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Sophie_M Sleep and Mental Health
  • replies: 0

Many of us have struggled with bouts of troubled sleep, and needless to say, these periods of nocturnal restlessness can be utterly overwhelming and exhausting. Sleeplessness can filter into every aspect of our lives: our ability to be present, remem... View more

Many of us have struggled with bouts of troubled sleep, and needless to say, these periods of nocturnal restlessness can be utterly overwhelming and exhausting. Sleeplessness can filter into every aspect of our lives: our ability to be present, remember things, regulate our emotions, or to feel excited and energised… it can change the way we think and feel in such a significant and impactful way. Whether it’s due to big life changes, global pandemics, financial or work stressors, health concerns (like menopause), how much ‘you’ time you have, or even unprocessed emotions you weren’t aware were there – so many things can impact how you sleep. All of this goes to show that not only do your daily habits, routines, and experiences play a huge role in maintaining healthy sleep cycles, but so does your mental health. And frustratingly enough, your sleep also impacts and informs your mental health and daily habits. Like most things, it’s a very easy cycle to fall into. So, it’s imperative that we are gentle and compassionate with ourselves on our journey to understanding what is making us so hypervigilant and unable to rest in the first place. Studies show that journaling or mindfulness practices throughout the day, healthy food, movement, sunshine, connection with loved ones, and support from health professionals can help us to feel more grounded and able to rest. But we are curious… what has worked for you? When do you notice that your sleep is most affected vs. when you get the best rest? And is there a way you could practice regulating your nervous system more throughout the day to help promote better sleep at night? We would love to hear your thoughts! Let us know if you have any questions and be sure to check out our page on ‘Sleep and Mental Health’ for more guidance and insight into a more supported and restful night’s sleep: Sleep and mental health - Beyond Blue - Beyond Blue Looking forward to hearing from you! Kind regards, Sophie M

Just Sara A Bouquet for Pearls - share your appreciation for other members
  • replies: 715

Every now and then, members share a beautiful Pearl of Wisdom. How often do you think to yourself; "OMG that's great! I wish everyone could see this." Presenting someone with a bunch of flowers is a generous way of acknowledging their insightful word... View more

Every now and then, members share a beautiful Pearl of Wisdom. How often do you think to yourself; "OMG that's great! I wish everyone could see this." Presenting someone with a bunch of flowers is a generous way of acknowledging their insightful words. I hope this thread stays active through members giving out praise regularly to people they feel deserving, and therefore keep generosity of spirit alive within the pages of BeyondBlue Forum. My bunch of Red Roses (my choice) goes to Wishful for the following sentence; 'Personally, I see no reason to be praised in me, but I'm learning that seeing through the eyes of others can be more accurate!!' I so hear you Wishful. Just beautiful... Try to keep your leading comments short to focus on 'their' words. Choose specific flowers (or a gift if you like) to present to them. Sign off respectfully and sincerely. I hope this takes off... Spreading the love...Sara

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Dr_Kim Taking things the wrong way (on the forums and in life)
  • replies: 5

Hi everyone I am just jumping into this forum to say a few a things about how thoughts and feelings can mess us about in the hope that these insights are valuable in understanding why we get ourselves into certain beliefs about ourselves. Throughout ... View more

Hi everyone I am just jumping into this forum to say a few a things about how thoughts and feelings can mess us about in the hope that these insights are valuable in understanding why we get ourselves into certain beliefs about ourselves. Throughout time, humans are evolutionarily wired to survive. Some of the things that have evolved to maximise survival also become a pain in the ass when they step in at the wrong time or at the wrong level or frequency . A common example of this is a panic attack . There is a primitive or reptilian brain (your amygdala) that sits on top of your spinal cord deep in your brain. It controls the “fight , flight or freeze” reflex that we have as a response to perception of danger . This was a very handy evolutionary responce when we were cave men as it allowed us to very quickly respond to predictors and not get eaten!! However , when it fires at the wrong time in response to an inappropriate trigger , its called a “panic attack”. Over riding that is our thinking brain or mammalian brain (the cortex ). This part of your brain has all the filing cabinets in it with information about making sense of the world around us and deciding how to act . So if we hear a noise outside and use our cortex we can “ think “ about whether it is really a sabre tooth tiger, or just wind in the trees…( probably the latter given those tiger are now extinct!!) . Similarly, we are wired to “make stories”. We put together explanations for things in our heads because as an evolutionary response , the people who did this quickly, were probably less likely to get eaten by that tiger! As in “noise" and “dark" - quick , run! But … in this day and age , putting a story together fast with scant information often leads to an inaccurate story line and conclusion . We want to buy into it , it feels right to believe it , but in fact its just what a lovely therapy educator , Brene Brown recently called our SFD ( Shitty First Draft ). Meaning that we have taken a few dot points of info and drawn together a shitty narrative as that is the way our brains are wired. Stepping back and saying “ hang on a minute… is there another explanation , another way this story could be interpreted ?” takes time and emotional strength . ( by this time our cave men ancestors would have been well and truly eaten by that sabre toothed tiger!) . Being curious about our internal emotional world , the way we resist dealing with things , the barriers we put up to allow us to hang on the SFD…its hard therapy work and kind of “unintuitive”.. but can reap huge rewards. This can be really important when reading and interpreting posts here on the forums. So team, what is your SFD? What are the barriers that unconsciously you may put up to not challenge this self view? I hope this may help shed light on some ways of viewing some of the beliefs , stories , thoughts and feeling responses on this forum.

