WEEKLY HEALTHY LIVING CHECK-IN NOVEMBER 9TH, 2019
WEEKLY HEALTHY LIVING CHECK-IN NOVEMBER 9th , 2019
HEY EVERYONE!
**WELCOME To Our End of the week "WEEKLY" HEALTHY LIVING CHECK-IN~...
**If you aren't a member yet, Please "JOIN" the Healthy Living Community Here!! **
**Hello there Everyone~ How have you been doing this past week?
**How have you been feeling Physically, mentally & emotionally this first week of the month?
**How has the New "Time-change" affected you overall this past week?
**There have been some Big site changes here at 7cups this week, mainly with Support rooms (Such as Healthy Living and others).... How do you feel about them? How do you feel it will affect your overall wellbeing?..... READ HERE FOR MORE INFO.... (We are here to support you!)
**What have been your "Highlights" Or "Struggles" over this past week?
**What are your weekend Plans?
**What would "YOU" like to talk about or share with us?! WE want to hear from "YOU"~ 
@Vivelespatates @YoursTrulyBen @StanDaMan78 @ AffyAvo @sail46 @MellieTronx @lovingbanana5204 @Cloudysummer @AveryLove @Regmo7 @Rebekahwriter13 @baylinAnderson123 @lavenderpeach1107 @Zulegirl @ThankYouForLettingMeTryingToHelp @GrowingGinkgo8847 @niceDaisy36 @888Butterfly888 l @philosophicalperson8202 @Consciousawakening @politeTangerine7243 @MoreThanAConqueror18 @DudeWheresMyZip @ruffneckred @ElizaJ @diplomaticconfucious @reliablebutoftenforgotten @ShareASmile2014 @bubbleChestnut3363 @estompe55 @HaileTruci @Keola @berryfields2409 @GhostlyLilian @HobbitsandElves @heartfulSong1012 @dynamicHemlock1736 @enthusiasticSpruce8104 @straightforwardWatermelon9084 @PrincessofHyrule @Oliversoul @condrespaoils @philosophicalLemon5177 @LilyBlossom21 @optimisticDay6856 @Rawnm @betterchoices @LK1007 @Dondy154 @gibberishgiraffe77 @intellectual5402 @yellowLand3941
**The past week went well... I kind of got off track on Sunday to start the week, and had a minor "slip-up" or two with my eating, but, overall, It was accounted for and I was able to "salvage" the day and get back on track with things.~ Stayed on track with my classes, and workouts. Subbed classes for other instructors..and Water was pretty much "on point" this past week and was happy about that since it can be challenging this time of year. My sleep started off well ,but could've been better as the week went on...... I had a visit with the dermatologist this week and found I had some sun damage. Needless to say, I need to start taking much better precautions than I had been.~
**The weather is about to get really chilly/cold here. The daytime highs will be pretty close to the "nighttime lows"!
.. Morning walks with my mom, will now take a "back-seat" over the next week at least for now.... and I will start attending morning group fitness classes as a student to get in my morning activity....I don't want to get into that "Lazy-feeling" mode because its getting colder out. Which is so easy to do. I dont want to "un-do" all of the progress I have made this past year.
**Today With it being so chilly, and it just being me and my pup here today, Not much planned.~ My intentions are to hit up a Zumba class, and then to relax the rest of the day indoors. Trying to save on Gas (and on Money as the Christmas holiday gets near)~
ENJOY THE WEEKEND~
@PoliteOcean
This past week has been pretty up and down for me. I finally got into services for mental health and have an upcoming appointment with a psychiatrist and a therapist. I got turned down by a therapist that I thought I wanted because they didn't feel qualified to take me. That is the case with most therapists here when it comes to complex trauma cases that have caused DID. The one I have an appointment with has had some experience with it so I am hopeful that she will decide to take me. I have been working on some therapy things at home this week as well. I started a Mindfulness class and have been coming to this site as well.
The time change and I got along this time :) I have been fighting to get my days and nights turned back around but that was an issue before the time change.
