The Moodscope Blog
12
August
Finding my home. Saturday August 12, 2017
Are you worried that books and bookshops are an endangered species?" asked a customer, clutching a Kindle.
I knew a place where books were treasured not threatened.
Books had always been a love of mine, I was always reading at least one and had one in my bag. As a 21st birthday present, I was given a beautifully illustrated book about books, bookshops and book collectors. The story that fascinated me the most was about a town in Wales, Hay-on-Wye, that was full of bookshops.
The more I learned about the man and the town, the more I wanted to go and visit the place, but life happened – marriage, three children, divorce, elderly parents, and small business. It wasn't until a hot summer's day in July a few years ago this year that I finally made it to Hay-on-Wye.
As soon as saw all the bookshops on my arrival, I felt at home. I had never really felt like I fitted in anywhere but in this town, smelling of old books and knowledge I felt wrapped in a comforting welcome blanket.
The first place I visited was the shop Richard Booth opened in 1962 but no longer owns, the Cinema Bookshop, which is by far the biggest bookshop I have ever seen with close to 200,000 books.
There was a book centre with 20 different dealers selling a wide variety of books, including many antiquarian ones. Old leather books inhabited the shelves, their famous and lesser known writers beckoning me to examine forgotten works.
It was hard to know where to start. After perusing the abundant shelves, I sat down with a stack of books, smelling the beauty of the knowledge surrounding me.
"Kindles banned in this shop," a banner proudly proclaimed. This was my town, a place where books were honoured and respected, not vulnerable and disappearing.
"Books are not an endangered species, I have 40kg worth of books to prove it," I answered, smiling at the memory of my trip to Hay-on-Wye.
Have you found a place, or a group of people, that you feel at home with. A place or a community where you can be yourself?
If you have not found this place or community yet, can you describe what it would be like?
Is there something you always wanted to do, always wanted to visit, always wanted to experience and you finally achieved that plan?
What was it like - did it leave up to your expectations?
Leah
A Moodscope member
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
11
August
Get a Life. Friday August 11, 2017
[To hear an audio version of this blog please click here: http://bit.ly/2utFkbH]
I think it was Sir Terry Pratchett who said (although it might not be, because I can't find this quote with Google, which must mean it can't exist – right?), when challenged to "get a life", that he felt he was living six lives already.
Those of us who have seen that image of him writing, surrounded by his six monitors; who have read his Disc World Series, or are writers themselves, understand.
But, just recently, I was challenged to "get a life."
Oh, not as bluntly as that: it was posed as a question and addressed it to many of us. A question which is utterly valid, even if it did make me (and others) say "Ouch!" at the time.
That question is, do we spend so much time concentrating on our own symptoms, our own condition, that we fail to live life as fully as we might?
I am deeply ashamed to say that I reacted violently. I promptly retaliated in the comments (see what you miss out on if you don't click through to the comments!) with a full run-down of my life and commitments; because I'm quite a busy girl – most of the time – when I'm not sitting shaking on the sofa in the darkness, that is.
But then I started to think.
Before I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, mental health had no relevance and was of no interest to me. Now it is one of the few areas of health about which I am passionate.
If it were not for Moodscope however, I think I would still feel rather embarrassed about my condition. I would not want to talk about it; I would not want to think about it. I would still take my tablets and be grateful, but I would probably still want to hide my condition under a cloak of "normality." Because I would feel ashamed.
Moodscope has allowed me to see that I am not alone and that I have no reason to be ashamed. Further, it has given me a platform on which to stand, to take understanding forward, to send the light of knowledge and compassion further into the world.
We've all heard the saying, "It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness." Well, for me, Moodscope is that candle. I am proud to hold that candle high and to be seen by everyone to hold that candle.
It doesn't mean it's the only candle I hold, or even the brightest candle. But – just maybe – it's the most important candle, because I believe Moodscope can give hope to many more people than other areas of my busy life.
So, in answer to the question, should I stop thinking about my condition and get a life? The answer is, by thinking about it, by writing about it, by supporting Moodscope; I hope I am helping many other sufferers with this condition to "get a life".
Which is what it's all about, really.
Mary
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
10
August
Friendship with self. Thursday August 10, 2017
Being a friend to oneself is so important and so often forgotten in a crisis. We look to other people to provide company and encouragement and solutions and often allow our inner selves to keep up a barrage of criticism that undermines and withers our enjoyment of being who we are, right now, in this place.
Sometimes this constant commentary is so familiar we don't consciously know it's there but when you tune in to it the realisation of the self-condemnation and the language used to express it, can be shocking. The antidote is to develop the inner companion; the one who doesn't berate you for lying in bed too long but gently suggests that now may be a good time to rise and make some plans, who encourages and recognises steps, however small, as a continual part of a journey to change. The one who is alongside, with you, rather than sitting in judgement.
