Supports when things go Pear Shaped

How do you know when you are doing well, thriving even? Perhaps you wake up with energy, you look forward to your day, you have plans for the weekend and a sustainable rhythm to your days that feel meaningful and have hope.

Then there’s a shift and you don’t make that phone call to a friend, you don’t bother going to your art or tennis group. You skip the catch up for trivia at the Local. You bail on your exercise class, skip the pilates or don’t go home from work via the gym all week. Then two. The volunteering you regularly do at church or the local shelter feels too hard and you can’t remember the last time you walked the dog or wrote in your journal.

Before you know it, that loss you have been facing feels overwhelming and you’re not sure who you can even reach out to. The darkness feels darker and you find sleep feels elusive and you can’t remember what it felt like to be connected to those around you and you stare at friends blankly when they ask how you are going.

Supports are important when we are managing our mental health. Know what yours are and get help from a therapist to work out how to strengthen yours when you need to.

You could consider what supports are internal or external, informal or more formal. Some examples could include:

• Internal- breathing, helpful thoughts, mindfulness, prayer, journalling, gratitude lists, etc

• External- Informal

  • friends, family, pets

  • Services and organisations- community clubs, churches, neighbourhood centres, libraries, hobby groups, volunteer agencies, social media groups, etc

• External- Formal- support services such as Counsellors, Social Workers, Psychologists, GPs, psychiatrists, hospitals, etc

This list is clearly not exhaustive. Crisis supports should be accessed when you are worried about the safety of your self or a loved one. See resources and tips page for further details. Reach out to Jo at Email: mountainlightcounselling@gmail.com if you recognise you need some more support.