The Moodscope Blog
28
January
I Accept
Thursday January 28, 2021
Acceptance is not a word I have previously associated with me. I am one of those who has always battled against the machine. The machine being anything and anyone I believe is not helping alleviate whatever situation I think needs to be alleviated. I battle. For decades, I have belonged to many groups who also battle against the machine. For short periods of time, I have felt that I have finally found a group of people with whom I have lots in common.
Then realisation rears its head. Not necessarily ugly, just its head; and I see through my rose-tinted spectacles that no, these people are not like me. They say they are raging against the machine, but actually they are concerned mostly about their position in the group; Chair, Treasurer, Secretary. They are actually part of the machine I am raging against.
So I leave, disillusioned once again. They accept my resignation. Not interested in hearing why I am leaving; knowing they are Right and by leaving, I prove my lack of commitment. They will continue to rage without me. Good luck to them, then. I stalk away, feeling righteous indignation at them; knowing I am right to do so.
What I was not prepared for, were the petty squabbles - over tea money, subs, the washing up – that dog all groups, regardless of their size and importance.
I wanted more. I wanted bright lights and shining truths. I wanted change with a capital C and I wanted to know that I had been part of it. I wanted to be proud.
I always left feeling utterly disillusioned. And this is where acceptance comes into its own.
You see, after more than six and a half decades on this planet, living this life, I have finally realised that this is what it amounts to. Acceptance. Change what you can, accept what you can’t.
In these very strange days of 2020/21, there is not a lot of anything I can change anyway. Maybe re-arrange the mugs or the cutlery drawer, but not a lot else. Instead, I am learning to accept this is my life; small, unimportant and all mine.
It is up to me what I do with it. And I accept that. I can change nothing other than the way I look at me, and how I look at the world. We are all looking for that state of being, it seems to me, where what we do and, in these days of pandemic, what we don’t do, is as important as anything the world leaders say.
The folk I abandoned; the ones I felt such disdain about; they too were aiming to make changes. What they knew, what I am only now understanding, is that they, like me, are only human. Doing people things in people ways.
And all we really want is to feel at home in our bodies and in our lives.
I am accepting that. Do you? Can you?
Christine
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above, please feel free to post a comment below.
27
January
Being Nice to (Insert Your Name Here)
Wednesday January 27, 2021
‘I want you to think about your three goals for this month,’ said the coach to the business club I go to. ‘Of those three goals, you will have one that is a “Must do,” one that is “Important,” and one that is a “Nice to do.” If you have any more than these it will be too much for you and you will be setting yourself up to fail.’
I looked at the three goals written down on the page. The first one, the “Must do,” is to get well again. I came out of the fog and physical weakness at the end of December but I’m still not well. The Moodscope scores are better than they were, but they are not yet back to normal.
For once, I am listening to advice.
‘Don’t push yourself,’ say my friends and family. ‘You won’t get better if you don’t rest.’ ‘You need some serious R&R.’ ‘Most of all,’ they say, ‘you need to be nice to Mary.’
They are right. I know they are right. It’s hard to accept but I can’t argue with the logic, and it’s what I tell other people, after all.
So today, with a score thirty points lower than a “normal” figure, I shall rest and relax, because I’m not well. There are senseless tears pricking my eyes and a lump in my throat. There is no reason for these feelings of discouragement and near desolation – they are part of still being a bit poorly.
It’s nearly lunchtime and there’s a pot of creamy soup in the fridge. After lunch there’s a comfortable chair and the cosy crime book I downloaded last night. Dinner is an easy curry with leftover chicken and a sauce from a jar. I’m taking it easy and being nice to myself.
I think many of us find it difficult to rest. I always think about all the productive things I could be doing instead of just sitting there; maybe you do too. Perhaps it is just not possible for you to rest because others depend on you, and that is hard. It may be possible however, to give yourself little treats; be nice to yourself.
We do all need to rest sometimes. And we definitely need to be nice to ourselves.
What do you do to rest, relax and be nice to you?
Mary
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above, please feel free to post a comment below.
26
January
Sleep and low mood Connection
Tuesday January 26, 2021
Ever since I was a young boy I have been plagued with nightmares, many reoccurring, even now at 64 very often my wife wakes me up as I am thrashing about and screaming. I am usually being chased or attacked or someone’s trying to kill me.
I can cope if it’s not too often but sometimes I have many nights of awful sleep, keep waking and can’t get back to sleep, which causes awful low moods. My dilemma is; is it the bad sleep that cause the low moods or is it the low moods that cause the bad sleep. And low mood, I mean really low, not wanting to be on this planet. Some days I don’t feel safe driving as I have been so disturbed by my awful experience of the previous night, even though it’s only a dream it’s as though I have gone ten rounds in a boxing ring.
I am a logical person and try to see if there is a connection to any current events, there is no pattern.
I was referred to a sleep clinic wired up over night in hospital to be told I slept ok for a few hours but then awake, was given tablets to produce melatonin. They did not help at all so was told nothing else could be prescribed as I have a rare heart condition (Brugada), sudden death syndrome, or as I call it, mostly alive Syndrome. I have an ICD implant so this does not cause me any anxiety as I am lucky to have one.
Just to lighten it up, I will list the the things I have tried:
Mindfulness, yoga, tai chi, hypnotherapy, hypnosis, reflexology, many natural herbs, eating a light snack, going for a walk before bed. Blackout blinds, warm room, cold room, heavy quilt, light quilt.
