Share your achievements, small or big!

[Beltane]

Another nice little topic to chat about 🙂

It's really important to those of us with mental issues to hold on to our achievements and successes, especially the ones over our illnesses. Each and every achievement, no matter how small you might think it is, is so important. We should celebrate and take pride in each achievement- because each one is a step towards recovery.

So in this topic I'd like us to share our successes. You can post as often as you like, every time you have an achievement or success you'd like to share (even if you think "but it wasn't that big a deal"). Yes it IS a big deal! Fighting an illness is hard work, so lets celebrate all our achievements!

When i first fought my anxiety, my very very first challenge was to drive to the local shops. And I achieved it, and boy did I celebrate. Might not sound like much to someone else, but to me it was like climbing Mount Everest while wearing shorts and thongs (i imagine). So you better believe I went home and danced around my house celebrating my success!

My most recent achievement I am celebrating is: I attended my first job interview in 3 years that i did NOT take any anti-anxiety medication whatsoever for. Every other interview in the last 3 years i've needed strong anti-anxiety medication. But after much therapy and hard work, i learned more and more coping skills. I was nervous about not taking the medication as I was so used to doing it, but not only did i get through the interview but i did it calmly and kept my anxiety well under control. I'm pretty proud of myself!

(Also I got the job- yay- but unfortunately i cant accept it due to other reasons. But I'm still celebrating being offered a job!!!)

So lets hear it! Whats a recent achievement, positive step or success you made? Take pride in it and celebrate it!!

[Guest_5218]

Oh Mrs Dools. Well done for doing something that was obviously very difficult for you to do. I am really sorry that your back issue has caused you to have to give up something I thought you really enjoyed doing. That is a shame, but I totally understand you needing to give it up for your own health reasons.

What will you do now that you wont be working? I hope you have some plans in place to keep your mind occupied and active.

Well done .....

Sherie xx

[Doolhof]

Hi Sherie,

Yes I do enjoy my work, being with the elderly and making a positive difference to their way of life. Unfortunately the back pain goes all the way up my back, across my shoulder blades, into my upper shoulders, neck and I have headaches daily.

Usually I return home and collapse into bed for a couple of hours due tot he pain. It limits so much of what I would like to do around our own home and garden and socially.

I've already signed up for volunteering at the "Riding for the Disabled "place not far from us. I have mentioned to the Country Fire Service Captain in our town that I would like training to help out in t he office and communication room now summer is getting closer.

We have been here for three years and the town has been threatened by fires each summer so far!

Firstly I am going to take time to just rest. Get back into my exercises, go walking more frequently, catch up with family and friends, do my volunteering, hopefully embrace my craft activities again and explore the neighbourhood.

Maybe down the track I will find a paid job that will not freak my back out too much!

Tomorrow I am going to attend a family gathering to honour a distant relative from the town Mum was born in.

Unfortunately Mum is not well enough o join us. My sister and I were going to drive her there.

I'm a little off track here, but that is okay!

Cheers all from Mrs. Dools

[Guest_322]

Hi Evan John,

Well done on handling yourself and the situation so well at the assembly! You did good 😊

And thank you for the supportive reply to one of my posts from a little while back (apologies for my late response).

Dottie

[Guest_322]

Yay! I'm out of bed!

Took almost an hour. Kind of annoyed with myself as now I've "lost" about an hour of my day.

It was a struggle. Have work, class and an assignment to work on (none of which I'm looking forward to) so didn't really want to get out of bed ha, ha.

Dottie

[Doolhof]

Hi Dottie,

Congratulations to you for getting out of bed!

Don't think of that hour as being an hour lost, but one where you allowed your body to rest for a little longer.

I find the more I beat myself up about things, the easier it is to keep doing so. I then become despondent and depressed and decide that trying to do anything is too difficult.

Praise yourself for your achievement. Positivity is amazing!

Cheers to you from Mrs. Dools

[Guest_322]

Thank you Mrs. Dools! I appreciate the support😊

[james1]

Good work dottie! Looks like a difficult day, but you're a dedicated person and I'm sure you can do it 🙂

[Doolhof]

Hi Dottie,

You are more than welcome!

When I arrived home this afternoon I decided to sit on the bed and read for a while to rest my back. I ended up in bed until it was dinner time.

That is okay. I managed to do the dishes after dinner and clean up the kitchen, so that rest was worthwhile for my aching body and my stressed out mind.

If you can't get out of bed tomorrow, tell yourself you will have a little more time then congratulate yourself when you do get up. Do a fist pump and have a dance around the room. If anything, it will get your heart pumping!

I might try that myself tomorrow. Might freak the cat out a little though. Ha. Ha.

[Guest_322]

Hi Mrs. Dools,

That sounds like one good book you were reading! I think taking a little break was a really good idea to recharge.

Thanks for the advice. Yes, dance your heart out tomorrow. Ha, ha funny that you mention it as I actually do that sometimes. I turn up the music (headphones) and dance away.

Dottie

[Evan_John]

Mrs Dools, I really like your advice for getting out of bed. Sometimes it's the smallest things we need to celebrate.

Last night I went dancing with my partner, Debra. We've learnt the basics to salsa over the last 8 weeks and have just started rock'n'roll. It was one of the first times where at dancing i've allowed myself to just be free to enjoy my body whilst being with my partner when we've taken lessons. It's a pretty big step seeing twice I've had a breakdown once and been in an unpleasant mood another couple of times. I wasn't sooky about criticism or insecure about my masculinity. I just had fun and learnt what I could without taking it too seriously. I think Debra could feel the difference too, and in the end, we learnt the basics, as we set out to!
Ironically, it was our last session.