Small achievement you managed to do today....How did it make you feel? Did it help you feel better today?

[Ggrand]

Hi everyone..

Their are days when just getting out of bed is a huge achievement...Other days we can achieve things like washing up the dishes or clothes, sweeping the floors, mopping the floors..very mundane and automatic robot like chores for the mentally well...They do these chores without even thinking about them...for people struggling with their mental health..these are huge tasks...

Very often I’ll get my vacuum cleaner out to vacuum ...then it will sit their for days, me looking at it, walking over it...until I can get motivated enough to vacuum..after I do find the motivation to vacuum...I am pleased with myself...
Right now I have a small foot cycling peddle machine, sitting on my front veranda..I got it out last week..to start exercising..it’s still their, I’m still looking at it...My thoughts each night is I’ll use it for a few minutes tomorrow..

My car hasn’t been washed getting close to a year now I think...Today I did managed to wash it....and discovered that it has a nice shine on it.....I did it...I achieved something positive today..which made me feel better in myself...

Have you achieved a little something today...and how did it make you feel...If you want to share that achievement it might make other people a bit more motivated to achieve something they need/want to do..

Looking forward to hearing about your achievement....and how it made you feel..

Little steps and achievements can lead to bigger steps..and bigger achievements...

My kindest and most caring thoughts...everyone.
Grandy...

[Eagle Ray]

I agree Grandy,

Sometimes I find I can only do one of the things on my list for the day, but that is ok.

Today I did some grocery shopping, washed my bedsheets and doona cover, and watered my back garden and front pot plants. In mid afternoon I had to have a nap and fell asleep on the couch.

 I feel I’m moving forwards, even if not at a great pace, and learning to accept that is ok. I can’t necessarily do what another person can do in a day and my body lets me know that. I used to just push through until I collapsed and I know I cannot do that now. But little by little, things get done.

I feel like just staying in the moment helps too, focussing on being present. This morning when I was hanging my sheets on the washing line I could feel the beautiful warmth of the sun and freshness of the air. 

 I still have to make my bed but very much looking forward to sleeping on freshly washed sheets which is always a nice feeling.

Hugs to everyone 🤗🌼🌸💕

[quirkywords]

Today I was at a party and it was noisy and crowded  and hoy. all things I find uncomfortable.

i stayed for the required time and kept hydrated. 

[Ggrand]

Hi everyone…..🤗..

Wow Eagle Ray, you achieved so much in one day…congratulations well done…

I was going to vacuum yesterday, set it up in my bedroom and their it still sits 😂…maybe tomorrow I’ll get it done…Today, I realised I ran out of important heart meds…I didn’t feel up to it at all, but having no choice I had to go into town to get them as I need to take every 12 hours….I won that round, tomorrow will I win that round with my vacuum cleaner?….I’m going to try really hard to because I’m sick of stepping over it😕…

Quirky well done attending that party….and staying for the required amount of time….I declined the conference Christmas Party last Saturday, but will have to go to our shops one…which is this Wednesday…the girls on my days are the only ones going, we’re going to a pub….which I’ve been too before…it’s very quiet out in the garden eating area…and there’s only the 5 of us…..I can do that I hope without too much anxiety stepping in….

I’m going to cook tonight…been living on sandwiches the past few weeks….thinking a couple of baked sausages, veggies and an Ice cream for dessert…

Definitely moving forward Eagle Ray, no matter how little, is always a step closer to getting the things that we need to do…

Hugs everyone….🤗,

Grandy..

[Eagle Ray]

Oh Grandy, I so relate to what you describe with the vacuum cleaner! I’ve done that plenty of times. I also find once I start vacuuming I can only do so much, have to lie down for a bit of a rest, do a bit more, rest again and so on. I say well done for getting it set up. It really is one small step at a time.

Quirky, well done for getting through the party and taking care of yourself by hydrating. I hope it wasn’t too full on and you could do something you find restful afterwards.

Today I walked to the local seafood place to buy some fish to go with ingredients for a curry that I bought yesterday. I also met a lady in the bakery this morning who is living on her own like me. I could just tell she is suffering from depression and she told me she is very badly. I said I was happy to have lunch with her if she wanted some company. She had a dog with her she’s looking after at the moment so we took the dog somewhere where he could go for a bit of a run around while we ate lunch. So it was nice to make a connection with someone. We both concluded we have spent our lives looking after other people and we’re now trying to figure out for the first time how we prioritise and look after ourselves.

So my achievements today were getting to the bakery, chatting to someone and buying fish for dinner (about to cook it soon).

Take care everyone and srnding hugs 🤗 

[Eagle Ray]

Hello Everyone,

Despite feeling very down and sad today I managed to contact a relative this afternoon and organise a catch up with her on the weekend. I also contacted my friend late afternoon to see if she’d like to go for another walk today and she did. So we went for a walk again with her beautiful baby. So I managed to reach out to people.

While visiting the city I have ongoing reminders that trigger grief connected with past losses. I visited a lake today that I always loved to go to when I lived nearby. Things there reminded me of my Mum and really strong grief came up again. But I let the tears be there. There were so many different kinds of ducks and other water birds on the lake.

 I also managed to get through a medical appointment today that wasn’t particularly helpful, but what I was pretty much expecting. Then the lovely mechanic I used to go to in the city fitted in looking at my car and diagnosed its current issues for me, letting me know it will be safe to drive home. He fitted in just checking it for me for free even though he was fully booked. I offered to pay him but he said I didn’t need to pay. There are really kind people in the world.

