The positive mental health thread part 6

[Bunnyflop]

Morning all! Welcome to the new thread!

@Pinkarsedfly I have pm’d you.

Ah! Scrolling down = see Henry = big smile over my silly old face

@tobee

I've decided to scrap my usual list of things to do as it is making me feel like I'm not getting anything done. Instead it will be a low maintenance tick-list each day along the lines of:

1. Some form of exercise
2. Some form of relaxation (Bath/yoga/10 minute meditation)
3. Have a laugh
4. Prepare/Eat something healthy
5. Have a treat (eg chocolate, crisps, face mask, trashy telly)
6. Tell someone I love them
7. Catch up with a friend or relative I haven't heard from in a while
8. Play some music (instrument)
9. Listen to a song that makes me happy

10. One piece Of housework

I think this is achievable each day and will also be good for my wellbeing.

@Arcadia that sounds like a perfect approach. I look back at my list from week 1 and can’t believe I honestly thought half of it was achievable!

pinkarsedfly I’d love to take you up on your offer if that’s ok! I have some herbs growing but that’s it at the moment. We have space and I’d really like to have a go at growing some veggies.

Great list arcadia , I have very much relaxed my approach too!

Hi Arcadia that is such a good list - I've been trying in my head to do a sort of list but not very successfully. I do feel better if I play an instrument even for a short time, it's a great stress reliever even if I miss the people I usually play with.

I'm finding the balance between self-discipline and relaxation/self-indulgence a tough one.

@arcadia it’s not self indulgent if it helps you. If it’s not to the detriment of anyone around you then ‘indulge’ away! I set aside half an hour every morning while ds is on the PS4 to meditate and diary. And in the evening I have a quick hot bath before bed and listen to more meditations. That is the bare minimum for me!

Drove to a local beautiful park today with ds, went for a long walk around (even made myself walk up and down a hill a few times) and then we laid down for ten mins and enjoyed the blue sky and the breeze. Pic of glorious wisteria there attached!

Gorgeous wisteria! And what a great list Arcadia

I wanted to share this article a friend just posted on FB. It shows that if we can all wear masks we can significantly stop the spread of the disease. I hope this will be shared widely. It has given ne fresh hope.
www.fast.ai/2020/04/13/masks-summary/?fbclid=IwAR1j4IxR0-LIHv9e3OfPqWfh__LH4yPcTLz9CfrhvxEGiEpuUEytRAlXCfw

I had an ok day. A bit of a flare up of fear but I've been keeping busy. The days are all blurring into one. I am so ready for this to be over.

I had a phone appt with my psychiatrist today, increasing my antipsychotics to try to help with things. I also got dressed today!

That's interesting about masks...

Following on from wishing for garden centres... I don’t go in B&Q very often so not sure if they have much gardening stuff but still positive I think that stores are reopening: www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.mirror.co.uk/money/bq-reopen-61-stores-social-21910159.amp

(I actually got quite excited when I read that and started to imagine going for a little walk up and down the aisles just for something different to do )

I like your list too Arcadia. I don’t have a list as such but I’ve worked out over time things I need to do every day for my sanity/avoiding total household doom:

• get the dishes done every evening (everything else is a bit more haphazard!)
• do something mindless and relaxing (tv/computer game etc) in the evening
• choose one easy-ish thing from to-do list and get it done (pay invoice/ reply to email etc) - if I get nothing at all done panic sets in, but if I aim too high I get overwhelmed and stall
• read before bedtime - books not phone!
• get outside!

@UpOnDown keep on keeping on, you can do this. I had a spell for a while on antipsychotics. Hope they help you with the increased dose.

That’s great about B and Q. Just a shame our branch isn’t one of the ones reopening. Gahhhh!

Yes @Callybrid one smallish admin job per day I agree (like today I put in an order with our local bakery)

Seeds posted! Good luck all you growers and I hope they make you smile

So far so good. Ceiling and walls done, white ceiling. Soft Pale grey on 3 walls. The last wall is having a fab wallpaper with colourful birds from John Lewis and I've also got the matching blind.

Had a nice bath to get rid of paint splats and should be doing second coat on wall tomorrow 😊

The masks thing can be summed up very simply indeed, as was done by the man (I think he was called Jeremy Howard?) in the youtube video posted many pages back:

"My mask protects you, your mask protects me."

OK, my mask also protects me from about 35% of the germs being spread by anyone else, but that isn't primarily what they are for.

@whenwillthemadnessend that sounds gorgeous! I’d love to do a grey room (we have a lot of cream and taupe and grey furniture, but no grey walls yet). Maybe I’ll try and get hold of some grey paint and do our utility room up!

@Pinkarsedfly so grateful!

I feel like shite tonight! I am scared of having to go for a year hardly seeing other humans. I know that's not realistic and it's just fear but this day in day out not seeing anyone bar my parents for short stretches is extremely tough. Any positivity anyone can offer me would be a good thing. The masks link I posted was so positive so I don't know why the government aren't being more positive. They seem to have such an impact on spread.

Bunnyflop I can highly recommend Polished Pebble by Dulux. It's lovely and light.

Noooble. I feel fed up tonight too. I can deal with most of it but the thought of a year is just too much.

However I can't see how that can realistically happen economically so we are going to have to go out eventually and I think we will all end up wearing masks. Germany now making it compulsory too.

We used crown spotlight. It has a lovely lace lilac tinge.

I agree. I think what Whitty was trying to do was prepare people for the fact restrictions will last in some form but everyone is interpreting his speech as being about lockdown continuining endlessly. And it can't for economic reasons and just people won't comply. We're social creatures.

I have been thinking....i can cope with restrictions. If I can have a few things like getting to see my best friend and trips to the beach (40 mins away) and the occasional day at work (even if most of it I do from home) then I can survive this. I have lots of lovely things waiting for me on the other side of all this. I just have to get through it.

That Whitty news really got me down yesterday evening as well @Noooblerooble but I don't think he meant full lockdown for that long just some adjustments to our lifestyle. As others say people just wouldn't do it.

I feel okay - positive - again today.

@whenwillthemadnessend Can you send us a pic or link to your wallpaper/blind? Sounds gorgeous!