith.
- Would you like to write a blog for Moods...
- What's the meaning of life?
- Restoring Normality.
- October
- The A to Z Guide to Life - Letter "A"
- Words, Will and Ways.
- Loneliness to solitude.
- Lifting the lid...
- Witty Woo!
- The Road Less Travelled - again.
- Let's All Be Sad Together.
- Good Enough.
- Sow before bedtime.
- A clean sheet.
- The hokey cokey.
- Say after me: I BELIEVE...
- Respect is two way.
- Carrion Comfort.
- Wisdom received from Moodscopers - Part ...
- Admit, Emit or Omit?
- Gollum in the Kitchen.
- Towards or Away From?
- Tickets please!
- Do I exist?
- Tell Me Your Story.
- To hold on or to let go.
- The Three Gifts.
- Darth Vader does Charlotte's Web, a true...
- Anxiousness...
- What recovery means to me.
- To be nobody but yourself...
- Solitary Confinement.
- Here's to brighter mornings.
- Ten Good Friends.
- The visitor.
- Flaky time.
- Human Dis-Illusion.
- November
- Notes to a Nearly Depressed Me.
- The A to Z Guide to Life - an introducti...
- No ink to leave a mark.
- Your best friend wouldn't tell you.
- Adult Orphans.
- Twenty-One today...
- The Best Laid Plans...
- The Knights in shining armour.
- Are we the new normal?
- The Volcano Within.
- Why you're afraid of me.
- What do you say next?
- Did you remember to log out?
- An Awkward Question.
- Hope.
- Vinnie The Bouncer.
- Fleur - my lifeline.
- Wisdom received from Moodscopers. Part 3...
- Party songs.
- I Want to be Clearer.
- Hugging your GP.
- A workman and his tools.
- Taking The Plunge.
- Take my advice.
- Today's blog comes to you from a Mental ...
- Love you gran.
- The Modern Day CV.
- Depression's Twin Sister.
- Wisdom received from Moodscopers. Part 2...
- September
- Is colouring calming?
- Not My Circus, Not My Monkeys.
- Thank-you Moodscope.
- Planting Trees.
- The ladder.
- Family favourites.
- Simpletons R Me!
- The Journey... Your Journey.
- Keeping Vigil.
- Sleepless in Suburbia.
- Worrier or Warrior?
- What makes you feel you belong?
- The power of memories.
- I choose life.
- Driving - The Road Les(s) Travelled...
- A Plague (of shrimp) Upon Your House – A...
- 149 days.
- I Long For Structure.
- For every season there is a reason.
- True Colours.
- What have you done today to make you fee...
- The Parable of the Spanish Pueblos...
- Often the Best Thing to Do; Always the B...
- Today comes only once in a lifetime.
- A Walk in the Park?
- Improving life... one conversation at a ...
- My intuition.
- My magical Gumboots.
- Job Satisfaction.
- Friends for Life.
- August
- Accepting we are who we are.
- Life to the Max?
- Physical things to bring comfort.
- This old dog can learn new tricks.
- If I were young again...
- Are you an optimist?
- Laughter therapy. Have you tried it?
- One Quarter of a Mile.
- What if?
- To peak early or bloom later.
- Piglet and Pooh – Over to You.
- Your kiss is on my list.
- Redemption.
- From whence cometh your help?
- Rhythms, Cycles and Ripples, part 1.
- What's your story?
- Good thought cinema.
- A Walk In The Park.
- Finding 'Me' – Is All That's Real.
- Dear Mum.
- "Change something."
- Making Associations.
- Me and my friend alcohol.
- What's happening here?
- Sorry.
- Thinking is not living.
- Thank You For The Music (Room).
- Moodscope is getting better…
- Breaking Associations.
- The Father of My Children.
- July
- Think before you speak.
- I'm a slow learner.
- Who Are You?
- Quite Frankly Terrified!
- Procrastination and Depression.
- These three remain.
- The Art of Mindfulness
- I woke like Lily Munster.
- Surfing the waves of life.
- Time – It's ALL Yours.
- Confined By, Defined By, or Refined By?
- My cat Tilly - the messed up one.
- You can't make an omelette without break...
- Living in the moment...
