Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series, I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week we highlight a new blogger, Issababy Creates.
This perhaps the least specific blog you will find. My interests include: DIY projects, Yoga, writing, photography, reading, camping, hiking, or something altogether different depending on my current mood. I’ve never been pigeon holed into one category so neither is my blog.
Her blog is so much fun, you have to check her out.
I want to give a special thanks to Managing Editor Soraya Nair for sending me I Can’t Have That I Have Allergies by Katie Kinsella for review.
Blurb
All the animals in the woodland are headed to a party – that is, except Hedgehog, who can’t attend because of his food allergies. But one of his kind friends, Deer, decides to learn more about his condition, and she comes up with a plan so that Hedgehog can safely celebrate, too!
I Can’t Have That, I Have Allergies is a sensitively written story by a mother whose daughter has life-threatening allergies. It will enlighten those unfamiliar with the severity of such allergies, and it will help children who suffer from them to know that they aren’t alone.
My Thoughts
Have you missed school on a special day? You were probably sad that you could not participate in the fun. The Hedgehog has a similar story, he has severe allergies which limit what he can eat. It’s not fun going to a birthday party and not being able to eat cake.
As each of the Hedgehog’s friends stop in on the way to a birthday party, he explains why he can’t go to the party. His friends go on their way but they have a big surprise for him. They cared so much for their friend, they contacted his mother to get a list of what he can’t eat and they made a cake he could. They show up at Hedgehog’s house and have a big Birthday party which allows the Hedgehog to have fun and not worry about what he can or can’t eat.
The book does an excellent job of describing Allergies children can understand. I think the bigger picture is when Hedgehog share’s with his friends why he can’t go, they didn’t abandon him, they embraced him instead. It’s important for kids to know they can talk about their problems instead of keeping everything in.
For every parent who has a child with Allergies of any kind, this is the perfect book to show if you share what is going on with your friends they will have your back.
Trigger Publishing
TriggerHub.org is the first mental health organization of its kind. We are bringing mental health recovery and balance to millions of people worldwide through the power of our books.
We have built a first-class resource of curated books produced and published in-house to create a unique collection of mental health recovery titles unrivaled in quality and selection. We work with experts, psychologists, doctors, and coaches to produce our books, but we also work with real people looking to share their stories to reach out to others and provide hope, understanding, and compassion. These brave authors also aim to raise awareness of mental health’s “human” face and its impact on everyday lives.
I want to thank Trigger Publishing Editor Andrea Marchiano for sharing The A-Z Self-Care For Kids by Dr. Alexandra Barnett. One thing I’ve learned from reviewing children’s books is what a great resource they are for parents and children alike. It’s a great way to teach, and sharing stories will help your children relate.
TriggerHub.org is the first mental health organization of its kind. We are bringing mental health recovery and balance to millions of people worldwide through the power of our books.
We have built a first-class resource of curated books produced and published in-house to create a unique collection of mental health recovery titles unrivaled in quality and selection. We work with experts, psychologists, doctors, and coaches to produce our books, but we also work with real people looking to share their stories to reach out to others and provide hope, understanding, and compassion. These brave authors also aim to raise awareness of mental health’s “human” face and its impact on everyday lives.
In this fast-paced social media world, it can be difficult to find the time to look within or back in time. I hope you find these quotes and questions interesting. So glad you stopped by today!
One of the phrases I hear often is people don’t understand what is wrong with me. I’m going to share a way to have better communication with friends and family.
You’re a new student taking a class you know nothing about. The professor is talking fast and breezing thru the material, you don’t even know what the words mean. You’re in a state of frustration and you’re overwhelmed.
Now think about your friends and family, do you brain dump on someone with every Chronic Illness you have, every symptom and side effect? That is too much information. People can’t remember and they don’t care like you do.
How to
The most productive way to educate people on what Chronic Illness you have is to think about the most debilitating illness you have. Now, ask yourself if this illness going to potentially interfere with the relationship. Those are the only illnesses you need to talk about.
