Tag Archives: Recovery

Weekly Check-In

Posted on by Gertie

Good Evening, World!!! It is that time to do my weekly check-in. This is something I enjoy doing for many reasons. Overall, this past week has been great despite the lack of sleep I have had due to insomnia. Insomnia sucks hard core.

Even though, I have had trouble sleeping a good portion of the week, work went quite well. I received some awesome feedback from my supervisor on how to deal with some challenging clients. Granted it was hard to take feedback but awesome. My supervisor is awesome. I also received great feedback from my supervisor during our team meeting which was hard to take in as I am use to taking praise especially in front of other people.

My twice daily mindfulness meditation practices are going quite well. Actually, I do three a day five days a week when I work as I do one mid-day to help myself refocus and to lessen stress especially if it has been an unusually stressful day at work. The extra mindfulness meditation practice during my work day actually focuses on work related stress. So, basically I do two mindfulness meditation practices twice a week and three mindfulness meditation practices five times a week. Sometimes I do more if I feel like I need to.

My cat, Billie Dean of course has been a love bug and quite awesome. Billie helped me quite a bit with my anxiety attacks regarding unexpected anxiety provoking events. Events that were eventually dealt with.

That is my weekly check-in for the week. Thank you for reading. Peace Out, World!!!

Sleepless in Seattle Type of Night

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, World!!! It just after two in the morning Seattle time and I am unable to sleep. I have been awake since two thirtyish yesterday morning. As much as I dislike not being able to sleep, I am making the best of the situation.

I am making the best of it by reading. I am reading a book about Tarot Cards. In fact the book, I am reading is Tarot Cards by Lisa Chamberlain. I am reading it because I am interested in it and am hoping it will help me with some parts of my recovery with the mental health challenges I struggle with from time to time. I know it is not the usual way to help with recovery but recovery is non-linear and not a one size fits all.

One size may not fit all for recovery of any kind which is why, I am all for different ways to work on my recovery. Another way I work on my recovery is my cat, Billie. Billie helps a great deal with various symptoms the mental health challenges I struggle. He definitely helps me with anxiety and PTSD symptoms. I think I will cuddle up with Billie and read.

I do not have much more to say in this particular blog post. I do want to thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of the things that you the reader, read my blog. If it was not for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be writing my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Happy Friday

Posted on by Gertie

Happy Friday, World!!! Today has been an amazing day despite the lack of sleep I had last night. Work went extremely well. I enjoy this job and have amazing colleagues. Colleagues that are on the same team as me as well as colleagues that are not on the same team.

Speaking of colleagues from both my team and different team, myself and five colleagues went out to eat. My colleagues had alcoholic beverages while I had soda. I could have had a drink with alcohol but I don’t need alcohol to have fun. Not saying my colleagues drink to have fun. The place we went was awesome and the food was amazing. The best part of dinner with colleagues was having fun and the restaurant happens to be in my neighborhood which means I walked home.

Now, I am home writing this blog post with my cat, Billie Dean on my lap purring up a storm. I love Billie to the moon and back. Billie is an amazing cat and am grateful for him being in my life. I plan on spending the weekend relaxing with Billie by my side.

I do not have much more to discuss in this particular blog post. I do want to thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things for you the reader, reading my blog. If it wasn’t for you the reader, reading my blog I would not be writing my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Happy Friday and Peace Out, World!!!

Update on New Job

Posted on by Gertie

Good Evening, World!!! I just wanted to update you on my new job. First and foremost, I am loving the new job most days. I love the fact that more than sixty percent of my job is doing outreach to clients while the other part is in the office doing notes or attending meetings.

I am not a big fan of attending meetings nor doing notes but that’s okay. It’s okay because starting on Sunday, February 19th I will be working Sunday through Thursday. On that note Sunday will be my work from home day which means Sundays will be my paperwork day as well as taking clients on field trips such as going to the zoo or aquarium. I am not a big fan of working a weekend day especially Sunday because I had to change my volunteer days at PAWS Cat City from Sunday to Friday but I am grateful I was able to change my volunteer shift.

I’ve digressed. Despite the change in my work schedule, I am grateful for my job. I am also grateful how tight knit the team I am is. My colleagues are awesome and my supervisor is super cool. I am lucky to have supportive colleagues.