I have bought many pillows - current one has a speaker built in to listen to relaxing stuff. I have lavender oil and all sorts of potions near my bed. We have had many mattresses, I even purchased a water bed many years ago, this was a big mistake although my wife loved it. When I was thrashing about the waves I caused nearly launched her off the bed. She loved it when I got out as they are cool in summer and warm in winter. We got rid when it developed a leak, oh dear a plumber with a leaking water bed you couldn’t make it up. We don’t have a TV in the bedroom or any electronic devices.
I usually go to bed around 10-10:30. I can sleep soundly until 2am then it can be dreadful, sometimes up at 3am or 4am. I try to stay in bed till 6am, but not very often.
I hear of people that when low stay in bed, for me I can’t stay in bed.
So just to recap, does the black dog cause bad sleep, or does the bad sleep cause the black dog to jump in the bed?
Have you found the secret recipe for a good night sleep?
Paul
A Moodscope member.
Ps. I once put my mobile under the pillow and it the morning it had disappeared. I think the Bluetooth fairy took it!
Thoughts on the above, please feel free to post a comment below.
25
January
I Believe
Monday January 25, 2021
Isn’t everyone else weird? My neighbour keeps her bins out on the public footpath. I look at her behaviour and think, “I’d never do that,” or, even better, “Clearly, she wasn’t brought up very well.” She’s weird.
The fact is that nobody thinks like I think… and even I change the way I think day-in, day-out… and this is a good thing. Difference is a form of enrichment. Variety, I’m told, is the spice of life!
But (yes, a deliberate use of ‘but’), I need some things to be unchanging and certain. Moodscope needs to be, for me, a haven, a safe and secure place where I can give and get support.
When Dr Martin Luther King Jnr delivered his famous, “I Have A Dream,” speech, he laid out clearly what he believed the future could be like. He was calling out to those who thought like he thought and wanted the same things. He was looking for a tribe with shared expectations.
Given that I do not run Moodscope but rather am a member, I thought I’d let you, the members, see Moodscope through my eyes – the way I would like it to be. That way, I can learn from your comments whether I’m just weird or whether I’ve got tribal think-mates who are on the same page. It will also give a great opportunity for as many as want to - to share their own dream or beliefs about what Moodscope could be. A map drawn together will be far richer than my mono-sketch on the back of an envelope!
In my map of Moodscope, the four key locations are clear: The Scope, The Buddies, The Blog, The Comments. What is unlikely to be clear to all of us is the meaning we individually attach to these four pillars of the community.
For me then…
The Moodscope ‘Scope’ is to keep track of my moods – giving me patterns to watch for.
The Moodscope Buddies are to catch me when I fall, and to keep me anchored to the earth when I’m in danger of being swept away.
The Moodscope Blog is to give me energy, insight, encouragement, and to deliver support.
The Moodscope Comments are to amplify and augment that energy that flows from the blog, to add deeper and richer insights from the bigger group-mind, to stack encouragement upon encouragement, and to strengthen the support we give one another… to express solidarity on a daily basis.
Healthy debate adds strength and energy – the variety that adds spice and vitality.
So… am I weird, or do you share similar expectations?
Lex
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above, please feel free to post a comment below.
24
January
Anyone for tennis?
Sunday January 24, 2021
I’ve become Wimbledon ready! Surprised myself, no, shocked myself! Feeling proud, ten out of ten.
I was over 40 before I started growing up. Began to peel away the layers of guilt, shame and negativity. I guess that is proof it can be done no matter what age or stage.
Despite walking very closely with one of my brothers for more than a year, holding him up and helping hold up and push on his business, my mother found a way to cast deep scorn on me today. I had the audacity to walk through the cold, deliver her fresh milk to her doorstep along with a birthday present for my brother. I’d already spoken with him, he was due to visit her, and so it seemed a good place to leave his present. Especially as for the last ten months we’ve all stayed physically apart to help keep each other safe. And especially as he has no way to get to my house, legally I’m not permitted to enter his and every single hospitality venue is locked down. She frowned, looked up at me with a puckered face and asked if I would not be seeing him today. He didn’t even get his name, I’m guessing that was so she might sound even more authoritarian.
I don’t take bullying anymore. So I hit that ball back over the net with the arm of Serena Williams, smiled calmly and said this was probably the best legal way I could get it to him. It’s a bit of a sadness not to have the mother relationship I would have loved but it’s been a huge benefit in teaching me how I parent.
Ah I’m just letting off steam. I have no physical tennis capability whatsoever. But I’m pretty proud of no longer absorbing negativity and of how my mental tennis is shaping up. Anyone joining me?
Love from
The room above the garage
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above, please feel free to post a comment below.
23
January
Does talking to strangers help your mood?
Saturday January 23, 2021
I read an article recently about how talking to strangers can make you feel better.
Some of the Moodscopers reading this blog post will feel they’d do anything to start a conversation or even have eye contact with a stranger. For others perhaps not. Smart phones make it easier to have an excuse for not talking to people we don’t know.
Research has shown that we might just be able to improve our moods if we do not ignore opportunities to make contact with the people around us.
A few years ago researchers at a University decided to test whether a short chat with a stranger could lift moods. Participants were asked to walk into a busy cafe and buy a drink and a snack. Half of the people were asked to walk in and leave and half were asked to talk to the person serving them.
