My environment reflects my state of mind

[PnorkelPW]

Hi All……….I hope you had a safe weekend.

I was in a slump last week due to working through some emotional family stuff and it extended to the weekend. I was trying to keep moving but found it hard. I got into a headspace where I thought I’d wasted days lounging around the house and felt stuck in a negative headspace. As I worked through it all though I realised that I had actually been being kind to myself.

My self care had been pretty good and I’d managed to get to the pool every day for a swim and a sauna but that was a real effort………and I didn’t think I was always going to win it. I battled thoughts of using pretty hard and I didn’t think I was always gonna win that either………..but thankfully I did. After wallowing for those few days I felt ready to start doing things but my mind wasn’t always as willing. On Sunday I dragged myself out of bed to go for a kayak and get some fresh air but I stood at the top of the beach debating whether or not to go. It was a bit choppy and I was stuck in a yes/no mindframe…………I swear I stood there for 15 minutes trying to decide. Eventually it was a no but that no got me through the rest of the day.

I stopped at Bunnings on the way back and bought an edger for the lawns. I hadn’t mowed them in about 6 weeks and the edges have been growing over the path for about the last 6 months. It’s one of those things that made me feel like crap every time I looked at it. My environment is often a reflection of my mindframe and state of being. Part of the reason I was feeling crappy was because I felt like things were piling up around me. I proceeded to spend the next 5 hours in the yard and at the end of it I was feeling pretty damn good. I felt proud of my work, I’d burnt a tonne of excess energy, I hadn’t resorted to substances and I’d got some valuable vitamin D that had been missing while I spent 3 days inside on the couch.

When I was stuck in heavy addiction my room was a reflection of my headspace and wellbeing. It would get messier, the bed would be unmade, there’d be bottles, baggies and papers everywhere and the door would be closed. I was a mess and so was my environment. If you’re feeling like crap you can change your environment. Sometimes there’s not much you can do to change your situation but you can change your room, your house, your backyard………..your mindframe. Maybe it’s moving some furniture, getting your washing done, making your bed……….just get started. Put some music on………just get started.

What can you do to give yourself a sense of achievement???

How can you change your environment???

What do you need to change???

[Ai1985]

I'd love to remove all my kids mess (toys, random bits of clothing etc),plus get on top of my clean laundry. The baskets are just overflowing and I cant get on top of it! Solving these 2 problems would make me feel 1000% times better and my anxiety and the overwhelming feeling every morning when i wake up ans look at it would be gone. Every morning is started like I'm drowning in shit I just can't do. So stuff it, couch potato for my days off.

Gardening is my escape - I tend to go outside and plodder about in my gardens just to get some calm and clarity back

[PnorkelPW]

@Ai1985 feeling like you're starting from ten steps behind can be really overwhelming. I know when I'm in that space sitting on the couch seems like a better options sometimes.

Is there anyone you could ask to come round and give you a hand for a day or two and get things back to square??? Or go to the laundromat together and just put in all the washing and get it dried in a few hours???