Take the one illness that may interfere with your relationship to talk about. Wait for the right setting, if they are working or on the phone, you’ve lost them. Meeting face-to-face is best. When the time is right let them know you have something important to talk about.
Then give a very brief overview of your illness and how it might impact them. Like having to cancel at the last minute, not being able to go, or having to cut the trip short. Don’t go into the symptoms or side effects of medication, you’ve lost them. If they have questions that’s great if not, that’s ok too. Maybe at the end of the conversation say, I have other Chronic Illnesses and I’ll share them on another day.
Then a couple months later talk with them about the second illness that may interfere with your relationship. Keep it short. I would not share more than three of the most debilitating illnesses. If you talk about your illnesses in great detail all the time you run the risk of being thought of as a hypochondriac.
I’m not a communications expert, take what you like from the post and throw the rest away.
Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series, I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week we highlight a new blogger, That Scared Little Girl.
This site is the heart cry of a girl who longs to be seen and heard. In the spirit of finding healing and wholeness, she aches for her stories to be heard. Oh how she wishes someone had seen her as a girl.
This is the site where her stories will be told. A safe place. A tell-all of sorts. Things you don’t read in your informational or self-help books. The stories that make you uncomfortable.
If your marriage has broken down and you have children together, it can be a complex situation to navigate; still, it is not impossible, and there are some skillful ways to make the process easier and more pleasant for everyone. Read on to find out how to avoid arguing with your ex-partner, how to hire a quality divorce lawyer, and how to manage your emotions on the way.
Learn to avoid talking about the past and triggering past trauma that you both have
Understand when to argue your case and stand your ground and when to walk away
Work closely with your children to help them manage their emotions and move on
Learning how to understand your ex-partner can help to resolve any difficult emotions
It’s helpful to maintain a healthy emotional and physical distance from your partner
Don’t talk about the past
You and your ex-partner have a lot of history; chances are you have spent many years together before the divorce, and you know your personalities, reactions, and thought processes pretty well. But when it comes to divorce, it’s a good idea to let go of the past and treat the new arrangements independently. Learn to respect your ex-partner’s decisions and life choices.
Because you understand a lot about your ex-partner, you can predict their behavior, lifestyle choices, and decision-making, especially when it comes to the children. At the same time, they will understand your patterns and weak points. There is a tendency to bring up the past and use it as leverage, but it is not a healthy dynamic. Avoid these issues with quality divorce lawyers.
Know when to argue
Arguments are unavoidable, even after divorce. When you have children involved in a family breakup, there is a lot to organize on a daily basis, even when you are not on the best of terms. Of course, this can lead to arguments and fallout that only serve to make the situation harder.
Some battles are worth fighting, while others are worth avoiding; over time, you will learn to recognize the difference between them and when to stand your ground. If you find yourself reacting or overreacting, don’t beat yourself up; instead, forgive yourself and learn for next time.
Learn to stand your ground
It’s important to stand your ground on some issues. If you have made an arrangement with your ex-partner about looking after the kids or attending an event and they let you down, you don’t want it to happen again. In this case, you are within your rights to stand your ground and insist that you resolve a pattern of behavior that could become an issue in your future life situation.
If the issue is a one-off and unlikely to happen repeatedly, there’s no point in starting a fight or falling out over it; you can simply let it go. There are good and bad ways to stand your ground; what you don’t want to do is to become reactive and defensive; instead, imagine you have a strong back and a soft front – a bit like a turtle -, and you can stand your ground successfully.
Talk with your children
The innocent party in any divorce is the children, who have their own lives and emotions to manage and navigate; the difficulty is that children don’t have the same experience and resources to manage emotions that adults do. Make sure your children have lots of support.
Talk to your children about the situation and make sure they know that it has nothing to do with them and they are still loved by both parents. Give them plenty of opportunities to ask questions and consider offering them some outside support so that they can talk openly to a third party.