white knight DIET and EXERCISE
  • replies: 6

This thread is purely for encouragement and introducing your ideas that enable you to eat well and keep fit. The psychiatrists I've visited over the years have stressed the importance of these two components to our lifestyle. Sadly I've not excelled ... View more

This thread is purely for encouragement and introducing your ideas that enable you to eat well and keep fit. The psychiatrists I've visited over the years have stressed the importance of these two components to our lifestyle. Sadly I've not excelled well until my 61st birthday on 31st March 7 weeks ago. That day was the beginning of MY diet. I'd tried all other diets known to man I think. So this was my plan. I do not have the following items in our home- Bread. Except pita. Pita is very low in sugar and fat. Potatoes. Sweet potato is ok Sugar. No more than 2% in items. Full cream milk. We use low fat milk No pasta. We use rice sticks. No fat no sugar. Tastes good. We do eat- Rice. We boil the rice with one tablespoon of coconut oil. Allow to cool then refrigerate or freeze it. The oil breaks down the calories in the rice when cold. When you reheat it you are eating half the calories of the normally cooked rice. Soups. We love our vegie garden. JAP pumpkin (Kent) is the best for soup. Cook normally but add on half a teaspoon of curry powder...yum Spaghetti with the rice stick noodles. You can get rice sticks in fettuccini style or fine style. Lean chicken. Our dog now gets the chicken skins.Best to buy full cooked chooks and grab the meat. Freeze them into portions. Stir fry. The cold rice above plus your favourite vegies. No corn! We usually have snow peas, brocholli, cabbage, carrots, bean shoots, egg. Fresh fruit. Fish. Salmon baked portions on salad Eggs. Egg yolk are full of nutrition but also contain 7-8g of fat. So if I made an omelette I use 4 x 70g eggs but discard two yolks. With omelettes we use a little parmesan cheese, small amount of lean bacon tomatoes and that's it. Boil up several eggs. If you get hungry they are great for a snack. Kebabs. If we cooked a roast pork, chicken or lamb and had left overs meat we make our own kebabs. Use pita bread, carrot grated fine, onion, lettuce and fry up the meat with only a little spray oil. We only eat half a kebab each. Antipasto. We make our own for an evening snack. one plate will have for each person half a boiled egg, hommus dip, bits of pita bread baked till crisp about 8 minutes in the oven, or rice crackers. I've lost 8 kgms in 7 weeks, my wife has lost 7 kgms. PS we walk 4 kms x 3 times a week. fast walk to get the cardio going. Do you have any diet and fitness ideas? Tony WK

ScarlettR Do you find travelling a source of therapy and education?
  • replies: 3

This may be a no-brainer, but I find travelling so relaxing and battery charging. It doesn't necessarily have to be overseas trips or interstate trips, but merely road trips to the coast. I live in Melbourne, and sometimes take road trips to Lorne an... View more

This may be a no-brainer, but I find travelling so relaxing and battery charging. It doesn't necessarily have to be overseas trips or interstate trips, but merely road trips to the coast. I live in Melbourne, and sometimes take road trips to Lorne and the Great Ocean Road. I live in the city, so I live amongst constant traffic noise and pollution while living in a high-rise apartment. So driving out to the coast makes me feel valuable as a person. I feel like a worthy human and soul with a purpose. Socialising with the native animals like cockatoos and having picnics at the beaches give me hope. It's like I feel little pieces of happiness connect inside my brain and I feel a new person. I hope this make sense?

