A Mental Health Confession

Okay, confession time. Lately, some of the things I’ve been speaking on, I’ve failed to do. I’ve been struggling to keep a positive attitude because of things going on in my life. Yesterday, I had a meeting with my therapist where I realized that I’ve been asking my readers to do what I say and not what I do. So, I’m letting you know that we all screw up sometimes. We all have high expectations that we are unable to achieve. I want to tell you a little more about what I am talking about.

It’s easy to SAY the words “Think positive Thoughts” but in practice it takes a lot of hard work. Lately, I’ve let my thoughts and feelings push me so close to the edge that I’ve had a few outbursts. I’ll be riding somewhere with my mother when something happens to send me spiraling to the point that I get visably frustrated. I was reacting in a negative way to the situations I came across.

When I got in to see my therapist, I was so freaked out about the outburst that I spilled all my guts about what I was feeling. It turns out those feelings have been sitting inside me for a time. I had to sheepily admit that even though I was trying to practice mindfulness and a positive attitude, I wasn’t giving myself the time in my day to really practice it.

Lately I had another change. I don’t know if anyone reading this believes in it, but my cat was my support animal. He’s been with me for almost two years as I adjusted to my new life in Thomasville after my stroke. I was so used to cuddling with him. He made me feel so happy to know that another creature was on my side. He went missing last week, and I couldn’t find him. Mom knew that I needed him to keep me from losing my mind, so she found a little kitten for me. Little Mysti came into my heart last Saturday. To say she’s the cutest little thing is an understatement. Here she is:

Isn’t she adorable?

I feel like with my new kitten and advice from my therapist I’m ready to make some changes. One of the best things about having a therapist is I get to talk through my feelings and realize that they aren’t at powerful as I had been thinking. One thing my therapist wants me to do is practice relaxation and mindfulness three times a day. This involves scheduling time to practice in my day. It’s easy to practice mindfulness when you’re feeling okay and nothing is stressing you, but to practice even when things happen to send you spiraling is even more important. Do you have trouble practicing mindfulness? What do you do to be successful with your mindful practice? Please feel free to leave me a comment. I can also be reached on email at kennemorrison@gmail.com. I am also on Twitter and Facebook.