I do not have much more to discuss in this particular blog post. I do want to thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciative from my end of things that you the reader, read my blog. If it wasn’t for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be writing my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Weekly Plans

Posted on by Gertie

Sunday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice through the Calm App
  • Twenty to thirty minute walk while listening to a podcast
  • Volunteer at PAWS Cat City
  • Play the flute for at least thirty minutes
  • Read
  • Artwork (color)
  • As always spend time with my cat, Billie

Monday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice through the Calm App
  • Twenty to thirty minute walk while listening to a podcast
  • Work
  • Read
  • Artwork (color)
  • As always spend time with my cat, Billie

Tuesday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice through the Calm App
  • Twenty to thirty minute walk while listening to a podcast
  • Work
  • Read
  • Play the flute at least thirty minutes
  • As always spend time with my cat, Billie

Wednesday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice through the Calm App
  • Twenty to thirty minute walk while listening to a podcast
  • Work
  • Read
  • Artwork (color)
  • As always spend time with my cat, Billie

Thursday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice through the Calm App
  • Twenty to thirty minute walk while listening to a podcast
  • Work
  • Read
  • Play the flute at least thirty minutes
  • As always spend time with my cat, Billie

Friday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice through the Calm App
  • Twenty to thirty minute while listening to a podcast
  • Work
  • Read
  • Artwork (color)
  • As always spend time with my cat, Billie

Saturday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice through the Calm App
  • Twenty to thirty minute walk while listening to a podcast
  • Read
  • Artwork (color)
  • Play the flute for at least thirty minutes
  • As always spend time with my cat, Billie

Up Too Early On A Sunday Morning!!!

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, World!!! It is just before six in the morning Seattle time. I have been up since just before four in the morning Seattle time. So, I have been up for barely two hours and I don’t have to be up for about another hour to get ready to go and volunteer at PAWS Cat City.

Anyway, since I am unable to go back to sleep, I decided to turn on some music and do some art. The type of art I did was color. I am coloring a giant poster. A giant poster, I hope to give it to my mom when I am done coloring it. As I colored this giant poster, I listened to music on Spotify. The music I listened to was my childhood play list. A play list that reminds me of good parts of my childhood. I’m glad to have started my day listening to music while coloring. Now it’s time to do my mindfulness meditation practice while my cat, Billie sits on my lap.

I do not have much more to write about in this particular blog post. I do want to thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you the reader, read my blog. If it wasn’t for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be writing my blog. Again, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. I hope you all have a great Sunday ahead of you. Peace Out, World!!!

Weekly Check-In

Posted on by Gertie

Hello, World!!! It is that time of the week where I do my weekly check-in. I’m not sure how eventful it was, if it was at all. Having a week being uneventful is a good thing. Since my week has been uneventful this will likely be a short and boring post.

If you read my blog regularly, you are aware that, I have been doing a mindfulness meditation practice through the Calm App every morning. I have been finding this quite helpful to start my day out. I have also been doing a mindfulness meditation practice mid-day when I am working and this has been quite helpful to decompress the stress of whatever may be going on with my job. I am glad that I started the mid-day mindfulness meditation practice this week. I am finding that I am in a good head space more often since starting my day with a mindfulness meditation practice.

Work is going great. In fact today marks one month since I started my job with the PACT (Program of Assertive Community Treatment) team at my employer. I really enjoy my job. In fact I love it. I spend half of my day outreaching to clients and the other half of the day in the office doing notes or attending meetings. My colleagues on the team I am a part of are awesome and I am grateful for them.

Working full time has made me fully aware of how much I need to do self care. I already mentioned one method of self care I do which is doing a daily mindfulness meditation practice. One of the ways I do self care is volunteering at PAWS Cat City. I love spending time with all the kitties and helping them get furrever homes. Of course another form of self care for me is spending time with my own cat, Billie. I love my cat to the moon and back. Another form of self care I do is going for a twenty to thirty walk every day. Walking not only helps with my physical health but my mental health as well.

As, I realized this week, I need to not only schedule my self care but add more self care to my life. Self care that can be considered hobbies. Of course listening to music is key to my self care and I tend to do this when I am on public transportation going to and from work. Another thing I started doing today is doing artwork as I listened to a podcast. The podcast will vary as well as the artwork I do. Of course reading is on the self care list and I started doing that today. In fact I am reading Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb. I need to make sure I schedule these various self care acts so I can continue doing the type of work I do for my job.

