2021

I am not a fan of New Year resolutions for myself. However, 2020 being the year that it was (or will be by the time I post this... if I post it) the start of a new year begs for something. 

In my email today, I received the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)Newsletter. The theme of this month's newsletter "Building Back Stronger in 2021" has left me with some thoughts for the non-resolution something I believe I am looking for. 

1) "Acknowledging the good around you can put you in a better mood and is a positive way to start the New Year." 

• I'll start with acknowledging that I am grateful I took the MHFA course last December (2019). I didn't take it with COVID in mind but it sure was helpful in that regard and I imagine it will continue to be so. 
• I am also grateful for a job that was not eliminated or reduced in 2020. In fact, heading into 2021 my job description has been re-defined due to a merger. This move will mean more, and more challenging, work. The challenge will give me a renewed excitement for my 23 year career and divert my focus away from fear and anxiety that have plagued me for years and seem worse as I get older. It may add to them as well but "Acknowledging the good around you can put you in a better mood..." 
• I am also grateful to learn that I am CMV negative. I was informed of this at our blood donation today. Turns out Cytomegalovirus is a virus that affects most adults at some point in their lives. Most never know they had it. The antibodies stay in your body forever. The antibodies are harmless to adults but fatal to babies. Being one of only 15% of adults that are CMV negative means my blood can be safely given to babies and young children. I'm going to do my best to donate as often as possible this year. 

2) "It can also be helpful to create a self-care routine to take with you into 2021"

• About a week ago, I decided to make the commitment to Yoga With Adrienne's BREATH 30-day yoga challenge which starts tomorrow. This will serve as a start to a self-care routine. 
• I also would like to see a return to more hiking and walking in 2021. Both activities work wonders for me both physically and mentally.  

Happy New Year

Keep Smiling and Keep Moving

-Paula 

Perspective: Alter Egos and Self-Distancing

I enjoy getting my news from the BBC. The BBC's choices of, and perspectives on, US events is most often different than what I see in US news outlets. 

Perusing BBC.com/news also gives me the chance to see what else is going around the world. It's a chance to get outside of the world I live in. Try it, you might like it. 

In my experience and opinion, BBC.com/News also provides much more in the way of human interest or thought pieces. During my morning check-in today, I was prompted to read "The ‘Batman Effect’: How having an alter ego empowers you". It's a long, enjoyable read. Here is my short takeaway. I recommend reading the piece, though, as your mileage may vary. 

How many times have any of us been in a position to motivate or support someone else with our words? "YOU can do it", "YOU'VE got this", I believe in YOU". Sometimes our words (or actions) are more involved, but these pretty much sum up the efforts. Yet when it comes to motivating ourselves we get bogged down in the minutia or weighted down by sad or frustrated feelings. So much so, that we can't realize the advice we would give another having the same or similar type frustrations. 

It turns out, scientific studies have shown that when we speak to ourselves in the second or third person, we are better able to manage the stress and anxiety.

“Self-distancing gives us a little bit of extra space to think rationally about the situation,” says Rachel White, assistant professor of psychology at Hamilton College in New York State. "It allows us to rein in undesirable feelings like anxiety, increases our perseverance on challenging tasks, and boosts our self-control."

The Little-Engine-That-Could managed with the "I think I can" mantra. Self-distancing studies show that some of us will do well if we substitute "I" with "you" or "(fill in your name here)". Ok, the concept is more sound than the rhythm of that particular substitution. You get the idea, though, right? 

"Self-distancing seems to enable people to reap these positive effects by leading them to focus on the bigger picture – it’s possible to see events as part of a broader plan rather than getting bogged down in immediate feelings." 

I believe it works. 2020 has been a rough year an so many fronts. When I think of the times I've had to pull myself out of a downward spiral, I CAN relate it to the self-distancing phenomena. Getting out of my own head. It's often not as easy as that sounds. Still, it's worth the effort. 

So just as getting my news from BBC.com/news gives me different perspectives on the world, getting out of my own head emotionally provides a bigger picture that leads to alternatives I might not have considered otherwise. 

-Keep Smiling Keep Moving
-Paula 

PS: For those worried that embracing the BBC will cause me to miss local Philadelphia news, know that the Philadelphia Flyers mascot, GRITTY, made the BBC newsfeed in 2018 😎 Plus I'll never give up Action News -- just for the sheer fun of it.