New back pat list of what we managed to do today however small

[notagiraffe]

Used to have a thread like this and it died out.
This is for people struggling, either because of depression or AD side effects, to be very productive. Let's pat ourselves on the back for what we did manage to do, not what we didn't.

Today I worked at a food bank for two hours. Very busy.
Planned a lesson.
Will teach for two hours this evening.
Cooked healthy tea for family.
Tidied kitchen and put a wash on.

That's it really. Intended to go into town to run errands this afternoon but was too tired. Not a lot but not quite nothing either...

Anyone else?

Merry - sounds like you might have overdone it yesterday. Don't forget to reward yourself with some downtime.

Unicorn sorry about your dog

Agnu belated thanks for the vit d reminder. I was taking it but had run out - have just got some more, plus chromium and omega oils, which are supposed to be good for mood. Now need to add 'take vitamins' to daily list!

Giraffe - you have been busy! Would love it if you would share the spreadsheets.

Sorry if I missed some people - on the app and can't scroll back, very annoyingly!

Today I went to therapy
Bought and posted Father's Day card
Did big grocery shop
Made dinner (unusually DH is here this week so am making more effort to plan and cook 'proper' food. Next week I'll be back to scrambled eggs and pasta and pesto!)
Did eye drops twice

Skipped lunch as I was out and was very grumpy as a result. Need to work on that!

notagiraffe

You are really encouraging. I bet your kids really benefit from that.

I haven't been to hairdresser since, hmmmm I can't remember actually. Around Jan I think. Never tried Vit D spray. I will get that, Thanks. And try to eat more fruit n veg and less processed sugar.

Oh and I wanted to add how helpful it is to be accountable to some people for what I do! So thank you all!

Oh this is just what I need!

Today I have showered -and got dressed for the first time this week.

I've stripped my bed and put the sheets in the wash and hung out the load of washing DH put in early this morning.

My youngest is dressed and has had a proper breakfast (or not a brioche or a handful of dry cereal which he usually demands and I give in to).

I've even got my PIP form out of the envelope and looked at it.

That's probably it for the day though now.

Here is a list of ways to increase dopamine. Some of them are already on your list, giraffe www.wikihow.com/Increase-Dopamine

Busy morning, went to work to print off last 3 months time sheets, then back home to pick kids up as ex-DP could only watch them for an hour this morning and my work is no place for kids, then back to town
Into the bank to get 3 months of statements and then to the town hall to drop them off
Dirty macdonalds lunch (for the kids, I had a diet coke after my cake binge last night) and a lego blind bag for ds1 for being good

Feel like the battery is flat now though, just want to sleep/watch oitnb in bed but still got 4 hours of kid entertaining to do and dinner/bath/bed

Bought an exercise bike in the hope that regular exercise would give me a 'lift' but don't have the energy to put it together, sure there's an irony in that

Sounds like a productive day earthquakes!

Sorry Holy but LOL at buying an exercise bike and not having the energy to build it. I can relate to that!

Welcome Earthquakes Massive back pat for getting showered and dressed - it definitely makes me feel better about myself when I do, even if it doesn't increase the energy. Seems you got busy.

Off now to look at Merry's dopamine list. Thanks for posting it, Merry.

Wow, Holy that's BUSY. If you can do all that, maybe dh can have the kids tomorrow whilst you build it. It would be so satisfying to build it, I'd love to do that.

Well done for dopamine research on other thread, Giraffe. That's v interesting.

Earthquakes, that sounds challenging that you have something bad enough for PIP. You've done amazingly well today.

Today I:

• Folded 4 loads of washing (not all put away yet)
• Did a little crochet
• Cooked a medium healthy lunch
• Slept for 2 hours in middle of day (out last night, out tonight, so it's got a good side to it)
• Helped Dd start tidying room (I do have cleaning ADHD, so not finished)
• DRANK 2 glasses of water during the day (in addition to the water I drink when eating). That was my nod to healthiness. I did forget to take me AD though. I do that too often.

4 wash loads and some crochet - sounds productive!

I went into London and met work friends for a semi work/semi social coffee meeting for three hours. Shattered when I got in. Done nothing else.
Showered
Drank 7 glasses water so far today
sorted out one wash load
researched dopamine

Haven't even cooked - DH did that. But did stick to day 2 of no refined carbs or sugar.

On the link Merry gave about dopamine, it said doing new things increases dopamine levels. I'm genuinely trying to make a list and can't think of anything. I did this a few years ago and it was fun. Ended up making nettle soup (surprisingly delicious) and wild garlic pasta and walking down all the streets in our village I'd never investigated before. But now I can't even think of any easy new things to do. Any one got any inspiration?