Avoid the legal entanglements
When it comes to a family breakup with children, legal entanglements are highly likely, chances are there will be a custody battle of some kind involved, and you will all have to go to court.
Instead of hiring an expensive lawyer and going to court, which will cost money and time, you could talk to your partner amicably and come to some arrangement that will keep everyone happy. Chances are there will be some debates and fallouts, but remember, the welfare of the children is the most important aspect of any child custody arrangement in or out of a courtroom.
Practice forgiving your ex
You and your partner have decided to divorce, and even if there is a clear-cut reason for this, it’s never totally one party’s fault. Chances are there are failures and grievances on both sides, so there is plenty of room for understanding and forgiveness. Forgiving someone is often possible.
Forgiving someone is the step you need to make to move on with your life and resolve a lot of the bitterness and suffering that has accumulated over the years. Remember, forgiving someone that has hurt you is a way to bring more peace, joy, and love into your new lifestyle.
Try to understand your ex
Forgiving your ex-partner might seem difficult, but it is much easier when you know how to understand them and other people in general. We spend so much of our lives inhabiting our personal world that it can be hard to see things from someone else’s point of view; this is why clashes and disagreements happen on such a regular basis between family and friends.
Attending court can be difficult and stressful for everyone, and it can be expensive for parents; if possible, find a way to avoid these legal entanglements and come to an arrangement outside.
Understanding is the pathway to compassion and a more harmonious way of life; it’s the best way to overcome the hardships of a relationship breakup and move on with your life, allowing your ex-partner to move on with theirs. When it’s an ex-partner, there is an even better opportunity to understand their point of view because you know them and their needs.
Try not to get defensive
If your ex-partner is talking to you or pushes your buttons, your natural reaction might be defensiveness leading to an argument of a fallout. When you feel like you are becoming defensive, it’s time to recognize that and step back. A feeling of defensiveness will lead to a better understanding of yourself and your triggers, which can be useful for self-improvement.
Maintain a healthy distance
If you have some children to think about, it can be tempting to live close to your ex-partner for logistics and convenience, but this is a double-edged sword because it makes it more difficult for you both to move on with your lives. If you have responsibilities and arrangements, find a way to maintain a healthy distance from your ex-partner by living in a nearby town and traveling more.
Learn to manage jealousy
Jealousy is inevitable following a family breakup; there might be some jealousy around who the children gravitate towards, and there could also be jealousy around how your ex-partner is moving on with their life. Either way, jealousy is simply an emotion that can be managed and transformed into something more positive using skillful attention and attitudes of mindfulness.
Focus on Financial Planning
When you are navigating a marriage breakup, you know that your financial situation is about to change. While certainly, a divorce can put a strain on your personal finances, it is important to act with a clear mind and set clear financial goals that will protect the entire family during rainy days.
For example, you may start an emergency or college fund, and use reliable PHP Agency reviews to understand whether a life insurance policy is something you should consider. If you are unsure, working with a financial advisor can help you make the best decisions for your situation.
Final Thoughts
A family breakup is never easy, but there are good and bad ways of working with the processes to ensure the situation is resolved in a helpful and progressive way. Using the advice in the article, you can ensure that your family remains amicable and happy in the short and long term.
I start out the New Year with high expectations tempered with grace. My Chronic Illnesses may slow me down some days but I won’t let them break me. This is where grace comes in, if I’m not able to work towards my goals today, I have tomorrow. It’s important to give others grace too.
Many of you know already that I don’t believe in Resolutions, they are dreams and dreams don’t come true. Instead of Resolutions make goals along with a plan on what you need to get them completed. Resolutions are like believing in the Easter Bunny.
If you want to move your life forward, you need goals and beyond goals is the meat of how are you going to get things done. I work to keep the number of goals to 10-15. This is a workable number to throw yourself into to make your life better.
