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A colleague, Dr Naomi Baum, has written a free booklet, which I will present here, with her permission. It is a 7 day journey, which I will present over the next 7 days. Her website: naomibaum.com
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
Before getting started, I recommend that you get a notebook that will accompany you as you read this book and do the exercises. Any size notebook will work. I personally favour notebooks with nice covers, but that is up to you. This notebook will be your Journal. Keep it near you, as you read this book, so that you can do the exercises that require writing and track your progress.
HOW THIS WORKS
The is written as a seven-day journey. That means that each day covers a different topic. You can work through the book in one week, choosing one exercise from each chapter. However, many of you may prefer to take it more slowly. In order to do that, you may turn each day into a full week, and spend some time over the week doing the exercises, trying out some new behaviours, and reflecting on what worked for you and what did not. There is often more than one exercise suggested. Feel free to experiment. Be forewarned. Not every suggestion here will work for every person. Each one of you is different. Find what works for you.
Part 1 is here: healthunlocked.com/lupus-su...
DAY 2. BUILDING YOUR RESOURCES
Before we get down to the business of looking at our fears, it is important to prepare ourselves for this task. Looking at our fears head on can be an unsettling event, and while people react differently, and for some it is easier than others, you would not be reading this book if your fears were not bothering you.
The first step in preparing to look at our fears is the breathing that we practiced in Day
1. Throughout this week, it is important to continue the practice of deep abdominal breathing at least twice a day.
The second step in preparing to take a look at our fears is to strengthen our coping resources. What does that mean? What we want to do in this chapter is take a closer look at the people, activities and things that make us feel good. We will call these "resources". After looking at what resources we currently have in our lives, and how often and well we are using them, we will consider what to add to our existing resources and figure out how to do that.
EXERCISE: WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU ARE FEELING BLUE?
What you will need: Your Journal
1. Before beginning this exercise, spend a minute doing "Minute Mindfulness." This exercise is essentially, what you learned in the last chapter.
Minute Mindfulness
1. Sit comfortably in your chair, feet on the ground, and one hand on your belly, the other on your chest.
2. Breathe in through your nose to the count of four.
3. Hold your breath to the count of two
4. Breathe out through your mouth, SLOWLY, to the count of five or six.
5. Repeat three more times.
6. Notice how your body feels in the chair from the top of your head down to your toes.
7. Notice any sounds.
8. Notice how you are feeling inside.
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2. Take out your notebook and write at the top of the page (in blue pen if you like) "What do I like to do when I am feeling blue? What helps me to feel better?"
3. Make a list of all those things that make you feel better. The more items you have on the list, the better.
4. Review your list and sort the items into categories. The categories I suggest are:
Social - activities that involve interacting with people or animals
Physical - physical activities
Cognitive - activities using your mental faculties (for example - problem solving or list making)
Creative - activities that involve the arts or any creative work, for example - making music, art, pottery, writing
Everything else - this is the category for things that are hard to categorize!
5. Review your list and notice which categories are empty and which ones are full.
6. Are there items that you would like to add to your list? Perhaps there are activities that you have done in the past that you found helpful or enjoyable? Maybe you have read or thought about a new activity? This is your opportunity to add them using a different color pen.
7. Think about a time, in the next few days, when you will be able to try out one of these new resources. Write it down, and commit.
Now that you have compiled a list of resources, keep this list handy and remember to use it often. When you are feeling sad, unhappy, anxious or blue have a look at your list and see just what it is that may make you feel even just a little bit better.
Is it a warm bath, a bar of chocolate, a run in the park, or a chat on the phone with a good friend?
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For some a book or a movie provide a wonderful respite and work as a "feel good."
For others, prayer is just the thing, or listening to music.
There is not one magic pill that will work for everybody.
Moreover, on some days one resource may work for you, and on other days you may need to try something else. The more resources you have identified, the more you will be able to find ways to soothe yourself and make yourself feel better.
As we begin to look more closely at our fears, you may find yourself feeling upset, scared or nervous. This is a good time to take out your resource list and choose to do one of the activities on it.
