Thinking About Self Improvement & Recovery

Good Morning, World!!! It is a few minutes after four o’clock in the morning here in Seattle. I am not sure why I am up so early, but I am and sadly I am not feeling very well. It appears to me that I have a cold as I did a home Covid test last night as well as this morning and both tests came negative. I will be taking another take home Covid test this evening as I want to make sure that I don’t have Covid and if I do then I will self-isolate to make sure I don’t give it to anyone else. I am wearing a mask in public because I don’t even want to give this cold to anyone.

Even though I am not feeling well, I am still planning on doing what I want to accomplish today or at least start what I want to accomplish. There are a couple of continuing education course I want to take through the State of Washington that is for already certified peer support specialist. I am wanting to do this just to learn more as well as needing to take them for future trainings as peer. Plus, I love learning especially when it comes to my career of choice as a peer specialist.

Speaking of my chosen career choice, I have been applying for jobs as a peer support specialist. In fact, I have two job interviews next week for two different teams at the same agency. One is parttime and is not temporary job while the other if fulltime but temporary that last 18 months. In all honesty, I really hope I get the parttime job for various reasons. One of which I think I could succeed in the particular job.

Since I brought up wanting to succeed in a future workplace, I have been setting some goals for my recovery. One of those goals is to continue to work my way through some recovery related workbooks. I enjoy doing workbooks as a form of self-improvement as well as to help me with my recovery especially in between sessions with my therapist. Plus, completing recovery related workbooks allows me to help clients with improving themselves and I can inform them on how the workbook helped me with my own recovery.

Another way that I am focusing on self-improvement, and recovery is by watching TED Talks videos. There are so many TED Talks that I can learn from and not just with self-improvement, but other topics as well including how to deal with grief as I recently lost both of my parents. Hell, there is even a series for cat people like me.

Speaking of cats, I got approved to take the next level of cat behavior training for PAWS Cat City. It is online and I am looking forward to it. I can do it at my own pace, which is a good thing, but my plan is to do it in one sitting later today. I really enjoy working with cats or in this case volunteering with cats and not just with PAWS Cat City but Alley Cat Project (ACP) as well. Even though my volunteer position with Alley Cat Project (ACP) doesn’t have me directly working with cats, I am still helping cats. On that note I am really excited about taking the next level of cat behavior training for PAWS Cat City especially since I do have direct contact with cats at PAWS Cat City.

I do not have anything else to discuss or write about in this particular blog post. I do want to thank you the reader 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 continuing to write my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Insomnia Strikes Again

Good Morning, World!!! It is a few minutes after two o’clock in the morning here in Seattle. I am sadly unable to sleep again due to insomnia. I am not a big fan of not being able to sleep as getting a good night’s sleep is crucial both physical health and mental health.

Speaking of mental health, since I am unable to sleep, I have been working on a recovery related workbook. I find that working on recovery related workbooks help me with my recovery and allows me to look inward on how I can improve myself and lessen the symptoms of my mental health challenges. The recovery related workbooks also helps me in between session with my therapist.

In addition to working on recovery related workbooks, I have been reading. I am reading the second book in a dark queer fantasy series. I am really enjoying the book as well as the series. Reading helps me get out of my head and is a way for me to focus on something other than my current problems.

I do not have much more to discuss or write about in this particular except that I am going to curl up with my cat, Billie and read. I do want to thank you the reader 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 continuing to write my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Daily Prompt; What Topics Do You Like To Discuss?

Daily writing prompt
What topics do you like to discuss?

The topics I like to discuss are cats, mental health challenges and recovery. I love talking about cats because I have one myself and volunteering with cats at two different animal welfare nonprofit organizations. I love cats and love talking about them.

The other topic I like to discuss is mental health challenges and recovery. People without mental health challenges tend to think that those of us who have them are not productive members of society. I also like to discuss mental health and recovery because I am in recovery and I have worked in the mental health field.