They discovered that people who were assigned to turn this quick transaction into a quick social exchange left the cafe feeling better.
A journalist once spoke to at least 15 people she didn’t know a day. She was surprised how well this made her feel. At first it was a chore then over a week she looked forward to chatting to her new friends,
How do you feel? Does a quick chat to someone waiting in a queue or someone serving you, or the post man or someone you meet on a walk help improve your mood even slightly. Please share your thoughts and experiences.
I admit I do like to chat sometimes when I am in a good mood. When I am not, small chat can annoy me but I smile and reply.
Maybe you are someone who gets anxious if strangers talk to you or you prefer to avoid random conversation. Please explain why you feel not talking to people you don’t know.
Leah
A Moodscope member
Thoughts on the above, please feel free to post a comment below.
22
January
How did we ever manage?
Friday January 22, 2021
I am an ‘objet de curiosite’. Every time I go out there are people using two thumbs to write important messages, or their elbow is raised (thought it was beer, but it’s a phone). I am a dinosaur. I do not have a Smartphone. I did, but, somehow, we never became an ‘item’. Nobody told me I had to ‘swipe’ it, not ‘tap it’ to answer a call. When I tried to text, always tapped the letter above. It was acquired in a panic, knee-jerk reaction, as is my won't.
We were in Paris, ‘en route’ from the Alps, via Geneva, to home in West France. My husband was just beginning to exhibit the signs which were to lead to Alzheimer’s. I knew our train was at 16.20, so we settled to a delicious lunch. I thought I’d just check the ticket, and found our train had left half an hour previously. **!!*? So, I left Monsieur to the care of the Maitre D’, and crossed the road in pouring rain to the Gare du Nord, where they gave me a ticket saying I was 39th in line for assistance. I played the sympathy card, got the tickets changed and off home, not without more problems with strikes disrupting trains.
When I had time to think, it was evident that with a Smartphone, I could have stayed at my restaurant table and with a few flicks change my tickets ‘on line’. Hence, at first opportunity, proud (but useless) owner of Smartphone. I refrained from smashing it, and sold it to our Camerounian priest for 20 euros.
I must admit pre mobiles one could have nasty moments. (This blog is in direct response to Rosemary, 15th December, who having left her mobile in her car was powerless to get through a door which was shut against her). The worst was when I and our three boys were on the way to Sicily. We arrived in good time at Genoa. There, no sign of boat, nor indication if, or when, it would arrive. The other side of the port was another boat going to Sicily. We contemplated it, but our tickets, closely examined, said they did not promise to get anywhere, anytime, and we would not get a refund. We went to a hotel. The next morning our boat was there, the other had sunk! Still have the cartoon done by second son. Two days later tried to phone husband from Sicily, but you had to have a ‘token’ for public phones, in bars, and lazy barmen would put ‘out of order’ on phone. Eventually got through, to husband on verge of nervous breakdown. In ‘The Times’ on the Saturday, my sister-in-law, visiting, said ‘Oh look, ferry capsized in Genoa harbour, all cars wrecked, some deaths’. We were totally oblivious that it would make national news.
So, what the devil do you do now in such circumstances? Public phones no longer exist, I think. Luckily, all the world but me has their vital part of modern life.
The Gardener
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above, please feel free to post a comment below.
21
January
Just do it
Thursday January 21, 2021After reading Manuel’s blog (Saturday 5th December 2020) I felt I had to write this.
Totally agree that therapy needs to be tried. It can and will change your life if you allow it and find a therapist you really trust.
So as a therapist what do we say, “You will be happy after 6 sessions, 12 sessions, 100 sessions or we will give you a refund??”
We live in a world of quick fixes and want it now but for a lot of us our pain and suffering has been gradual and we have incorporated beliefs and values into our constructed world.
There is NO short cut. You need to acknowledge and feel those embarrassing, shameful, guilt inducing sometimes so traumatic feelings the words won’t come out for months or years. But why on earth would you do that. Because it heals. I could give you hundreds of mantras here but I won’t as I am sure you know what I’m talking about. A problem shared is a problem halved and all that! It is hard work and exhausting and sometimes terrifying. Not selling it very well am I?
Why do people say that therapy doesn’t work? I could go to my friend if I wanted to talk about my problems. Difference is we don’t ( and I am speaking for myself and not the whole industry here as I am well aware there are good and not so helpful therapists out there) tell you what to do and tell you our problems too. We acknowledge what it means to you. Just by having our feelings acknowledged is sometimes enough to shift the pain.
I do get frustrated. Yes, I am well aware frustration is anger but frustration sounds softer and I don’t want you to think I’m not a nice person by getting angry. (I am not talking here about venomous anger that people spew out on social media as this is another blog all together). Childhood messages stick with us and this is what causes our ongoing suffering. This is where we go wrong in life. Don’t be sad, don’t cry, don’t get angry. Yes please do. If not, where do those feelings go? Stuffed down in layers of shame, guilt, fear and so many more until it becomes unbearable and will show itself in anxiety, depression and physical illnesses. As (thankfully) this is not an academic piece of writing I don’t need to back this blog up with research but it is out there along with the numerous books to read on the subject.
And don’t let cost be an excuse as it can be for a lot of people. We can all say we don’t have the money and trust me I am with you. It is about our priorities and there are many wonderful charities around and therapists that offer low cost sessions.
I am aware that many of you will have your personal experiences both good and bad of therapy.
