Mental Health Reflection: Fear of the Path

Fear of the Path: Click Here to Learn More!!

#WHY MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS

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OCTOBER 10, 2018 MENTAL HEALTH DAY

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Creating a New Path: The Power of Truth...The Beginning.....

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Breaking the Loop Teaser: Stay Tuned for Upcoming Content!

I have high functioning Bipolar depression. It may appear as someone who does not need treatment or successful treatment, but this is far from the case. It took me decades to understand what it was and why other women who have mental health challenges and are high functioning are oftentimes surviving but not truly thriving.

HOW TO CREATE A MENTAL HEALTH TOOL KIT

VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE NORCROSS COOPERATIVE MINISTRY

4 Reasons To Volunteer At A Cooperative

Open In Case of Emergency- My Mental Health Toolkit

As someone who has been challenged for decades by bipolar depression, I have developed through trial and error my mental health tool kit. These are strategies that I employ when I feel my mental health out of balance. As a disclaimer, these tools are not meant to help me achieve complete balance (trust me I don’t have that even on my perfect days!) but they help to slow the decline of my emotions, thereby avoiding or lessening the effects of my bipolar depressive symptoms.

My Emergency Toolkit (In no particular order)

1. I freeze. Whatever I’m doing or feeling I just stop and pause, literally. I will go so far take any and everything out of my hands, stop walking and just stand still.

2. Meditation. I never liked meditation or being more aware of my breath, until I learned that I don’t have to do it 1 hour a day. I don’t even have to be perfect, I just do it. This has by far been my most preemptive and in crisis toolkit item.

3. Calling Out. I have been very blessed to have a great support system. When I am challenged I reach out to my loved ones. They know not to give advice during these moments, instead it is used to provide encouragement.

4. Hibernate. If I am overloaded by the world, I use my bed as my little island away from the outside.

5. Movement. Natural light and the outdoors not only give my brain time to refocus on something other than my racing thoughts (the smells, sights and sounds) but I attempt to walk or stand next to a part of nature. I have always been a lover of dance and so if I can fit it in, I take a dance class.

I encourage you to use this checklist as catalyst to develop your own self care emergency routine. Even if you are not challenged by mental health, there are many times to use this when you want to realign your energy. Please see my future posts in this series to help you think through how to create a custom tool kit of your very own.

Furkids for the Soul Part 2: Volunteer

Recycling For Beginners

I would call myself a beginner in the land of recycling but I have quickly moved up the ladder. Sharing some of my journey with you, I hope will give you some of the tools to start your own journey or inspire you to continue.

The World Outside

Watching birds next to the solar lights

 As I stare at the page and then out in my garden, nothing comes out. But I do see nature all around me. Trees, rain drops falling off the leaves after an evening storm, flowers bright with some color and vibrant green leaves dropping down from the weight of heavy rains. The sound of birds echo in the air, some flying down and then quickly expanding their wings to take flight.



Today I had plans to write about one topic, but as I sit here surrounded by a world in which I only play a small part, I am reminded that I spend so much time racing through the day, I don’t or in some cases am not willing to take the time to stop, look and listen.












It is in this stillness that I find inner power and creativity. It is also in this stillness that I am faced with my fears. The moment feels like a blank slate. Finding that time to be still continues to be a challenge for me. Even to stop walking and just stand there, my urge is to continuously move forward. To think of the next thing, and the next and the next.

I am just a small piece of the puzzle of life going on all around me. It envelops me and holds me close, it become a bubble. The thunder just sounded and that means more rain to come. The sky is slowly shifting blues. I must now return to my daily to day schedule of work, family and activities. I want to sit here and watch the world go on all around me. This is the place I feel connected. Empowerment is connection. Connection to your being, and then to the world around you.

My outside work space

One Change

“Sometimes the best person to learn from is the person who struggled to do it at all.”

Mariette Lynn Clardy Torres

I’m imperfect when it comes to making a difference in the environment, but I’m learning. I have seen those with rows and rows of recycling bins, stacked in color with items bulging out. I have also seen others with perfectly manicured blogs on “reduce, reuse, recycle” initiatives. Sure, I tried to use the bins at the airport in the past and read articles on those who actively participated in those challenges but I was never the “sustainability advocate.” Then I realized how much I loved nature. I love touching tree leaves that have fallen on the ground and the feeling of the tree bark between my fingers. I am entranced by the sound and the feeling of water surrounding and enveloping me. With as much as I love the outdoors I became aware of how I was contributing, or in my case, not contributing to sustaining the parts of nature that I loved.

