Finding the gaps in the clouds

One of the themes of my new blog has been the weather - emotionally speaking that is. I have spoken of rain and I have spoken of sunshine.

I am becoming aware that even those of us who struggle with mental health issues can sometimes affect the 'weather' by the way we approach a day. Today could easily have become one of those 'duvet ducking' days, but I wanted to get to the end of the day and feel a little more positive about myself - always a great incentive for the following day. Sometimes just engaging in routine helps to 'change the weather' to continue the analogy. Shaving and showering, putting on clean clothes, giving oneself a small achievable target, all of those things which so many people take for granted can contain healing moments for the mental health sufferer.

Put another way, knowing you did a little more than you thought you could manage is all you need to accomplish to be able to stand in front of the mirror in the evening, look yourself in the eye and say 'well done'. It may well have the added benefit of producing some gaps in the clouds of your emotional weather allowing yourself to glimpse the sun once again.

I accept the caveat that for mental health sufferers it often isn't that simple. However, those of us plagued by mental health issues owe it to ourselves, and to those whom we love and keep loving us in return, to really want to get better, to get up and look for the sunshine.

Those of you, faithful friends who are following this blog, are now well aware that chronic anxiety is the main symptom of my depression. Today I managed to find some breaks in the clouds. It wasn't easy and my long term anxieties are still, to use yesterday's phrase, 'snapping at my heels', but I found a few breaks and I offer that as positive encouragement to fellow strugglers. I also hope it will serve as encouragement for me when the sun is hidden by the clouds again.