The recent changes don't bother me so much because I have never been very active on this site. I didn't take part in chats nor the feed so I don't have the "missing them" feeling that others have expressed. I do feel sorry for the people who it is affecting. I can tell in the posts that it has had a negative impact in some of their lives. :( I am now trying ot earn my badges so that I can take part in the chats in the future. I think it might good for me.
Highlights this week? I have learned a lot of new information to help me in my recovery journey. Struggles? Trying not to feel overwhelmed by it all.
My weekend plans are to be kind to myself and try to get a new time management program tweaked to fit my days well enough for me to be productive like I need to be. I downloaded an app that I can set timers for the whole day to remind me what I need to do throughout the day. That has been helpful so far. I tried it out yesterday and was able to do all my basic need stuff, so that was a good start :)
@TeenyTinyAppy
Hi there!
Seems like you've been dealing with soe personal struggles and challenges.... But its great that you have been able to find a therapist that could possible be more qualified to help you deal with those situations! It can be challenging to find the right one that completely fits your specific needs and understands you. So we certainly hope that this visit with her finds that you both will be a good match for each other and that you are able to start getting the help that you are wanting and needing...
I think its awesome that you've been taking a mindfulness class! I'm sure that has been helping you alot, and helping to get you more centered on things. And perhaps giving you a little more strength to deal with day to day things.
Its great that the time change didn't affect you this time.. I'm sure that helped!
We are so glad that you have learned (and continuing to learn) new and more information that can help you in your recovery and to help you proceed moving forward into a healthier overall wellbeing physically, mentally and emotionally (body, mind and spirit)!
You sound like you have some really great weekend plans ahead!.. How great for you that you are taking the time for some self-improvement!.. (I personally have to set reminders for EVERYTHING I do! Like seriously!) If I didn't set them in my phone I don't know how I would personally get by each day! lol.... What app are you using to help you do all of this?! Sounds really interesting!
Sounds like you are doing a great job working on your overall health! Keep up the great work that you are doing and thank you so much for letting us know how things are going for you! Please continue to check back and keep us up to date on how you are doing!
@PoliteOcean
the app I found is called Tasks: Todo list, Task List, Reminder
It is really an easy layout and you can set the timers or not. It is a todo list and you can set up sub categories... on mine I did subcategories for each thing like hygeine, therapy work, mindfulness, cleaning, fitness, diet, and meds. If you do use timers you can set it up one time and forget it, it will go off everyday or whatever days you set it for (works well if you have a stable schedule) It is actually really versatile and in the settings you can set it up to fit your own personal needs.
@PoliteOcean
How have I been doing this past week? Bad.
**How have I been feeling Physically, mentally & emotionally this first week of the month? Bad.
**How has the New "Time-change" affected me overall this past week? It has not affected me.
**There have been some Big site changes here at 7cups this week, mainly with Support rooms (Such as Healthy Living and others).... How do I feel about them? How do I feel it will affect my overall wellbeing? It has not affected me.
**What have been my "Highlights" Or "Struggles" over this past week? Getting on track.
**What are my weekend Plans? Getting on track.
**What would "I" like to talk about or share with us?! I do not like complaining or negative sayings, but it seems sometimes I cannot avoid them.
@ThankYouForLettingMeTryingToHelp
Hey there..
Sounds like you have been dealing with some personal struggles recently. Sorry to hear that... And yes its true that sometimes it can be difficult to avoid certain situations... We hope that whatever you are dealing with or going through, that you are able to get back on track for yourself and overcome those situations.
Remember we are here for you! Best of luck to you moving forward. We thank you for taking the time to check in and letting us know how you've been doing.
@PoliteOcean Hi Ocean! What a week it has been that's for sure! My emotions were running really high these passed two weeks but I was able to pull myself out of my head and today it's a lot better! I also just hit a 19 day streak with my meditation... that's my longest streak yet and I'm really happy about it! Have a beautiful weekend!
@lavenderpeach1107
Hey there!