Trying one new recipe a week could be fun, with an ingredient you've never used before, be it a spice or a dandelion leaf, or quinoa (never cooked with it!), or rhubarb in something savoury.

Reading a magazine or paper you've never read eg. New Scientist, satirical papers

Get an old chair recovered so choose the fabric etc.

Learn how to arrange flowers (YouTube is great for tutorials. Morrisons is good for flowers).

Start bell ringing!

Get your family to pick a vegetable they love and then figure out a new way to cook it (look it up as an ingredient on bbc good food).

Make Bircher Muesli for breakfast.

Ask a friend who is into music to recommend a few bands/ musicians you've never heard of. If you're not into classical music, listen to Classic FM.

Paint your ceiling something other than white (I am planning on doing mine neon yellow and taking it down the chimney breast)

I appealed my council tax and had to do all sorts of research for it/ go to a tribunal. That was fun and v interesting!

That's a good list Merry. Not sure I have the energy to paint ceilings and reupholster chairs yet but maybe soon. (Not sure I'd ever have the energy to appeal council tax. ) Love the idea of reading a different magazine, like New Scientist.

By coincidence, I made bircher muesli for breakfast yesterday and today. It's delicious.
And I listened on You Tube to a new band I'd heard about but never heard who I thought I might like.

Feeling a bit brighter today. Been off refined carbs and sugar for two days and I think it makes a difference.

New things to try? What about...

Paint your nails
Make up a face pack (can usually find stuff in your kitchen to use)
Make a playlist of all your favourite songs, spotify is good
Have a cocktail/mocktail night
Watch a classic film you've never watched
Listen to a podcast
Crochet/knit/sew
Play a board game

I'm trying to clean the kitchen, that's my aim for the day - I've put a load of washing out to try and a new load in the machine, put the rubbish out and a new bin bag in
Need to wash up now but need a sit down for 5 minutes- not that it's relaxing, every time I sit down, ds2 wants to climb all over me, been elbowed in the boobs so much already today, I'm surprised they're not coming out of my back...

Holy at your back boobs.

Been for walk with DS for about 40 mins
Been grocery shopping
2 wash loads - 1 dried and folded
Bought tyrosine at local chemist for £££ to avoid schlepping into town to get it from Holland and Barrett for a fiver. It had better work.

This afternoon: making steak and kidney pies for DH and DF for Father's Day. Will get DS to help.
Having a family film night tonight - DH got a comedy and is making pizza for DC and roast veg for me.

evening all
earthquake how you doing today? Sounds like you took some big steps yesterday, well done
holy merry some great ideas of new things to try
giraffe sounds like a lot of achievements today. family movie night sounds fun, enjoy!

I have actually been slightly more productive today - weekends I normally really struggle.
I have :
Sorted and folded 2 baskets of washing
done another load of washing
cleaned main bathroom
popped to shops for more hayfever tablets and nice things for brekkie for dh for father's day
remembered to take the pork out of the freezer for tomorrow dinner
cut some of the rain battered foxgloves in garden and put in vase in lounge!
and most importantly I have played LOTS with ds 2 and made a real effort to keep him engaged to stop him spending so much time on xbox/tablet.(which I am embarrassed to say is sometimes just the easy option when I want to hide away and avoid the world)Today we have played lots of baord games, done lots of lego buidling , done some drawing and colouring and been for a nice dog walk/bike ride. yay!

I am done now for today and am counting down till bedtime (will be about 8.30 with ds2 I think today!!)

Tomorrow I need to:
Make nice brekkie for dh in bed
finish drying/sorting/washing
wash mine and dh clothes
put away ds2 clothes and make sure uniform is sorted
clean downstairs toilet
make apple and rhubarb crumble for pudding
cook roast pork dinner

I REALLY need to dye my hair...but not sure I will manage it tomorrow...we will see.

wow unicorn you did incredibly well today. Tomorrow sounds busy too.

Tomorrow I need to:
Wash school uniform
make DH a nice breakfast for Father's Day
Get DC to write his cards and wrap some presents for him
go into London to visit my own DF and DM
make lunch for them. Clear up lunch.
Help dad in his garden for an hour or two
Come home to make dinner for DH and DC
Help DC with their medical stuff.

I know this will be tiring so quiet day on Monday. Luckily I have almost no work on at the moment as all my contracts ended at once.

morning all

giraffe your day does sound busy. hope it goes ok

I'm feeling rubbish today but will just chip away at my list

I have so far put on a load of washing and made dh breakfast in bed.
had a shower and got dressed
fighting the urge to hide in bed all day...

giraffe, I didn't mean paint your ceiling or reupholster yourself. Pay someone. (Not that I would for the ceiling as dh would say we can do it, but maybe you have a less stingy husband!). Got chairs reupholstered recently and it was great. I'm more motivated to sort curtains out, I just hope I do now.