I am battling with alcohol at the moment; not a dramatic, technicolour, falling in the gutter kind of battle, but the habit of drinking more wine each evening than is good for me. My aim is to have more evenings without alcohol than with. Sometimes I win and wake the next morning feeling still tired but pleased with my strength of will. However, when I fail and down a bottle, my tendency is to veer towards self-hatred, despair and an over-arching idea of my life as failure. That can take hold and perpetuate depression and a paralysis.
My current approach is to be kinder and gentler as I would towards a friend and, without being permissive, to say to myself " Ok. That happened, but it doesn't have to keep happening and the overall trajectory is better than it was. Well done for that and we'll keep trying.". To hold on to progress and to be compassionate about the opposite. To pick myself up, as one would help and hug a miserable toddler and move towards a different state of mind. This takes regular conscious practice as does learning any new skill.
Real friends are great but not always available and not always up to date with our own script. The person best placed to give one what one needs, in terms of understanding and will power, is often living inside us. Then we can enjoy other people in all their glorious array, without the expectation that they can complete or rescue us. Or us them.
Hilary
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
9
August
Lions and Bears, Wolves and Dolphins. Wednesday August 9, 2017
[To listen to an audio version of this blog please click here: http://bit.ly/2vhSTZf]
I sometimes think that every bad decision I have ever made has been after 10pm.
It's as if a switch has been clicked. Before ten o'clock I am (mostly) reasonable and level-headed, disciplined and responsible. At one minute past, that all changes.
I have sent far too many long and emotional texts to friends after midnight. I have drunk too much wine and eaten junk food by the cartload. True, I have written reams, but in the clear light of morning much of it needed heavy editing.
But just recently, I have discovered why this is. It is because I am a lion.
The Power of When, by Dr Michael Breus, has been an illumination. He is a "sleep doctor" and he divides people into the four types in the title of this blog. Lions wake up early and switch off early. Bears are the lucky ones who follow a normal sleep pattern. Wolves sleep late (very late) but are at their most productive after midnight. Dolphins are the hardcore insomniacs who will swear they have not slept a wink all night.
Discovering I am a lion has been a revelation. The need for a snooze function on the alarm always used to puzzle me. I've never understood this "waking up slow" business: lions come instantly awake, usually before 6am, raring to go and hungry for a big cooked breakfast. Lions do their best work before lunch, and certainly all their left brain work then. So, I am now making sure my day reflects this: analytical business work in the morning, writing in the afternoon, bed at ten sharp. It's helping my weight, saving my liver and I'm sleeping better too.
It's otherwise for Wolves. My son Tom is an extreme wolf. He likes to go to bed at 6am and get up at 4pm. When he lived with us recently, it was not unusual for him to share breakfast with us at 6.30am. Only for him, it was a snack before bedtime. It drove my poor husband (a very disciplined bear) crazy! Wolves work best in jobs where they don't have to clock in earlier than noon.
A close friend of mine is a dolphin. Dr Breus calls these people dolphins because (apparently) real dolphins only sleep with half their brain at once. The other half stays alert to watch out for danger and to deal with all that business of swimming and coming up into the air to breathe. Celia has never slept well, even when I knew her as a child, and now she understands why, and more importantly, has some techniques which help.
Lack of sleep or sleep dysfunction is a large part of depression, so anything which helps us understand it and to get more restful sleep is to be embraced.
You can take the test online here https://thepowerofwhenquiz.com/ to find out which animal you are, and you can find the book in all good bookshops. I'd recommend it.
Mary
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
8
August
Day Release. Tuesday August 8, 2017
It happened last Friday. It was a revelation, a single day.
Friday was a day with no pain and a day when I had no depression or anxiety. I cannot remember being able to function so well, to be able to think clearly and have mental acuity, to wake up rested and without pain in my body and my mind.
I was able to move from task to task without drowning in the muddy glue pit of indecision and inability to concentrate, without the constant neck and skull pain being dulled by medication but leaving me dithering. This is what it must be like to have a healthy brain, to be able to rise each day and complete tasks.
I felt relaxed, contented and happy.
I then realised how depressed I am, how bad my fibromyalgia is and that my smiles are but a mask where I valiantly strain to keep going. I see why my relationships (marriages and partners) have collapsed, partly due to my being unable to make decisions or tolerate irritations.
I have no special other in my life at present. It feels like too much to ask of another being to be with me. Yet I have so much love to give, so many talents as my distant family and friends tell me. My brain can't harness them it seems, and I have kept trying too hard, at once mourning the loss of potential and never quite accepting that I am too ill to manage by myself.