Despite that you've had a challenging couple of weeks, its really great for you that you have been able to overcome and pull yourself out of the situations that you were going through! Its certainly not always easy to do. So its really awesome for you that you are feeling better about things. And congrats to you on your 19 day streak!... Way to go! You are only a few short days away from a WHOLE MONTH!!!.. KEEP GOING! DON'T STOP!! You've got this!
Keep up the great work that you are doing for yourself, and thanks so much for checking in this week and keeping us up to date on how things have been going for you.
@PoliteOcean As always, thank you for your beautiful reply!
I am thankful for those people who have lived through the struggles that we now do and have taken the time to share their knowledge and experience that we may benefit in our own lives. Knowledge helps me to be to cope with my mental health disorders, so every contributor in the past and present has really made a positive imapact on my own life.
@PoliteOcean
** I've been having kind of a rough week. I've had a couple "fall backs" where I spiral into really negative thoughts. I worked a few days this week which was a challenge for me with my speech not feeling very fluent and being in a new environment. I got a gym membership gifted to me so hopefully starting to go to the gym will help me focus on something else. My dog has been especially awesome this week so props to him for sticking out all the rough times with me.
**I'm feeling a lot of feelings. Physically my body hurts right now because I went hiking today and haven't been hiking in weeks. My knees are really sore which isn't a good sign. It wasn't that long of a hike so I'm hoping I recover quickly. Mentally I keep getting off track. I'm wrestling with self-worth issues and not sure how to work through them. Going to my therapist didn't seem that helpful this last session, it feels like I just need to purge all of these negative thoughts and then move on. There is always a block when it comes time to really open up with my therapist and I don't know how to let myself feel comfortable to share this with her. I started writing my feelings into a story to help myself understand my pattern of negative thoughts and I'm thinking about sharing it with some people to help me get past the shame aspect that makes me keep it bottled up. Feeling very lost, please send hugs.
** The time change has been good for my sleep schedule. I'm now going to bed around 9pm (giving myself time to read a book or listen to a podcast) and naturally waking up at 6:45am. I get up with the sun and feel like I have a jump start on the day even if I don't have much to do; it starts my head in a good place. I definitely don't like it getting dark so early but I'm going to try to start going to the gym in the evenings to counteract my tendency to become overwhelmed with seasonal depression.
**Honestly I'm pleased with the site changes. I've tried to join group chats several times and have only enjoyed being in one once. The other times the conversation was so hard to follow and just a bunch of people who apparently knew each other talking about inside jokes and what not or the conversations became really inappropriate. I think the chats should be guided discussions so they are actually prodcutive for mental health. I understand the loss this will be for many members though as far as social connection and I hope they are able to figure out a way to manifest that elsewhere on the site.
** Highlights were that I think I've snagged a karma yogi position with a local studio so I can get free classes in exchange for cleaning; I'm pretty excited about this because I can't afford yoga right now but it really helps me with my mental well-being. Struggles this week have been spiraling into feelings of worthlessness and really struggling in social situations. I keep trying to work up to being able to get in touch with friends again but I haven't been able to.
**Weekend Plans: today I went on a 6.5 mile hike, I was having a really bad mental spell this morning and was proud of myself for still making it out to hike. Getting some fresh air and enjoying a beautiful day really helped.. and honestly being alone and having solitude is probably what helped the most. Tomorrow I might try to take the kayak out or maybe try to start a sewing project.
**My health plan updates; still taking daily ashwagandha, b complex vitamin, 5-htp, omega3 (emphasis on EPA over DHA). My diet is currently gluten and sugar free with minimal carbohydrates and mostly pescatarian. It's been about 2.5 weeks on the diet and so far the only thing I've noticed is improved BM's and possibly improved respiration with exertion. I've also given up caffeinated coffee which has been so hard but I think it's helped with my anxiety A LOT. I used to get massively dizzy every morning around 10am and that has mostly gone away now. It could also be from the lack of gluten and/or sugar too. The reason I'm doing all this is to hopefully lessen or even get rid of my migraines that plague me weekly (sometimes biweekly). I had one migraine this week and the headache part was actually treatable with aspirin which usually NEVER works so I think this is a sign that I'm on the right track with manipulating my diet. This migraine lasted 2 hours instead of the usual 2 DAYS and I was actually able to fall asleep after taking aspirin.
