DECISIONS by JRC

People make choices on a common and regular basis. Some people have trouble deciding which option to take. Others have trouble even figuring out what options they have. One way to make an educated decision is to use a pro/con chart. Put the pros and cons in a table and they are easier to evaluate. A friend of mine actually told me that if you are really unsure of what choice to pick, flip a coin; designate heads for one choice and tails for the other. Now, see which choice lands face up and if you’re satisfied, that’s the right choice, if your disappointed than it’s the other. This works believe it or not and it’s very effective.

EXPRESSION by JRC

8-22-13

Today, I will touch base on a few topics. They will revolve around expression and providing outlets for your emotions. One way that I express myself is by writing. I write everything from short stories and essays (this blog) to poetry and journaling. A second way to express yourself is through art. Art is practical and doesn’t have to be perfect let alone neat. You can splash some paint on a canvas and you have an abstract masterpiece. Another way to express yourself is through music. You may write lyrics or write music for an instrument. Either way it’s a form of expression. There are lots of other ways to express yourself that I haven’t mentioned. Go do some research and you’ll find yourself a project.

ACCEPTS (DBT) adapted by JRC

8-20-13
A good way to help when you're under distress or just looking for an alternative to regular coping skills is to remember the acronym ACCEPTS. A is for activities: do hobbies, walk to the park, write. C is for contribute: help out in your community or do someone a favor. The next C is for comparison: compare your situation to someone less fortunate. E is for opposite Emotion: do something to cause you to have a different feeling, if you're sad watch a silly movie, if you're mad get your energy out and shoot some hoops with a basketball. P is for pushing away: create an imaginary wall between you and the situation, take a break. T is for Think differently: counter negative thoughts with more rational and wiser ones, evaluate what's really happening and look at the big picture. S is for sensation: find a sensation to distract you from your distress; hold a piece of ice; put on lotion, smell an air freshener. You can use ACCEPTS for a lot of situations. practice and become skilled in these and you are sure to succeed.

HABITS by JRC

8-17-13

Habits. Almost everyone has one. Habits can be good or bad. Good habits include exercise and a good nutrition. Bad habits are like smoking or drinking. The key is to replace the bad habits with good habits. This may sound easy and simple but, depending on what you are working on it’s harder than it looks. I would say good luck and good hope where it’s good to find the way through your spirituality. All in all, habits can be tough but, in the words of Michael Jackson, “You are not alone.” 

COLLAGES by JRC

8-16-13

Collages are a great way to express your feelings creatively. All you need is some magazines, paper and some glue and you’re set. I like taking eye-catching images to serve as eye candy. People like to look at brightly colored and well-toned pictures. Collages are my favorite type of art and the best part is: anything goes. No one will criticize your collage because there’s no wrong way to do it. Have a blast and try it for yourself.

EQUALITY by JRC

8-12-13

Equality. I believe that everyone should be treated equally. There are no superior people among you and there are no inferior. I am completely against prejudices. People need to accept each other for who they are. Prejudices are only skin deep. There is more to a person than their looks, beliefs or preferences. If we lived in a world where everyone was accepted as equals, it would be a less cruel place.

PROCRASTINATION by JRC

8-9-13

Procrastination. People do it all the time. They say, “why do today what I can do tomorrow.” Even I’ve begin procrastinating writing on this blog. To avoid procrastination, set goals, establish the steps for those goals and start slowly and easily with step one and give yourself incentives for completing tasks. It will help to motivate you and make it easier in the long run. That’s a sure cure for procrastination. 

GOAL SETTING by JRC

8-1-13

In this world there are pros and cons. However, if you were in control, what would you change? If you could change the world, what would you do? Maybe you would end poverty and world hunger. I’m not asking for a change on the global scale. You don’t have to think big to succeed in this. Honestly, I would only ask for some essential, as needed help such as to have a steady place to live with my fiance or to make it through college, at least a bachelor’s degree. The point here is goal setting. You don’t have to go big. Lower your standards and you’re sure to be satisfied. Remember to take small, steady steps because in the end, everyone knows the turtle always wins.

ANXIETY by JRC

7-27-13

Anxiety can become difficult to handle. You may use coping skills such as mindfulness, meditation, or deep breathing but I have found that visualization has proven to be the most effective. Remember, your imagination is more powerful than your fears and anxiety. You can use your imagination to “imagine”  the uncomfortable feelings away. In my opinion, people need a little stress in their lives. Actually, people need a balance of pleasure and pain to maintain stability. It is possible to feel too excited or happy which is also mixed up with feeling elevated. Happiness is a great feeling, but feeling elevated can promote racing thoughts in people with mental health. In closing, I will say that if you learn the right way to relax, you will learn how to manage your anxiety. 

TIME VS. MONEY by JRC

7-26-13

There are two ways to be successful. One way is to put a lot of time and effort into something. The other way is to spend a lot of money. Which is better? Some believe that time is money, while others prefer time and effort, for the thought. I believe that either way it isn't easy. Even money has to be saved and lot of effort given to resist getting tempted to buy things. It’s all a matter of preference and opinion.

LISTENING by JRC

7-25-13

Listening is an important skill to learn. We learn to listen before we learn to talk. In my opinion, I think it’s more important to listen than to talk. If you are listening then you can comprehend what others are saying. When listening, it’s important to keep a “fly on the wall” attitude. Others are talking but you are just observing like a fly on the wall. It’s good  to keep this mindset and then be mindful of what they are saying. The phrase think before you speak comes to mind. This makes it easy to communicate with people and avoid sounding impolite.