Guest_128 I have no choice,I have to stop smoking!
  • replies: 15

Hi all, This is going to be a huge thing for me and I need to get all the strength I can. I am have an operation on Friday and they are all saying I have to STOP smoking. This has been my life long friend for more than 30 years. I have had countless ... View more

Hi all, This is going to be a huge thing for me and I need to get all the strength I can. I am have an operation on Friday and they are all saying I have to STOP smoking. This has been my life long friend for more than 30 years. I have had countless professional tell me that they would rather me have this vice over other medication. I know it's a filthy habit,extremely bad for my health. But oh how it has saved me over the years. what I would like you to help me with is what you were able to take with meds,(I did try but it had major affects) a few years ago. Any help would be appreciated as this is going to be a huge trigger for me. Later

white knight My "plugger" idea on upsets
  • replies: 3

Practical ways of breaking a down period is rare. There are long term methods and others consoling you but often we are alone...even with a partner we can feel alone to no fault of theirs. Trigger definition (psychology) is: "A trigger in psychology ... View more

Practical ways of breaking a down period is rare. There are long term methods and others consoling you but often we are alone...even with a partner we can feel alone to no fault of theirs. Trigger definition (psychology) is: "A trigger in psychology is a stimulus such as a smell, sound, or sight that triggers feelings of trauma" So I was thinking, to reverse this and use smell, sight and sound stimulous to reverse a trigger situation..the "plugger" effect. Firstly, as I'm a man that cried more tears than the Pacific has gallons, I know the helpless feeling of crying, being distraught and feeling that my world will end...to the point so low that I wanted it to end and planned it. I will do anything to never return to that state. Bipolar, depression and dysthymia take their toll. We have to rely on professionals and proven relaxation techniques that have some effect but really lets face it, we have to find ways to help ourselves to. So, I waited for a bad day. They come around fewer nowadays but yesterday along it came. The welling in my eyes was my telltale. The Manchester concert tragedy event was to blame. So I had to force myself to walk to my shed where I put my music on. Next I took a can of paint to begin painting a small table for our caravan. As the painting finished I had an idea of making our new table hinge up to the wall, so looked for a piano hinge and screws. My wife arrived 2 hours later to see how I was travelling. She praised my work and asked if I wanted coffee. Until she mentioned it I'd forgotten about my upset earlier. Smell...the paint Sight....a change of environment means not focussing on where I was in the house (watching sad events on TV) Sound....the music There's the three triggers turned into "pluggers". Add to those the stimulous of a project and the satisfaction of making something. My wife commented on how quickly I recovered. What I find interesting is that these sort of remedies are logical yet we dont automatically do them. Its like our emotions are a magnet to trauma and hurt, like part of my mind is programmed to find hurt every now and then. Happiness constantly isnt possible, the cycle is mandatory. Can you think of methods you use as pluggers? Help us help ourselves. Tony WK

Sunflowerrs Stories of People being kind
  • replies: 6

Today I went to the gp and cried the whole session. After I desperately needed some food - a cafe is connected to the gp. I cried at the counter trying to order. and the lady got me some tissues. I composed myself & she Said she'd make me something s... View more

Today I went to the gp and cried the whole session. After I desperately needed some food - a cafe is connected to the gp. I cried at the counter trying to order. and the lady got me some tissues. I composed myself & she Said she'd make me something special (instead of a ready made focaccia) she asked me what I liked and proceeded to make me a personalised custom sandwich because in her words it was 'my day' :'( it was lovely. When I sat down she brought me a paper bag and said it was a surprise. Inside were 3 sweet treats, I had secretly wanted them but couldn't afford. Siting here eating dinner amazed at how kind she was to me.

LuLu88 EXERCISE
  • replies: 9

They all suggest it. Every organisation you come across when searching mental health, depression, anxiety etc..... Eat healthy and Exercise. Easier said than done, am i right?! After battling depression, anxiety and PTSD since my pre-teens (now in my... View more

They all suggest it. Every organisation you come across when searching mental health, depression, anxiety etc..... Eat healthy and Exercise. Easier said than done, am i right?! After battling depression, anxiety and PTSD since my pre-teens (now in my late 20's) I have tried a butt tonne of methods for coping. This one seems to be sticking - and Im now a personal trainer. What!? Its really hard to get out of bed somedays, but knowing I'm bringing some functionality to someone else's day kinda helps me get some perspective. I'm currently looking into volunteering my time as a trainer at a local women's shelter. My idea is to give them some small physical 'wins' for their week even if mentally they haven't felt so strong. For me exercise is something that I can look forward to, a moment that i can focus on me, feeling good and nothing else. What do you think? Please - Tell me your stories on how you use exercise for your mental health OR let me know if you have yet to feel it's benifits.

