Triggers

I was feeling under the weather and my heart was sad. The more I thought about it, I wondered if it was the other way around. Maybe my heart was sad and I felt under the weather. To top it off, we had bad weather and there was pressure in the air. Like Momma would say, “six of one, half dozen of the other. ” It really is the same difference. Unfortunately when I get like that, negative attracts negative and the fake smile is harder to plaster on my face. I really don’t want to talk about all the junk that bothers me sometimes, I just want to process it and feel sad and maybe even sorry for myself for a minute. Sometimes I think not speaking about things, gives them time to go away or work themselves out, before working everything into a tizzy. Obviously this is not the case, case in point. When things go dark in your head, they can spiral quickly.

We need a mental health emergency kit! What should be in this kit? Most things to get out of your head is sensory. Smell, this is a matter personal preference. I know from experience, some things I love to sniff, others after 15 minutes give me a headache! Knowing this about yourself, you probably have things in your house, essential oils, candles that you know won’t make you worse. You could always double down and use a lotion, that appeals to touch and smell. Or a bath in a favourite bath salt, candle in the corner! For sight, you could look at baby pictures or pictures from a vacation, watch a sunset or sunrise. A liquid motion jar, a changing light, this year I would like to get one of those sandscape pictures. Taste, well for me that is chocolate, dark chocolate is better as it increases the production of feel happy hormones. My mouth happy is milk chocolate! Auditory for me is music, there are so many calm sounds created nowadays, for some people silence is better…just block it all out. You may also need your therapist’s number!

Something to be said for the previous generations, when you think about it. They used all their senses. The women gathered, they had their hands thrust into dough on the daily, creating all the food that created all the heavenly, home smells. They talked together all the time, they were outside in the fresh air everyday. They did not sit, they moved their bodies. Their thoughts could not hover, their hands were busy! You know what they say about idle hands! Nowadays it seems, we live in houses, bigger then we need, altogether separate, staring at our devices. Winter is worse, watching the boob tube, doing nothing! I have started walking again, the weather is always a set back, but I will take what I can get. I used to walk in all the weather, I will work up to that for next winter!