Those who loved me and cared for me saw my inner beauty and torment and wanted to give me a life of love. I insisted on battling. This illness and my feeling of disquiet and discontent have robbed me of times of ease. Like most of us, all I seek is inner peace and contentedness.
I had one day of peace, one day and then the pain restarted and the brain became deluged by noise. Twenty five years of pain and fluctuating depression and anxiety. I have had my probation at work extended because I am failing at tasks. I have to support myself so have to work.
Why did I have that amazing day? I meditate, have been having Reiki healing from my housemate every other day and had ear acupuncture the evening before.
Each time I have the acupuncture I do feel better. Does anyone else have acupuncture for depression? Does anyone else have significant pain with their depression and anxiety?
So what do I take from this? I see that my body and mind can heal, even if it is temporary. Perhaps I can negotiate work (I do two jobs) to reduce to four days a week. My finances will suffer, and I live quite frugally as it is, but my health is worth this and who knows there may be someone out there willing to be with a kind, gentle, loving, quirky woman who, at last, realises she is not to blame for being unwell.
Lesley
A Moodscope member
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
7
August
Framing FOR Complaining. Monday August 7, 2017
Do you find it easier to whinge than to find and suggest a solution?
Perhaps it's time to find a better way?
Frame to Complain!
Mother Teresa was committed to 'For' rather than 'Against'. She was allegedly asked once to join a protest march, raising awareness of a specific conflict. Surprisingly, she declined. When asked why she said that she would join the protestors when they marched for peace, but not when they were marching against war. Whether this ever happened or not, it's the perfect illustration.
The outcome is arguably the same: against war for peace, or for peace (and thus, by default, against war!) The frame, however, is completely different - as is the state of mind that then drives the supporting behaviour.
I've recently had a protracted experience with a rather famous Telecoms company. And, any experience is a gift to a writer!
Over the many weeks this has taken to resolve, I have encountered many excellent staff members from the Telecom's giant. Individuals who (mainly) sincerely sought to represent the much larger entity in a way they could be proud of.
Whilst I am sure they have been trained, at a senior level, to deliver excellence in service, I also am going to fairly and squarely claim that I played my part! Why? Well, because I wasn't interested in conflict, or in getting my pound of flesh. I was for a solution - so much so that I challenged several of the staff members when they consistently used the label of a 'complaint'. When we ring up to 'complain' - it's not surprising people get defensive, is it?
Was I complaining? You bet! Did I want my grievance wrapped in the language of complaint? No way! I wanted the Telecom company to live up to my positive expectations - and they got there in the end.
In Life you and I are going to have a lot of disappointments. In business, stuff is going to go wrong. Learning to address these issues in the positive frame of what you are 'for' rather than what you are against, really helps develop a solutions focus.
Oh, and you'll feel better too!
Lex
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
6
August
Stormy bears. Sunday August 6, 2017
My son is emotionally up and down at the best of times. He is early teenage but his anger at feeling the world has conspired to be against his every move is something I could see from just after he arrived bottom-first into this world! Sometimes (most times) I have energy and patience to pick apart the problem and talk it out with him. He is so sensitive and the upside of his sensitivity is that he hugs like a bear saying goodbye forever and says "thanks for talking to me". But other times I have neither energy nor patience to search for the needle within the messy haystack. That's when we fall out. Shout. Scowl. Storm.
At those times its healthy to let it lie. Last night I lay in bed listening to him in his bed, in the dark, shouting about his problem. (It was a last-minute thing he wanted to do the next day and I'd said it was not possible.) When he stormed through from his room to mine, I started breathing heavier to pretend I was asleep. He ranted as he came in to my room, then noticed I'd signed out and grumped "I'll just tuck myself in then" as he stormed back out. Sure enough, within moments he was quiet in his bed, in the dark, making peace with the day. It was far more beneficial that for that time, we let it lie.
This is also true with ourselves.
Another way of being 'kind to yourself' (a phrase often lauded) is simply to realise when it is a good time to encourage yourself and when it is not. I know that might seem very basic but how often do you push yourself to do something only to do it in such a way that it is of no benefit at all? Gym? Diet? Sleep? Work longer?
Sometimes we need to let it lie.
Love from
The room above the garage
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
5
August
Peter and Penelope. Saturday August 5, 2017
Peter and Penelope are great friends, they think alike, have their own language which often does not require words, and they are often mistaken for each other as they look so similar.
Like Twins in fact.
This may sound strange as one is male and the other is female, but they both share a wonderful golden sheen and beautiful posture as they stand in their gardens elegant serene and all knowing.
Yes they are peacocks, formed from metal and paint and yet they seem somehow alive.
Peter lives with me in my beautiful colourful garden and Penelope lives with my friend whom I call the Old Bean, she also calls me the Old Bean! And we are also very similar.
Like twins in fact.
