Battles

@AlwaysMyself totally understand that the feelings can break through, it's the same for me. Oh I get the same way sometimes with noise, especially when things in my head feel so loud and it's like everything is competing with each other to be the loudest.

Have you got any other things that help with distraction? I tend to bounce from activity to activity cos things only work for a short time sometimes but I need to keep busy to avoid acting on things in those moments.

I'm sure your dogs will love their walk tomorrow. Hoping the gp and chiro appointments go on for you.

I have nothing on tomorrow, sort of in limbo at the moment with what I'm doing cos I hadn't planned this far ahead. (I'm safe). But I might do some more craft, maybe diamond art or colouring.

Diamond art or colouring sounds nice; i hope you enjoy some restful time tomorrow @MissGremlin .

I don't have many things to do, which is why i bought some of the painting things. If i can focus sometimes i read a book, but when i have intrusive throughts i find it hard to focus for more than a short time without them breaking in. Sometimes i pass time listening to audio podcasts, but again the intrusive thoughts break through and my mind wonders.

Interesting as i write this i realise that is probably considered "difficulty concentrating" when doing depression rating scales. But i dont think of it that way, because when i was doing work or am cooking for example i can focus on those more complex tasks. But yeah i guess i can focus/concentration problems with more passive things like TV/movies, books, phone games. Huh that is a good realisation because i usually rate myself as not having any difficulty with that 🤔

@AlwaysMyself fingers crossed i can, surprised I'm still functioning on 4 hours of sleep 😂.

I relate to this so much, it's exactly why I have so many different activities to do. Even if things only work for a short time those short times all add up to a longer time. We just have to keep trying as frustrating as it can be at times. What will work sometimes also may not work other times, it all depends on the moment.

That's a really good realisation and it doesn't surprise me. Different tasks require a different amount of focus/concentration. Things like work and cooking need alot of focus to be done properly whereas activities like tv/movies, games, reading etc are usually done for pleasure so we don't have to put as much effort into focusing on them.

Ofph, 4 hours?! I hope you get some good longer sleep tonight @MissGremlin 🤗.

My brain is feeling abit more settled after talking about and also the silly socks distraction. Also trying to look at what i might do during my visit in sydney upcoming, other than visit a few people and probably wander the city one day/evening for interest. I like to see what has changed. And i find browsing the various asian supermarkets interesting - done it since childhood after spending a year living in asia. Foreign supermarkets often have interesting items i dont see elsewhere.

@AlwaysMyself gotta love insomnia and a brain that doesn't switch off 😂.

Glad to hear your brain is feeling a bit more settled, we'll take that as a win 😊. Oohhh heading over to Sydney sounds cool, I've never been to Sydney myself. Checking out the Asian supermarkets would be awesome to do, can imagine not only would it be a bit of different culture but lots of different items aswell.

hey @AlwaysMyself!!

@AlwaysMyself @MissGremlin big relate to turning off the tv/show too!! it's interesting how the thing that helps keep us calm at the start just suddenly switches into something that annoys us.

yeah the more brain power something requires, the less my intrusive thoughts have time to intrude hehe. but then if the activity requires TOO much brain power, my motivation to do it disappears so that's a whole new problem hehe. atm lego's my middle ground activity

@rav3n yes it's so strange and often frustrating that something can both help but then irritate us at the same time.

Oh I totally relate to that if something takes too much brain power then the motivation disappears. I often want to do a craft, get things set up but then get overwhelmed cos it's too much effort so I just quit. Lego is a good middle ground activity hehe

Lego is probably a perfect activity because it is both a bit of focus (which pieces goes where) but it also tactile. @rav3n @MissGremlin

..and can be done sitting down (which is a big win in my books, because of my fatigue). I do cooking sitting down too. Sadly cant clean up sitting down though.

@MissGremlin i lived in sydney for about 15 years, basically my high school years plus some more. But not somewhere i liked living (although i was in the suburbs); people too busy and always in a tired rush.

Last time i visited i found there was a whole block that was now japanese/korean shops which was a nice surprise to explore. Very trendy now i guess.

Doing things in sydney is so expensive though. Just seen a few food walking tours in the city... but wow im not paying that much. I could DIY for that price lol.

@AlwaysMyself oh I hear you with sitting down activities, I struggle to stand for too long thanks to hypotension. But yes sadly cleaning can't be done sitting down. Why did I just have the silly thought of cruising around the house on a computer chair to do the cleaning 😂.

Oh wow living in Sydney for about 15 years, I've been in the same state all my life other than going to Queensland twice for a holiday.

Hopefully you can find some new places to explore for your next trip 😊.

Everything is so ridiculously priced these days. Hehe DIY 😂

Not such a crazy idea @MissGremlin 😆 i've done it plenty of time when potting in a single room - just not yet between rooms lol