Wondering what your experiences are and what you have learnt from them?
Lara
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above, please feel free to post a comment below.
20
January
Consistently Inconsistent
Wednesday January 20, 2021
Ninety percent of success is just consistently showing up.
I don’t know who said that, but it is a phrase my husband often uses, and it always makes me wince.
People need to know they can rely on you; and one problem bipolar disorder presents an inability to give that consistency.
We may show consistency some of the time – even for months at a time – but sooner or later the mania sets in, followed by the depression.
Mania and depression affect people differently. In mania, some do not sleep for days; become reckless with their spending habits; take risks they would normally avoid. My mania presents as boundless enthusiasm, a tendency to overcommit, and an irritating habit of talking non-stop. Before medication it was nasty and made life very difficult for my friends and family (see Bipolar Exploding Hedgehog: 26th October 2016). it is now, fortunately, much less severe.
The depression, in my experience of talking to others, presents more similarly; we retreat and withdraw from the world. Often, we cannot even get out of bed. If we manage to get up and get dressed, we cannot “People”. For all intents and purposes, we disappear.
This causes havoc in our personal and work lives: of course it does! We cannot be consistent.
I honestly think the only thing I have ever done reliably is write this blog every Wednesday; and I have no idea at all about how that has happened.
This inconsistency costs. It costs jobs, relationships and financial security; these costs in turn, contribute to the more well-known accompaniments to bipolar disorder, such as excess drinking, drug-taking, self-harming and suicide.
It’s hard to accept. This is not the way we want to be. “I just get so angry!” said a fellow sufferer the other day.
The other side of anger is grief; There is sorrow that this illness prevents from being who we want to be and doing what we love to do.
It’s taken a long time for me to accept my inconsistency, especially in the last couple of years since the medication. I hoped the tablets would be a silver bullet and that I would be entirely well but that has not happened.
Nope – I still have bipolar disorder and I still have the symptoms. They are milder than before: they are no longer life-threatening; no longer threaten my health, family, and friendships but they still present and I still cannot promise consistency.
The answer is to manage expectations, I suppose. My directors and fellow colleagues in the company know about it; my family and friends know about it. While I do not always name the condition, I let my clients know I am subject to periods of “Ill health.”
It’s not what any of us want but it’s what we have.
If we accept it, we can work with it instead of fighting a battle we can never win.
A harsh truth, perhaps, but maybe a useful one.
Mary
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above, please feel free to post a comment below.
19
January
I keep dodging the bullets
Tuesday January 19, 2021
I love watching action movies a lot. When bullets are fired and the actors just find a way to dodge them. Well, sometimes they get hit!
When I first figured out my mood problems was after my marriage had ended. I discovered that over the years I had been allowing certain negative thoughts to fill my head. Thoughts of fear, anger, sending out bad thoughts of bad things happening to me and others. I kept building up castles of negativity in my head.
I had few good thoughts. The thing is I just allowed the negative thoughts have free access to me.
Now, I know how to deal with them. When I feel thoughts coming up and quickly identify them as negative, I physically dodge them... I shake my head and frown at it like it's a person and say "No, that's wrong", or I just move aside as if making passage for someone coming towards me. Another thing I do is to physically act like I am dodging a bullet like in the movies or blocking a move from an opponent in martial arts training.
Physically this helps me because I immediately put the thoughts behind me and move on.
Trust me this wasn't easy and still is not. I still have my days when I have to deal with a tsunami of negative thoughts.
Hope this is helpful.
Thanks.
Odafe
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above, please feel free to post a comment below.
18
January
Making myself stronger
Monday January 18, 2021
[To view a video version of this blog post please click here: https://youtu.be/irGeXJYEWDA]
I wanted to talk today about the giant gulf between “should” and “could”.
One is mostly disempowering; one is sometimes empowering.
Friedrich Nietzsche said, “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.”
I disagree.
I believe that each problem (“That which does not kills us...”) faced up to and challenged, “…makes us stronger.”
Let me repeat a personal story that some of you have heard.
I was bullied as a child, as many of you know. On my way back from my Secondary School, every single day, a group of boys, older and further up in the school, had money enough to own bicycles – giving them a sense of freedom. They used to cycle like wild Indians around me, spitting on me, and kicking me in the happy sacks.
You can imagine how much I looked forward to the journey home from school each day.
What “should” have happened (in the Perfect World) was that, as if by magic, Mr Miyagi “should” have jumped down beside me to teach me Karate. After training, I would have been ready to dispatch them all, teaching a life lesson!
I did have a rescuer, a heroine, my Mother. I finally confessed my terror to her, and she took action. A very glamorous woman, she donned a headscarf and dark glasses, like a Movie Star, and walking our golden Labrador, Kerry, she watched from afar.
When the felons struck, she moved like lightning, and struck them down… at least with her tongue. Their parents got some “feedback” too.
The problem was removed… except it wasn’t. It was a pivotal moment in my life because I learned to stay a coward rather than be courageous. Both cowardice and courage can flow from an identical place of feeling terrified, but the outcomes are drastically different.
The Karate Kid learned to stand up for himself – and others.
Until we learn to stand up to the bullies, we will always remain subject to fear.
We will not become stronger.
I believe that not standing up to the bullies led to a massively critical, bitter spirit, and a view that the world ‘should’ be different. I still look at behaviours and situations in the world that I do not think ‘should’ be that way and judge those involved.