- Eleanor Rigby was surely a Ninja.
- HumanKindness.
- Bi-polar for Dummies 2.
- Bi-Polar For Dummies.
- Do or Don't?
- What's your poison?
- What is a normal mood?
- Life's Real Facts - Feelings.
- Managing Friends 101 – The Basics.
- From here to somewhere.
- Making Friends with the Lizard.
- I am kind. I am smart. I am important.
- A sufferer's night.
- The Perfectionist's Guide to Visiting an...
- Life!
- June
- A cry for help.
- Be yourself.
- Managing the Highs.
- Head, heart, nature.
- The Enemy of My Enemy.
- Thank you for helping me gain some balan...
- In the End, There Is Only Room for Love....
- The three Marriages of Life.
- Cheer squad.
- Meeting Men in the Sauna.
- I'm a bit of a Chill Bill. Whilst I'd lo...
- Jailbreak.
- Sometimes bad things happen for a reason...
- Seven years bad luck...and counting.
- The Wisdom of the Rose.
- Ouch the sun hurts!
- Who Are You and What Have You Done With ...
- Depressive's Guide to the Wedding Season...
- L'exercise regime per annum.
- What goes up must come down!
- Just relax.
- Walking Streets at Midnight.
- I get it now dad. I get it.
- Trevor Believes in Polar Bears.
- Resilience.
- Jedi Nights Yes, I know that's spelt wro...
- Putting the pieces together again.
- A reason to hold on.
- Sitting on a sun dial.
- Comin Home...
- Unexpected side Benefit.
- Looking long.
- May
- A Box with Rules.
- The Depressive State.
- Are you going to take some action?
- Got a hanky?
- Seeking.
- Catharsis.
- I can fight this demon.
- My Enemy...
- I just didn't feel anything.
- Art in a bookcase.
- Passion...THE driving emotion.
- My Demons Don't Post On Facebook.
- Just suppose...
- Charity begins...
- Climbing my way out of the valley.
- Soldier Boy.
- A list of goodly things.
- Humans – Emotional First - Rational Seco...
- Can't Remember... What was it Again?
- Keep rattling those chains.
- Dear Diary.
- Reach out to family and friends.
- Broken Crayons Still Colour.
- Forge meaning...build identity.
- Getting up and Moving.
- Take That Look Off Your Face!
- The magnifying mirror.
- Connect Four.
- Mindfulness.
- Here goes...
- April
- Emotional core strength.
- Hope Springs Eternal.
- Empowered.
- Do only fools rush in?
- WLC = Whinge, Learn, Change.
- All about the dogs.
- Turn round 180 degrees.
- Thou Doth Procrastinate Too Much.
- The great outdoors indoors.
- Brain Muscle Memory.
- One less thing.
- Practical Hugging 101.
- Deep Dark Depression.
- Can not judging others make it easier to...
- Human shadows.
- Would you like to export your Moodscope ...
- Bad Thoughts.
- "Laugh and the world laughs with you, cr...
- BAM. Change. BOOM. Regret.
- Myth No. 91 - Depression is like the flu...
- You're A True Gem.
- What have you done since Les's blog last...
- Chronic pain. It need not be so.
- You Can't Share a Hug On-line.
- Do you need more space?
- Living Goals [POWERFUL Goal-Setting part...
- City Ambience.
- You can't not communicate, so...?
- Do you have a warrior spirit?
- What makes your heart sing?
- March
- Depression Lite.
- Let's get the show on the road.
- Keeping It Short and Simple.
- Would you like to write a blog for Moods...
- Anthropomorphic.
- As I began to love myself.
- We Find What We Look For.
- Frozen Treacle.
- Sling your hook.
- Faith – The Final Frontier.
- Just imagine.
- Keeping the lid on.
- Let's spread a little happiness.
- How do you receive the world?
- Resilience.
- Dear Bipolar...
- The Road from Hope.
- International Day of Happiness 2015
- Playing with Time.
- 5 Easy Ways to Boost Confidence Levels.
- Did You Take Time Today - To Be Truly Hu...
- Coming Out.
- Darwin Ate an Owl.
- Harbour lights.
- Pushing the Button.
- Conformity.