I slept badly last night as dh was snoring, and we had guests so I slept on sofa. I sorted card for dh, and made breakfast (ie. warmed up pastries in oven and cut up some fruit!), and have taken the kids swimming (which dh normally does) as it was Father's Day. Then church, and in a minute I am driving ds2 a long way (1.5 hours each way I think) to pick up a bike we bought on ebay. Usually another job dh would do, but...Father's Day, so it is down to me. Then I need to pick up dd who has gone off with some friends for the afternoon. I think tomorrow will be zzzzz day.

Doing nothing today, partly due to finance and partly due to being tired, was on nights last night
Biggest things to do today are sorting out uniform for tomorrow and cook tacos for dinner
Need to have a few 'good' diet days, fallen off the wagon horrendously this week and have eaten all manner of cake and chocolate

Holy - I've fallen off the diet wagon this weekend - but find while you're very low or demotivated it's easier to focus on adding very healthy stuff to your diet (loads of water and fresh veg) that to calorie count which takes self control I just don't have. Been cutting out sugar during the week and that's helped.

Did laundry, cleaned kitchen, made breakfast for DH, went over to parents 1.5 hours away, cooked lunch for them, cleared it up, helped dad on allotment came home. Told DC to prep veg for DH's tea as it's Father's Day not Spouses's day.
Would love to go straight to bed too much wine with my dad but should sit up for dinner with DH.

evening all
how was everyone's day today?
I have not felt great today I suspect I may have a virus(or it may just be my horrible hayfever) BUt I have managed:
got dc to school and went to work for morning
came home and slept (oops!)
collected dc and popped to shops for potatoes and thank you cards for dd1 teachers
took 2 paracetamol which helped me feel better!then manged to:
put on load of washing
answered email to my Dad
dyed hair (just roots but still!) and plucked eyeborws and had a shower. I am very impressed by this as these sort of things often seem unmanageable!
planning a very early night...fingers crossed I feel a bit better tomorrow

I'll cross my fingers for you too unicorn! Still think that's a decent list, even without a bug

I've had enough today, going back to the gp tomorrow, so bloody fat and tired all the time, want to see if something other than citalopram is any better

Hi Holy and Unicorn - hope you feel better soon. That's an impressive list for someone who's under the weather. I looked at my eyebrows yesterday and again today and CBA. But you've inspired me. They need shaping. Going to do it tonight before bed.

Holy - have you tried tyrosine? (Was it you who linked about dopamine on the other thread? That was so useful.) I've been taking it for three days and it does seem to be helping. Just a tiny bit more clear headed and a very tiny bit more motivated and self disciplined. Usually there's no off switch when I reach for the carbs/sugar/second helpings. It's not been hard to choose something healthy instead.
Also are you drinking loads of water? So far that seems to have the best effect on my energy. Hoping that and tyrosine will drag me out of the sluggishness.

Today:
showered
went into London to look round a museum and had a healthy salad lunch with a friend
went for a walk up the hill with DS
cleared up after dinner
put on a wash load
helped DS1 with his post op care
wrote in journal.

So didn't exactly do anything productive in terms of work or getting on top of the house today, and have been in bed, playing games on the net but did shower, dress, get out, speak to a friend and best of all, went for walk after dinner instead of slobbing on internet, and have gone back to no sugar, snacks or alcohol, though did have veggie pasta tonight as DH was cooking. So that's something, I suppose.

afternoon all
giraffe meeting friends and going for walk both sound really good things to do, well done.

I have managed not too badly today. Feeling slightly better than yesterday, although still struggling with hideous hayfever!
I have also taken 2 doses of L-tyrosinse (purchased from local chemist in the end)did feel a bit brighter this morning after first dose.

so today so far I have:
Straightened hair and put on smidge of foundation!
put dinner in slow cooker(pulled pork) and prepped potato wedges
got dc to school
coped with very busy day at work
emergency dash back to school for dd's forgotten lunch box!
one load of washing done
collected dc form school
had a shower
finished off tea

now to have tea, then need to put out washing load to dry, and put on another load.
fairly shattered now though...I feel a 9pm bedtime coming on.

Didn't end up going to the doctors today as I forgot the shopping was coming and God forbid I try and do two things in a morning anymore 😒
Going to try for tomorrow

oh dear Holy at least you got your shopping. Good luck with Dr tomorrow.