@GrowingGinkgo8847
Sorry to hear that your week was rough for you. Seems to be the consensus here right now~ Its great having a dog/pet to help you through those troubling times. I know when I am in my feelings over something, he helps me emmensely just by being here with me.
On a more positive note, Thats really awesome for you that you were gifted a gym membership! How blesses are you for that!... Hopefully you will find that as the incentive you need to focus on other things.. I know when I finally started to go, it gave me what I needed to focus on other things besides "my own feelings" all the time.
Sorry to here that you are dealing with such a challenging time about yourself right now... Its so difficult when negative feelings of self worth or self doubt tend to creep in. Its not easy to always let them go. While therapy may have its days where you find its not as helpful as you need, its really great that you are able to open up some and talk to someone about your feelings that can perhaps help you sort through them all.... Good for you on writing down your feelings, while sometimes painful ,its a good start to letting things out, and sometimes letting them go and being able to move forward.
What a positive for you that the timechange has not affected you negatively! And that your body has such a good natural clock of its own... And making plans to go to the gym is really Awesome! Good for you on taking action and fight against the seasonal depression that some can tend to experience this time of year.
Its good for you that the site changes haven't affected you... I know the negatives points that you have made and can surely have a negative impact on the way the group support rooms can be.....And while yes it will affect many in their own way, I too hope that those that need it can find the ongoing support here that they came for. Guided discussions are always nice and can help alot. Hopefully those will continue on as well when the rooms are opened up for everyone to join in.
How nice that you were able to snag a Yogi position and get Free classes!.. (Along with a Gifted Gym membership too!?!) I'd say that is a HUGE plus. And is something that should surely be able to keep you busy and focused on other things other than being stuck in Anxiety/Depression or other negative feelings.~
Good for you on being able to get out in the fresh air and enjoying all that it had to offer.
Thanks so much for keeping us up to date on how things have been going for you and for checking in this week to let us know how you've been doing!
@PoliteOcean Thanks for your reply! It's nice just to have a space to reflect and always extra nice to know someone is out there responding :) I will try to use the gym/exercise/yoga as something positive to focus on. Exercising and healthy eating sounds like a dedicated lifestyle for you. In the past I've had very physical jobs and now going to the gym for exercise feels like torture but maybe in time I'll come to enjoy it.
Thanks so much for your support and feedback.
@PoliteOcean
Heya !
Well this past week has been pretty intense, I was at a seminar thing that lasted for 4 days. Due to not being super social with people I dont know and being inexperienced in the field for now, this seminar ended up being pretty draining. So this was the struggle of the week! The highlight was to do better than expected during that seminar, it was draining yes, but I still was able to make connections and to do quite okay.
My weekend plans are to stay active despite the weather being so cold, Im hoping to catch up on sport as I couldnt workout much this week. Im also hoping to be motivated enough to study a bit but well see about that haha! I also need to keep making efforts with food.
Last but not least, regarding what you said about having some sun damage, Id like to share that sun protection and staying away from the sun when its just too sunny is really important! There are sunburns but there are many other damages that we dont always see and that are actually worse than sunburns (skin ageing, but also DNA damages). So, be careful with the sun!
@LinearWaves
Hey there!
Sorry to hear that your week was rather draining for you, but its great that despite that, that you felt you were able to make connections and ended up doing ok!
I hope for you that you found yourself able to Stay active over weekend with the colder weather. I know how challenging that can be for sure! Its actually starting to feel like winter here as well. It makes it harder to want to leave the house and go out when you just want to stay bundled up in the warm house! Lol...I hope that you found the motivation that you need as well to study!