So now I have become an “advocate in training” as it were. I have learned through trial and error. I find it helpful to share experiences of what I have learned to help increase efforts in sustainability. It doesn’t come natural to me but having awareness of what materials I am using has gone a long way. I worked one step at a time to build habits that worked for me. Some of the lessons I have learned to start small are listed below.

Find out if you home or office has recycling bins. I was personally more likely to use them when I visually saw a bin.
If you don’t have one, then find out how you can at least set one up in your home. Then if possible advocate for one at work. You can call the waste management website you use for garbage disposal and get all of the information you need.
Once you have the recycling bins, you can start small and work on just recycling one material that is on the approved list of recyclables. You can find that list on the Waste management website or if you have one at work find out what is allowed.
Now that you have your target material, become aware of when you use it and how you use it.
Make sure you dispose of this material properly. For example, make sure you clean out your plastics of any food or liquid before disposal.
Once you have developed a habit for one material, then move on to another.
Finally, I have to put this in, plastic bags are NOT RECYCLABLE. Yes, I know! But they clog up the machines that are used to sort the material. So be mindful of what is and isn’t allowed.

If you have any great recycling tips or stories please be sure to share! Stay tuned for my continued journey!

Purkids for the Soul

Sitting in the middle of the floor in the Purkids room I get the pleasure of observing and absorbing their little world. Sitting in silence they calmly walk over me, on me and around me. My breathing slows, my mind slows, my need to accomplish the next to do dissipates. Being a part of their little community, even for a short time, I am always in wonder. I learn something new with every visit and I notice little changes in myself.

Whether you are a dog, cat, fish, bunny or just general lover of animals understanding what caring for animals can do for your overall health cannot be underestimated. From lowering your stress level, to decreasing your chance at heart issues pets can play an important role in the overall health and wellness of a human body and spirit.

If you read my last post you have learned that I have been a lover of animals (cats specifically but honestly all animals) since I was a child. Recently my cat passed and I have chosen to give back by volunteering at a pet shelter.
 It is a gratifying for my soul as it is for my physical health.

So if you are ready to improve your health and the live of another animal, I welcome you to check out the purkids site for further information on volunteering, foster or adoption opportunities.

Some of the many health benefits of animals

Decreases Stress. ...

Lowers Blood Pressure. ...

Eases Pain. ...

Lowers Cholesterol.

Improves Mood. ...

Helps People Socialize. ...

Prevents Strokes. ...

Monitors Blood Sugar Levels for Diabetics.

FURKIDS- MY SELF CARE TEAM

ZANE ON THE LEFT AND PAGET ON THE RIGHT LOOKING OUT INTO THE WORLD

Sitting by the window with Zane and Paget. I stroke their fur as I put my head in between the cat tree to see the world outside. Birds are fetching their next meal at the feeder. The both watch with keen interest. My heart rate slows as I gently have my hand on the nape of their necks. We both sit in silence for what seems like eternity. Although I am here to help save them, they is really the one saving me.


Pets have the power to heal. I knew that at a young age. My earliest childhood memories involve sitting under the dining room table speaking to our house cat Sugar. To be honest, she was my mothers cat but as my sisters and I came into the world she allowed us to share my mom. I would spend nights sitting under the table rubbing her forehead while I spoke in soft tones. I would tell her about my day and talk to her about hers.

When she passed, we continued to have family cats. Each one was equally special. I was fortune in my lifetime to have my own cat in my late twenties. I searched far and wide for a purebred korat cat. Life however gave me just what I needed, Gizmo Jullian aka Gizzy. Everyone who came in contact with him thought he acted more like a dog than a cat. For me he was just Gizzy. He would be there to listen when I had a bad day. When my depression took a life of its own he would sit in bed with me while I cried myself to sleep. He would allow me to dance with him around the house during my happy times. Gizmo was pivotal in my self care. He would remind me that I could not just give up, he needed me.

Losing him after 10 years was one of the most devastating experiences during that time. However after some time I found Furkids and found a way to give back to animals who have given so much to me throughout the years. Volunteering with Furkids, specifically Purkids cats has been not only helpful to my overall health by lowering my stress levels it also helps me to learn how to give of myself to cats who only need love and safety.

Purkids specifically are cats that may not have had a chance to fully socialize with humans or experienced some type of trauma. Purkids volunteers work with specific cats, and through these interactions help these cats to become more comfortable around humans, thus making it easier for them to be adopted.