WHAT'S IN YOUR SUITCASE? by JRC

7-23-12

If I were to plan a trip to maybe Australia, what would I bring? I would assume that I am camping and electronic devices serve no purpose as there is no outlet. The things in my suitcase would serve a meaningful  purpose. Most importantly, I would bring books. The books a person cherishes can tell a whole lot about that person. I like suspense, leisure and fun based books, mostly non-fiction books, that are usually pop interest. I like the Guinness book of records, I like the for dummies series, and I like joke books and books about magic and psychology. But this is just the tip of the ice berg. By now I have mentioned the word books many times. Your suitcase may be filled with something else. What’s in your suitcase?

RAIN by JRC

7-22-13

Rain is a beautiful thing. I like to use rainy days to relax and kick back as the plants around my house get nurtured. It’s calm and peaceful. At least until the thunder and lightning comes. Then, it starts to sound like a battle ground. Two similar but opposite natural phenomena. 

CBT AND DBT HELP

VISUALIZATION by JRC

7-21-13

Visualization, or imaginary relaxation is an excellent form of meditation. I used it recently and it proves to be very effective. First, you start with a scene, preferably a relaxing place that’s easy to describe. I use the beach. So I start by pretending that I am at the beach. I start to describe the scene. i ask myself what does the ocean look like? It looks like a thousand glimmering crystals with half of the sun sneaking below the horizon. And then I describe nearly every detail. My chair is blue and yellow striped. It is a reclining chair, where I am leaning back. The sand feels cool on my bare feet. A glowing crab inches sideways across my path. I look up at the navy blue sky and in this moment, I am happy. That’s how you relax.

NUMBER ONE FACTOR ABOUT STRESS

UPDATES JRC

I WILL NOW BE CONTINUING MY NEVER ENDING JOURNAL ON THIS BLOG, ONE POST AT A TIME. -JRC

NEVER ENDING JOURNAL ARCHIVE 6-3-13 to 7-20-13

6-30-13

My dad once told me, if you want to get somewhere in life you have to stick with one thing. Well, see my intension span had far too much variety for me to just pick one. I wanted to have talents and skills in every subject or field. This made me feel greedy . to this day I don’t excel in any one subject, I’m just mediocre at all of them. Satisfying enough, though.

7-1-13

Today, I went to get blood work done. I hate blood work. It’s not the needle prick that worries me. Instead, it’s the anticipation that any second, you’re going to get stabbed. I  try to look away but my attention betrays me as I suddenly glance over for a second hoping to not see any blood. Blood—easy recipe for faintness and dizziness. Also, this is part one of a two-day challenge of anxiety ridden days, so I’m glad it’s like half time now.

7-2-13

Part 2 of the challenge: anxiety is like walking on a poorly paved sidewalk—there’s cracks and bumps but you just have to keep hopping over them and move on to the next thing. When anxiety is good it’s a sunny day however if anxiety isn’t kind it might feel like a roller coaster or like walking on a tight rope. Overall, this challenge wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. And the words come across the screen like in Mortal Kombat: FINISH HIM!!, Anxiety zero; Me one.

7-6-13

I like to take photos of nature and some animals around my neighborhood. The thing about photography is: It’s like fishing; you have to wait for the right opportunity to get your best shot. Also, it is so hot outside, a heat wave, and I went to get water at 8 o clock in the evening and it was still 89 degrees. Talk about escaping the heat; I’m glad we have air conditioning.

7-10-13

I love to relax. I can just lay down, fold my hands and just breathe in and out very slowly. Relaxing is a great part of my day. It is important to relax because without it, your body may get worn out, but with it you can take breaks and live in the moment one step at a time. I love relaxation.

7-13-13

Life is full of opportunity! It comes in the form of challenges, obstacles, and decisions. We have the power to shape our futures. We are what we become and we become who we are. Furthermore, confidence is the battery that charges our destiny. Life is what we make of it—so get out there and do something productive.

7-15-13

Music is awesome! I like a whole variety of genres including: rock; metal; hardcore; alternative; dubstep; djent; rap; pop and contemporary Christian. I keep a large collection of music for the purpose of flexibility. If I am in a good mood then maybe Christian or soft rock, however, I may want to be pumped up so I would choose metal, hardcore or djent. Maybe, I’m exploring new dubstep or techno or maybe, some new alternative or an indie group—I’m always interested in something new because I keep an open mind. By the way, the term for someone like this is: audiophile.

7-16-13

There’s one part of life that I hate—waiting. Whether I’m in a waiting room or waiting for a video to load on the internet, It’s waiting and it’s boring. Some things I can do when I’m waiting are: read; listen to music; draw; or go on mobile Facebook (LOL). I wish waiting rooms all had timers on them telling each person when their wait is over and they can go back past reception. I would design them as the shape of a ticking grenade. That way the longer you wait, the more anticipation you will have to get through. “Oh no, my waiting grenade is smoking—is it defective or am I up next?”  (LOL).

7-17-13

Life is a sale! If you don’t sell yourself well enough, you run the risk of failure. We spend our lives selling and competing against each other to try and win the larger paycheck or more valuable career. However, contrary to this statement, wisdom is caused by countless cases of failure. Hence the saying: if you lose, you gain knowledge, if you win you gain satisfaction. Either way there’s something out there for you, go and find it.

7-20-13

I have learned over the years to always live in the moment. If you are dwelling on the past you will live in regret or if you are too vigilant of the future, you will live in constant worry. In my opinion, the best way to achieve relaxation is through mindfulness. Mindfulness means living in the present, taking one step at a time. This is what I believe and what has worked throughout my recovery.

BEGINNING by JRC

Hello, I am writing a blog about my recovery. I don’t know where to start but I will be posting one topic at a time relating to my recovery. My name is Jeff and I am in recovery. I hope you will enjoy my posts…