Same sense of humour, same way of communicating without words, same sense of sometimes living in a happy pinkness then finding oneself in a black bubble that cannot be burst.
We are true friends and as CS Lewis once said 'Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: What! you too? I thought I was the only one!'
Peter has helped me through many upsets, and I have often sat beneath his caring feathers just alongside the white hydrangeas on the top step of the path, with tears or feelings of deep sadness inside, and felt the calmness of his silence.
Slowly coming to understand how to go forward.
It was this that inspired me to buy Penelope for the Old Beans birthday as she has been feeling very low and I could not seem to jolly her along, her life is fraught with difficulties as she has a wayward teenage son and an elderly mother to care for.
She works hard and yet seems to be on a roller coaster, one minute calm and caring and really quite the funniest person you could ever want to know.
Then life suddenly whips the roller coaster upside down and she finds herself clinging on trying desperately not to just let go and fall to the floor.
All I can do is to shout up to her hang on Oldest Bean, it will be alright you know.
The tears fall from her beautiful green eyes and she cannot speak.
Then Penelope came along and I placed her in her garden near the door so they could see each other and watch each other carefully.
I told the Old Bean Penelope was there to look after her, comfort her and give her the inspiration to see beauty and hope when the clouds were grey, the roller coaster was warming up faintly in the distance, and the tears were close by.
Peter and Penelope together have formed a bond to look after us two Old Beans and keep us together, safe and protected when we find it all too much.
Last night I heard Peter flapping his feathers and imagined him sleek and luminescent in the moonlight returning from his nightly visit to Penelope.
I knew all was calm and right as I felt the most serene deepness of sleep take hold of me and I silently wished the Old Bean goodnight, and sweet dreams.
Old Bean we are heading for the pinkness once more.
Peter can feel it in his gorgeous feathers.
Audrey
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
4
August
This will pass. Friday August 4, 2017
It's been ages since I last wrote for Moodscope. In fact these past few months I haven't been reading the blog every day... that's a change for me.
So my moodscope score this week is 31.
I could have guessed it would be low, but 31 is one of my lowest ever scores.
Things are different for me just now. I feel exhausted in the mornings. Despite having sufficient sleep, my body is heavy, my head foggy and I drag myself around for most of the day.
I have taken two days off work to focus on my mental health. Yesterday, a glorious day of weather (rare for us in Scotland) I wasn't able to relax. My busy head not slowing down. It's hard even to catch the thoughts. Do you know what I mean?
A constant churning in my head and my stomach. Sometimes my head whirring so much that when speaking to people - I have to really focus to listen because there's a constant something going on inside.
I just feel rubbish.
But you know what...
Somewhere buried inside my head there is faith that this will pass. I will make it easier, if I accept that it is ok not to be ok and if I work through this.
* Do the deep breathing. Slow things down.
* Keep my days really simple - accomplish one thing.
* Be in nature.
* Don't lie in bed - as soon as my eyes open - get UP. Get showered.
* That doesn't mean I need to be running doing errands, I can make a nice space to sit or 'be'.
* Flick through magazines - doesn't matter that I can't concentrate on any articles.
* Write down a list of what's circulating in my head - it's hard to catch the thoughts - but that's ok... but it's better out than in.
* Lastly, when I get overwhelmed... NOTICE. What 5 things can I see, hear, smell, feel.
So my message is... It's ok not to be ok. We have the tools and we have to push through these uncomfortable days to find the brighter, lighter days.
Carol Anne
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
3
August
A Day at a Time. Thursday August 3, 2017
I find myself in a situation I thought I'd never be in. Living alone having left my husband of 20 years. I moved out of the family home last year and only now really finding my feet.
For most of my marriage I was depressed, triggered by the sudden death of my father 2 years in. Panic, anxiety and depression all set in soon after, I was worried about myself.
After numerous good and bad phases, in and out of jobs and looking after my family best I could, it finally hit me that I should never have married the person I did. I saw various doctors, counsellors, psychiatrists over the years who all had the same opinion - I needed out of my marriage. My husband made my decision easy in the end, I couldn't take any more criticism, put downs, no support. His drinking was out of control and behaviour, well say no more... I figured it's him or me and I chose me!!
So I'm going it alone. I rent a flat, have a job I enjoy and have been in for a year now. It's been far from easy so depression is still lingering but I'm dealing with that and I'm starting to actually feel some happiness. Something I've not felt in a long time. So much so, that I have booked a holiday on my own for a week. I'm a bit nervous must say, but I seem to enjoy being by myself for now - I've found that I love peace and quiet but also have the ability to meet people and make new friends - something my husband always said I was incapable of.
I don't think that I'll be on my own for ever but for now it's what I want and need. It feels strange putting myself first now but it's definitely something I'm getting used to.
