YOU ARE NOT ALONE - A companion online community discussion board for The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast with Paul Gilmartin

Friends, I have anxiety of a 6 of 10.

I say this, because in addition to the every day anxieties I face, there may be civil unrest near me this weekend.

While I'll be a little ways away from it, I already have a plan, modest as it is, to stay home: I am going to make a beautiful roast, and scalloped potatoes.

(Sometimes a small and humble plan is vastly better than no plan.)

I am meeting with my mental health counselor in an hour, and we'll work on a plan for me to redirect my anxieties (reasonable as they are) to modest/humble actions. Perhaps vacuuming. I may go to a swing dance, but that is very much an optional "stretch" goal.

I'll post some intermediate bookends.

btw, this post title comes from the charming meme, "No bones day".

https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/bones-day-or-no-bones-day

This is a "no bones" week for me: success is staying at zero, that is I don't need to accomplish anything new for this week to be a success.

Thanks for listening!

You have been heard.
Thank you for the "no bones day" pop-culture reference and the link. I hadn't heard of that! My teen daughter is having a no bones day today, but I doubt she would appreciate me showing off my newfound hipness.
Glad you are going to see your therapist. Perhaps nothing scares me more than civil unrest. Staying in sounds like a good plan. Take care!

AngryInnerCrybaby wrote: ↑March 27th, 2023, 8:39 am You have been heard.

Thank you, my friend!

I hope you're doing well.

Hi oak,

Glad you can meet with the therapist and that you have a plan in place.

Hello AngryInnerCrybaby! Best wishes for your daughter in persevering through her no bones day.

I may have to borrow this no bones concept for my very next post!

rg

Thanks RiverGirl!

Friends, I present bookend 1.5 of 2

Bones days so far
This week in thirds
Homemade chicken tacos

Bones days so far

I had, contrary to all expectations, a bones day both Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning: I went to barre class Tuesday, and Zoomed with my dietician* Wednesday morning.

Both were of course welcoming and kind, but still intense.

This week in thirds

Like every farce, my life is in three acts this week:

Act I: Barre and dietician.
Act II: Enduring the workweek, and running any errands Friday.
Act III: Staying home during any Saturday mishegas.

I might update during/after each act.

Homemade chicken tacos

To end this intermediate update on a happier note, I enjoyed homemade chicken tacos, with lots of fresh shishitos, today.

*I am well on my way, my dietician states.

Hi Oak,

It seems like you're on your way in general. Not that it's ever easy or a linear progression, but wow, you've come a long way in the past year.

How did things go in your community yesterday? I hope you were safe and there wasn't too much of a disturbance.

Take care today.

rg

rivergirl wrote: ↑April 2nd, 2023, 9:31 am How did things go in your community yesterday? I hope you were safe and there wasn't too much of a disturbance.

Hi RiverGirl!

Yes, the event itself was pretty quiet. Unfortunately nothing was changed larger picture: there is so much rage and bitterness. It is like a mental infection.

Concurrently we had a power outage. Sitting in the dark and increasing cold for eight hours was a downer, of course, but it gave me time to think about who I want to be going forward, specifically in April and Q2 2023 (April to June). I'm planning to create its own thread.

But overall, this was a downer of a week. No bones indeed. Sometimes it is really powerful to lower our expectations.