Author: Suzanne Jolly

I guess we all have to accept some down times, along with our positivity. 

I did some (not all) of the promised exercise and other goodness that I said I would do last week.  I’m proud to say that I managed to do some real self-care, on my own this weekend.  Self-care looked like this:

• cleaning up my room (or started by putting clothes away and doing laundry)
• walking my dog
• shopping (got a new ski helmet that I think is pretty nice!)
• yoga
• climbing at the indoor gym
• running (I don’t run, but I’m trying to get in shape)
• connecting with some friends I haven’t talked to in a while
• making good nutritious meals at home (instead of eating out all the time)
• going to my favourite coffee shop (and drinking rooibos americanos instead of coffee)
• staying in bed after I woke up, for an extra hour to read my book
• getting a lot of sleep
• breakfast at the elbow room with a friend

(wow, that seems like a busy weekend, but it was really quite relaxed!)

On Sunday morning, I was amazed to wake up to find myself: Happy!  I don’t know what happened, really, but I haven’t woken up full of sunshine and cheer in a long time.  It’s a little harder to keep that perspective today, as my neck is killing me and a headache seems to be inching slowly up my left shoulder and into my brain, but I seem to have managed to gain a little more perspective and a little more positivity.  So that is good news to share!

I’m focused a lot on managing stress and taking care of myself this week.  We’ll see how things go.

My Best Thing Today:  Waking up well rested this morning to do some yoga in the living room before getting ready for work.

I started talking about this last week, and I’m at the same place today. Maybe it’s the way I’m seeing the world, the way I’m feeling, or maybe it really is true: everyone seems really tired and down right now. 

Is there something in the water?  Is it the slowly changing weather?  Is it turkey hangover?  It was like this last week too, and I can’t really figure out why.

I don’t know the reason, but I can’t tolerate it any longer.  I’m trying so hard to pull myself (and whomever else I can manage) out of this slump, but the small things that usually work aren’t working.  Although it did feel good to win that computer game that I shared last week… I’m finding that the overall general setting on my mood meter these days is: “down”.  That’s different because normal for me usually feels pretty ok.

I’m even having problems coming up with My BT today!

So something has to change.  Right now.  And so here’s my dedication:

1. Yoga.  I’m doing some tonight if it kills me.  And doing it on Thursday night too.

2. Climbing.  I know it’s supposed to rain.  So I’m going climbing indoors either tomorrow or friday night.

3.  Dealing with an issue with a friend that’s been making very sad. I will get some closure either tomorrow or Friday night.

4. I’m going to make dinner for my friend on Thursday.  And I do my best to focus on big positive things, like dreams and wishes and funny stories and all things wonderful. And we’ll make healthy food to help our mood.

5. I’m having my first appointment with my psychologist tomorrow.  (I just dare you to judge me.  Did you know that UBC has great benefits that cover most of a visit?  So, honestly, I might just think you’re crazy if you’re NOT seeing someone!).

6. I’m going to write. I’ve started taking a freelance writing course (thanks to my UBC benefits! I love UBC!) and it makes me inspired to write (and hopefully publish).

So I challenge all of you who are reading this, who are feeling down or lethargic.  Can you do something to get our of your funk?  It’s really hard to drag myself to even commit to writing this post, but I have to do it. As the Chinese proverb says:  “You cannot prevent the birds of sadness from passing over your head, but you can prevent their making a nest in your hair.” (I’d argue against this if this proverb was talking about those with depression and other mental illness though!)

First things (if you’re feeling a little like me) that I’d recommend:

Checking that it’s not something more serious: http://www.cmha.ca/bins/meter_page.asp?cid=2-267-1304&lang=1

Talking to your doc about your health, in case there’s something else that’s making you feel tired/down.

Anyways, best of luck to you all.  May happiness and laughter rain down upon you.

My Best Thing Today: Writing this makes me feel like I’m going to feel better soon.  Hope is a great thing.

What is happening to this world right now!?

I’ve been feeling pretty negative lately, for reasons a-plenty.  It’s not like me though- I’m usually described as upbeat and positive.  When I do a brief scan of my colleagues’  blog entries (no offense friends!) and a general census of people at meetings, events etc, I get a sense that everyone’s really down lately.  If there had been weeks of rain, I would kind of understand it… but we’ve had some nice sunny days recently.  So what is going on!?

