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Sophie_M Money stress? You are not alone!
  • replies: 4

So, I’ve been chatting with my friends over here at Beyond Blue and it seems we all have something in common right now: money worries. Whether it’s stressors about finding enough cash for the basics or wishing we had enough money for a holiday, we al... View more

So, I’ve been chatting with my friends over here at Beyond Blue and it seems we all have something in common right now: money worries. Whether it’s stressors about finding enough cash for the basics or wishing we had enough money for a holiday, we all seem to be experiencing a greater amount of stress surrounding money than we have in the past. And it’s impacting our ability to show up fully for the things we love. It’s not uncommon for us to experience shame and fear around expressing our financial challenges; it can be hard and somewhat taboo to openly discuss money matters. However, we believe this conversation is incredibly important and beneficial to have. Like all challenges, ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’, so let’s help each other out. Of course, discussions about the economy and how to manage our money during inflation are a much larger (and frustrating!) conversation… but what we would really love to know is what your personal experience around money is. Are you feeling the pinch too? How is added financial pressure impacting your wellbeing? When was the last time things felt even slightly easier? And if you have struggled with money in the past but come out the other side, what suggestions do you have for others who might still be finding their feet? This is an opportunity to share openly and honestly about your experience in a judgement-free space. There are no wrong answers, and we encourage you to share all the things that you might be finding hard to express in your every day life. Looking forward to your answers! Abundant hugs from yours truly, 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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hope4joy What does 'recovery' mean to you?
  • replies: 39

Hey guys, I just had an interesting chat to my Mindspot phone therapist (thanks to whoever it was that recommended this course) about my expectations about experiencing depression. I realise that I've been feeling like a failure because I haven't eli... View more

Hey guys, I just had an interesting chat to my Mindspot phone therapist (thanks to whoever it was that recommended this course) about my expectations about experiencing depression. I realise that I've been feeling like a failure because I haven't eliminated my symptoms from my recent bout before uni goes back next week. But in the broader scheme, I've been busting my gut in therapy for the last six years, trying everything to 'get better', yet am still faced with many issues. I'm starting to question which bits of my mental illness I keep fighting and which bits I accept and try to manage. I've always had such high hopes and standards. Sadly my depression is not the once off isolated episode sort - but I've had all sorts of difficulties since I was around nine years old. So my question is, what does recovery from mental illness look like to you? What does it mean? What does it involve? What do you accept and what do you keep fighting to change? I'm keen to hear your experiences, with loving thanks, Christina

Elizabeth CP Spending time thinking rather than being mindful of your surroundings
  • replies: 4

Going for my walk today (see Walking shoes Thread) I noticed that I spend a lot of my time thinking whereas others are more mindful of their surroundings. This got me thinking about which is better & when. Mindfulness helps you focus on the here & no... View more

Going for my walk today (see Walking shoes Thread) I noticed that I spend a lot of my time thinking whereas others are more mindful of their surroundings. This got me thinking about which is better & when. Mindfulness helps you focus on the here & now thus stopping run away thoughts which is a benefit that I acknowledge even though I don't do it enough. My question is should I be trying to be more mindful of my surroundings or is there a place for allowing thoughts to flow particularly when doing something like walking which doesn't require a lot of concentration. Sometimes having time to think is good because at home there are so many things needing attention so thoughts are focused on coping with what is happening now. Maybe allowing thoughts to flow gives the mind a chance to sort out what needs to happen without the restrictions imposed by focusing on what is needed right now. I'm not sure if I am making sense but wondered what others thought

white knight What is your challenge tomorrow?
  • replies: 26

Last night when I went to bed I was undergoing my nightly muscle tensioning exercises. This process that takes around 25 minutes helps me sleep and has been almost totally responsible for me conquering my anxiety that peaked in 1987. My mind drifted ... View more

Last night when I went to bed I was undergoing my nightly muscle tensioning exercises. This process that takes around 25 minutes helps me sleep and has been almost totally responsible for me conquering my anxiety that peaked in 1987. My mind drifted into a state whereby I thought about my challenge the next day (today). That challenge was to find my reversing camera in my shed to mount on the roof of the caravan we have just finished building. The camera has eluded me for a long time. This morning I was feeling unwell and like many of us I just wanted to stay in bed. That challenge haunted me. So I dragged myself out to the shed and 2 hours later found the item. Being a cold windy day I returned indoors and was so pleased with my efforts was buoyed by it and felt really good. So I thought "why not have a daily challenge?" Wouldn't that help to avoid a full bad day? Have you had daily challenges and what are they? Do they work like mine did. Tony WK

white knight Can back to basic help you?
  • replies: 8

There is an google article called "Millions of Britons unable to cope with modern life" which in part says- "Millions of people are unhappy, lonely and unable to cope with profound changes in the workplace, relationships and family life, according to... View more

