The mental game. Managing the all-too-common mental illnesses that beset many of us. And being open to discussing and breaking down prejudices about mental illness.
My challenges with depression and anxiety and all that comes with that. I have suffered for as long as I can remember; my earliest memories are those of anxiety and fear. Matters have tended to worsen as years have passed, and it has affected all aspects of my life and well-being.
Getting your mental game in shape can be a long road, and progress can be erratic. I have a robust set of tools and a good support network. But the mental game is something that needs work every day. There is no vacation day to look forward to.
Mental health awareness has improved in recent years. In some areas, it is still seen as a weakness. Sports and the workplace have made strides, but there is a long way to go. My small commitment to helping others has been to speak openly in the workplace and on this blog. My thought has been that if I help one person a tiny amount, it’s been worth it.
One Last Blog On Resilience Do the work. That’s been the core mantra for me over the last couple of years. I am going to move my writing on after this post, into a broader look at physical and mental wellness, particularly in the context …
Positive Mindset My positive mindset powered me to deadlift my body weight for three sets of eight yesterday. So what? It was a significant milestone for me only four months after a serious cycling accident. I was knocked unconscious, and while there was no lasting …
The Last Glass I was travelling back from Sardinia and had a mediocre red wine at the airport. I put the glass down and thought, “That’s it, I’m done.” Since then, it’s been six years, no alcohol. At the time, I didn’t tell anyone. There …
Not An Athlete Why do I exercise? Should I not just take it easy at age 67 and kick back and smell the flowers and all those cliches? Let me reveal some profoundly personal stories from my life to explain why exercise has been a …
What A Year These last few days, I’ve been contemplating resilience. I visited my physiotherapist yesterday, who commented on my remarkable recovery powers. He’s referring to coming back from my serious accident in April. Today, my iPhone shows me a memory from a year ago, …
Is This As Good As It Gets? That’s the question I asked myself this afternoon. I’m laying low to promote healing following my recent heavy crash. A beautiful, sunny spring afternoon, but a sense of emptiness hanging over me too, a feeling of loss. I …
It’s been a while since I posted about my mental health. The general direction is good. I learn more about myself and how to manage myself as the years pass. The last ten months have seen me push a couple of notions aside. My never-ending …
Getting the reading list underway, here is a surprisingly good book by The Terminator himself, Arnold. His book Seven Tools For Life is a great read. Simple and easy-to-grasp concepts for improving your life. I haven’t been much of an Arnold fan, but I watched …
Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes* The next chapter arrived for me last month when I parted ways with my company after 12 years. It wasn’t long after I wrote my last blog post, “Going Through Changes“. I don’t believe in coincidences. I heard someone say that once and adopted …
I’m Going Through Changes. Take the time to listen to Charles Bradley sing this great version, while I write about change. Does anyone care to guess who wrote this song? Answer at the end. Change is a given in our lives. The more changes I …