 I still feel sad but also learning how to just be sad sometimes because it’s emotion that needs to come out. So I got through several things today and I guess I feel good I did them. I patted the cat too which was very helpful 🐱💗

I hope others had a good day. Hugs to everyone 🤗

[Ggrand]

Hello Dear Eagle Ray and everyone,…….🤗🤗..

You done so good Eagle Ray, I hope you’re as proud of you as we all are…I am so pleased that you visited the lake that you like, but at the same time are heartbroken for you that memories of you mum brought tears to your eyes….letting those tears fall was a release of your emotions…I wish I was with you so I could have given you a caring hug…🦋🤗..

I don’t go out, except for my volunteer work ..yesterday my friend had to go to hospital to get cataracts removed from one eye, I drove her in and had made good plans of waiting for her in my car, bit hot for that though, so I decided to go back to the waiting room and wait it out by watching the tv they had on…

.What happened next, I doubt was an achievement… my stress ball I was using popped and I was suddenly covered with lots of goo and little sticky gooey balls….yuck, trying to stay calm and act normal I got most off me then went to the toilet to try to clean that gooey stuff of me and my dress, dropping a few unseen balls and goo onto the floor on my way….had a bit of a cry, cleaned me up the best I could without being overly long in the toilet room,  came out to see a cleaner there….head down I went back to my seat until my friend Betty was ready…

I just wanted to go home, I was tired, upset and yucky…but Betty was hungry, not eating since midnight…I took her to eat something at a small cafe…my dress looking like it hadn’t been washed in years…I felt a mess and was so pleased when we headed towards home….

Grandy…..🤗

[mmMekitty]

Hello Grandy, ER & everyone.

Firstly, ErR, those tears for your mum are your expression of your deep feelings of loss & longing, & I am proud of you for accepting them, allowing them & not, as I might have done, seen you trying to deny & suspress them. So although it hurts to open up like that, it really is another step in your journey through grief & healing from your past experiences. I didn't get that for a long time. It actually feels like an endorsement of my own journey into accepting & expressing my emotions.

& Grandy, I want so much to hug you & tell you i't's alright. Having some muck on your dress, it's not a huge deal, really, Grandy. Being there for your friend is what I, & I thnk, Betty appreciate far more. It took considerable determination on your part to stay there, being anxious enough to burst your squeeze ball, for Betty, to stay & get something to eat after, then get her home. I dont think this is a small achievement, but a large one for you & it's lovely & kind & compassionate to boot!

I have to admit I hadn't realised what a burst squeeze ball would be like. So I've also learned, when I am handling a squeeze ball, I'm going to check my nails first & then try to not squeeze too hard.

Today, for me, I'm wearing my hearing aids, at home, to get used to having the new aid in my left ear. Unfortunately, I think it will need trimming, or even remaking, as it seems to be rubbing & pressing uncomfortably in a couple spots. I've got to figure out how to tell the audiologist exactly where the problems are.

While I don't enjoy having hearing aids in my ears, especially how they make my ears feel so gooey, I am being an adult abut it & accepting how we simply have to do some things we don't enjoy for a greater benefit to come our way than if we stubbornly refuse & don't.

Hugzies

mmMekitty

Hugzies

[Eagle Ray]

Hello dear Grandy, mmMeKitty and Everyone,

Grandy, it was so kind of you being there for your friend Betty. I’m so sorry what happened with the squeeze ball. Things like that can be upsetting when we already feel vulnerable. But as MK was saying, the important thing was you were there for your friend and went with her to eat afterwards too. You reminded me of my friend telling me how she went to the cricket with her boyfriend and was wearing a white top. Right at the beginning of the day she spilled coffee all over it and couldn’t get the brown stains out. So had to stay like that the rest of the day. Well done for getting through the day. I hope you get a good rest and sleep tonight.

MK, I hope they can adjust your hearing aids well. My neighbour recently drove to her audiologist in another town to have adjustments done. They can be fiddly things. But I do hope they open up a world of sound and make life easier as these things are meant to do. I have a condition called hyperacusis, a form of sound sensitivity, so I have what are called musicians ear plugs I take to anything that might be loud, such as a concert. Even they can get a little uncomfortable at times, but they do give me a sense of safety and protection for my ears.

Thank you both so kindly for your lovely comments about the grief I was feeling yesterday. My achievement today was getting out and doing some photography this afternoon. This morning I had very bad depression. Without a doubt it’s linked to perimenopause which is causing my mental health to go haywire. So it took me all morning to get going. I had a lot of time just sitting and staring in a daze. But eventually after getting out and taking photos I could feel the difference. It always helps no matter how bad I feel beforehand. I visited the same historical suburb I went to the other day with such interesting buildings and streetscapes. Ha ha, I just had to amend that as autocorrect turned streetscapes to street apes 🦧 That would have been interesting. Well there were primates about in the form of humans.

Sending big hugs 🤗

Eagle Ray

[mmMekitty]

ER - seems you find animal life everywhere you go! 😹

[Ggrand]

Hi mmMeKitty, Eagle Ray and everyone….🤗..

I think you’re awesome ER by the way you can get yourself outside and photograph some beautiful things you find….I know how hard it is to be able to push through a very bad depressive episode….Sorry if I’ve missed this at all, but may I ask you what kind of things you like to take photos of?….

mmMekitty, we have a couple of elderly ladies at work that need but don’t use there hearing aides, I do get concerned about them because they wouldn’t know if someone was sneaking up on them while they are shopping…Please sweet mmMeKitty if they are uncomfortable, please ask the professionals to adjust and make them comfortable for you to use as much as you need to especially when out and about by yourself 🤗…

Hugs everyone…🤗..

Grandy