What I Did Right In 2017

If you have read my blog at all this year you would know that for about six months this year (2017) I was sunk into the deep abyss of Bipolar depression. One of the biggest mistakes I have made in my life was listening to people tell me that because I just had my head cut open from Choclear Implant surgery I had a “right” to be depressed that it was normal. One friend even told me that Percocet makes you feel depressed completely overlooking the fact that I had the same surgery and the same painkillers in 2016 and was fine. By the time I finally admitted to myself that I was in fact, depressed and took my butt to the shrink I was already mired in the deep dark abyss of bipolar depression. Nothing happened to bring on the depression, I just became depressed and I just did not want to admit it.
I made other huge mistakes such as isolating myself and all of that. I finally after the shrink had increased my meds threw everything I had against the monster of depression and below are the things that I felt made a profound difference in my life   in 2017 and I am going to do them in 2018 also

Excersing

I knew that if I could just get my sorry ass moving that it would help me in so many ways. The hard part was getting myself to GO to the gym. There is a gym two blocks from my apartment but in the beginning, it felt like 2 million blocks. I finally did get up the gumption and the first two months were sheer hell but it got easier and now I cant start my day without a workout. It really does tamp down my anxiety and I am always ultra-productive on the days when I have a hard workout.

Mediating

I honestly did not think this would make much difference but like exercising once I got the hang of it I actually did feel calmer and better able to manage stress. I use HeadSpace to mediate. I like that it teaches you how to meditate. I thought I would never be able to calm my anxious brain but I did. I still can’t get completely out of my head and see things “ for what they really are” BUT I AM able to not let it bother me so much. One day I and the boyfriend had a big bad fight and I was supposed to be working on a huge client project. Normally I would have stewed over it for days and days and no work would get done but this time I was like whatever and went back to work.

Essential oils

Go ahead and laugh. I will wait unr=til you are done. I too used to laugh at all of my friends who swore by Young Living products then I tried them and I haven’t looked back since. It helps support the resolution of my anxiety and depression and makes my apartment smell amazing

Lots and lots of therapy

This one I almost did not do. It was a suggestion by my shrink and when I learned how much my co-pay was per session to just talk I was like ha ha ha ha. Upon the advice of friends who have actually benefited from it I finally planted down the cash and went to therapy and I am so glad I did.
It is more than talking it out, some ok most of the stuff that I did that pulled my sorry ass out from the dark abyss of depression came from my therapist. I am getting my money worth. I go once a week for the moment and I have managed to not only claw my way out of depression but I also got to the end of my binge eating and lost 50 pounds.

Gratitude journal

I actually use my Desire Map planner for this. I write down three things that I am grateful for that day. This helps me focus on the positives even in the dark times and I feel that staves off depression AND help me manifest stuff.

Going keto

I was on a low-calorie diet but then I saw some of the girls at the gym who was drop dead gorgeous so I mustered up the courage to ask them what kind of diet they followed. Every single one said they followed the keto diet so I too went keto and in addition to the pounds seeming to melt off, I feel sooo…much….better… The brain fog is gone, I have lots of energy and all of that jazz.

Invested in my business

This is the one thing I had wished I had done ages ago. I have heard many people say that to get as good as you can be you need help. I am sorta of cheap in some regards so whenever I saw a price tag on a course I wanted to take I would feel faint then forget it. However, when one of my most fave bloggers ever announced that she was opening up a membership community PursuitHQ I decided to take the leap and enroll and that was the single best thing I did for my blog and business last year. I have learned so much and my ghostwriting has taken off plus I am making money from the blog itself.  I know in 2018 I am going to start investing in classes more. The time for being cheap is over.