- A balance sheet for life.
- Mind the Gap.
- Biker Music.
- What do I choose today?
- Means, Opportunity, Motive.
- February
- Don't just sit there do something!
- Coming out.
- The Tale of Two Labels.(apologies to Dic...
- The Loss of Ancient wisdom.
- Is it time to change your lens?
- To Keep a Stiff Upper Lip - or To Throw ...
- O Dear.
- Reflections.
- Feeling watchy!
- Handling change.
- The power of 'offering' (not telling).
- You Can't Choose Your Family. Or Can You...
- The love that is inside.
- A POWERFUL Question.
- Untangling the myth.
- Welcoming the inner child.
- Something better change.
- The Gift of Darkness.
- Sad memories can have a silver lining.
- To Exercise or to Exorcise?
- Being ‘okay’.
- Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?
- I want to make mental health real and ok...
- It's a crying Shame.
- How to Become a Male Underwear Model in ...
- Blinded by the light!
- Do you need a routine?
- January
- Running the Stop Sign.
- After the storm.
- A great film.
- A great film.
- Moving can be SO hard.
- As The Daffodils Fade.
- Trading shoes.
- Blue Monday.
- The Compassionate Mind.
- What I make you mean.
- You've got to laugh!
- To know and not to say = trouble.
- I Believe I can Fly!
- An important list.
- Strike 3... 4... 5...?
- You've got to accentuate the positive an...
- I'd like you to be the first to know!
- Affirmations.
- Recovery...
- When Mr Grumpy Came To Stay.
- Same recipe. Different Cake.
- Lex v5.312 - all will be explained.
- Be more dog.
- Gerald Wears Tights.
- What did you want to be when you grew up...
- The True ‘Heart’ of Change.
- The light at the end of the tunnel may n...
- Let's count our blessings.
- "Let me inter//rupt you there!"
- Create your own reality.
- A Passion For Onions.
- Renegotiate and Remortgage!!
- December
- 2014
- December
- Fed up with hearing Happy New Year?
- Resolution is not for me.
- Marching Forwards.
- What is your refuge?
- Are you being true to yourself?
- Changing History: War and Peace.
- It pays to play.
- Doing Christmas Properly.
- Wear Epic pants!
- Nothing to fear.
- How We Learn – The Four Seasons.
- Merry Moodmas.
- Don't let your 'Stress bucket' overflow....
- A Community of Support.
- So Who Are you – Really?
- I am nervous. I am frightened. I am sure...
- Your Gift of Time.
- If a Con's Worth Doing...
- A safe place to be.
- My song about the kind of love that sust...
- Sticks and stone may break my bones, but...
- Ticket To Ride.
- Feeling on top of the world.
- Amazingly Simple.
- Build only with the smallest bricks.
- When was the last time you felt happy?
- Are you going to be alone this Xmas?
- How do we lead?
- My Drug Of Choice.
- Coming out of the dark.
- November
- 5 Star Inspiration and 1 Inspiraction.
- Bad Days Depend on the Way you See Them....
- Learning to Live With Life!
- What do we value?
- Changing your mind: Becoming a child aga...
- Piggy In The Middle.
- Chooseday.
- I can fight this demon.
- I Am Not My Thoughts or Emotions.
- So sorry Spike.
- Sex And Depression.
- A way to say thank you...?
- You can't condemn it until you've tried ...
- "The Moodscope Mobile App made such a po...
- The revolving door.
- Find the beauty of your mind.
- Just stop.
- The art of happiness.
- A Soft Place To Fall.
- Changing your mind: Taking a Line for a ...
- Two Mile Walk.
- Self-Care is not Self-ish.
- Trust that the fog will clear.
- Bereavement and Depression 4 of 4.
- Bereavement and Depression 3. It's compl...
- Bereavement and Depression 2. Liquorice ...
- Bereavement and Depression 1. My Cat Ha...
- Gardening of the Mind.
- October
- Was it post-traumatic stress?
- Changing your mind: The Mindful Walk.
- Decluttering the mind.
- The window.
- Did your Mother Give You Depression?
- It is well with my soul.
- Burnt out.
- Running saved this man's life...
- Changing your mind.
