The Trees Fell: Bipolar, Grief, Loss, and Hope (Part 1)

September 18, 2019 at 08:00AM Beth Brownsberger Mader
(This and other articles are provided by some of our curated resources. We encourage readers to support them and continue to look to these sources in times of need and opportunity.)

On the Road Again: Five Ways out of Bipolar Purgatory

September 16, 2019 at 09:42AM Brooke Baron
(This and other articles are provided by some of our curated resources. We encourage readers to support them and continue to look to these sources in times of need and opportunity.)

Taking Yourself On: Boundaries

September 13, 2019 at 06:00AM Debbie Jacobs
(This and other articles are provided by some of our curated resources. We encourage readers to support them and continue to look to these sources in times of need and opportunity.)

Hope & Harmony Headlines: Breaking Free From Negative Thinking

September 12, 2019 at 10:53AM bp Magazine
(This and other articles are provided by some of our curated resources. We encourage readers to support them and continue to look to these sources in times of need and opportunity.)

by Carol L. Rickard

Sometimes, the path to wellness with depression and anxiety can feel less like a journey and more like a marathon or the Tour de France. When the hills seem too high—or the valleys, too low—we need to reassess our focus. So let me ask you a question…

Where do you focus your attention?

Is it on how much farther you still have to go to get back to wellness?

Or is it on how far you’ve come from where you started?

Because where we focus our attention can either make or “brake” our recovery from depression and anxiety.

Let me explain.

At this time each year I do a bike ride to raise money, which goes to support land conservation in a local area called the Sourland Mountains.

My strategy is simple: FINISH!

What makes it particularly challenging is there are some really long, steep hills you have to surmount toward the end.

The first time I did the ride, these hills got the better of me several times! I had to get off my bike and walk up some of them.

That was in large part because I set myself up to FAIL by continuing to look at the top of the hill and constantly assessing how much farther I had to go to reach the top.

When we do this, we psych ourselves out and can begin to feel overwhelmed and hopeless.

Just like with bicycles and BIG hills, this principle applies to wellness and recovery.

If we are constantly focusing on how far we still have to go to get better and back to our old selves again, we can psych ourselves out and begin to feel EVEN MORE overwhelmed and hopeless.

So where is the best place to focus our attention?

TODAY!

Focusing one day at a time keeps us from piling on the extra overwhelm and hopelessness.

The next thing you know, you’ve gotten to where it is you want to be!

And if you start to feel frustrated, like you aren’t making any progress, take a quick look back to see how far you’ve come!

Taking recovery one day at a time keeps us moving in the right direction!

Tell me your thoughts in the comment box below.

~ To Living Well TODAY! ~

The post A Critical Piece of Your Wellness Journey appeared first on hopetocope.com | Hope To Cope With Anxiety & Depression.

via hopetocope.com | Hope To Cope With Anxiety & Depression
(This and our other articles are provided by some of our curated resources. We encourage readers to support them and continue to look to these sources in times of need and opportunity.)

How the Bipolar Diagnosis Changed My Life for the Better

September 12, 2019 at 08:29AM Julie A. Fast
(This and other articles are provided by some of our curated resources. We encourage readers to support them and continue to look to these sources in times of need and opportunity.)