I’m so glad you stopped by today and look forward to seeing you throughout 2023.
Before we start celebrating, let’s talk about drinking and driving. Plan your drive home if you like to drink a few extra. It’s a terrible thought of hurting yourself or others, let alone kill someone. It’s a mistake that could haunt you for the rest of your life.
Let’s celebrate!!!!!!! 2023 has arrived for some and others are waiting to see what the New Year brings. The start of a new year is a great time to reflect on the past and reset your compass for success in the new year.
I will be enjoying a very low-key evening with some good eats and tucked in to sleep long before midnight.
I’m so glad Sheryl at A Chronic Voice is doing the December prompts, she has struggled with major health complications. Be sure to pop over to her site for a wealth of information. Glad you are feeling better.
What The 2022 Writing Prompts are About & How to Participate
The linkups are a monthly get together for anyone with a chronic illness, mental disorder or disability. An opportunity to share, to listen, and to learn from one another through shared writing prompts. I also think it’s a great way to provide insight into life with chronic pain, from many different points of view.
All you have to do is write using at least three of the writing prompts listed below, and publish it on your blog, or to a free writing platform like Medium. Then click on the blue ‘Add Link’ button to add your blog post to this page. Voilà, you’re now part of the linkup party!
The above graphic shows all the writing prompts. I am writing Reminding, Embracing, and Closing.
Reminding
I keep reminding myself that Chronic Illnesses are just that, in your face every day. Right now I’m struggling with depression, medication side effects, and Fibromyalgia. Early this month I had a Tsunami Flair that is just letting up. I’ve spent so many hours in bed, working on not feeling guilty. I’ve been sick since we married but in the earlier years, I only had one chronic illness which made managing my life far easier.
Embracing
2023 felt so far away until a month ago, then the Christmas sales commercials overwhelmed me. Since I stopped drinking 15 years ago we haven’t gone out on New Year’s. That’s ok, I spent too many years drunk at boring parties. The Holidays are very low-key for us, both families are far away. I start working on my goals for the year on New Year’s day and keep the list to 10-15 items. With my health, I don’t want to set myself up for failure.
Closing
I’m closing out the year 2022, looking at what I learned, what I got right, and where I go from here. I don’t believe in Wish List, a wish is a dream and a dream isn’t going to make anything happen. I keep a goal list, that way I keep focused on what is important and can change it at any time. One goal is to spend time outside learning the camera on my new phone.
Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series, I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week we highlight a new blogger, Psychologistmimi.
FOOD, ROAD TRIPS & NOTES FROM THE NON-PROFIT UNDERGROUND
I am a New Yorker, who has lived throughout the United States and abroad, but my New Yorker wit (AKA snark; bite) and sensibilities always stay with me.
I appreciate the blogging world’s community circle and strive to answer every comment and like; as well as visiting the blog of every follower.
All the world is my television and life is a highway and I like to provide commentary on it. Cheers
Growing up I couldn’t wait to arrive at my Grandparent’s house for Christmas. My Granny would go over the top with food and sweets. We opened our presents on Christmas Day. They usually bought lots of clothes. I still have all of their ornaments, they are frail, and I don’t use them but I have them to look at and bring back old memories.
Today we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the son of God. Please take a minute to think of the reason for the season.
Around 12 years old
Have a blessed Christmas, I hope you have family and friends to celebrate with and enjoy a good meal by starting with thanks to God for sending his only son who died for our sins..
When I heard the sad news that Stephen Laurel Boss “tWitch” died by suicide it didn’t seem real. The guy with the biggest smile, always helping others, a loving father of two children, and a large network of friends. Stephen had several projects lined up for 2023. He is not the picture of what you think a suicidal person looks like.
If you want to see what suicide looks like, look at the person next to you. There is no way to know what a person is going thru. We all have mental health needs throughout our life, if we don’t have crises large and small we aren’t living.
