Day 2301: Exhausted

Even though I’m up for anything these days, sometimes I get exhausted, especially on Thursdays, when I

• work from 10 to 9,
• facilitate two therapy groups,
• orient new people for my groups,
• see several people for individual therapy,
• go to a meeting of social workers,
• have about 20 minutes for lunch,
• try to decide whether to look at or avoid the news,
• practice my  latest song, and
• practice self-care.

In one of those therapy groups, a person exhausted by a major and unexpected loss shared that she practices self care by taking breaks, even if it’s a break for a moment.  I wasn’t too exhausted to hear that she had learned that skill in my groups.

I was so exhausted by the end of the day  that I added a new emotion to the emotions chart on my door:

Here and now, I’m exhausted by the possibility that somebody might tell me that “exhausted” is not really an emotion.

Here and now, I’m NOT too exhausted to share my other photos from yesterday.

I hope you’re not too exhausted to share what exhausts you and what energizes you, in a comment below.

Here‘s the late and great Madeline Kahn singing about how exhausted she is in Mel Brooks‘s Blazing Saddles.

I’m never too exhausted to express my gratitude for all those who help me create these daily posts and — of course! — for YOU.

 

Day 2280: Are we having fun yet?

“Are we having fun yet?” was something I expressed several times yesterday, as I

• started packing for my trip to L.A.,
• grappled with money issues,
• added a new verse to a song,
• dealt with hurt feelings,
• talked to people about hope and hopelessness,
• had the self control to have the soup instead of the very fun-looking and highly caloric  pasta dish in the hospital cafeteria,
• couldn’t find my folder filled with group therapy worksheets and exercises,
• glanced at the news, and
• facilitated two groups, one of which focused on fun.

Are we having fun yet in today’s blog post?

Are we having fun yet as we try to read my handwriting in today’s photos?

Are we having fun yet as I share this story about when I decided to have fun earlier this week?

Wednesday morning, after my second night in a row of insomnia, I looked at the weather app on my iPhone to decide how to dress for the day.  I saw that the day was going to start out cold but become considerably warmer, so I decided to wear a very light coat.  When I was driving to work, I looked at the app again and noticed that I had been looking at the weather for Cupertino, California, instead of the weather for Boston, Massachusetts, which was going to start cold and stay that way.  I decided to have fun with it, so I laughed instead of complaining whenever I felt the cold.

Are we having fun yet trying to guess what music I’m going to share in today’s post?

YouTube suggests that I share this one:

 

Are you having fun yet?  If not, how might you have more fun today?  Would it help to leave a fun comment?

Have I expressed my gratitude yet for all those who helped me create this are-we-having-fun-yet post and — of course — for YOU?

 

Day 2217: How to accept personal comments

How do you accept personal comments — compliments or criticism?

As we approach the end of 2018, I’m resolving to accept all personal comments the same way.

With gratitude and joy.

I’m not saying that accepting personal  comments with gratitude and joy will be easy.  Compliments and criticism can be very difficult to accept, for different reasons.

Therefore, I shall now practice this new resolution, as I imagine all sorts of people giving me personal comments.

 

 

As I embrace the preciousness of this moment, I believe accepting personal comments with gratitude and joy will be good for my self care and for the care of others.

Also, it helps me to remember that personal comments are often the reflection of the person making the comment. In other words, it’s nothing personal.

I look forward to your personal comments on this post.

As always, I’m joyfully and personally grateful to all those who helped me create today’s post and to every person who visits this blog, including YOU.

 

Day 2126: I care

I care to start today’s post with links to past caring posts, including Day 2091: Open with care, Day 1809: Caregivers,  Day 1467: Why should anybody care about me?, Day 1279: Care,  Day 1233: Take Care, Day 672: Care, Day 578: I don’t care, and Day 195: Self care, wisdom, kindness.

I care to share this recent exchange with somebody I care about:

Me: I wonder why I’m so anxious?

Caring friend: Because you care.

Last week, I cared to apologize to a health insurance reviewer whom I had yelled at. He replied, with care: “You care about your patient.”

I care to share my photos from yesterday.

I care to caution all those who care: Warning! If you care, make sure you practice self care.

Here‘s “I Care” by Beyonce.

Today, I care to host a retreat for other group therapists who care .  Because I care about the Red Sox, I didn’t get much sleep last night.

I care about your comments and will read them after today’s group therapy retreat.

I care to end every post with thanks to all who help me create these blog posts with care and — of course! — to you, for caring.

Day 2089: Duh

Yesterday, I wrote and read “DUH!” in a therapy group.

Would it help for me to share why and how I did that?  Duh.

Things that are right side up are, duh, easier to read.

What does “Self Care” mean to you?  It means taking care of my self.  DUH!

Self Care also means balancing my needs with other people’s needs and, duh, this:

Well, duh!  It’s time for a definition of “duh.”

duh

interjection
\ ˈdə , usually with prolonged ə \
Definition of Duh
1 —used to express actual or feigned ignorance or stupidity
Duh, I don’t know.
2 —used derisively to indicate that something just stated is all too obvious or self-evident
Well, duh!
Examples of Duh in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web

Lee and his family are buried there, his marble, recumbent statue adorning the campus chapel known as, duh, Lee Chapel.
— Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati.com, “Doc: No clear solution to offensive symbols,” 22 Aug. 2017
Well, duh. Prescott ranked third in the league in passer rating, ahead of Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees.
— Pat Fitzmaurice, SI.com, “Dallas Cowboys Fantasy Football 2017 Preview: Can Elliott Repeat Breakout Season?,” 2 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word ‘duh.’ Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

That definition of “duh” is, duh, from Merriam-Webster.   How would you define “duh”?

