Shame is a painful feeling

If you are going to miss work because of a bipolar episode, it's important to contact your boss and/or Human Resources as soon as you feel up to it and let them know you won't be coming to work for a few days and will be back as soon as you can. Let me get right to my offer: a place to go and work off all that tension. A place to do something kind and good and healthy for yourself. XYZ Spa is a health club for professionals. We offer a complete gym, indoor track, two pools, sauna, and steam room. We're geared to offer you a vigorous breakfast-time workout before work, or fast and efficient lunchtime workout at midday, or something more when you have the time at the end of the day. Davidson, what time is best for you? PROSPECT: I really don't know. YOU: Does the prospect of membership in a highly flexible and convenient health club interest you? PROSPECT: I'm not sure. YOU: Well, then, what you need is information. HELLO little demon, you cannot fuck with me today but you may sit next to me while I sip my beverage and eat my seaweed snack. Thank you for wanting me to be THE BEST but I have work to do. Even if it's B+ mediocre work, it's my excellent work and it's time. Publicly sharing joy can feel vulnerable, more so for me than sharing my deep struggles, so when I am tapped into limitless joy I try to really stay with it. Lean into it. TAKING CARE OF WHERE YOU LIVE OFFLINE AS A JOY ACCESS POINT One thing that is important to me about joy is finding out where my neighbors find joy. At the library, bingo night, the coffee shop. There is an event in Detroit called Haireoke that is the most joyful event I know of.

It's hosted by Cole Davis, and they bring their entire wig collection, props, and more--they dress each person up to feel like their best and most beautiful self. As we come to the end, I want to say two things. First, never ever feel guilty about what matters to you. If eating out and enjoying your city and engaging with strangers and being the life of the party matter to you, don't you dare think that's not valid because it doesn't look the same as someone who would rather have people around her kitchen table and go to bed at nine. Everything matters because we all matter, and different things matter to each of us. Name what matters to you. If it matters, it counts. Second, you are enough. You can stop trying to be the ideal, future you, carrying a load you were never meant to carry. Let go of the working, the listing, the striving--all the things you're doing to deserve the love of the people around you. You are enough. If you are honest about your personal needs, you are putting your best interests first - and what could be wrong with that? Be more direct Be more Dutch and don't be afraid to say no. The other person may be disappointed at first, but at least they know where they stand. Just make sure you choose your words carefully, so things don't get awkward. If someone is asking for a favour, you can simply say, `Sorry, today I can't. Keep it simple. If you don't want to go into detail, simply say: `Sadly, I'm afraid I can't help you with that. Keep your options open.

You could add: `I can't right now, but please keep me in mind for future assignments/events. I am dissatisfied with the tr state that appears during hypnosis because I think it makes a person vulnerable to unnecessary advice. Also, as a Christian, I believe that experiencing hypnotic states is a way of opening up to things other than God. Deep Sleep Hypnosis Slow-wave sleep is essential for human health and well-being and the consolidation of memory. It has shown that this sleep stage decreases with age, and this decrease is associated with the development of several neurological diseases. Prescription drugs designed to improve sleep (or more accurately: sedatives) have shown to reduce slow-wave sleep. These drugs may also have serious adverse side effects and are usually highly addictive. Slow-wave rest (also called deep sleep) is the third stage of the sleep cycle. It gets slow-wave because, at this stage, the EEG will show synchronized low-frequency activity. One possible way to increase and maintain a healthy slow-wave sleep level is hypnosis. Before you make the call, decide how much you want to divulge. You don't necessarily have to say you are recovering from a bipolar episode, but saying you haven't been feeling well and are under a doctor's care can be a valid excuse for missing work. If you are in the hospital, once you feel ready, tell the charge nurse you need to call your boss and they will facilitate the call. Eventually you may have to own up as to why you missed work but you can cross that bridge down the road. Once you make the phone call, a huge weight will fall off your shoulders and allow you to focus your energies on your recovery. Monitor Your Moods and Symptoms While recovering from a bipolar episode it is important to recognize the lingering symptoms you are having due to the illness, as well as the warning signs of a relapse into a manic or depressive episode. If you are having troublesome symptoms or your mood is fluctuating toward mania or depression, make an appointment to see your psychiatrist as soon as you can. Eliminate Stress

Know your limits, both at home, at work, or at school. May I send you a brochure that describes our various programs? I think once you see the brochure, you'll be ready to pick a program that's right for you. You'll also find telephone numbers for fitness counselors, who can help you decide what would be best for you. Here is a similar pitch, but done as a hard sell: Tompkins, I'm calling to tell you to Just do it. PROSPECT: What? YOU: Just do it. It's more than the slogan of a popular brand of running shoe. It's good advice. Especially now. And then we sing songs to one another and laugh and dance and eat pizza. This is where my community goes for joy. I notice which restaurants feel joyful, both in the staff and the patrons; I go toward joyful spaces, because more often than not, if I am not finding it, I just need to do a little more research to locate where it is outside the confines of my own home/my own mind. If you aren't finding joy in your normal patterns, switch up your routine and continue looking around you. Michigan's state motto is If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you. Look about you--apply this to your joy practice. FINDING JOY BY STAYING CURIOUS IN THE PROCESS OF SELF-REFLECTION I want to talk about self-inquiry, self-reflection, and how to practice them without hating ourselves--in fact, how to do them while letting this endless joy fill ourselves up to take us to the highest places of good.

There are so many different tools, different teachers, different ways that I take an inventory of myself. Now let's go back to the beach. Rather than picking up a shovel or a bucket, grab your beach chair. Walk slowly to the edge of the water, nestle the chair into the soft sand, and sit. Be still. Feel wave after slow wave gently settle you deeper into the sand, anchoring you exactly where you are. Don't coax the waves to come faster or the sand to pile higher around you. Rest in the silence. Receive the stillness. Experience the beauty of your smallness. One of my favorite things about being at the beach is how loud and silent it is at the same time. Say no in person. Messaging is one of the most notorious sources of misinterpretation. Call the other person or, if they are in the same office, quickly drop by so they can hear your tone of voice and see your facial expression and body language. Never become defensive or aggressive; Ask for help Be proactive and let people know if you are struggling to get your work done on time. Don't jeopardise your free time, but instead ask your co-workers or a friend for help. They can take over some of your work tasks, or collect your kids from the nursery so you get an extra hour. They will probably be happy to help, and if not, they will say so (if they're smart).