There is a line between needing temporary mental help support ( Situational Depression) and having a Mental Illness. An example of Situational Depression could be losing you’re job, a bad break-up and let’s not forget those who’ve lost a love one.
A Mental Illness is an imbalance of the brain, and we still have so much to learn about the brain. I have found Mental Illness make sure you have a good support system with friends, family, Psychiatrist, and Therapist. I believe the right Psychiatrist and Therapist can change your life, I’ve been with my Psychiatrist and Therapist for 30 years, and they are lifesavers. Good medication management is essential, being non-compliant with your medication, can throw you unbalanced.
If you run into me, You would see I am happy to see you, I would chat it up at dinner, life is only going up. Finances are good, and thinking about my husband’s retirement. All good.
When our paths cross again, you will see the same happy person. Only this time I’m having a crisis but you can’t see it.
If I were dealing with a severe dark depression, my mind would be ruminating on all the issues repeatedly amplifying the anxiety. The more you think about something you convince yourself that the problems can’t be solved, and there’s no light in the tunnel, the worse your crisis will become. This is when I tell my husband it’s time to call my doctor or meet him at Psychiatric Hospital.
I could see you a third time, be that face you saw at lunch, everything looks fine, not giving you any indication of a problem, and then kill myself an hour later. You never know and you’re not guilty.
Show kindness to others, and remember no matter what the package looks like doesn’t mean that is what’s inside. If someone looks off their game, have a chat about what’s going on and what you’ve noticed. Try to keep it casual, maybe open up with something generic. Then gently say what you’ve noticed changes in their personality and how can you help. Say how can I help, not what can I do to help. If they put you off, keep an eye on them and keep trying to help. If think they are a danger to themselves, harm to others, or suicidal. Be more aggressive and get them to the hospital if nothing else.
I will be brutally honest, if someone is determined to commit suicide, they will. Hopefully, with encouragement, from friends or family members you can get help before they hit “there’s nowhere to go”.
Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series, I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week we highlight a new blogger, Invisible Pain.
LIVING WITH CHRONIC HEADACHE AND OTHER PAIN FOR WAY TOO LONG
In 1997 I survived an horrific car accident. In “The beginning” you can read more details about that. Ever since that day I’ve been in chronic pain. The most debilitating pain I have is a 24/7 headache. I haven’t experienced a minute awake without pain in my head since 1997. I have several other body parts that ache constantly as well, and the most frustrating part, is the fact that I can’t find relief. The doctors and specialists are at loss. I’m just dealing with it all without medication, or any other forms of pain relief. I’m still trying to find a doctor who’s willing to figure out this mystery that I am. In this blog I write random thoughts, experiences, and complaints. Feel free to comment and share your story with me if you please. You can also e-mail me directly at invisiblepainblog@gmail.com Thank you for reading! Sincerely,
Vanessa
Her site is the best of both worlds, great writing and photography.
I was contacted by Jesse Jan Driessen at Bearable App to see if I would share their information with you. The App is highly recommended and has great tools, I wanted to make sure an introduction was made.
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Reviewed by clinicians at Cedar Sinai as one of the best mobile health applications to track patient outcomes.
3000+ 5-star reviews
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We always involve our active community in deciding which features get implemented next.
It’s an impressive list of companies that have recommended the Bearable App. Please check out the site for more detailed information on how much you can manage with one App.
I was reminded today that I had Lyme and thought I would share with you the first post I wrote in 2014.
It’s been a long time since this first Lyme blog, I found it interesting and naive. I hope you enjoy reading. If you’re at the beginning of your Lyme journey. I’m always here for you. M
Scheduling probiotics, medicine, and supplements is a challenge. With probiotics, you have to wait before eating or taking meds, then juggle what goes on an empty stomach with food. Can’t forget the shot to the stomach three days a week. Adjusting the new meds has not been fun, I’ve been stoned out of my mind the bulk of the day, then a massive headache moves in, and then time to get stoned again before bed with the headache.
