When you’re ill, really ill, your emotions are all over the place. When I was at the height of my mental illness I could feel elation followed swiftly by despair… With a crap load of anger thrown in. I’m lucky that I haven’t felt like this in a long time and don’t plan to ever feel or act like this again.
Throughout all of it I managed to hold onto myself. The person that gives joy in my family. The picnic maker, the holiday booker, the puddle jumper, surprise making, fun giver.
I knew that if I could still create moments of joy that I’d hold on to me. And I did.
So why not give it a try? No matter how you’re feeling, try one of these:
- Bake a cake – throw flour over whoever is nearest to you… Normally a dog gets it.
- Pull on your wellies and walk
- Stick a film on and make the biggest bowl of popcorn you can
- Book a surprise trip away… Make sure you go!
- Make the best, most scrummy dinner you can
- Dance in your kitchen… Again insert dog
- Pull funny faces at complete strangers
- Go to the beach or a forest and play hide and seek
Or whatever it is that makes you and the people closest to you happy. Trust me when I say its hard to stay upset when you’re dancing with a dog who’s covered in flour… Or icing…
Jaime Stenning - a life uncut 