There’s an alternative I’m exploring: “could.” Now, I’m beginning to acknowledge that things “should” not be a certain way, but I ask myself, “What could I do about this?” If the answer is, “Nothing,” I seek to give it no more attention. If there is something I “could” do, I seek to do it. This is standing up to the problem, it’s empowering, and it makes me stronger (even when I don’t succeed!) It’s the act of facing the fear and having a go anyway. It is courage.
From “should” to “could” makes a world of difference. There is a gulf between “should” and “could” and a courageous decision to take action is the bridge.
Lex
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above, please feel free to post a comment below.
17
January
My handsome companion
Sunday January 17, 2021Here I sit, at the kitchen table, looking out to my best friend Half a Tree. I’ve written about him a number of times over the years I’ve been on Moodscope. In short, he and me have been pals for about 12 years. We step the days together and he’s fought hard to survive all that he has been through. He is all I need in a pal, he’s there. He’s there when I wash dishes, there when I chop, there when I write. He’s there during warm, light nights, he’s there in frost and storms, and there at dawn and dusk when I open, and close, the house to the day.
Right now he is completely naked, and I’m not even blushing! He is in silhouette against a winter sky and together they make a perfect couple. His arms are outstretched, strong and inky black against the crisp, clear, end-of-day sky with hints of marshmallow pink inside its icy twinkle.
And the best part? I sat to write this at 4.19pm (with mug of hot tea) and darkness had not fully arrived. Just a few weeks ago at this time I’d have had the blind and curtain drawn. The days are changing. All by themselves. We just need to patiently allow them. Bit by little bit. Look how far we’ve come!
Look back sometimes – can you see your progress? If you can’t, I bet you have friend or family who can see it.
Love from
The room above the garage
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above, please feel free to post a comment below.
16
January
Frame of reference
Saturday January 16, 2021
Anticipating (correctly) that our cleaner would not be coming today as lockdown 3 was announced yesterday evening, I was doing some preliminary dusting in our bedroom this morning when I came face to face with a work of art I had not given a thought to for some time.
It is very easy to overlook this piece, approximately A4 in size, in what must once have been quite a splendid frame, gilded wood with crimson velvet, but now so faded that the red is barely discernible. The picture too is discoloured and dull, with not much of the original colour remaining. It is a tapestry of a parrot with a small bird with widespread wings at its feet and grapes and leaves. At the bottom are two initials and a date, faint but clear: 1830
It had belonged to my husband’s parents. After they both died, my husband being an only child, we triaged the contents of their house. Although I had intended to keep it, the picture was sent with other bits and pieces to an auction house, where it failed to sell and was returned. Although my husband suggested getting rid of it because of its lack of artistic merit, I put it on the wall in our bedroom.
When I looked at it more closely, I realised that what was framed was not tapestry but a template for a tapestry sampler, designed to be sewn over to make the picture. It was largely uncompleted, hence the dullness, but a few places had been filled in with black thread and tiny stitches: on the sparrow’s head, the parrot’s wings, half the first stroke of the first initial.
I know the story behind this from my father-in-law. The picture was given to him in gratitude by the family of his friend. They were aristocratic and lived in some splendour in Hungary until the Second World War. Despite both men serving in the Hungarian Army and thus fighting initially on the German side, later both were captured because they were Jewish. I don’t know any more about the exact circumstances of their mutually supportive friendship.
My father-in-law was liberated from a concentration camp. As often happened, the friend was used to locate mines – by walking ahead to identify a safe path for the following troops.
And that’s where the story, like the tapestry and this blog, ends.
Rose
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above, please feel free to post a comment below.
15
January
Is it so obvious?
Friday January 15, 2021
I heard my blogs described once as being about the obvious, but the obvious was not always obvious to others.
I hope that makes sense. I know my blogs are not deep and meaningful or full of big words and complex ideas.
I have talked about wearing gumboots (wellies) and splashing in puddles, about watching toddlers learning to walk, about talking to machines, about feeling like a weed and many other simple topics.
Sometimes we overlook or avoid the obvious simply because it is always there staring us in the face. I am sure many of us have been looking for a solution when there was a simple one right in front of us.
Do you we take the obvious, the mundane, the domestic tasks for granted as we seek something that seems more worthy more highbrow? Complex ideas and words I do not understand are important, and I am glad we have such a variety of views on Moodscope.
When I first heard someone say my blogs were about the obvious or the simple things, I suppose I felt a bit defensive but I now see that is a good thing. I have mentioned my blogs as an example but would like the discussion to be a broader one about how you feel about the simple and the obvious and how sometimes we ignore something as it is too obvious.
In this world where everything is changing and getting complicated, I feel there is still a place for the obvious and simple things in life. Maybe you can think of a few examples.
Can you think of a time you forgot about the obvious whether it was a solution, thing, answer you were looking for and tell us about it? Do you think maybe we should look for a deeper way of expressing ourselves instead of the obvious?
Leah
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above, please feel free to post a comment below.
14
January
Retirement
Thursday January 14, 2021
A few people congratulated me on my retirement and I was totally mystified. I didn’t know what there was to congratulate me about this event. I discussed it with my daughter. She helped me to see the issue from a different perspective.
For three months I was in a liminal stage as I was only working one day a week for about one hour. I had been mentally preparing myself for this event, my retirement.
