Self-care management (during social distancing) from Black Dog Institute

[Former-Member]

Not up for asking for my own support from here at the moment, and probably won't ask for it at all here ever again.  The last time I did it ended up a complete dumpster fire and disaster. Thanks for the offer though @eth  @Faith-and-Hope 

[Faith-and-Hope]

I am sorry to hear it, but I support your choices @Former-Member .... 

[Shaz51]

Hello and hugs @Faith-and-Hope , @eth , @Former-Member , @Appleblossom , @CheerBear , @outlander 

Here are some easy tips for improving the regularity of your daily routines, even when nothing about your life feels regular.

Self-Management Strategies for Increasing Regularity of Daily Routines

• Set up a routine for yourself while you are in quarantine or working from home; routines help stabilize body clocks

• Get up at the same time every day: a regular wake time is the most important input for stabilizing your body clock

• Make sure you spend some time outdoors every day, especially in the early morning; your body clock is regulated by the light – dark cycle

• If you can’t go outside try to spend at least 2 hours by a window, looking into the daylight, and focusing on being calm

• Set times for a few regular activities each day such as home tutoring, telephone calls with a friend, or cooking; do these activities at the same time each day

• Exercise every day, ideally at the same time each day

• Eat meals at the same time every day; if you’re not hungry, at least eat a small snack

• Social interactions are important, even during social distancing; seek out “back and forth” social interactions where you share thoughts and feelings with another person in real time; videoconferencing, telephone, or real-time text-messaging is preferred to scrolling through messages; schedule these interactions at the same time every day

• Avoid naps during daylight hours, especially later in the day; if you must nap, restrict the nap to 30 minutes—napping can make it hard to fall asleep at night

• Avoid bright light (especially blue light) in the evening (eg, computer screens, smartphones); blue spectrum light suppresses the hormone that helps us sleep

• Stick to a consistent sleep and wake time that fits your natural rhythms; if you are a night owl, it’s ok to stay up a little bit later and get up a little bit later than others in the household, but make sure you go to sleep and get up at the same time every day.

[eth]

Thanks for that @Shaz51  and @Former-Member 

@Former-Member  can you please change the name of this thread by deleting the 'from Black Dog Institute' part - the thread is evolving to have a lot of other resources from other sources.  Thankyou.

[mufasa]

Hi @eth 

Thanks for pointing that out, I will pass this on and it will be resolved as of Monday. 

Warm regards, 

Mufasa

[Appleblossom]

@Former-MemberI did not see your post

Re self triggering question

til now.

You have had much more severe experiences than I, tho there are similarities.  RESPECT for simply being.

Certain things like suicide, schizophrenia, sex abuse, etc would send me on a rant I guess. SO much trauma was all wrapped up together.  I had 2 siblings who had also gone through care ... cough cough ... we were reunited later in childhood, but they both died.  Also I had a lot of anger at not being able to connect with others as most people had far more secure lives and really did not have a clue about abandonment, grief or poverty at my level.  They simply could not and did not relate to my experiences, leaving me right out inthe cold. Someone who was talking with me on this forum said it, she still pops back from time to time. I was still working out my levels of intensity and hyperarousal and ... being triggered ... when my head was whirling and my functioning went down.

It makes sense that exploring gender and sexuality would distract from your earlier abuse, and introduce different ways of thinking about being alive. I was introduced to the drag/trans/gay world by an American uncle who had gone to uni in California. I lived and worked in an area, St Kilda, where there was a big population.  I explored the ideas a little, accepted them for others, but did not embrace it fully for myself.  I think I was too useful as a caregiver and that aspect of my gender dominated my life. 

@TABjust posted a link by Divine in the Friday Feast thread.  I am pretty sure my uncle would have been about him, he was right into all that, but he was also married to my aunt??  I mainly contacted this uncle as he was also an English teacher and I was trying to finish high school at night and we lived on same side of town. 

I can relate to aspects about "necessity being the mother of invention" and the very basic level of care about yourself, your body and your environment.  I am also analytical like that. 

One problem in the discourse ... of help seeking ... is that it lowers the position of the seeker ... they have to admit ... need ... whereas everybody has needs ...

I recently watched a series of shorts on sbs set in Alice Springs called "Robin Hood". One had a foster theme ... it just cracked me up ... you might like it.

[CheerBear]

@eth just testing to see if this changes the title 🤔

Haha clearly it didn't, just this message. As the person who created this discussion you should be able to change it though I think 🙂

[eth]

Hey @CheerBear  thanks for trying.  I don't know how to do it.

Edit : it seems to have happened.  Thanks whoever sorted it.

[CheerBear]

I edited it from the reply box @eth, so the title and all posts from here will be the new one I think 🤞 Thanks for letting me test out that idea here (not that I asked :face_with_rolling_eyes:) 😁👍❤

[Shaz51]

ohhh @eth  i can delete it if you want me too