It's not been an easy road and it's far from over but I'm getting there a day at a time.
Take care,
El x
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
2
August
Twos and Zeros. Wednesday August 2, 2017
[To listen to an audio version of this blog, please click here: http://bit.ly/2tbMAnQ]
I tell everyone about Moodscope.
Well, okay, it hasn't got quite as far as me hunting down perfect strangers and holding them down while I expostulate on the therapeutic benefits of this wonderful app and how it's helped me feel totally sane...
I'm not quite sure that would have the right effect, somehow.
But I do tell a lot of people. In fact, I wrote a blog about it (Out and Aloud, if not Proud – 10th May 2017). Most especially, I show them my graph. When people comment on how well I look these days; how settled; how steady; I whip out my phone and show them my graph.
Because it's really rather dramatic: I've gone from looking like a cut-through diagram of the Alps to something more closely resembling the Fen Country where I live. Yes, from 6th February, when the therapeutic dose of my medication kicked in, things have been – well, really rather boring.
In a good way, I hasten to add. Oh yes – in a good way. Let me remind you of that Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times." Give me boredom any day of the week.
But – I do kind of – miss the 3s. Because now – all the red cards get a 2. Every single time. (Well, occasionally a couple of them might slip down to 1s if I'm tired or stressed).
The creativity is there. The drive is there – in fact my business has taken off in a way I haven't seen for nearly ten years and I can now tend and nurture it properly.
What isn't there, is the urgency; the single-minded focus that would galvanise that creativity so I could write fifty thousand words in a month or go from nowhere to being number two in a sales team of 80 inside six months.
What isn't there now is that sense of flying, of invincibility, of god-like immortality.
On the other hand, what also isn't there is the price paid by friends and family when I was off on one of my highs. It was they who suffered the selfishness, the arrogance, the intolerable rudeness and insensitivity... I am not a nice person in my mania phase.
So, I miss the feelings and, to be honest, the results – plugging away at my novel a thousand words at a time is not as exciting as writing a chapter every night; going as fast as my characters could keep up. Slow and steady is not as thrilling as the awe I generated when I shot through the roof with my sales.
But those feelings were like those (I imagine) generated by cocaine. They were illusory and destructive, and the unsustainable productivity was inevitably followed by a crashing loss. I was playing snakes and ladders where the snakes were longer than the ladders and the serpents always won.
So, I'll take the 2s and be grateful. And the zeros on the blues. This is one case where flat-lining is best.
Mary
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
1
August
The Down Side of the High Side. Tuesday August 1, 2017
It was party time and I was the life of my very own party. I considered my highs to be normal, as I loved this outgoing, fun loving person.
The exciting confidence embraced me so tightly that I could not resist the temptation of experiencing just one more high. When I was manic I became convinced I was invincible, incredible and irresistible. I knew I could be anything or do anything. I loved everyone and everyone seemed to love me. I had abundant ideas, enthusiasm and passion.
This was the late 1970s when risk taking behaviour, partying all night and spending sprees were considered normal behaviours of students. That is the deceptive nature of mania, it mimics 'normal' behaviour in many ways.
It is natural for people to be happy and it is hard to equate happiness with illness. The trouble is mania isn't happiness - it is a very exaggerated over the top state that seduces a person into believing this is normal and so addictive that one keeps wanting more despite the havoc one leaves behind.
I was enjoying the highs, having so much fun, ignoring the chaos I caused and convincing myself it was only the depression that was a problem.
This was a mental illness that made me believe it had an upside, but in reality there was a dark and destructive side. It was so enticing I did not see my highs as a problem, even after I had experienced financial debts, broken relationships, and disrupted studies.
Each individual handles the mania differently. For me it took over a decade of destructive highs and debilitating lows till I finally and begrudgingly decided to take medication. The party was definitely over and it was time to face reality.
I think the key to my managing bipolar was acceptance of my limitations and acknowledgement of my strengths. I also had to live in the present and not wallow in self pity. I gradually realised if my highs were not so high my lows would not be so low.
Every person will experience the illness in a different way so there is no one plan that will suit everyone. I kept a journal as I found this helpful in keeping track of my moods. A sense of humour is useful as well as an ability to laugh at oneself. I used to be ashamed of some of my past behaviours but I decided to take responsibility for them.
People fear if they give up their highs they will give up their creativity. I have been able to stabilise since I have been taking medication. When I gave up the extreme highs and lows I discovered the another part of myself.
Everyone has ups and downs, so if you dont have bipolar, how do you cope with mood swings?
If you have bipolar, or unipolar, how do you cope with your highs, are they your best friend or your best enemy?
Leah
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
31
July
The Most Beautiful Bridge in the World. Monday July 31, 2017
Which bridge would get your vote as the most beautiful bridge in the World?