Weekly Plans

Sunday

  • Mindfulness meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Volunteer at PAWS Cat City
  • Attend a hybrid 12 step meeting
  • Work on a recovery related workbook
  • Read
  • Art (coloring and/or diamond art/painting)

Monday

  • Mindfulness meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Attend an online 12 step meeting
  • Volunteer with Alley Cat Project by returning calls and emails.
  • Attend a second online 12 step meeting
  • Work on a recovery related workbook
  • Read
  • Art (coloring and/or diamond art/painting)

Tuesday

  • Mindfulness meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Attend an online 12 step meeting
  • Volunteer at PAWS Cat City
  • Work on a recovery related workbook
  • Attend an online orientation to volunteer at the Seattle Aquarium
  • Read
  • Art (coloring and/or diamond art/painting)

Wednesday

  • Mindfulness meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Attend an online 12 step meeting
  • Appointment with my therapist
  • Lunch with my partner and some close friends at Red Robin
  • Attend a second online 12 step meeting
  • Work on a recovery related workbook
  • Read
  • Art (coloring and/or diamond art/painting)

Thursday

  • Mindfulness meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Attend an online 12 step meeting
  • Volunteer with Alley Cat Project by returning calls and emails
  • Work on a recovery related workbook
  • Read
  • Art (coloring and/or diamond art/painting)

Friday

  • Mindfulness meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning Walk
  • Attend an online 12 step meeting
  • Volunteer with Alley Cat Project by returning calls and emails
  • Work on a recovery related workbook
  • Dinner with my partner at Red Robin
  • Read
  • Art (coloring and/or diamond art/painting)

Saturday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice through the Calm App
  • Morning Walk
  • U-District Farmer Market with one of my closest friends
  • Attend an online 12 step meeting
  • Lunch with a high school friend at Red Robin
  • Attend a second online 12 step meeting
  • Work on a recovery related workbook
  • Read
  • Art (coloring and/or diamond art/painting)

Daily Prompt; What Gives You Direction in Life?

Daily writing prompt
What gives you direction in life?

Many people and things give me direction in life. In fact my family gives me inspiration even though they are quite dysfunctional some of the time. Well the majority of the time my family is dysfunctional. My friends also give me direction in my life. Friends and family have helped a great deal with giving me direction in my life.

Another thing that helps give me direction in my life is my meditation practice as well my new faith in Buddhism or at least what I am learning about Buddhism. I am grateful for learning about Buddhism.

Of course my recovery and my cat help me give direction in my life.

Holiday Traditions

Good Evening, World!!! I would like to inform you of my own personal holiday traditions as it was suggested to me to start my own early on in my mental health recovery. The reason why it was suggested to me is because of some of the unrealistic holiday traditions that were placed on me by my family. No disrespect to my family as I love them very much but creating my own holiday traditions have helped me cope with my family as well helped me cope with my PTSD and depression.

When it was suggested to me by my therapist at the time early on in my mental health recovery the only thing I could think of regarding traditions for myself was comic books. Specifically two comic books that focused on Christmas. In fact the comic books I am speaking of are Christmas with the Superhero’s volume one and two by DC comics.

Over the years I have added to my holiday traditions. I have included the typical traditions of watching movies and listening to music. I have also included with the help of friends of the Jewish faith of spending a night or two or three celebrating Hanukkah with my friends who celebrate it. I am grateful that I can help celebrate Hanukkah with my friends who celebrate it. Besides watching holiday movies, listening to holiday music and spending two or three nights celebrating Hanukkah, I have included the following traditions to my list: reading holiday focused books, doing holiday or wintery focused jigsaw puzzles, doing holiday focused logic puzzles, doing Christmas dot to dot, and doing artwork focused on holidays or wintery scenes which includes coloring and diamond art/painting.

Now that I informed you of what I do for my own holiday traditions, it is challenging to know how my family traditions will change this year and next year due to my mom passing away two days before Thanksgiving. I say this year and next year as this year it is so fresh. I know I will keep some of the Christmas traditions my mom instilled upon me. As far as my dad’s side of the family they will still celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve as one of my uncle’s birthday is on Christmas and celebrate his birthday on Christmas.

I do not have anything else 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 was not for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be continuing to write my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out and Happy Holidays, World!!!

Weekly Check-In

Hello World!!! I don’t know how much I am up for blogging my weekly check-in today. I am just so overwhelmed with the election results. I am also overwhelmed by how other people’s behavior is affecting me due to the election. I am also angry and frustrated with myself for reacting the way I did when someone misgendered me again and it is the same person that keeps misgendering me. Sadly, I feel like this particular person gets away with shit but that is how I feel and I know I should not react the way I did.

On that note I went to therapy this past Wednesday and of course we discussed the election results as my last session with my therapist was the Wednesday before the election. I see my therapist every other week. We discussed the fact how I fear for my safety as a disabled non-binary person with a uterus that is a part of the LGBTQ+ community and queer communities due to the fact that America voted in someone who is full of hate. We discussed ways to cope and take a pause as I am having a tough time pausing at the moment.