MY PURKID PAGET

I work with two wonderful cats, Zane and Paget. They have taught me lessons in love and that love doesn’t always come from animals that are cuddly and friendly. The special moments that I have and breakthroughs give me more joy each week. From my initial visit with hissing, paws ready to strike and just walking away from me all together, to full body rub downs, baby food grabbing with paws, and play time. Working with these cats has not only opened my heart to them but also to others.


If you are interested in volunteering with Furkids in any capacity (dog or cat volunteers), please see the link above. Trust me, you won’t regret it.

HOW I WANT TO GIVE BACK

I was recently listening to a great podcast on finding what you love and the number one question that was most important was who do I want to serve. I pondered over that question for a few months as I did not know what particular group I wanted to help. One day I realized that there is not just one group, I am a combination of perspectives and therefore I want to serve those parts of my past that made me who I am today.

I am a lover of music, well specifically anything minor, moving or sad. I was introduced to music at such a young age, it is entrenched in my DNA, from the music I sing to the movement through dance. So providing my experiences in music to a community who needs it, that is how I want to give back.

I struggle with self care. Specifically I find it challenging to focus on taking care of myself. I am learning to listen to my body more. My journey with bipolar depression has put me on a personal
journey to discover better ways to create a self care routine. I understand what happens when you don’t prioritize self care. I want to walk the journey of self care with others who may not be as far along as I am. That is how I want to give back.

I remember walking through my grandmother's garden, and in the back of the garden was a large compost pile. Every day that I visited her, I would watch her deposit food scraps into a white pail in the kitchen. We would then take the pail out to the compost. At the time the importance of giving back to the earth was natural. Now I am learning more and more about creating sustainability within my own home. Providing what I have learned to help those learn to build a better world is how I want to give back.

My path in life was made a little easier through access to education,
opportunities to see culture outside of my community and working with people who supported and guided me despite the worlds challenges. I want to help someone else to build their own path. That's how I want to give back.

Giving back to others using my talents, skills, passions and knowledge helps me to find what I love.

Sustainability: The Little Things

Garbage, garbage, garbage garbage, garbage everywhere. There’s garbage on the streets and garbage in your hair. Garbage, garbage, garbage garbage, now what shall we do? Just throw it away, throw it away, throw it away...and have a nice day!

I have faint memories of my elementary school days, but I distinctly remember being in a musical on the environment. In this musical, I was one of the townspeople singing those lyrics. I don’t remember the rest of the song or even what the musical was, but those lyrics and the melody have latched on to my memory decades after the play ended.

I remember being fascinated about how trees take bad air and make it healthy air. The memory of the images of trees swallowing up dense fog implanted in my mind.

As a child I always loved nature and learning how nature can help make the environment better, long before I understood what sustainability was. As the years went by however, the importance remained in my mind, but my day to day habits were a reflection of the townsperson I played in my elementary school musical.

I never set a true intention, creating sustainability actions within my day to day was a passing forethought. If the resources and tools were available then I would use them, if not then I did not seek them out or create them.

My love of nature and aesthetics that I had as a child has reemerged. As a child, I used to watch bees and birds, insects and animals as they went about their day. I took great care to just observe how they interacted with the environment. I would walk around my grandmother's garden and soak up knowledge that I never learned in school.

Now many years later, with the intent of being aware of how I use the products of my environment, I have started to make consistent changes that help both nature but also focus on sustainability of the environment as a whole.

Like starting a diet, it began with awareness of what I was currently doing and why I was doing it. Once I became more aware, I found little things that I could begin to do to further my goals. I continue to learn and find new methods to create change in protecting the environment.

My road to the little things...
Learning to compost
Using my recycling bin
Creating a separate space in the kitchen/home for recycling
Being conscious about the vehicle I drive
Modifying my energy use
Gardening

I challenge you to look at your surroundings and think of the little things that you do to make a change to the world. If none come to mind, I welcome you to follow me through my journey, to hopefully inspire you to create your own list of “little things.”

Self Care Stepping Stones- Yoga Pt1

Getting ready for class at OM Beats Yoga Studio in Miami FL.

As I sat in the doctor's office listening to a well meaning specialist finally tell me more about the pain I had been putting off for months, all I could think about was jumping into a treatment. My first question, “Can I start doing yoga to help with this?” was met with his flat response, “is it helping you now?”