- Connecting with the soul.
- What Will Make Your Heart Sing...?
- It's Not You; It's Me (Or Maybe Them)!
- It felt like my life had ended.
- A welcome pep talk.
- Breaking Family Patterns.
- Creativity saves the sanity.
- 'I dwell in possibility' – Emily Dickins...
- The Wisdom of Geese. A Story of Hope for...
- Insane Accuracy.
- Cold feet syndrome.
- Rite of Passage #1 "The Bath".
- I am definitely so much more than my dep...
- Dancing with our thoughts.
- Willful Blindness.
- A few pretty things.
- Stationary Rollercoaster.
- Laughter is the best medicine.
- Are you struggling?
- When a blue moon rises.
- A feeling of calm.
- Walking Up The Down Escalator.
- At what point do you embrace the only th...
- September
- "I am the master of my Fate, I am the ca...
- It's OK Not To Be OK.
- Untitled.
- Keep in touch - it's easier than ever.
- Let me compare me to a summer's day.
- Live and smile.
- A part of life that many don't see.
- Hello Darkness, My Old Friend.
- Even a chore can be uplifting!
- Bend and not break.
- An adjustment technique for sceptical bo...
- The Evil of Emails.
- How Can You Prove You Are Not a Robot?
- Taking care to care.
- The Sun Will Come out Tomorrow.
- There's a hole in my sidewalk.
- Affirmations A-Z.
- Cubism and sensitivity.
- Life is a road trip.
- Try and connect with someone every day.
- The power of emotion.
- Moments of Joy (Bring Me Flowers).
- Vacant or engaged?
- Strategies.
- Feral Pumpkins.
- Slog on!
- It's all about balance.
- How at Sea are We?
- Some Things Are Best Done Alone.
- What lights your fire?
- August
- My breakdown.
- Everybody is a genius.
- Community spirit.
- Masking life?
- My Three Friends.
- The perfection trap?
- Acceptance.
- Untitled.
- The seasons of mood.
- Too much information?
- Burden
- Memories are made of this...Emotions.
- What colour glasses are you wearing toda...
- Taking care of the feelings. How?
- T-shirt rolling.
- Is it important to love yourself?
- I am far from perfect.
- Where do you find your solace?
- Living or hoping, dying or coping?
- Robin Williams, Super Hero.
- Depression film club.
- When will I get better?
- You can overcome anything.
- Untitled.
- Self Awareness - the Door to Healthy Cha...
- Feeling sad.
- Cat Among The Pigeons.
- Who am I?
- Who are the mad ones?
- Recording the Good Days.
- Getting Better.
- July
- Don't Panic!
- Human-Beings or Human-Doings?
- Holiday Preparations
- Self Soothing.
- Time to look after yourself, now!
- The Puss Pages.
- Are you stressed?
- Healing Myself.
- When we need help - Ask.
- What is 'Normal'?
- Happy Talk.
- Into every life a little rain must fall....
- I just have to remember I'm still me.
- Mindful and Soothing.
- Just do one thing each day.
- Young girl crying.
- Managing Your GP.
- Your comments count!
- The Golden Gate.
- To understand all is to forgive all.
- Anxiety, what a pest it is.
- Club 45.
- Moray Moodscope 2.
- Holly Golightly adored Tiffany's and me?...
- Superpowers.
- I am Worthy. A guide to self-worth.
- The start of my journey to recovery.
- I was just suffering with 'life'.
- Foot In Mouth Disease...
- Do half of it – or think of a different ...
- June
- Accepting Help is Hard.
- Man's best friend.
- My Moodscope return.
- Overwhelmed.
- Stuck.
- Would you like to write a blog for Moods...
- How are you coping with life?
- School report.
- Seeking advice on moving forwards.
- Why Bipolar is misunderstood.
- A Healing crisis - Part 2
- A Healing Crisis - Part 1
- The Guest House.
- Creating pockets of freedom in the mind....
- Grief and the bank – revisited.
- Keeping an eye on things.
- Thanks for always being there.
- Solitude.
- Who are you?
- Don't do something: just sit there!
- Glass half empty?
- A standing ovation
- Trees are cool.
- Have you reached your ULP?