There is an google article called "Millions of Britons unable to cope with modern life" which in part says- "Millions of people are unhappy, lonely and unable to cope with profound changes in the workplace, relationships and family life, according to a major study. It portrays Britain as a psychologically fragile society in which increased wealth has been accompanied by soaring levels of individual isolation and stress. Although welfare services have made big strides in addressing material poverty, they have failed to get a grip on the growing problems of mental illness and distress caused by the rise of individualism and family breakdown, it says. The UK [is a] largely happy country, but one with many unhappy people ..." Some years ago, well before my diagnosis of bipolar 2, dysthymia and depression I knew my need to move from the city. So now many years later I feel I have the mix about as perfect as I can get it. My first challenge was to get work in the country- no mean feat. But once I got that I could begin to plan a more relaxing future. A move to the country might not suit everyone but I believe the move had such a profound positiveness that it deserves to be spread to you. There is a disease called "Twentieth century disease" which is not what I'm referring to here. That is a serious illness. What I'm suggesting here is, that our great grandparents around 120 years ago, hadnt seen a plane fly, a car being driven, a washing machine, a computer, a mobile phone, a skyscraper and so on. So in a short 3 generations humans have had to adapt and accept these modern creations...and some of us cant do it. Back to basics could include- a vegie garden (even in a unit in the city!), a move to a country town no more than 400 people, limiting your social media, direct debit for bills so there are few accounts to pay physically, walks to sight wild animals and any other actions that allow you to withdraw. My wife and I (as we call it) "Swan in" to large towns or Melbourne to go shopping. We are there for less than 2 hours. We tend to stay away from areas with parking meters because a ticket could cause us anger and upset. Parking meters indicate to us that the city is too big for us and has added pressures like peak hour traffic. I was planning to reject society altogether. I soon found that my plan was flawed. Balance is needed. Many things in life is a balance including finding peace, working, socialising and back to basics. Tony WK

Elizabeth CP Suggestions of enjoyable, relaxing &/or helpful activities for self-care when you are feeling down
  • replies: 24

I am starting this thread in the hope people will share ideas of things to do which they enjoy or help take their mind off their problems or just help them feel better. Since becoming stressed & depressed things which I used to enjoy are no longer av... View more

I am starting this thread in the hope people will share ideas of things to do which they enjoy or help take their mind off their problems or just help them feel better. Since becoming stressed & depressed things which I used to enjoy are no longer available, are too hard or no longer fun and I suspect their are others like me who need to do things to feel good again but have trouble thinking of ideas. Everyone is different so what suits one person won't suit another but each person's ideas will suit someone else. When you are tired, depressed, stressed or just need a break what do you like to do? I like to visit a friend who I can trust. We can complain & vent to each other without it being taken out of context or shared with anyone else. Unfortunately she lives 2 hrs away so I can't visit often

Happyness Thoughts Are Just Thoughts
  • replies: 6

The thought process I can be conscious of my thoughts I can choose my own thoughts Any thoughts regarding thoughts

The thought process I can be conscious of my thoughts I can choose my own thoughts Any thoughts regarding thoughts

Doolhof ENCOURAGEMENT INSPIRATION MOTIVATION
  • replies: 32

Hi All, It is not always easy to feel motivated or inspired to do anything when you are feeling deeply depressed or when suffering from some other mental health issues. I'd like people to use this thread to share ideas/thoughts/quotes/poems on how yo... View more

Hi All, It is not always easy to feel motivated or inspired to do anything when you are feeling deeply depressed or when suffering from some other mental health issues. I'd like people to use this thread to share ideas/thoughts/quotes/poems on how you manage to motivate, inspire and encourage yourself to do things when it all feels just too hard to even try. Who of you remember that song/story about the little train that kept saying "I think I can! I think I can!" as it climbed up a steep hill? Sometimes I need to tell myself the same thing: "I think I can!" If I start thinking "there is no way I can do that, then I won't even attempt to make an effort. Hopefully others will post ideas and thoughts here that may be very beneficial to others. Cheers all from Dools

Just Sara Sugar sensitivity - Food for thought
  • replies: 15

We're all probably aware diet has a lot to do with our brain function and coping mechanisms. I've been reading a book called 'Potatoes not Prozac' by Kathleen DesMaisons (PH.D in Addictive Nutrition) It's about sugar sensitive people and how sugar ca... View more

We're all probably aware diet has a lot to do with our brain function and coping mechanisms. I've been reading a book called 'Potatoes not Prozac' by Kathleen DesMaisons (PH.D in Addictive Nutrition) It's about sugar sensitive people and how sugar can be similar to alcohol and illicit drugs for some. It mostly concentrates on levels of Beta Endorphins, Serotonin and Blood Sugar. I've decided to run with the program and am up to the stage of journaling my food intake and activity/behaviour/emotions/feelings. It's early days yet, but I'm already beginning to see some patterns. She says not to change my habits for a couple of weeks until my patterns are clear, but it's tempting. This book is so interesting. Symptoms of anxiety, confused thinking and depression are major influences. There are some great little experiments to show how sugar, protein and fat are used in the body, especially regarding the brain; sleep and emotional well being. Some interesting tit-bits are: Low calorie sugar replacements like Sugarine have the same affect on the brain as normal sugar Sugar affects the same sections of the brain as alcohol and even heroin Sugar is more addictive than heroin and can be harder to give up than smoking Flour and its bi-products are simple sugars When we eat is just as important as what we eat I did an experiment using a baked potato as a snack prior to bed and had the best night's sleep in a long time. She says to limit simple carbs during the day and have a meal around 6:30 pm using mostly good quality protein and a small amount of complex carbs; no fat. Then 1/2 hr before bed eat a medium dry baked potato, skin on. Protein prepares the body for carbs from the potato which increases serotonin levels over a long period while the potato digests overnight. Simple sugars digest very quickly as we know from the hit we get after soft drinks for instance. This is not a book for people to lose weight; (though weight loss is inevitable) it addresses our brain chemistry and emotions. It's a winner!

Roberty_Bob 5 4 3 2 1
  • replies: 1

I find the following quick mindfulness technique useful when I need to return to the here and now. Five things I can see. Four things I can hear. Three things I can feel. Two things I can smell. One thing I can taste.

I find the following quick mindfulness technique useful when I need to return to the here and now. Five things I can see. Four things I can hear. Three things I can feel. Two things I can smell. One thing I can taste.