I wanted something to look forward to after I retired. I have found that my life has developed a distinct and different pattern. A friend stated that the two Lockdowns have enabled me to smoothly glide into retirement as I have been working from home using Teams while still supporting my students and to make contact with various people in the workplace. Also, I haven’t lost connection with some of my former colleagues.
I have enrolled on creative writing sessions and am thoroughly enjoying them. I have participated and completed an open learning course with the Open University. I have found time ’flying on wings like a dove.’ No sooner has the week begun, it is into the weekend. That has been slightly disconcerting. I have frequently said that ”time goes quickly when we are having fun” or are gainfully employed in un-stressful activity. It isn’t the same as being unemployed, there isn’t the stigma attached to the new stage in my life.
I need to develop new rituals and routines which are a necessary framework to my day. I realise that there is nothing to be worried about retirement.
Orange Blossom
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above, please feel free to post a comment below.
13
January
Ditch the Guilt
Wednesday January 13, 2021
I was on a Zoom call with some colleagues yesterday. It was a coaching call with one of our directors; exploring the emotions and beliefs in our lives that prevent us from being as effective as we might wish.
As we each talked through our current emotions and where we feel we are with our businesses and our lives, our coach pulled out at random, an advice card for each of us.
You can always find something useful in these cards – even if they don’t seem immediately to apply to your situation, but this time, most of them hit the nail on the head.
“Let go of Guilt,” mine said, with a charming illustration of an angel bearing flowers. “When you allow your light to shine brightly, you inspire others. Forgive yourself for what you think you’ve done or not done, and trust that you are loved unconditionally for who you are. Learn and grow from past mistakes instead of berating yourself for them.”
Jackie, our coach, has known me for nearly twenty years; she laughed. She knows that I am an expert at feeling guilty.
I feel guilty about not having a beautifully decorated clean and tidy home; I feel guilty about not having a more successful business; I feel guilty about not being a good enough wife and mother; most of all I feel guilty about my bipolar disorder.
Well, that’s not quite true. I know I cannot help my condition; none of us can. When life dealt us the cards, we got bipolar or depression; we must play the hand we’re given because we don’t have anything else.
It is not the condition itself which brings on my guilt, however; it’s the episodes of mania and depression and the effect they have on my family, my friends and my clients.
I always feel I should have managed things better. When people say to me, “You were running yourself ragged: you just wore yourself out; you shouldn’t have overdone it,” I take that on and feel guilty, though I know, even with medication, I cannot control the high energy of the mania. Now the fog of depression has cleared, and I can think again, I feel guilty for the time out; for letting people down; for the gaping holes in my memory, and the fact I still get tired: my strength and stamina have not yet returned.
This may all seem very familiar to you; I know I cannot be alone.
I’m going to take the advice on the card and let go of the guilt, and I’d invite you to do the same. We all do the best we can with what we’ve been given. It might be difficult to accept that we inspire others but for somebody, somewhere, we are an inspiration, and we are loved.
We all make mistakes – it’s called being human. Let’s take the lessons and forgive ourselves for those mistakes.
Guilt doesn’t help us; it only harms us.
Let it go.
Mary
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above, please feel free to post a comment below.
12
January
Toxic people
Tuesday January 12, 2021
WARNING. If you feel we should always turn the other cheek, never retaliate, least said the better, don’t read on, this blog is not for the likes of you.
Hello my friend! Now is it just me, or has the pandemic given the opportunists, the predators and sadists some extra energy?
I am amazed at the supernatural way these types can smell blood. You’ve had a rotten day, depressed and tired - who comes crawling out of the woodwork but your favourite passive- aggressive, sarky, patronising little creep. Some worrying news, that could wait, just has to be imparted at 10.30pm as you are ready to crawl under the duvet.
Better still, why not catch you at 8am on Saturday morning as you wind down after a bad week?
Then there is the “Computer says No” person, loves to frustrate your efforts to remain sane.
I know, I know, there have been many heartwarming stories of kindness and sacrifice this year. Nice decent people are always in the majority. I have just heard many tales lately of the other sort, people going out of their way to be insensitive, greedy, unkind. A friend described her nasty sister to me “She’s the sort of person who wakes up to blue skies, birds singing and thinks who can I upset today?”
A particular thorn in my side is a woman I am forced to have dealings with, no choice. It would take too long to describe her spiteful ways and the people she has upset.
In the past I tried to be friendly, but any little kindness was met with bitchiness. If I or anyone remonstrates, she feigns terminal illness, or a death in the family. Her elderly mother has died at least 3 times.
Unfortunately she turned the spotlight on me again this year. Emails are circulated, questioning and scorning every decision or suggestion I make, calling me a liar, a bully. No foundation, just name-calling.
Her emails to me have been patronising, full of digs. Not responding to her provocation has taken a real toll on my health mentally and physically. I joke about her, but at night I’ve been lying awake, my mind full of what I wanted to say, my guts a ball of acid. It has not helped that my partner is of the “Don’t rock the boat, don’t let her get to you” mindset. His family were silent martyrs, mine were pugnacious, feisty.
The last straw came. She heard I had roofing work done, and posted a good review for the one-man business. Naming me as a recommendation, she got him to quote, gave an order and cancelled the day before, leaving him badly out of pocket for the materials. When he remonstrated she laughed “Sue me” and hung up.
