One day at a time

One lesson I learn over and over is to take one day at a time. I am always looking at the week ahead or the month ahead and getting overwhelmed. Yesterday I was doing it and just getting so stressed. I forget to just stay in the day and go from one activity to the other gently and mindfully.
Do you stay in the day or do you race ahead?
lots of love from susan in australia

tiredness and mental illness

I find my mental illness makes me very tired. It seems to take a lot of energy to mentally process things. When there is a lot going on in my life i get tired of the thoughts that I need to make to sort things out. As you know I often sleep 12 hours a day and a lot of this is because of the mental fatigue. I have never been diagnosed but I think I have Chronic fatigue syndrome. I used to suffer bad migraines and sore joints and many other symptoms of CFS. The symptoms have improved except for the fatigue and sleeping.
Do you suffer from fatigue?
lots of love from susan in australia

Time

I don't have enough time to do everything I want to do so I have been spending small amounts of time doing what i love and enjoy. Mornings now are some writing, dance, gardening, artwork and meditation before doing my emailing and interneting. I see my friends on a regular basis and take my knitting and do it while we chat and catch up. I have a monthly massage and see a counsellor. I see my psychiatrist regularly. I do daily walks and visit my mum 3 times a week. I am going away overnight each month and do other appointments as the needs arise.
i am hoping to find more time for my art work which I enjoy but time is limited with everything else I do. i also belong to a few groups like gardening and embroiderers guild
what do you do with your time?
lots of love from susan in australia

Joy and mental illness

Having suffered depression for so many years and attempting suicide a few times I never imagined that life could be joyous and happy most of the time. Since coming out of psych hospital my life has just gotten better and better. Most of my days are joyous and full of friendship and creativity, adventure and discovery. Of course I still have my problems some to work on and some to accept unsolved but mostly I am joyous.
I wish I could tell more people with mental illness to never give up hope. You never know what changes are in store.
Do you have a lot of joy in your life?
Lots of love from susan in australia

New car

Here's me and my new car. i am so thrilled. Now that I am planning to travel overnight once a month for awhile and then hopefully farther afield it is great to have a new car. I am so blessed. I saved hard. Having mental illness I have often spent money unwisely so I am glad I am much better now and can be relied on to save.
Are you a good saver or a spender?

5th October 2008 happy birthday to me

Happy birthday to me. I love, love, love birthdays. I love all the attention and fuss. I love the cards, presents, emails and best wishes and all the surprises. Birthdays also make everyone else happy and joyous too. I got a new cherry red hatchback for my birthday this year so super special birthday. I also got a monk statue for my garden which is a lovely blessing for my garden. i am trying to do more gardening and monk will entice me out. I can see him from my library window.
Off to visit some of my friends to celebrate. I also went away overnight which is another huge achievement as traveling away from home is very difficult for me. I notice each time I do it i am getting better.
Must go.
Lots of love from susan in australia

Flood of ideas

Often when I am a bit manic or a lot I get a flood of ideas. I want to start lots of different activities, I want to make lots of phone calls and emails and I get quite overwhelmed. In recent years I have used a notebook and journals to note down my ideas and to keep track of what I am trying to achieve in the day. I find it helpful to sort things out on paper and to choose what to do next.
How do you deal with busy times when you have too many ideas?
lots of love from susan in australia