Rosemail13 Be proud of yourself for taking action
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone, This is my first post so hopefully its in the right section. I am 21 and have GAD. A lot of the time i tend to feel sorry for myself but at this current moment im feeling positive even though I am a little on edge so i thought i would po... View more

Hi everyone, This is my first post so hopefully its in the right section. I am 21 and have GAD. A lot of the time i tend to feel sorry for myself but at this current moment im feeling positive even though I am a little on edge so i thought i would post while im feeling good. I am determined to overcome GAD and what has been helping me so far is : writing notes to myself in my phone with positive affirmations ( which on iphones can be locked if like me you are worried about someone finding them by accident) trying to exercise regularly even on the days when you dont feel like it- something is better than nothing, even if its a 15 minute walk or some air squats in your lounge room I also like to remember that even when im having a bad day im still doing really well because i am acknowledging my problems and doing my best to deal with them even if it just means getting out of bed some days- its harder for us than it is for some people so in my opinion its something to be proud of Im not sure if this post will be at all helpful but if you are reading this and not feeling so good today just remember feelings are temporary, this is your challenge to overcome and be proud of yourself for taking action, being on this site in itself is an achievement Take care everyone xx

white knight Living a worthwhile life
  • replies: 7

Lately on this forum we've had a number of sad souls that for whatever reason, are in a "worthless" boring life. The hard line answer with this problem is that we are all responsible for our own happiness. We need to read the newspapers for local hob... View more

Lately on this forum we've had a number of sad souls that for whatever reason, are in a "worthless" boring life. The hard line answer with this problem is that we are all responsible for our own happiness. We need to read the newspapers for local hobbies, sports and social events for interaction. Or google, a great tool we never had 20 years ago. But its easier said than done. Some of us regardless of our ability to find the company of others can't extend ourselves to what its like to not be so talkative. If you are introverted or simply are in a rut please google Topic: depression, the "snowball effect"- beyondblue It is important to find motivation...how? Well there is no easy first steps. It is important to find your comfort zone with groups. Some groups are breeding grounds for destructive attitudes, don't hang around them, move on, find that comfort zone. If you are not happy in a group it doesn't mean its your fault. Confidence is elusive. You have to keep fighting to achieve it. Topic: being withdrawn to achieving confidence- beyondblue Even those of us that have broken through the social brick wall to get the confidence we badly need we still have doubt. We always will. Perhaps we never got told how good a boy or girl we were often enough.? But we can make life worthwhile. Voluntary work is a favourite of mine. Its an avenue to begin your snowball of happiness. Do you know of ways to make life worthwhile? Tony WK

Guest_322 Share your stories on forging your own path.
  • replies: 35

Hi everyone, I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about expectation, choice, conventional and non-conventional paths. I was hesitant to put up this thread but here it goes... My personal thought is that even in this day and age, there's often a... View more

Hi everyone, I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about expectation, choice, conventional and non-conventional paths. I was hesitant to put up this thread but here it goes... My personal thought is that even in this day and age, there's often an implicit expectation that everyone gets married, has kids and has a full-time 9-5 job. Don't get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with getting married, having kids or a 9-5 job. That's not what I'm talking about here. The point that I'm trying to make is what suits one may not do another. And I think we can sometimes do a major disservice- even with the best intentions and even if it's accidental- to each other when we pressure others to follow a certain path. It's not always explicit pressure, it's often implied e.g. with comments like "when you get married" where the assumption is you will get married. Never mind that maybe some people don't want to get married, don't believe in marriage or can't get married in Australia in the case of the LBGTI community. I would suggest saying "if you get married" instead. I feel that my point isn't about getting married or not getting married; I feel my point is about how everyone has their own path to follow and that we shouldn't make assumptions about other people. I know it might seem petty that I'm commenting on "if" versus "should" but the difference between those 2 words holds immense power in my opinion. Anyway, now that I've gotten that off my chest...I really want to hear from the round pegs in a square hole. Please share your stories about the road less travelled- the obstacles, pressures as well as triumphs you had to overcome to pursue your path Dottie xxx I feel as though I could learn something from you guys. And I feel others could too.