You’re probably asking yourself if I have any other photos today.  I didn’t have enough time yesterday to include all my photos and I’ve taken more photos since so, duh.

Michael cooked me a delicious meal yesterday. Duh.

Are there any “Duh” videos on YouTube?  Duh.

No Duh.

I love comments. Duh.

Thanks to all who helped me create today’s “Duh”  post and — of course (duh!) — to YOU.

Day 2064: Kose seg

Yesterday, when I was sitting on an airplane, thinking about promoting emotional well being in cozy settings, I saw this:

When I am experiencing and promoting emotional well being, I often take one photo that somehow applies to all the other photos I want to share in a blog post. I hope you are in a cozy (or cosy) setting as you look at all these other promoting-emotional-well-being pictures.

What helps you experience Kose seg?

My boyfriend Michael often says, “It’s not the place, Ann,  it’s the people.”  Here’s a closer look at a person with whom I’ve been hopefully  promoting emotional well being in cozy settings for over twenty years:

That’s my son Aaron, looking out the window of Edinburgh’s Beehive Inn while he was in the middle of his stand-up routine yesterday. When he noticed I was sitting outside in the cozy setting of Edinburgh’s Grassmarket with my suitcase, he had the entire audience yell, “Hi Mom!”

Now that I’m experiencing Kose seg back in my home south of Boston, it would promote my emotional well being to share two videos promoting Iceland and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (here and here on YouTube).

 

I shall now await your comments promoting emotional well being in the cozy comments section, below.

Emotional-well-being-promoting thanks to all who helped me create today’s “Kose seg” post and — of course! — to YOU.

 

Day 1947: Notice

I notice a lot.  For example, I notice that food advertisers (suppliers and restaurants)  often portray  animals they’re serving as very happy that they’re about to be eaten.  Did you ever notice that?

What do you notice about that lobster?

I also notice certain words, like “notice.”

I just noticed that I used the word “notice” in yesterday’s post.

I also notice that certain words stand out for me.  What word do you notice in this next photo?

I noticed the word “paranoid” —  that’s why I took that photo. Maybe I noticed “paranoid” because

• I’m a psychotherapist,
• I’m capable of being paranoid (especially when I’m sleep deprived or very hungry), and
• people who notice a lot might get more paranoid than people who don’t notice things.

I notice that I took only three photos yesterday.

I also notice that when people quit, it’s called “giving notice.” Notice that I don’t have time this morning to explore why that is.  However, I notice that my loyal reader (and fabulous blogger) Christopher, who also notices a lot, often looks up word and phrase derivations.  We’ll notice  if Chris discovers anything about “giving notice.”  Even if he doesn’t, he’s worthy of notice and so are you.

I notice that it’s time for me to share some music.

I notice that it’s the first day of May, the month my son will be coming home from University in Edinburgh, Scotland.  Notice that “Rock Lobster” is by The B-52s, one of my son’s favorite bands when he was a little kid.

If you leave a comment, I’ll definitely notice.

Notice that I always end with gratitude to all who help me create these posts and — of course! — to YOU.

Day 1899: I don’t want to deal with _____.

I don’t want to deal with

• snow,
• the cold,
• a cold,
• taxes,
• important U.S. special elections that are too close to call,
• the terminal illness of a close friend,
• broken appliances,
• condescending and rigid people, and
• the death of Stephen Hawking, who had to deal with a lot.

And yet, I’ve learned to deal with this:  Whatever it is I don’t want to deal with, life will deal me those cards.  I guess that gives me the opportunity to practice and improve my ability to deal.

What don’t YOU want to deal with, here and now?   Three photos from our third Nor’easter in 10 days?

What helps you deal with things you don’t want to deal with?  For me it’s

• hearing other people’s opinions,
• taking a breath,
• self care,
• patience,
• accepting all my feelings,
• trying a new perspective, and
• focusing on the things I do want to deal with.

Here’s Erin, who shows how to deal with a cold and people who don’t like her.

Here‘s  the original song “I Don’t Want to Deal with That Right Now.”

Here‘s a tribute to Stephen Hawking (who died on Pi day and Albert Einstein’s birthday).

Right now I do want to deal with your comments.

Please do your best to deal with my gratitude for all who helped me deal with creating another daily blog post and — of course! — YOU.

Day 1866: Ups and Downs

Last night, in a therapy group, when I went up to the whiteboard to write down the important themes in the room, I noticed a lot of them had to do with ups and downs.  The ups and downs included people’s moods, the U.S. stock market, and perceived successes and failures.

Are you up for or down for my photos from yesterday?

 

 

 

 

 

Somebody recently gave me a dreamcatcher. I’ll be hanging that up soon.

Happy thoughts bring me up when I’m down.

Ready for some up and down music?

 

I’m up for any comments you write down below this post.

Thanks to all who helped me with the ups and downs of this post and to you — of course! — for all the ups and downs you may bring.

Day 1843: The New Normal

Yesterday, in a new therapy session, somebody was talking about the new normal.  Because the new normal has been changing  all the time (which can cause new stress and new anxiety), we discussed new coping strategies like self-care, setting new limits, mindfulness, and taking a breath.

New snow is predicted today for New England, which is normal for this time of year.

Are there new normals in my new photos?

 

Normally, every time I see that new hotel marquee it has a new musical message. Whenever I see a two-fingered peace sign, I hope that peace may become the new normal (even though today’s new normal is “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme.”).

Here‘s that new normal, by Abba:

 

It’s normal for me to ask for new comments and to express new thanks to all who help me create these blog posts and — of course! — to YOU.