My gripe is it’s not being stoned, it’s brain fog with the floor moving under your feet. David has to take me to appointments since I can’t drive. I’m a sight to see, a woman, stoned out of her mind trying to maneuver a cane while walking.
I had my first appointment with a new Cardiologist yesterday, he has Lyme Disease experience with a specialty in blood flow. He is one of three doctors who will manage my Lyme journey. The RN performed an EKG, and then his Assistant reviewed my medical history, asking what seemed like 1000 questions.
The doctor is next, we talk about how Lyme can affect blood flow in the heart and the entire body. The general exam with discussion on the test he has ordered. I left wearing a Holter Monitor which comes off at 2:45 PM today. I push a button on a small device and put it up to my chest anytime I feel dizzy, have cardiac pain, trouble breathing, etc, etc.
I leave with the schedule of tests for next week which takes 3 1/2 hours when to pick up medicine for tests and the great news is to show up fasting. A couple of tests I’ve done it multiple times due to my heart condition. The Tilt Test is what it sounds like, the table moves to a head-down position for 30 minutes. The test is more frightening than giving me a shot. They may see a panic attack instead, that’s a lot of time without control and no way to escape.
Echo Cardiogram
Q Sweat Test-Study of Sudomotor response assisting in the diagnosis of small fiber neuropathy
Tilt Table with Trans Cranial Doppler monitors mean blood flow velocity
Tilt Table with ANSAR-Determines how well the Autonomic Nervous System is functioning
Tilt Table with BIOZ-Determines the heart’s ability to deliver blood to the body
Tilt Table with QST-Assesses sensory neuropathy
Metabolic Stress Test
Lipid Profile
I have blood work from last week to complete, 20 plus vials get me as excited until she says the stool sample requires freezing! I’m now 1 hour 45 minutes before the monitor comes off. The time for a shot and a handful of pills. Are we having fun yet?
My heart and soul go out to those struggling with Lyme, it’s a long complicated journey. I know you’re strong enough to fight the virus in your body, though it may not feel like it today.
Most people find that driving can at least be quite stressful from time to time. But if you generally have anxiety, then it’s highly likely that driving is one situation where your anxiety is quite profound. This is true of a lot of people, and you shouldn’t feel bad about it if it is true for you too. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to approach driving better and handle the anxiety better, so that’s something that you should think about here. Here are some of the things you can do about it if driving tends to make you anxious.
You will probably generally feel a lot less anxious if you make a point of keeping on top of the repairs that your car needs. There are a lot of these kinds of repairs that might crop up every now and then, and it’s vital that you are going to be aware of these. You might need a windshield repair in order to avoid it cracking further, or your brakes might need replacing, or anything in between. As long as you get these done as soon as possible, you won’t have to worry about them as you drive.
Know The Signs Of A Panic Attack
For those with quite severe anxiety, panic attacks can often be something they need to think about and be aware of. After all, having a panic attack while driving could be quite dangerous. It will be important to make sure that you pull over as soon as you safely can if you are having a panic attack, and that will be easier to do if you know when one is coming. So make sure you know the signs of a panic attack and that you can identify it as early as possible.
Get Further Training
Very often, being practiced and prepared is something that can help with anxiety in any given situation. You’ll find that this is certainly true of driving anxiety too. If you want to keep your anxiety to a minimum while driving, then you are definitely going to want to get all the training your can. Beyond the normal driving lessons, there are also always further lessons that you are able to get, which can help you to feel so much more confident on the roads. That is something that you can always pursue, no matter how long you have been driving.
It’s all related: if you can improve your anxiety generally, then you are going to find that it helps with your driving anxiety too. So make sure that you are thinking about how you might improve your anxiety in other situations because that is something that you’ll certainly want to think about doing. That could make a world of difference to how your driving experience goes, and you’ll probably feel better on the roads in no time if you can do this. That could be the most important thing here.