How awesome that you are wanting to make efforts with your food! Perhaps keeping things simple, start with finding some simple swaps? And maybe try or start iwth portion control?..
And yes.. thank you for the wise words about Sun protection.. I guess I thought I was doing well with that, but obviously I wasn't. I even wear hats and all that good stuff at the beach, pool ,and outside, and use sunblock of course. But maybe I wasn't doing it well enough? I surely know better now to use even "more" precaution.
Thanks so much for checking in this week! Its been really great to see you. Thanks for letting us know how things have been going for you!
@PoliteOcean
Thanks a lot for the answer!
Yes here too the almost-winter weather is making it hard to go out, plus with the shorter days going out after work is just not possible before night haha! Thankfully indoors workout is still doable. As for food, looking for swaps sounds like a good plan, same as portions, to avoid restricting and ending up with deficiencies. Thanks for the ideas, I'll look into it!
It seems that you were doing really good with sun protection already indeed. I think one of the issues might be that sun protections are much less efficient than we think they are… While working in a very big cosmetics group that also does sunblocks, Ive been told that we should actually put sunblock again every 15-30 minutes when were exposed, which is hardly doable. And that if youre just very exposed to sun (like, in the middle of the day) you should actually just not be exposed, again, hardly doable… Plus some sunblocks are less efficient than others depending on what they contain, so it seems really tough to avoid any sun damage at all!
@LinearWaves
Hey there!
Wow thanks for the reply about the sunscreen! I have actually heard in the past that they might not be as "effective as we think they are" as well... So I see your point there. I cannot say that I have I've heard about re-applying up to every 30 minutes, BUT... That would surely be a great start and a great option if we are in the sun alot. It totally makes sense to do so!
Looks like I will be doing that alot more now. Especially since the labels I read on the ones that I buy state up to every 2 hours or so. So that could be a potential issue for sure. We need better labels and criteria for applying and when/how often to do so!
Thanks again for the information! I appreciate it, and will be taking that suggestion! Have a great day!
The last few months for me have been super challenging. My 17 year old son come home and my 15 year old stepdaughter come home within 6 months. Learning to manage 4 teenagers one of them being really defiant has impacted my physical and emotional health tremendously. I had 2 car accidents, both my fault, in less than 2 months because I was too overwhelmed and stressed to even focus on driving. I need ideas or suggestions for stress management.
@redFan1126
Wow.. sounds like you are going through a really difficult period right now. Sorry to hear that. If you don't mind my asking, where were your kids/stepkid before they moved in with you? Just wondering since you said they were only 15 & 17, I assumed they already be home? Were they living with someone else or away somewhere for awhile?... Just trying to get the full picture.
I know that teenagers can be difficult or have their moments at times. Its not always easy. And 2 car accidents due to your stressors is certainly even a more difficult thing due to safety reasons (For both yourself and possibly others)!
Is there anyone in your life that is able to help you or be a mediator that your children will listen to? What about conseling for you all (family councel) or for yourself? Do you have parenting support groups in your area? Someone who can perhaps help with some coping mechnisms in how to deal with teen behavior.
Whatever you decide, we are here to support you in any way that we are able. We also have a Family Support Subcommunity here as well that can perhaps also aide you with your teens and your relationships with them!
As far as your physical and emotional well-being go, you must also remember that you have to continue to take care of "You" and your needs, for you cannot be good for anyone else or in other relationships when your own needs aren't being taken care of and met. Remember to take some time out for yourself each day! Plan some self care time. Time away from the house, time to do things that YOU enjoy doing! Take some time for yourself to get away from the drama at home. Take hot baths, take long walks, find your "peaceful place" that makes you happy! We also have a Mindfulness Subcommunity here to that can help aide you as well in finding some "peace" for yourself. We and all our communities are here to support you!
**How have you been feeling Physically, mentally & emotionally this first week of the month? I am quite bit overwhelmed. . . My story I am working on is all over the place, my dentist found many issues with my teeth (wisdom teeth issue and my from my Cpap machine) . . . I have to see him 5 times and see a surgeon.