I sat down and wrote:
“I have a variety of your emails forwarded to me. It seems because I don’t accept you riding roughshod over everyone, I am therefore an ogre. I cannot tell you how much pleasure it has given me, reading what you say, how much you resent me. If I thought for one minute that you see me as a kindred spirit, if someone like you had a single shred of admiration and respect for me, I would want to vomit . I could not bear to be the sort of person you would like. I am greatly relieved, because if you loathe me as much as you say, I must be getting something right. It has given me a real morale boost.
Also, it will be much quicker if in future you just send these emails directly to me. They all get passed on, with loads of rude words and comments added. That extra large print you use, all the underlinings, do such a good job of conveying your utter barminess. Thank you so much for giving us all a good laugh during these dark days.”
I feel so much better, and had great feedback from those copied in. This was a month ago, not a peep from her since, so everyone is thanking me for that. How I wish I had acted sooner.
So comrades, is there someone now, or the past, who you would like to sock it to? You don’t have to send it to them, just to me. I would love to read it.
Val
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above, please feel free to post a comment below.
11
January
Sorry! Or “From ‘Sorry!’ to ‘Thank You!’”
Monday January 11, 2021
[To view a video of this blog post please click here: https://youtu.be/wahCRJe0kro]
Some people say, “Sorry!” an awful lot.
I can go one better, I grew up in Sorry… Dorking, Sorry to be precise.
Of course, the tourists call it, “Surrey,” but we locals know it as, “Sorry.”
Dorking, Sorry, is the epicentre of sorriness. Its mascot is a genetically-distorted Cockerel – with an extra-toe. Mutated and selectively bred for Cock-Fighting… sorry!
Joking aside (Surrey, after all, is very beautiful for the most part and I had an extremely privileged childhood even if I chose not to enjoy it!), joking aside, most of us say, “Sorry!” inappropriately, disempoweringly, and all too frequently.
The very lovely Linda Parkes (who I always call, “Linda Sparkes,” in my mind because she gives off so many smiley sparkles of joy) shared with me some magical transformations from “sorry” to something better. I thought we might try them for a spell.
These magic words were originally from an Instagram post, though the graphic was so tiny, I can’t read the source. If you’re out there, ping me and we’ll give you the credit due.
It’s called, “Stop apologising, start thanking!”
Thus…
“I’m sorry I’m late,” becomes, “Thank you for waiting for me!”
“I’m sorry for being so sensitive,” becomes, “Thank you for accepting me just the way I am!”
“I’m sorry I always mess up everything,” becomes, “Thank you for being patient!”
“I’m sorry that you have to bail me out so often,” becomes, “Thank you for always being there for me, and for supporting me. Your kindness is deeply appreciated.”
“I’m sorry for talking about me and my problems so much,” becomes, “Thank you for listening to me!”
“I’m sorry for being so difficult to love,” becomes, “Thank you for being so loving!”
“I’m sorry for being me,” becomes, “Thank you for being you!”
I love the way all of these shift the focus from us to them. They become the heroes, and that’s easy for both us and them to feel good about. If we focus on the problems that we’ve caused and they are helping us with, we stay stuck in the sorry-state of the issue at hand. When we shift to the solution they are supplying they can feel good… and we all remember how others make us feel.
That sounds like the perfect reason to share one of my favourite quotes from Maya Angelou…
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Make them feel great by saying, “Thank You!” (not, “Sorry!”)
Lex
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above, please feel free to post a comment below.
10
January
Bridges
Sunday January 10, 2021
There are so many curious and wonderful bridges out there. From magnificent feats of engineering and architecture, adorning many a postcard (yep, I still send and love to receive them), to the fragile, wobbly ones that make your heart live in your throat. Then there are surprise ones, found on a walk, fashioned from any old bit of wood, placed over a burn, to help keep your feet dry and steady.
The imaginary ones are extremely useful too. If you are feeling anxiety rise because of the latest rounds of news, you might find a bridge is useful. It can help create a little distance between living inside your thoughts and looking at them from a standpoint.
Just picture your own bridge of dreams or bridge of practicality – in a glade, in a city, one you have commuted over, big or small, real or fictional. Then think of the words, phrases and images which are causing your anxiousness. Now, try to see them over the bridge, on the other side. Where you stand is where you are. Solid, rooted, safely on the bank. And where they are is distanced, on the other bank. You can be a witness to them, in fact you have to, there really is no getting away, they are part of this. But, whilst you are a witness, from this little distance, you can only watch. At some point you must accept that you need to walk on. It still will happen whether you watch or not, only now you can help by taking care of yourself.
Keeping safe and helping comes in many guises.
Love from
The room above the garage
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above, please feel free to post a comment below.
9
January
Magical cornflowers
Saturday January 9, 2021
Last autumn I was going for my weekly walk with two friends, and we were commenting as we walked on the beauty of the plants in some of our neighbours’ gardens. We came to a garden with an elderly couple both gardening, and stopped for a brief chat with them. I admired the cornflowers bobbing in the breeze. Many of them had already gone to seed and the seedpods were pretty too.
The lady told us to wait, then took a bag and put many seed heads from the plants into a plastic bag and gave them to me. I thanked her, not knowing really what to do with them, as we have a shady garden, apart from a little vegetable patch.
I went home and after a week or so decided that I would put them in the veggie patch as I had no other sunny spot. Then nature could decide whether to raise them for me.
This Spring (after a horrible year of fires) we have had the best rains in eleven years. I live in Australia, where rain is not taken for granted. All the seeds sprouted, and friends are now asking for seeds from “my” plants.