I look back on that moment and at the time I had not been doing any type of exercise for over a year and a half so I couldn’t really respond. But my spidey sense wanted to shout back at him, admonishing him for not having the skills to provide information on self care. Lucky for me, I continued asking my physical therapist and then my doctor when I had my car accident and received positive recommendations for yoga. I learned from that experience that although the medical community on one hand is a wealth of knowledge and provides valuable information on my care, they are no substitute for me knowing my body and learning what works for me. Medical professionals may not be trained in all types of care, and so it was up to me to do the research I needed to help find a plan to fit my goals. Why yoga you ask? Well, I did yoga about a year and a half ago so I knew the benefits it offered, however was not sure about it from pain management. I used yoga in the past on what I would call the power side, building strength in my body. I did not use it for the gentle, do not harm aspect, however I knew that part had been available to me at any time.

Yoga may not be for everyone but I want to share some of the benefits. There are other low impact activities that are great substitutes (swimming, walking etc) so if you plan to use them, do what works for you and listen to your body. One important note, if you are taking any classes, make sure to tell your instructor all of your injuries so they can provide you with any modifications needed to prevent further injury.

MY PRO YOGA CHECKLIST

• The twists and stretches are great for my tight muscles
• It builds natural heat in the body providing an added benefit of blood flow to affected areas
• Poses build muscles around the affected helping to take pressure off the area
• The relaxation session at the end of class gives your mind and body a much needed release
• The movements help to lengthen body (i.e the spine, torso, upper and lower) taking pressure off affected areas
• The mix of both power and stillness provide me the opportunity to challenge parts of my body that are not injured and be gentle to the parts that are.
• If you can’t do a pose or movement you can always just lay on your mat...with no judgement
• I learn more about myself, my body and celebrate small victories during each session
• You don’t have to be a professional yoga instructor or advanced student to see benefits

Strong Roots

Driving down my street and looking on the internet at all the perfectly manicured gardens, I realized that emulation of perfection was not, is not who I am, nor what I want for my yard…I wanted to make something creative from my “yard reality”. So I tapped into resources from the internet and word of mouth to turn my reality into something magical…on a budget…of course. As I journey through this garden odyssey, a few helpful things that I am learning in my travels are: 1. If you can get past the perfection of Pinterest and hone in on those who make imperfection perfection, there lies a pot of gold ridden information, pictures and step by step instructions on anything you can think of trying in your yard. 2. Speaking of yard, if you can’t grow grass in your yard. DON’T TRY TO! Grow something else and fill in the rest with rocks, mulch or some other ground cover. Or better yet, build something on it if you can. I learned that my yard can’t be something its not…ok it can be if I was willing to write a large check, but seriously, that would be difficult to swallow. My yard on one side can’t grow grass…ok breathe…that’s fine…you will live…move on to Plan B.

3. A plant in the clearance section if appropriately chosen is just waiting for your loving care, in return it will bless you with a wonderful garden at a substantial savings. Case in point, the beautiful flowers that I purchased at all most next to nothing needed nothing more than simple pruning and some sunlight. Now key word is to make sure you don’t pick a dead one…dead is just dead…unless it is a perennial and then….ok lets save that for the next post.

4. Learn to ask questions, lots of them, from all gardeners and then realize that you will be told different things by different people, so it pays to verify by doing a little research of your own. I learned that as I became older I asked fewer questions. Now I realize children may be the best examples of this after all, as long as I don’t verge on annoyance, I have learned so much by just asking good questions. In some cases even off the wall questions. 5. Discount nursery’s will save you tons of cash and I have saved a lot this season using them, but they will not be your go to help desk guides, so save your pennies and go to a real nursery buy a plant or two that you love and ask them tons of questions! 6. Before planting, know how the sun moves on your property. I didn’t, and now I have a wildflower box with wildflower seeds that are slowly making their way into the world. I am waiting for the yard to get full sun so more seeds can make their glorious debut but I take joy in the small victories.

7. I am a buy and plant and then figure it out person, but now that I am working on larger sections of the yard, it really does pay off to plan your planting. Most importantly, I have learned to use my resources, the internet, friends, family, people on the street…no seriously… if you tell people you are gardening, perfect strangers off the street really do want to give you their opinions. Gardening for me has been a lesson in pivoting. The ability to take a plant, put care and work into it and watch it completely just die over a matter of weeks (ok days!). Learning how to diagnose when I can and fix the problem or when to let the plant pass on and learn or the most difficult realize I had no idea what happened and just move on. It’s those life lessons I learn through my plants that actually help give me stronger roots and grow.