· Sydney Harbour Bridge, Australia?
· The Forth Bridge, Scotland?
· Ponte Di Rialto, Venice, Italy?
· Brooklyn Bridge, New York, USA?
· Ponte Vecchio, Florence, Italy?
· Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, USA?
· Tower Bridge, London, England?
· Millau Viaduct, France?
My vote goes to a metaphorical bridge, the word: "and"!
"And," builds bridges between what was before and what comes after.
It's like Aikido – maintaining the flow of energy between one point and the next.
When picked up in a conversation, it allows the river of communication to keep flowing – building stronger links between the positions on either side, the parties engaged in the exchange.
I have a colleague whose favourite conjunction is the word: "but"!
He doesn't build bridges, he builds barriers.
His barriers block the flow and leave those he talks to (at?) disempowered, and feeling devalued.
Now, "but" has its place as an important word, but "and" is better!
Let's not talk any more about him, eh?
What about people who say, "and," but mean "but"?
They are like a bridge that ends half-way across the river. People are not stupid, they know when someone isn't being genuine.
My recommendation is to make conscious friends with "Andy" today! To deliberately and systematically use "and" more and "but" less. Find what you like in the gift of conversation that someone is offering you, AND add to it in the direction they are flowing.
If they say, "What a beautiful day!" Reply with, "Yes, it is a beautiful day, and I'm so pleased to be sharing it with you!" (OK, that was a bit Tree-Huggy, wasn't it?)
My belief is that, together, you'll find a way to exciting new conclusions, and in and!
Lex
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
30
July
Joie de vivre. Sunday July 30, 2017
The picture of joy above did have his disappointments. He thought he was a lap-dog (probably weighed 35 kilos). He delighted in escaping to find the most luxurious bed in the house – and it took three strong men to drag him off. He could look pathetic if his bedtime choc-drop was late, and, of course, like all Labradors he was seriously undernourished.
So where do we find 'joyful moments'?
There are people like Hellen Keller, Anne Franck, people held hostage for years, concentration camp survivors, whose spirit shines like new stars in the sky. Few of us can aspire to such strength of spirit (although, you never know, luckily few of are asked for such courage – how would we act?)
I am lucky to have gardens – they keep me sane and rational. Those without gardens, and unable to have pets, miss sources of great comfort.
There used to be joy in church services – I remember having children at home and the midwives were Methodists – they looked forward to their church services 'to have a good sing'. It's cheap, gets you together with people – look at the extraordinary success of Gareth Malone and his 'Choir'. Go to a Gospel concert, and the faces are the human equivalent of the dog above.
Moodscopers with access to the sea have spoken of the joy of long walks, never mind the elements.
Music, obviously, figures largely judging by favourite, and comforting, songs mentioned recently.
Can you find real 'joie de vivre' moments in what is a grim scenario for many?
The Gardener.
A Moodscope member
P.S. there is a picture of the same dog even more joyful in deep snow.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
29
July
Art Vs Monsters. Saturday July 29, 2017
I've suffered from depression since I was a teenager. It all came to be because of problems I cannot speak about (yet, one day I'll do it,) and I admit that doing it now may help, but I'm just not sure.
School didn't help. I tried going to a psychologist, but for various reasons I couldn't keep going. Imagine how I felt: alone, like no one cared about me, no one wanted to give me a hand. Too many emotions that a teenage boy should have to deal with, mostly because almost all of them were the result of internal struggles I couldn't share with my family (and I still can't.)
I started to cut, torture myself in many ways and my nail-biting, a lifetime habit I cannot stop, got worse. The hole I was being buried in was becoming deeper and deeper, my voice felt weaker and my dreams became nightmares...
Even suicide came to my thoughts as an exit, so I wrote a letter, made my plans and one day when I felt I couldn't take it anymore, took some deep breaths and prepared to do it: jump from one of my school's buildings so I could kill myself and end it all. One, two, three, four seconds, and suddenly, in the fifth, something clicked in my mind.
Was I really that weak? Was I really going to give up, as easy as that? Was I going to lose all my dreams? Oh hell no! I was fighting back my demons. Thanks to my friends and my headphones, music became an exit, a way to distract my mind, and drawing and writing became another one for my nightmares to get out of my head once and for all; so I stood up, looked for one, anyone, of my friends, and almost ran to her, cried the hell out of me and let her know every single thing.
The next day I was feeling worse than ever, so just put on my headphones, turned the volume up, went to school and faced everyone who knew what happened the day before, all my classmates that had seen the cuts, the dark circles under my eyes, read the Poe-like poems I wrote and acted as if it was just another one of my stories.
