Don't Be Like Daisy

Many of my faithful readers will remember Daisy, the funny little beagle who joined our lives approximately one year ago.  Right from the start, she was a little crazy.  Her antics had us laughing more often than we would have expected, given that some very serious things had been going on in our lives for several months before and after we adopted her.

Life has settled down considerably for us in the past few months as we’ve sold a home, bought another, made the move, and formed many excellent new friendships.  We lost "the squire's" Mom in this past year and are still coming to terms with that grief.  We also suffered through the illness and death of another beloved pet, a loss that also hit us hard.  But we're in a better frame of mind now, especially after our recent week of holiday in a place where it was sunny and warm.

 And Daisy is still a little crazy.  Just today, I laughed so hard I nearly cried, watching her decide her right forepaw made an excellent chew toy.  She gnawed vigorously at a spot between her paw and her “knee” joint, often reaching out with the other paw to hold the right one down for a better grip, much as she does with the nylon chew toys we provide for her.  The funniest part came when she decided she’d rather chew this delightful “bone” elsewhere, gripped it firmly in her teeth, stood up still holding it in her mouth, and hopped on three legs to another spot on the carpet to flop down and resume chewing her favourite toy.

I tried to video this feat but had no luck, even though she did it three times.  Part of the reason for my failure was that I was laughing too hard to catch her in the act with my Ipad shaking uncontrollably.  I was surprised she didn’t yelp in pain from chewing a little too hard, as she seemed to be taking the whole enterprise very seriously.  But eventually she did tire of this toy and settled down to chewing one of her many other toys scattered about the living room floor.

Sometimes we’re a little like Daisy, aren’t we?  Sometimes we just don’t see the good things all around us, available for the taking, and actually hurt ourselves trying to have something that looks better.  An old saying teaches that happiness is not about having what we want but rather about wanting what we have.  Can we look around us and see how rich we really are?  Perhaps we want to resolve to focus on appreciating what we have and then we might forget to waste time and harm ourselves wanting ever more.

If you’re reading this post, you’re rich; you’ve been fortunate enough to be well educated.  If you’re reading this post, you’re rich; you have a computer, a tablet, a phone, or some kind of a device that allows you to read whatever you want whenever you want to.  If you’re reading this post, you’re rich; you have leisure time and don’t have to spend every waking moment seeking food and shelter.  When we stop focusing on what we don't have and learn to appreciate what we do have, our mental health benefits.  Suddenly we're positive in outlook and peaceful in our spirits, never a bad thing, I'm sure you'd agree.  And it all comes from adopting an attitude of gratitude.

Don’t be crazy like Daisy.  Choose to be thankful for all that you have.

Blue Monday? Be Healthy Anyway!

I've read several news items recently that identify today, the third Monday in January, as "Blue Monday."  A little more research identified the concept as a marketing strategy by a person trying to motivate people to buy vacations. 

He defined the day as the one when the reality of failed New Year's resolutions combined with the arrival of credit card bills for holiday spending and the extremes of winter weather would settle on a person and induce a state of depression.  This marketing strategist proposed spending more money on products or sunny vacations as a remedy for the condition.

Well, the flaws in that solution are quite evident but the condition itself is likely real.  I wouldn't go so far as to link it to one particular Monday of the year but I can certainly agree that the winter blues or even full blown Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) are likely in full effect today for those who experience that mental health issue in the darkest days of winter.

And the remedies for that are regular exercise, healthy eating, social interactions and engaging in enjoyable activities.  The problem, of course, is that depression robs us of the energy to do exactly those things that we know we ought to be doing to move towards a healthier state of mind.  A conundrum indeed, when the symptoms of the illness are exactly what prevent us from recuperating from it!

Anyway

When I speak with clients about recovering from a depressive episode, I often point out to them that the operative word is "anyway."  For example, "I know I should exercise but I don't have the energy today ... and I'll exercise a few minutes anyway."  When I push myself to do a little anyway, I gain a feeling of accomplishment that can hopefully motivate me to repeat the exercise tomorrow.  

As I get used to moving again and reap the benefits (feelings of accomplishment and higher self-esteem), I might be able gradually to increase the amount or time of exercising.  Before I know it, I'll be feeling healthier and more motivated and perhaps able to take on a few of the other things I might have let go of while I was so depressed that every task felt like too much work.  Now I might want to make the effort to eat healthier meals or eliminate some unhealthy snacking.

The trick is to set myself up for success by establishing reasonable, manageable goals and allowing myself time to increase them gradually.  And that's how I survive "Blue Monday" and all the other blue days of winter.  And you can, too.  You may not feel you have the energy but start small and do it anyway!