- Judgements - Are you both judge and jury...
- Put your hands in the air, put your hand...
- Find your verse to find your voice.
- We Don't Always Know.
- The Abundant Life - 7 of 7 - Sensitivity...
- Handbook of life - a few more tips...
- That's Me In The Corner...
- May
- Pink Mist.
- Anyone else fed up?
- A Heartfelt Blog.
- Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
- A More Abundant Life; part 6 of 7.
- A love letter.
- Emoticons - Like, Love, Loathe?
- You're always happy. How do you do it?
- A More Abundant Life; part 5 of 7.
- To Be Strong - Is To Forgive.
- Disconnect to Connect.
- It's a Physical Thing.
- A More Abundant Life; part 4 of 7.
- 'Y' is for 'You'.
- 'T' is for Triggers.
- 'E' is for Exhale.
- 'I' is for Insomnia.
- 'X' is for X-cellence, with another chan...
- 'N' is for the Power of Now and News of ...
- 'A' is for Anxiety, Adrenaline and A Giv...
- A Moodscope giveaway!
- Finding peace.
- "I do therefore I am."
- Chapters of Your Life...
- Let's Hear it for the Drugs!
- A More Abundant Life; part 3 of 7.
- Do you ever H.A.L.T. to help yourself? r...
- I believe in you all...
- The storm will end.
- A More Abundant Life; part 2 of 7.
- April
- Untitled.
- Not What I Was Expecting.
- A More Abundant Life; part 1 of 7.
- Big picture learning.
- The Ebb and Flow of the Moodscope Cards....
- Which 'one' inside us do we feed...frien...
- Give me a break...
- Can you be your own best friend?
- Running for the dungeon.
- Therapeutic Bullying.
- The bubble.
- 10 tips for a healthy life.
- More action, less thought!
- To listen is to heal...
- Driving you crazy.
- Bottling a positive mood.
- Temporarily stranded but never stuck. (2...
- Temporarily stranded but never stuck. (1...
- Decisions.
- The Hunger Games.
- Who needs to hear your heart again?
- Don’t pet the porcupine.
- Hold the vision, trust the process.
- A 'Play'ful approach to mood.
- Say Yes!
- When in Happyland do as the Happy do.
- Is your life 'Out of Order'?
- Touched by the Emotion.
- Are the voices talking to you?
- March
- Don't give up.
- Why smile at a stranger today?
- There's good news and there's bad news.
- A smile wrapped around some lovely wisdo...
- Side effects.
- Pain yet hope inside.
- Giving it up.
- Giving my soul a chance to heal.
- Hello? Anybody there?
- Time to think.
- I Am What I Am.
- Do you ever H.A.L.T. to help yourself?
- What really makes us happy?
- The value of the closed door.
- A means to an end, or making the means t...
- Unafraid of murder!
- 'Arnold'.
- Is your dustbin overflowing?
- The Good Deed Feed.
- Blogging Your Way to Growth...
- Welcome to my world.
- Let Me Ask My Manager.
- Managing your magnet.
- In Praise of Buddies.
- Finding a key to your cage.
- One for the men out there.
- Who Are You Travelling With?
- Grief and the Bank.
- A sense of humour is really important.
- Be a tap not a cup.
- More Blogs Please.
- February
- Flip the biscuit.
- Who inspired you?
- Please don't let me feel misunderstood.
- Feedback.
- Imagine.
- Tea and biscuits anyone?
- EQ before IQ Except After Death.
- I feel.
- Just some thoughts...
- The Emotional Cost of Clutter.
- The need to re-balance.
- Breaking down my emotions.
- The right prescription...
- Walking into the fog.
- Lost in the 'Busyness' of Life.
- A Hopeful Romantic.
- A contradictory enigma.
- There are many more poems written than a...
- Who you are is what makes the difference...
- Help! When did this happen?
- Life is an Inside Job.
- Remember to put the glass down.
- Humans of New York.
- Don't yuck someone else's yum.
- Forewarned is Forearmed.
- Looking for an alternative.
- Playing the excited card.
- Acceptance.
- January
- Walking the Talk in Health.
- A winter picnic.
- Explaining how you feel.
- Felling the Tree.