I know I feel like I’m running on empty this week. I’m scraping the bottom of the barrel, honestly.  And I can list off some really really good reasons why, and I even have a killer headache (my first in a few months) right now. 

********************

Ok, I had just written the last few paragraphs, when I heard my colleagues Jolene and Steph talking in the hall.  So I popped my head out to say hello.  And they said, “come here and see this!”  And it turns out that our other colleague, brought in some jelly gummy spiders for us to enjoy. And someone put a sticky note on the jar that said “Are your hands clean?” [and there’s a hand sanitizer right in front of the jar].  So we all laugh together about this…and then Steph shows me her “Boys are Stupid” pen, and we laugh about this with another colleague…

The point is: while it may seem like we wasted five or ten minutes of our work day, it’s obvious to me that this is exactly what I needed.  My headache feels a little less overwhelming, my back is a little less aching, and I am SO GRATEFUL to work in a place that’s filled with people who want to connect with each other, laugh a little, and look out for one another.

And you know what? That’s also why I do my job: because I want more people to find the reinvigorating feeling of working in a place that’s about comraderie, respect and support.  Because that’s how I’m really going to be able to stay healthy.

Here’s some links for you and your amusement:

http://www.cartoondollemporium.com/games_girls.html?id=909

(sorry guys, but it’s funny!)

http://www.toothpastefordinner.com

(my favourite online comic strip- may be offensive to some- my apologies, but some of it’s hilarious!)

My Best Thing Today: Taking in that a program that I ran yesterday (Stand Up for Mental Health) touched the lives of about 300 people.  And taking time off this morning, since I worked so late at the evening show last night! [And now, those really yummy gummy spider moments shared with my colleagues!]

Last week I was fortunate enough to get to blog about my experience doing yoga at the UBC Rec Centre.  Because of that, UBC Bodyworks invited me to come try out a yoga class at their facility.

This class was an iyengar class, which is not something I’m used to.  I was really pleased at how small the class size was, because Terri (the instructor) took the time to position each one of us practically on every yoga position.  That type of one-on-one care hasn’t been something I’ve gotten a lot of in my other yoga experiences, but I guess that’s more typical with Iyengar style (but I’m not sure about that!).  Also, we used a lot of props and belts and such (also typical of iyengar), which made things a little more interesting.  Although the class was held in Osbourne gym, I was impressed at how quiet it was there.  I also have to admit that it was a really great group of people- we chuckled a little when we couldn’t hold a pose, and it was nice to be doing this program with other faculty/staff (BodyWorks focuses on adults who work or live at UBC).  Honestly though, I still really like having yoga in a yoga studi0- where it seems less like a workout and more inclusive of peace and restfulness, since it’s a bit more stress-relieving for me- but it was nice to also work my body (which can also be a form of stress relief!).  It’s just about priorities right now- if I didn’t already work my body with climbing, I think I would use yoga like this more as a toning program.   Instead, I’ve discovered that the yoga I need has to be movement and peacefulness all wrapped up into one.

Terri should be proud though today- I showed off one of the poses to a colleague and I could barely display it for a moment, since I’m so sore! (we started doing it first, leaning up against the wall).

Thanks very much to Brian at BodyWorks for letting me join in and for Terri for being so welcoming!

Suzanne’s Sneaky Ways to Increase Water Consumption

• Sneak it into juice (half juice, half water- I do no sugar added juice, I might add, because it’s got lots of flavour!).
• Carry around a water bottle (thanks to UBC Public Affairs for my new A Place of Mind bottle that I got at the Staff & Faculty Welcome Back BBQ).
• Water is my panacea.  Don’t feel well? Then I must be dehydrated! I don’t have much energy? I better drink more water! Want to change the world today? I drink more (tap) water.
• Stop wasting my money buying drinks that don’t hydrate me (I save money by not buying as much juice, as many coffees, etc).
• Always order a water with my meal (along with something else if I want to drink something else too) and have it replenished at least once during the meal.

(P.S. In terms of my Battle against Coffee- I had a coffee on Monday [and was surprised that no one gave me a hard time about it when I arrived with it in hand at the Place of Mind information session!])

 P.S.S. Feel better Jolene!

My Best Thing Today: Finishing Work right now (at 4:45!) after running full-tilt all day [and feeling scatter-brained].