Invest in Car Coverage
One of the best things you can do to make sure that you will be less anxious when driving is to invest in proper car coverage. It might be a good idea to get some liability auto insurance as well as breakdown cover and more, depending on your circumstances. If you are unsure about what car coverage would be best for you, contact Cars Protection Plus. They can help you find the best coverage for you. Being prepared for anything can be a great way to ease the stress of driving.
Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series, I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week we highlight a new blogger, The Rebel Chic.
Hi! My name is Cristina. I’m in my 30’s and currently working part time in the health sector in Bergen Norway. I grew up in the Philippines and moved to Norway when I was 19 years old. During my free time, I would go out and explore nature in the nearby areas alone or with friends and spend time with family. I’ve always dreamed of conquering each and every mountains of Norway and take photos of the fjords and fill my memory jar with life experiences and teachings. At the same time share my struggles in life and how I cope with them so that I could also in a small way help those who are on the same boat as me.
If you are keen for life to be as stress-free as possible, there are so many ways in which you might be able to do that. One way is to take a look at some of the kinds of areas of life that do tend to be most stressful, and then think about what you can do to make them less so. Driving is one such area that you might want to consider, and it’s something that is definitely going to be important to focus on trying to improve.
Let’s look now at some of the steps you can take to ensure that you are keeping the stress out of driving. As long as you have thought about the following, you should find that this is much easier and more straightforward, so let’s look right now.
Develop Some Mindfulness
One thing that can certainly help here is to simply make sure you have a good degree of mindfulness in the first place. The more mindfulness you have, the easier it will be to keep your head on when stressful things happen on the road, so it’s really vital that you are thinking about this. If nothing else, it will empower you with the ability to make better choices, which is obviously always going to be worth your while.
So spend a few minutes a day in mindfulness practice, and you’ll soon find that this translates over to your driving too. It’s amazing how much this can help, and it is worth thinking about.
There are many things you can and should learn about your own vehicle, and doing so will help you to keep the stress out of the driving experience, simply for the fact that you will know all there is to know about it. So how can you learn some of the things you should ideally know about your own car? One way is to seek out the repair and owner’s manual, where you will find lots of useful information that can be a huge help here. Sometimes just having the Avalanche parts catalog can help you when something goes wrong, for instance.
You also learn about your vehicle by driving it, and by working on it, especially when things go wrong, so that is something that you might want to think about too. The more you learn about your vehicle, the less stressful you are generally going to find it, so this is a really important thing to bear in mind.
Take Deep Breaths
Very often, taking deep breaths makes a huge difference to how you feel while driving, so it’s a really good idea to make sure that you are remembering this. Sometimes it’s the simplest things that help the most in life, and this is a perfect example of that. You can just take some deep breaths, and allow the stress to leave your body, and in that instance, you are going to find that you feel so much better right away.
Again, this is going to be easier if you have practiced it outside of driving, so a few minutes a day of deep breathing can really help. You might be surprised that practicing something like that can make a difference, but it really does, and it’s going to help you out a great deal while driving, especially when something stressful crops up.
There are many costs associated with driving too, which is one of the main stressors that the experience provides. So it’s a really good idea to make sure that you are keeping these costs as low as you can. That can be approached in quite a few ways, but the important thing is that you are doing something about them as much as possible. You might want to look at how you drive to ensure that you are not using more fuel than necessary, for instance, along with keeping repairs to a minimum by keeping on top of the car’s maintenance.
These can make a huge difference to how much your car costs, and over time you’ll find you spend a lot less this way. The amount of stress reduction you’ll experience because of that can be quite profound.
As you can see, there are a few main ways to keep the stress out of driving, so it’s definitely important to make sure you are doing so as best as you can. It will help make the experience so much better.
You know you have a problem, and your addictive behaviour is beginning to impact other parts of your life. Quitting any kind of addictive behaviour can be very difficult to do, even if you know that what you’re doing is bad for you.
