Sunday 6 April 2014

Everything has a crack in it, that's how the light gets in

Recently a friend of mine put up this beautiful picture on Facebook.  She said that she had dreamt it and just had to paint it and get it out of her system.  I have included the image in this post.  You will see on the left hand side are all dark feelings that she was dealing with at the time.

I praised her for putting this up and admitting these emotions, because as you will see on the right hand side of the painting, there are feelings of where she would rather be and what she is working towards.

A lot of her friends didn't understand where she was coming from and said "you need to paint something more positive".  I didn't agree with this as she was being honest and instead of judgement people could have been asking if she was ok, or just thanking her for her honesty.

My friend messaged me privately and thanked me for the public comments and stated it was just something that she had to paint.  I again said to her how proud I was of her for dealing with these feelings and working towards moving away from them.

Our reaction to our friend's current emotional state is so important, whether they tell us or not :)

Tuesday 25 February 2014

Know your Triggers

There has been a lot on social media about depression - whether it is people bringing it to our attention, beautiful souls taking their own lives or ways to support people.

A big thing for me is to know my triggers, what sets me off into panic, sadness, withdrawal, anger, or all of the above!

For me it varies.  It can be money worries, kids being intense, lack of support from friends, loneliness or stress.

The way I find that helps me the most is writing things down as well as talking it out with my "go to" people.  I have my hubby, my mum, my life coach and a few key friends.  All of which are amazing and can give me very different perspectives.

When you "suffer" from depression you learn who your true friends are and who you can turn to.  It is wise to get a few of them because people generally lead busy lives and can't always stop everything to support me.

I have a gratitude journal beside my bed which I try to write in every night.  On days where I am having trouble thinking of what to be grateful for I know that is a trigger.  So I make sure I write something, even if it is "just" - my health, my life and my tribe.  All of which I am truly grateful for every day.

Thursday 23 January 2014

Don't know how to help?

If you don't know what else to do when a person is depressed or not themselves. Your presence means a lot, even if they don't show it at the time:

Sunday 19 January 2014

I like you just the way you are

I have a couple of friends experiencing depression and anxiety at the moment. I feel this time round I am able to help them better than before (or be more confident in doing so). "All" I needed to do for them is tell them what I like about them right now and how I wouldn't change them. It also helps to tell them why you want them in your life.

It seems so easy and it is once you take a moment and think of things about them that make you smile. It could be a characteristic or a memory - that they are clever, or cheeky, or that time they made you laugh so hard you nearly wet your pants (yes it's true and that was before kids!!). 

I have been making a conscious effort to let people know these things - a letter, text or a little gift. The thought doesn't just count, it generally means more than you realise.