Blooming Season

I had a wonderful experience exploring the Atlanta Botanical Garden in Gainesville Georgia this past weekend. Walking through each section of the garden I noticed that the designers blended the looks of wild meadows along with ornamental gardens. I personally enjoyed taking photos of the spring time growth. It reminded me that this is the time of the year when the garden is taking shape. In many parts, the look of the area had not yet revealed itself to the eye. Flowers were in mid bloom or had just begun budding. It is a time of new beginnings, a time for the flowers to flourish in the spring sun or peek their leaves out of the rich earth to begin their ascent towards the rich sunshine. Although this past week brought our area more rain that I thought my flowers could handle, it has really allowed both my garden and the garden in Gainesville to really flesh out. The rain will bear the fruit of wonderful blooms and strong plants emerging over the next week especially during the upcoming warmer week. So I have been using this time for maintenance and preparation. In my garden I have laid the basic foundation and although I have more that I could always do, I learned from the Gainesville garden that giving the garden some time to breathe and flesh itself out so that it can reveal itself to you will bring a richness to my plants. I have been doing light maintenance to ensure that the basic needs are met. I have also been stepping in for any emergencies (such as my 911 merigold fungus root rot that required immediate removal of the flowers before the infection spread) but in most cases, hands off. It requires a big lesson in patience and self control. The flowers are waiting to not only reveal their true splendor but also mine as well.

THE PAIN MANAGEMENT MACHINE

I was always curious about the pain machine. From an outsider who never had any extensive issues with ongoing symptoms of chronic pain, understanding why people chose one method of pain management over another was a mystery. I have had a personal relationship with the healthcare industry from a mental health perspective, however never as it relates to pain management. I have had a turn of events, some may call it life changes, that have brought me face to face with the machine of pain management. I am experiencing firsthand what it’s like to live with daily pain and walking the path toward self-help in pain care. First, I don’t think there is a one size fits all approach to pain management. Everyone has their own unique needs and challenges which makes operating in the machine of pain management a journey of personal awareness and learning. I’d like to take you through some of my personal pitfalls along my journey and my path towards personal ownership of recovery in hopes that it may help you in some way.

 LISTEN TO YOUR BODY WHEN IT IS IN PAIN, BELIEVE IT AND SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION This is probably the hardest lesson that I have learned and honestly, I am continuing the learn. When the pain first began, I brushed it off, not knowing what it was. Then I chalked it up to early onset of arthritis, even though I had no other signs. Finally, I began to get frustrated at by body. My body was attempting to tell me that something was happening and like always I was not listening. When I did finally seek medical attention, the pain was pronounced and I had added anxiety of pain management. One week later, I was involved in a car accident where I was rear ended. I sprained my neck and had added back pain. The pain now intensified and connected through my neck and back and arms. This time, I was listening and sought the medical attention my body required.

 HAVE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES WHEN YOU ARE SEEKING MEDICAL ATTENTION I can only imagine what doctors hear as descriptions of pain and are then required to diagnose it. It didn’t half occur to me until I was sitting in the waiting room that the better description of pain, location, type, time of day etc. I provided, the better they would be able to diagnose it. I did not want to fall victim to being misdiagnosed or even worse sent from doctor to doctor if it was something I could avoid. I’m not saying brush up on google teaching you medical terminology. I had to get a few good examples of when I was in pain and what the pain did to my body. I personally love metaphors but I think you use what works best to convey the information.

 IF THEY SEND YOU TO A SPECIALIST DON’T COMPLAIN, BE OPEN TO ALL POSSIBILITIES My first thought…. another co-pay or more time! However, it was evident that my primary care was not able to diagnose my pain. The specialist was a little out of the box but impressive. Even without a diagnosis, which we don’t have an official one yet, what really matters is a good treatment plan and I wanted to be open to the possibilities to find a treatment plan that worked for me.

THE POSITIVES TO ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE That leads to alternatives to an MD. There are so many treatment options beyond traditional primary care doctors. Acupuncture, Chiropractors, Massage, Yoga. If you want to explore the fullest extent of treatment options be open what the medical community and holistic care community can offer. Since I had my car accident I have been receiving chiropractic care on top of my physical therapy. I chose not to limit my options to taking medications unless I had to.

Since this is just the beginning of the journey stay tuned for more on what I am learning from what is turning out to feel like a maze.