What a kind gardener that lady was, and how much joy she has brought. Those cornflowers remind me of my growing up in England, my family, my first home. Magical.
Paula
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above, please feel free to post a comment below.
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Blog Archive
- 2021
- March
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- If Mama Ain’t Happy, Ain’t Nobody Happy
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- Yes, and…
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- Fancy writing a blog post for Moodscope?...
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- And the old man said
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- The groatie buckie arrived
- Moodscope keeps on giving - Dr Nick Prio...
- You may be surprised to know…
- Waves of loss
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- Let’s Get Physical
- Is hope the hopium of the people?
- SLEWOV is “VOWELS” backwards
- The Groatie Buckies
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- Oh! For a magic carpet
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- The 7 Habits of Happiness - Habit 3 Grat...
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- Having a go
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- Mr Blue Sky
- Hiding my depression
- The seven Habits of Happiness
- Some real losses I’ve faced since Covid ...
- Bee in your bonnet
- My tears
- September
- "Don't believe everything you think" - A...
- This is How Lovely You Are
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- What To Do When Hungry
- Stigma
- A bit of pavement changed my life
- Life without moodscope
- How to become psychologically resilient ...
- One in Seven
- Lockdown = Stability?
- Playing with Fire
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- Self- doubt will it ever end?
- Sacred rituals
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- On the top shelf of my Mental Wardrobe (...
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- What the World needs now is love sweet l...
- The games we play
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- Gliding Towards Retirement
- Left
- What would you like to invent or adapt?
- My new job
- All Change
- August
- I am a bit tired of the constant ‘upbeat...
- With Your Permission
- Being
- Staying silent or speaking out?
- Flooded with emotion
- Corona burnout
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- Chewbacca
- It Is Well
- How to get what you want (maybe)
- ‘Le Planning’
- Mistakes
- Move like you love yourself…
- On a Good Day…
- Life can be hard
- Putting People First
- Many Kinds of Silences
- Are you recovered yet?
- Rolling Back the Years
- Tribes
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- The Unwelcome Visitor
- At her invitation, I entered the Artist'...
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- A strange world
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- July
- Perfectionistic demands in relaxation a...
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- Strippers rest before showtime
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- Lonely adj. – sad because one has no fri...
- I can laugh about it now
- Failure, Success and Pride.
- Keep showing up…
- What You Are Is What You’ll Do…
- My Mood Weather Forecast
- “When they said sit down I stood up, …gr...
- First impressions
- Life
- To Fear, or not to Fear.
- 70 Shielded and Bipolar
- On A Free Day You Can See Forever
- The Natural Health Service
- How much do you share?
- Smell my depression
- It’s a win from me
- Requiem for a Guinea-pig
- Topsy Turvy
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- Still I rise
- What “therapy” suits you?
- Battling on a Daily Basis
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- June
- Nothing is Ever Wasted
- Who is in your support network?
- Reparenting
- Music to My Ears
- What fruit is not your friend?
- The first step…
- Morning is broken
- Exhaustion
- Who am I?
- Return to sender
- The Value of Self-Care
- Note to self
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- Learning to no longer play the victim
- You are Different
- Being close
- Essentially uplifting
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- Ferreting out the feelings
- I am struggling
- The Passing
- A Thought is Just a Thought
- The odds are stacked against bringing ab...
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- First day
- Sorting out the wheat...
- A cause of mood change
- Failure and Onion Bhajis.
- Where has my self compassion gone?
- May
- Now
- When Love Is Not enough
- I have a on/off relationship with Moodsc...
- Dwelling
- Keeping a light shining
- Those Constant Little Niggles
- Lockdown
- Boo
- The Rainbow Children
- Plotting some pleasure
- Suicide
- True Essentials
- Making Sense of the Senseless
- The Trolley Part 2
- Playing Tag
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- What is your new normal?
- Locked Down in Depression
- New Lamps for Old
- The Trolley
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- Blogger’s block
- War
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- Acceptance and Relinquishment and Plans
- Hearing the infrasounds
- Metamorphoses – Life Story in Four Chapt...
- Coping with now
- Not naked
- April
- Standing tall
- Anxiety is always with me
- Kaleidoscope
- A Journal of Plague Year - 2020
- ASDA Knights
- Investing in myself
- Closer to Happy
- Learning to like yourself more
- Please can I scream????
- We’re Going on a Bear Hunt
- Gratitude
- Not Good But Great
- Green Shoots of Hope
- You're not gone when I can still write t...
- Isolation
- What if I really am to blame?
- Repainting the Porch
- Thoughts from a sunny conservatory
- The sisters of Motivation (part 3 of 3)...
- Bridging our differences...
- The cup and the saucer
- Take Heart with Kϋbler-Ross
- My Outdoors Happy Place
- Lockdown
- From mania to balanced mood
- Needs Must (part 2 of 3)
- A Reset
- The birds!!! (Or a 'flight' of fancy.)
- Obeying the rules in the light of Self-c...
- The Admittance
- March
- Protection from Pigeons
- Where has it gone?
- Needs must
- 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
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- This Year, Next Year, Sometime Never...
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- Not what I expected...
- Too much knowledge
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- 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
- December
- 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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Posts and comments on the Moodscope blog are the personal views of Moodscope members, they are for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice. Moodscope makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this blog or found by following any of the links.
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