So, that was my week.

No Sleep for Me

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, World!!! It is just after three o’clock in the morning Seattle time. I haven’t been to sleep yet. Thankfully, the lack of sleep isn’t due to insomnia. I’ve been up due to just getting lost in what I have been doing all night and having fun doing it.

So, I have been awake all night doing artwork. Specifically I have been coloring. I have been coloring as I listen to a podcast. The podcast I have been listening to is on philosophy. The philosophy podcast is Philosophize This. The coloring I have been doing is on a poster and it is coming along. In fact I am seeing a lot more progress than I had thought. Progress that I am proud of. Anyway, once the poster is done, I am thinking I’m going to give it to my mom. I’m also learning a lot from Philosophize This.

Besides coloring and listening to Philosophize This, I also have been reading. I am reading Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb. I am about to start chapter seven. Actually, I am going to start chapter seven later today when my eyes are not so strained. I think they are strained due to staring at a computer at work and being awake since five in the morning yesterday.

Before heading to bed, Billie my cat is happy that I have been paying attention to him most of the night. He is one happy camper. I am one happy cat owner. I love Billie to the moon and back.

I am now headed to bed. I do want to thank you for reading my blog. Have a good day ahead everyone. Peace Out, World!!!

It’s the Weekend

Posted on by Gertie

Happy Friday, World!!! The weekend is finally here. Don’t get me wrong, I love my new job and it’s hard to believe that I’ve been there a month now, it’s just been a long week at work.

Despite it being a long week at work, I am really enjoying the new job. A job that I am grateful for. My job consists of me outreaching most if not all of my clients at some point during the week. The team I am on is PACT (Program of Assertive Community Treatment) and my colleagues on the team are beyond awesome. It appears that the PACT team members are a tight knit group of people and I like that.

As much as I love my job and enjoy the people I work with I am happy it is the weekend. I am planning on relaxing the entire weekend. My plans of course include me volunteering at PAWS Cat City on Sunday morning. I am also planning on spending time at home with my cat, Billie. I love my cat so very much and I know without a shadow of a doubt he loves when I am home. The weather this weekend in Seattle is going to be perfect weather to stay home and basically do nothing as it is supposed to rain all weekend.

With the weather being kind of yucky, I plan to just stay home and do nothing. By nothing I mean, I am going to do some artwork. Specifically, I am going to be coloring a poster I’ve been working on. As I color, I also plan on listening to a podcast on philosophy. Specifically, I will be listening to the podcast, Philosophize This. In fact as I am writing this particular blog post, I am listening to Philosophize This. I really enjoy this podcast.

Besides listening to podcasts and doing art, I am planning on reading. I am going to start reading Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb. I’ve started this book many times and have enjoyed what I read but never got even a quarter of the way through it. So, I am going to be setting out time each day to read. Reading helps me get out of my head and I enjoy reading.

Well, I do not have much more to say in this particular blog post. I do want to thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you the reader, read my blog. If it was not for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be writing my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. I hope you all have a great weekend. Peace Out, World!!!

Sleepless in Seattle Sucks Sh*t

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, World!!! It is just after two in the morning, Seattle time and I cannot sleep worth shit. My insomnia is kicking in big time at the moment and it sucks shit. I have to get up in two hours and fifty-three minutes for work.

Since, I cannot sleep and have to be up in less than three hours for work I have decided to not turn on my happy light for depression or my lights in my apartment in hopes to keep my brain as much at rest as possible. Since I am wanting my apartment dark right now, I decided to do a handful of mindfulness meditations on the Calm App and it helped me. Now, as I am writing this blog post, I am listening to a podcast about philosophy. Specifically, I am listening to the podcast; Philosophize This I highly recommend. In fact, the podcaster who does this podcast, Stephen West, lives in the Seattle area which is extremely cool.

As I listen to Philosophize This, I have been cuddling with my cat, Billie. Billie is happy that I am awake to pay attention to him. I am beyond grateful to have Billie by my side and for his unconditional love.

Well, I do not have much more to say in the podcast. I do want to thank you for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!