Was feeling a little bit weepy early this week and was headed toward a pity party before putting on my big girl pants and intentionally getting on with what needed to be done. The turning point for me this time was being reminded that I had not had a shower in a few days ... yikes.
When our loved ones health is affected by cancer I certainly think that there is a healthy way to grieve the losses we have without falling into the destructive emotion of self pity. My lovely counselor taught me how to be able to handle my emotions in a healthy way and to learn how to accept my feelings and not feel pressured to "get over them" or "move on" prematurely. Still a work in progress when it comes to maintaining an optimistic outlook, avoiding the stats and thinking of what could go right does not come easy to me.
Amy Morin gives these tips as to what people can do to to stop a downward spiral:
1. Face their feelings
2. Recognise warning signs of downward spiral.
3. Question their perceptions
4. They turn their negative thoughts into behavioral experiments
5. They reserve their resources for productive activities
6. They practice gratitude
7. They help other people
8. They refuse to complain
9. They maintain an optimistic outlook
The full article and explanations of each of the 9 points can be found here:
