I’m back to 05:30 am starts. It is really the routine that I feel most comfortable with. I get everything extra I want to do with my day done, before starting the work day. I meditate, and then exercise. And then I try to write something. I’m pretty pleased about…

Some Time Out Can Make All The Difference. — I had hit burnout. No matter how early I was getting to bed, I was still waking up tired. I felt depressed. My motivation was shot. I couldn’t concentrate properly. I booked time off work. Couldn’t afford a holiday. But given how I needed to rest, it wasn’t a big…

I won a symbolic victory against the numb apathy that depression creates and got back into a semblance of my healthy routines by the end of this week. Nothing too strenuous. I managed to meditate for 20 minutes first thing after waking, and then did some light exercise. Of course…

Writing Through Depression Is A Toughie. — Writing through depression is a tough one. You don’t like much about yourself. Your motivation feels sapped. And not just your motivation but your energy levels too. It’s hard to concentrate. Thoughts tend to slow, and lack a little coherence. It is more difficult to edit too. So mistakes slip…

Why You Should Treat Your Middle Game Like a Fresh Start. — I’ve been off my game recently. I had backlogs at work. My living situation wasn’t secure. I’ve still got financial issues as well, though I am working to resolve them. Because I was tired I let a lot of the healthy activities go. I stopped meditating for a few weeks…

Unfortunately I’ve been busy. An office closing means working with people who may be faced with losing their jobs. I’ve been doing this from the Trade Union side. It is grim work. Especially at the moment with this scary economic climate. They have also just run a permanency exercise and…

Can You Use Guilt For Recovery from Addiction? I’ve relapsed many times. Sometimes it was because I wasn’t admitting to myself I had a problem. Other times it was because I’d coped with the itch for long periods of time and thought it would feel easier to just give in. …

I take care to refocus each time a new month comes along so that I remember my aims for the year. I take stock of where I’m at, and where I want to be. March was a tough one. I haven’t been this busy with trade union duties before. I…

Bipolar As I’ve Experienced It. — I woke up this morning with the stuffing knocked out of me a little. For the first time in a while my situation is looking bleaker than expected financially. But I’m going to roll with the punches and count my blessings, budget carefully and try not to let it get…