**How has the New "Time-change" affected you overall this past week? I do not like it being darker earlier. It makes me more depressed easier.
**There have been some Big site changes here at 7cups this week, mainly with Support rooms (Such as Healthy Living and others).... How do you feel about them? How do you feel it will affect your overall wellbeing?..... READ HERE FOR MORE INFO.... (We are here to support you!) I'm still very new to all of this.
**What have been your "Highlights" Or "Struggles" over this past week? Struggles. . . My anxiety has really been toying me with making mountain out of mole hills, but I did get 17,098 words written on my story.
**What are your weekend Plans? Write, cook, chat with my friend, and if I get motivated clean/
**What would "YOU" like to talk about or share with us?! WE want to hear from "YOU"~ *Hugs*
@Rebekahwriter13
Hey there Rebekah.. Thats tough when you feel overwhelmed and challenged in your life.
Thats tough for you that your dentist found issues with your teeth. But on another note, its good that you were able to get an oral exam and can possibly work towards to taking care of the problems. Our oral care is so very important in our overall health,, more than people realize.
Sorry to hear that the timechange has affected you... It can cause challenges for those that suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). Has anyone ever told you that you have that?... I think many probably have it un-diagnosed for sure. Its a tough time for many right now until Spring comes around again.
I know how challenging it can be when Anxiety sets in, it can be really fierce sometimes. Despite how you felt, thats awesome for you that you were able to get so many words written! Great job!
**Thank you for the HUGS**!! HUGE HUGS BACK!! 
.... And thank you so much for checking in this week and letting us know how things have been going for you! Its great to hear from you this week.
1. I am well, thank you. Calming down considerably since I'm doing my 7cups!
2. Physically: I actually have had a list of ailments that I'm going to schedule a doctor's appointment for, haha. My appetite has also been quite strange. Hopefully a checkup helps me out!
Mentally: I've been feeling jumbled.
Emotionally: I've been feeling stressed, but always ever hopeful.
3. I haven't really noticed the time change much, besides the fact that it's dark when I leave work now. I think it's all a bit silly, but it does bring me nostalgia for past seasons.
4. The site change hasn't affected me at all.
5. Highlight: I feel like it's easier for me to motivate myself and keep working longer.
Struggle: I have not exercised at all, nor eaten that well.
6. I'm doing this a bit late, so I'll say my weekend was very good and somewhat productive, just a bit stressful. I ate terribly, and I'm sure that's contributing to my mood.
@betterchoices
Hey there!
Its so great that 7cups has been helping you!...
Sorry to hear that you have some concerns going on, but its really great that you are going to schedule yourself an appointment! Thats a great first step in taking care of yourself, and taking charge of your health.
Its good that while things have been feeling "jumbled and stressed" for you, that are you remaining "Hopeful"! Thats a really positive thing! Great job!
Yes... I certainly agree about your comment on 'past nostalgia" regarding the timechange~ It brings that for me as well! So I get it.
How Awesome for you that you find its easier to "motivate" yourself!.. Not many people can say that! What do you find that makes it "easy" for you?! What tips could you share about that with others?
Despite being stressful and not eating well, its really great that you feel it was still good and productive! Thats a positive. We all can relate to having stressors in our lives, and "not eating the best" of course. But thats ok, we aren't perfect. All we can do is continue to move forward with our next choices and attempt to do better!
Thanks so much for checking in this week and letting us know how things have been going for you!
@PoliteOcean What a lovely and attentive reply, thank you!
As for finding more motivation within myself: honestly? It's just remembering the results. I've been doing itsy bitsy teeny tiny baby steps in a positive direction I want to go, and now it's starting to snowball. Instead of remembering how much I hated that I had to do a thing I didn't wanna do, or how much it sucked having not done something I should have done, by starting out with microscopic steps, I've built a tiny tower of "I did it!s" and now I can look back on that, and think, "Hm. Maybe this won't be so hard after all" for future tasks. I hope this was helpful!