Episode Summary
It has now been six weeks since I started this podcast and as usual for a Sunday, I reflect back on the last 7 days and review the key lessons from each of the episodes of the last week. These include:
- Happiness is a collection of moments of contentment.
- How I thought I’d had a relapse when I hit a low I’d not experienced for at least 6 weeks.
- My reframing of my “relapse” to a “blip”
- How I was able to unwittingly “recreate” my blip twice in one week!
- A ground breaking leap forward towards my own healing (in my opinion anyway)
- The two questions I am starting to ask myself to help, heal and achieve happiness
- I share more about my cold shower routine – and if I’m honest I do so out of a sense of smugness I am able to take cold showers as well as because I know it is something that might help others too!
- How I discovered the importance of my morning routine to my mental well being
- My realisation of needing to manage my choices (about using techniques to help me) when I am at my lowest.
Episode Show Notes
00:18 – What is incredible (to me anyway) is that I have now been doing this podcast for 6 weeks!
01:33 – Why I am doing this podcast (again) and the benefits I’m getting from recording and publishing it [NOTE – as far as I am aware at this moment in time, no one has listened to any episode according to the download statistics].
02:36 – I am starting to feel more compassion for myself as I listen to the recordings of me sharing my innermost thoughts, fears and feelings.
03:27 – Monday’s episode – 037 Defining Happiness – There’s Less To Being Happy Than You Might Think.
04:01 – Happiness is about a collection and an accumulation of moments of contentment.
04:39 – My moment of contentment is a walk in the morning sun before I start my work.
05:54 – Tuesday’s episode 038 Have I had a Relapse looked at why I was feeling really low – lower than I had felt for a long time. It was triggered by a combination of not getting out of bed at my normal time coupled with very negative rumination.
06:47 – Wednesday’s episode 039 Yesterday Wasn’t A Relapse It Was A Blip, reframed my experience of the previous day. Yes I did feel extremely low, but for the first time I was able to function and have a productive day despite feeling like that.
07:56 – Thursday’s episode 040 The Low Mood’s Gone, Negative Thoughts Remain, But I’m Becoming More Open To Healing had me reflect on these two important questions.
08:19 – How can I address the cause of these feelings?
09:32 – How do I manage my state when I feel low so I can get back to being functional?
10:25 – In Friday’s episode 041 An Update On My Cold Shower Routine, Brrrr! I talk more about how that is working for me!
11:27 – I will be sharing more about the Wim Hof method because I have now invested in his programme as part of an offer they made because of his 60th birthday.
12:05 – In Saturday’s episode 042 Routine Vaccinates Me Against Rumination, I had another low, but realised I helped set it up because I didn’t do my usual morning routine.
13:15 – I continue to get huge benefit from doing this podcast, even if no one is listening to it – because I am and it is helping me.
14:04 – The things I have discovered that are important this week are:
- My morning routine is important.
- 14:14 – Techniques like the 5-4-3-2-1 technique work, but I have to use them!
- 15:11 – listening to the podcast is a form of therapy in itself.
- 15:40 – I have spotted some consistent emotions and at least one way they are triggered.
- 16:33 – I think I have discovered the achilles heal to my problem – being able to change my state when I am at my lowest – if I can do that then the rest will be easy.
17:39 – The one piece of advice I feel I can give at this moment in time – become more aware of how you’re feeling and what triggers those feelings. That is the starting point to helping yourself heal.