- Combatting negative thoughts.
- Playing the Ashamed card.
- Make someone smile.
- Instructions for a bad day.
- Living with bipolar.
- Let's talk about endings again.
- Creating your own happy ending.
- How do you handle endings?
- Blooming Monday.
- It's okay to be not okay.
- Untitled.
- Ask a question. Any question!
- Bullying. Don't put up with it. Stop it ...
- Playing the Active card.
- It's January – Let's Diet!
- Please keep an eye out for Wednesday’s e...
- Breathe yourself happier.
- 'Just Do It'.
- Coping when unable to work (Part 3).
- Coping when unable to work (Part 2).
- Coping when unable to work (Part one).
- Mad Dogs and Englishmen...
- Playing the Nervous card.
- Physically Fit, Mentally Ill.
- The Happy diet.
- Don't underestimate the power of languag...
- Self-awareness.
- December
- 2013
- December
- Resolutions and Good Intentions.
- Live a longer and happier life.
- Playing the Upset Card.
- Can we really be comfortable with oursel...
- Draw something, anything!
- You have to be comfortable with discomfo...
- Happy Christmas.
- Merry Christmas Blues.
- Playing The Proud Card.
- Grow where you're planted.
- Improving mood.
- Money.
- Never be indifferent to indifference.
- Black dogs, black cats and dirty great L...
- Who helps you get back up each time you ...
- Playing The Attentive Card.
- I had a black dog, his name was depressi...
- Taking control of your care.
- Taking personal responsibility.
- Post and purrs.
- A simple list.
- Essential Information.
- Playing the Strong Card.
- Negative thinking.
- Who’s That Guru?
- Small things first.
- How are the four rooms in your life?
- Having an 'under the hedge' day.
- Thank your liver.
- Playing the Scared card.
- November
- What path are you on...or are you lost i...
- Mood managing.
- Untitled.
- Appreciating my medication.
- Napping is for life not just for babies!...
- Escape or Escapism.
- Is yours a full and happy life?
- Playing the 'Interested' card.
- Do or do not.
- A sense of humour.
- We've been listening to you...
- I want to be Alone!
- The Safety zone.
- The Enthusiastic card.
- Who are Moodscopers?
- ...look at it.
- What ever happened to the mirror that sh...
- 5 (Essential) Tips for a Mindful Christm...
- Emotional Withdrawal.
- Alive again.
- Irritable – defined as 'Feeling Easily A...
- Cupcake land.
- The gift of rain...
- Mindfulness
- Reflect, don't blame.
- The Futility of "Why?"
- Balance.
- Playing the 'Guilty' Card.
- Each day we have choices.
- Highly sensitive people.
- October
- Go on a mental holiday.
- Snakes and Ladders.
- Soft Time, Flow Time, Lost Time.
- Playing the 'Afraid' Card.
- Victor Frankl.
- One step at a time.
- A Disciplined life.
- APET (Activating agents, pattern matchin...
- Self-Compassion.
- Apple Day.
- Playing the 'Inspired' Card.
- Using Imagery To Explore Thoughts And Fe...
- Be true to yourself.
- Connecting the dots.
- Bring back the boutonnière!
- Mummy: I'm so miserable and I don't know...
- A five-minute wonder.
- Playing the 'Hostile' Card.
- Use your heart as a compass.
- Your blog here.
- Confessions of a 50-year-old.
- Thriftiness.
- Nothing to be Depressed About.
- Ode to October.
- Playing the Alert Card.
- Pattern matching part 3.
- Everything stops for tea.
- Family Matters.
- Pattern matching part 2.
- Grumpy Morning Faces.
- September
- Unblocking Negative Thoughts.
- Playing the 'Distressed' Card.
- Pattern matching part 1.
- Cherokee wisdom.
- Please understand me.
- Activating Agents part 3.
- Time is a great healer, maybe, but there...
- The cold with a sting in the tail.
- Playing the 'Determined' Card.
- Sunday 22nd of September marks the first...
- The Elephant in the Fridge – Revisited.
- The last 4 doctors.
- Chasing Morpheus.
- Letting out the mad.
- It's a goal.
- The art of bathing.
- The elephant and the fridge.
- Activating Agents part 2.