Art, in any form, can help you, it's just a matter of finding the one you like. You don't need to be good at it, just to like it and feel great while and after using it as your escape. Theater, writing, music, poems, sculpture, reading, whatever you think it may help, don't stop doing it, ever.
Also try and talk. It gets worse if you don't. They win if you give up and swallow all of those feelings, and deep inside, there's a little part of you screaming "HELL NO!" Listen to it, as I did back then and still do, because there are moments when I want to give up and cut again, but that's just going to help for a couple of seconds. The wounds become another problem later, and we already have enough.
Greetings.
Alan D.D.
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
28
July
Not Today Thank You. Friday July 28, 2017
My Mum used to play a game. Whenever myself and my children arrived for a visit, we would ring the doorbell, she would fling the door open saying 'Not today thank you,' and close the door again in our faces! Obviously she was joking! It was good fun and my children loved her sense of humour. I feel very lucky to have 'inherited' my Mum's sense of humour and now, in her darkest days whilst she battles with Alzheimer's/ Dementia, 'making Mum giggle' has become my mission. Precious moments.
I was lying in bed two days ago thinking about her saying 'Not today thank you.' So often I feel this way for real, and I'm very sure that you do as well dear Moodscoper. Whether you are curled up in bed, lying on the sofa or maybe sitting in your favourite chair - when the phone rings or the doorbell goes, how often do you want to shout 'Not today!'
That's ok isn't it? We cannot always have a sense of humour, we cannot always feel chatty, we do not always want to be available to others. I think it's nice to know that people care but we cannot always respond.
Maybe we can turn the phrase around to, 'Thank you so much, but not today.'
I love you Mum. Thank you for inspiring me to write this blog and thank you for all the giggles we have shared over the years.
Dear Moodscoper, where are you today? Are you feeling sociable or is it a 'Not today thank you' day today?
Jane SG
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
27
July
Married, Single, or otherwise Engaged. Thursday July 27, 2017
When I was young, I remember saying to my mum "I am depressed". I wasn't sure of the true meaning of the word, but I knew something was horribly wrong.
"So am I" she said.
"But you are married" I said.
"Doesn't make any difference" she said.
Of course she was right.
Thankfully, I do not believe she suffered too badly, but for me, it was a cry for help.
Putting depression aside, now I am married myself, I often think about that comment.
I feel people do not bother as much as they used to... because I am married. Perhaps it is because they feel they are interfering and do not want to disturb you.
Friends come and go for many reasons, life moves on, people have other commitments etc.
But we still need our friends, whether it be for their support or to support them.
I rather like being needed. I don't want people to think I have enough on my plate or that they cannot ask for help... because I am married.
There is another side of the coin...
I once phoned a friend (many years ago) when I was in complete distress, she said to me she couldn't come to me 'because she was married'. I actually never forgave her for that.
Personally, I would be there for someone I cared about, if they were in need.
Married or not.
Would you find it easier seeking help from a single friend with little or no commitments? Or do you feel like you do not want to trouble them regardless?
Toss the coin over and people say "I will always be there for you." Do they mean it?
We are often told to put ourselves first and learn to say 'No'.
So I am interested, would you be there for a friend or family member in need? Would you feel inconvenienced? Too busy? Ready to make an excuse?
Or do you actually get satisfaction out of being needed and helping someone?
Molly
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
26
July
It's Only Feelings. Wednesday July 26, 2017
[To listen to an audio version of this blog, please click here: http://bit.ly/2uEDUuX]
"What you need to do," I told myself as I took two packets of digestive biscuits from the shelf and put them in my shopping cart, "is go home, have a cup of coffee, sit down and have a good cry."
Because I'm grieving.
Oh, nothing serious. Nobody has died, but we can grieve over many things; the loss of a job, an opportunity, a client, a friend. I grieved for a fish once – a beautiful tortoiseshell koi carp – which developed a tumour and died. I grieved for my lovely White Dream and Queen of the Night tulips, when my husband decided he wanted that flower border for something else. Grieving is about loss.
And I am appreciating the grief.
Oh, not enjoying it – that would be either self-indulgent or masochistic; I'm not sure which. I'm appreciating it because I can actually feel that hollowness of loss, the sharp piercing pain of grief which happens every time you bump against a memory.
Digestive biscuits. Yes – it's the silliest things that cause that twinge.
Many of us will have experienced the numbness that frequently occurs with depression. In that dark place, we could be told our house had burnt down and our family lost, and the darkness would swallow the pain. We would stare blankly and be unable to react.
Sometimes the antidepressants exacerbate the situation. They enable us to function, but they dull everything, including pain. A friend once confided to me that she had stopped taking anti-depressants when her dog died and she felt nothing.
And for we bi-polar people: when we're high, we can't feel much either. The crazy adrenaline distorts even good feelings and losses are dismissed as insignificant.