One of the ways I will be coping is doing art work especially the way Seattle weather is currently with it being stormy and yucky outside which is normalish for this time of year. I have been doing diamond art/painting as it is something I can do inside with the yucky weather. I have also been cuddling with my cat, Billie. I love being able to cuddle with my cat especially when the weather gets yucky here in Seattle. I love my cat so very much.

I do not have much more to write about in my Weekly Check-In. 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 continuing to write my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Weekly Plans

Sunday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Breakfast with a good friend
  • Volunteer at PAWS Cat City
  • Clean apartment
  • Art (color and/or diamond painting)
  • Cuddle w/my cat Billie throughout the day

Monday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Breakfast with my partner, Junior (after he gets off work)
  • Call grandpa to thank him for his military service
  • Work on recovery related workbooks
  • Take and return calls for Alley Cat Project
  • Art (color and/or diamond painting)
  • Cuddle w/my cat, Billie throughout the day

Tuesday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Work on recovery related workbooks
  • Take and return calls for Alley Cat Project
  • Read
  • Art (color and/or diamond painting)
  • Cuddle w/my cat, Billie throughout the day

Wednesday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • In person appointment with my therapist
  • Work on recovery related workbooks
  • Dinner w/my partner, Junior and our friends
  • Art (color and/or diamond painting)
  • Cuddle w/my cat, Billie throughout the day

Thursday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • In person appointment with employment specialist
  • Work on recovery related workbooks
  • Take and return calls for Alley Cat Project
  • Art (color and/or diamond painting)
  • Read
  • Cuddle w/my cat, Billie throughout the day

Friday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Work on recovery related workbooks
  • Take and return calls for Alley Cat Project
  • Art (color and/or diamond painting)
  • Read
  • Dinner w/a good friend
  • Cuddle w/my cat, Billie throughout the day

Saturday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • U-District Farmers Market w/my partner, Junior and one of my good friends and her partner
  • Lunch w/my partner, Junior and one of my good friends w/her partner at Red Robin
  • Art (color and/or diamond painting)
  • Read
  • Cuddle w/my cat, Billie throughout the day

Weekly Check-In

Good Evening, World!!! This is not going to be a long weekly check-in as I am not up for writing much at the moment. This has been an up and down week for me and the current weather here in Seattle is not helping my mood much.

I saw my therapist this past week and we discussed how challenging it is to have some intimate moments with my partner, Junior due to PTSD. My therapist gave me some positive feedback regarding intimate moments with Junior and that he loves and respects me to stop intimate moments when I end up in freeze mode due to PTSD. I am so grateful for an awesome therapist and the love of a partner who helps me deal with PTSD. I am hoping that my therapist gets approval from her supervisor to be able to have Junior in one of my sessions with her.

As depressing as the weather has been here in Seattle today and yesterday I am so happy that my cat Billie has been helping with the PTSD and depression. I love my cat so much and I don’t understand why he loves me unconditionally.

I am done with this particular blog post. Thank you for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Weekly Plans

Sunday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice
  • Morning walk
  • Volunteer at PAWS Cat City
  • Do self paced online training for Alley Cat Project
  • Read
  • Artwork (color and/or rock painting)

Monday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice
  • Morning walk
  • Attend Emerald House (a mental health clubhouse)
  • Do some self paced online training for Alley Cat Project and do some shadowing
  • Evening walk
  • Read
  • Artwork (color and/or rock painting)

Tuesday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice
  • Morning walk
  • Attend Emerald House (a mental health clubhouse)
  • Do self paced online training for Alley Cat Project and some shadowing
  • Evening walk
  • Read
  • Artwork (color and/or rock painting)

Wednesday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice
  • Morning walk
  • Therapy appointment with therapist
  • Lunch at Red Robin with friends
  • Clean apartment
  • Evening walk
  • Read
  • Artwork (color and/or rock painting)

Thursday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice
  • Morning walk
  • Attend two virtual groups
  • Do some self paced online training for Alley Cat Project and some shadowing
  • Evening walk
  • Read
  • Artwork (color and/or rock painting)

Friday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice
  • Morning walk
  • Attend Emerald House (a mental health clubhouse)
  • Do some self paced online training for Alley Cat Project and some shadowing
  • Evening walk
  • Read
  • Artwork (color and/or rock painting)

Saturday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice
  • Morning walk
  • U-District Farmers Market
  • Spend day with partner