- Playing the "Jittery" Card.
- The 20 Moodscope cards.
- Activating Agents part 1.
- Round Pegs in Square Holes.
- Create something. Anything!
- The Gentle Author.
- The gift.
- What was their name?
- A day to remember.
- Back on the chain-gang...
- Exercise and connection; Two very human ...
- A Lie About Sleep.
- August
- Hi I'm Pete and I'm lonely.
- Let's Go Fly A Kite.
- Fuzzies and Fizzies.
- Is depression illness or injury?
- How Moodscope Improves Your Results with...
- Are you an Eeyore or a Piglet?
- Look Good Feel Better.
- The high road or the low road.
- Write your own self-help book.
- Why exercise should be fun.
- Coming Seventh (Out of Nine).
- The Question of Ownership.
- Plant flowers.
- Taking things to HEART.
- Time's Arrow.
- Wildlife and wellbeing.
- A Beautiful But.
- The line in the sand.
- Doing the right (unpopular) thing.
- Mood boards.
- Flipping the lid.
- Calm as balm...
- I'm all ears.
- I'm all ears.
- Sleep - Switch off to switch off.
- Running on empty.
- You're hired!
- Thank goodness for Moodscope.
- Prozac nation.
- What's your favorite?
- The learning carriage.
- July
- It's not me, it's you.
- Sleep well tonight.
- The holiday challenge.
- Pins and prickles.
- The power of intention.
- Now breath deeply.
- Beating the dragons.
- The missing factor.
- Vincent van Gogh.
- Books to boost your mood.
- That's not my therapist!
- The humble golf ball.
- Try things you think you don't like.
- Parting is such sweet sorrow.
- Press Pause and 'Mind the Gap'.
- Beautiful daily rituals.
- Proud.
- Fake it to make it.
- Keyboards and keypads to the rescue.
- They are my everything.
- The Five Languages of Love.
- Check the Brakes.
- The Voyager.
- Genetic Inheritance.
- Quick, clean up before the Cleaner arriv...
- You can handle more than you imagine.
- The Muppets in your mind.
- Genetic Inheritance.
- Something to chew on.
- Exercise. Not so tough?
- A million years. A million monkeys.
- Talking to the child within.
- June
- How am I feeling?
- Look around.
- I hear what I'm saying.
- Big boys do cry. And that's no bad thing...
- Wild White Cattle of Chillingham.
- Think of a lighthouse.
- Much ado about nothing…
- The invisible illness.
- Hold a poem in your body.
- Google Earth and The Bigger Picture.
- Here's to your left eyebrow!
- Not the sporting type?
- Let it be.
- Let it be.
- Just a note.
- Clothing by mood.
- Practice makes . . .
- Break the self-criticism habit.
- Hug your way to happiness.
- Hello, I am feeling very tired today!
- Not Quite Hell!
- Hopeful about hope.
- Diagnosis – Mad Wife in the Attic!
- To worry or not, that is the question.
- InewsU.
- Knocking the parrot off its perch.
- Awareness of pain.
- Gratitude.
- The monster in the wardrobe.
- Gratitude.
- The Beauty of I Am.
- May
- Hello.
- The Beauty of Imperfection.
- Avoid the news.
- Life as an accomplished marathon runner....
- Turning black thoughts into a different ...
- Holi-hour
- Don't look back in anger...
- Taking Control.
- Purring and wagging.
- Hello, I'm Mary and I'm bi-polar.
- The blue train. Metaphor 3.
- Purring and wagging.
- Managing thoughts. Metaphor 2.
- Looking at things differently. Metaphor1...
- Your flexible friend.
- Tricks with quicksand.
- Knock knock…
- What is happiness anyway?
- Breaking the worrying habit.
- Who can I talk to?
- Smiling inside and out.
- Different strokes for different folks.
- You are what you don't eat.
- Why trying to stop anxious thoughts does...
- Message from the Moodscope Team.
- May our paths cross again soon.
- Mars, one-way please.
- Wear sunscreen.
- Pay attention and get a great return.
- Please do it your way.
- Dr Seuss had it right.
- Sad to say, I'm leaving.
- Who writes this stuff?
- April
- December
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