You can quit, although quitting can be a complicated process. There are many physical, mental, and emotional factors that can make giving up hard. This is why many people seek treatment for addiction, like hypnosis, counselling, or even pet friendly rehabs, although some people are successful in quitting on their own.
Understanding why quitting is so hard can help you to learn how to overcome your addiction. You can recognise that you are not weak-willed or are failing if you find it difficult.
Tolerance
Tolerance and withdrawal both contribute to addiction. Both are a large part of what get you hooked in the first place, whether your addiction is food, nicotine, or something harder. Without tolerance and withdrawal, you would find quitting much easier.
When you experience an addictive substance or behaviour for the first time, it can be overwhelming, or even unpleasant. If you feel the effects strongly, then you might feel as though there is a low risk of you being tempted to overdo it.
If the effects are mild, then you might think your behaviour is harmless. The more you repeat the behaviour, the less sensitive you become to it and the more you need to feel the same effects. Drugs, including alcohol, work on the brain to create physical tolerance.
Some behaviours, like gambling, produce a feeling of excitement. This excitement may become less intense over time. As your tolerance level develops, you might want to repeat the behaviour more to get the same feelings or effects.
Withdrawal
As you start to become addicted, you can begin to experience withdrawal when you aren’t able to partake in the behaviour. You might experience physical symptoms, like shaking, feeling unwell or an upset stomach, or you might experience emotional symptoms, like anxiety or depression. These symptoms go away when you act on the addictive behaviour.
Physical withdrawal can vary, and usually takes a few days. Withdrawal from drugs or alcohol can be very unpleasant, and even dangerous, so is best undergone under medical supervision.
Impediments For Quitting
Addiction can reach a level where it creates a lot of internal conflicts. You might feel conflicted within yourself, as you want to quit, but also still have urges to engage in whatever you are addicted to. You may also have a conflict with others, both with those who want you to quit, but also with those who want you to keep engaging in the thing you’re trying to give up.
Even after getting through the withdrawal phase, conflict can still exist. Quitting is stressful, and now you’re managing without something you used to use to cope, so this will be tough.
It is important to learn other ways of coping with stress and to have those firmly established, ideally before you quit. This gives you other options to cope. A therapist can help you with this. Without these strategies already in place, you’re likely to experience stronger urges to relapse.
Guilt And Justification
Feeling guilty and uncomfortable about your current behaviour can be a great motivator to help you make a change, whether you want to drink less, or give up gambling. Sometimes, guilt can also work against you, as you find ways to justify the behaviour that you aren’t happy with to yourself and to others. Justification can a big obstacle to quitting.
Common justifications can include:
Denial – it’s not a problem
Minimization – I’ve already cut down
Comparison – My friend smokes more than I do
Defiance – I’d rather carry on than quit and be miserable
Rationalisation – I’m more confident in social situations after I’ve had a drink
Lesser of two evils – It’s better to do this than be miserable and hard to live with
Misinformation – It has medicinal uses, so it’s ok
Glorification – Cool people drink alcohol and smoke
How Can You Quit?
Therapy can be a great starting point to help you to cope with any uncomfortable feelings and to help you pinpoint the thoughts and feelings that keep you addicted or led you to the behaviour in the first place. Quitting is rarely easy or straightforward, but with a good treatment program, you have a better chance of achieving your goals when you’re ready.
However, once you look at these justifications from a different perspective, you start to see that they are not as important or even concrete as your addiction had you believe. This is the first crucial step towards Addiction Recovery. While some people can overcome their addictions by themselves, others will require a solid and robust support network. Such a network could include family and friends, and with more severe cases, carers and healthcare professionals can also provide treatment and guidance to help you finally overcome your addictions.
In this fast-paced social media world, it can be difficult to find the time to look within or back in time. I hope you find these quotes and questions interesting. So glad you stopped by today!
Looking for the Light 