Many people out there think that depression is feeling sad all the time, but they are wrong. So often depression is feeling numb all the time. When depressed I often feel as if I am on the other side of a thick and dirty plate glass window. All the world, all the colour and sense and emotion is on the other side and I am isolated; not just from the world, but from myself.
I know from talking with other folk who have this illness that I am not alone.
So, being well at the moment, I am appreciating each feeling. The feeling of anxiety over my daughter's stress levels, the joy I felt over taking a glorious three days away with my husband, and yes – even this grief.
Because feelings are precious and to be treasured. Even when they hurt.
Mary
A Moodscope member.
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
25
July
In the face of rejection. Tuesday July 25, 2017
Today I received an email from an old friend. I had written to her the night before to ask after her as we hadn't spoken for about a year and I wondered if she was feeling so bad that she didn't feel able to contact me as she suffers from (unacknowledged) depression. I tried to contact her several times before but had no answer.
The response came as a surprise and a shock. Not only was it a rejection (Please don't contact me again etc): but it was written in such a way as to have no regard for my feelings. There is honest and there is brutal. This hurt me more than her telling me that she didn't want to know me any more – something I had suspected.
It was really unnecessary to address me in such a blunt and uncaring way and it put into question what over 12 years of friendship had been about. She said that we no longer have anything in common, but for me difference is something that can make a relationship more interesting so that's not an issue. Friends are very important to me, as I don't have a partner, children or much close family so the loss of one of my social group can really affect me.
I could say to myself that it's her depression talking and that I had been valued as a friend in the past but I wonder if I was just a "project" for her as she was the "well" one and I the "mentally ill" when we first met.
I worry that she is such a loner now with few social contacts that no good can come of it but maybe that's just how she is – she prefers her own company as some people do.
So, now I have to let go not only of a person who meant something in my life but also of what the relationship meant – I can't know the reality of it as far as she is concerned. Can we ever be sure of how people feel and think about us? I doubt it. As my therapist said; really, we are all alone.
I will try not to take the rejection personally as that will only do me more harm. So, it's up to me to be a better friend to myself than she has been – I deserve that and at least I'm going to stick around for the rest of my life.
Meggle
A Moodscope member
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
24
July
Lessons from a Burlesque Dancer. Monday July 24, 2017
Meetings and more meetings. Not always fun. But often necessary. How delightful, then, to attend an excellent business networking meeting and discover that one of the guest speakers was sharing lessons for business from Burlesque.
There was much laughter that morning at The Boardroom Network in Bournemouth, and rightly so. Three 'volunteers' were roped in to modelling what Abi was teaching us. Her message was around the impact we can have when we enter the room. Shoulders hunched just doesn't give the right message!
In case you're about to switch off, thinking to yourself, "Lex, I don't do networking – or even attend meetings," Abi's message was about how to have more joie de vivre – more joy in every moment... and, perhaps, in every movement!
Over years of coaching, I've become convinced that our physical 'position' affects our mental 'position'. I'm also convinced that the two are inextricably connected. Change the body, change the mind; change the mind, change the body! (Hey, high heels make a difference, don't they?)
I was, therefore, very open to Abi's insights. There were three top tips:
1 Posture. Stand tall – chin up, shoulders relaxed – open posture makes you look confident and approachable (and I'd argue it makes you feel that way too!) I can feel a Val Doonican song coming on... "Walk tall, walk straight, and look the World right in the eye..." https://youtu.be/BL58-Sh94ms
2 Eye Contact. A difficult balance between connection and seduction (well, if you decide to do Burlesque!) Eyes-wide-open gives a message of innocence and honesty! This is one of the reasons I am uncomfortable with people who won't take their sunglasses off.
But the real reason I wanted to write this blog was because of Abi's third and final tip...
3 The Shimmy! This is a moving of the shoulders - not up and down (it's not 'shrugging') but rather forwards and backwards. This was hilarious (as you can check out in the video link) and I'm pretty sure I will never do it, but her point was compelling: never let a day go by without having a shimmy! It'll make you laugh, it'll make anybody who see you doing it laugh, and business as well as life can get a whole lot better with a shimmy.
Now, since I'm becoming to know some of you better over the years, I can guess now who's going to have a go at doing a shimmy right now!!!
And for those who want the whole Shack to Shimmy when everyone's movin' around and around – here's a link to the Love Getaway: https://youtu.be/9SOryJvTAGs Trust me, shimmying to this is great fun!
To see Abi's presentation, follow this YouTube link!
https://youtu.be/pqyZZzloX-k
Shimmy!
Lex
A Moodscope member.
[And please let me know what adventures you get up to!]
Thoughts on the above? Please feel free to post a comment below.
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Blog Archive
- 2017
- September
- 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.
- 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...
- September
- 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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