On Thursday May 5th, Miriam gave us a presentation entitled; “ Adding Tools to your Toolbox” 

Miriam’s topic of discussion this past Thursday gave us a lot to think about. 

For those of us that struggle with mental health issues, those coping tools that we have in our tool box are very important to us. If we are having a bad day, or maybe even a bad week, very often we rely on our coping skills to get us through.

Miriam tells us If you are having a day when you are feeling lonely or sad, then think about calling a friend or try doing something you enjoy. Anything to keep your mind off your troubles. 

Or if you have a day when you are too depressed to get out of bed, then while you are laying there in bed, make a list of things you need to do and check each one off as your day progresses. It can even be as simple as;

1) get out of bed 

2) brush your teeth 

3) take a shower 

4) wash a load of laundry 

Then you can consider giving yourself a reward for completing one of the items on that list. Maybe a piece of chocolate?

Or, if you are having trouble getting motivated to clean, say the bathroom or kitchen, Miriam suggested setting a timer for ten minutes. Once you have completed cleaning for 10 minutes, set the timer again for another 10 minutes of cleaning.  You may be surprised at how much cleaning you get done.

     Miriam also touched on what you can do when dealing with difficult people.

If you are in an argument with someone, and you are dealing with someone in a difficult situation, or it’s someone you deal with on a daily basis, you can;

1) physically walk away from the situation. 

2) actively listen to them 

3) cut them out of your life 

4) or excuse yourself and go to the restroom, and never come back! ( this one is my favorite)

     Or maybe you are in a bad situation at work. If something like this happens at work, carefully evaluate the situation, and try not to blow up at work. If needed, physically remove yourself from the situation and go outside and take a walk. Or talk to another co-worker to gain some perspective. 

     Miriam went on to share a new tool in her toolbox that she has discovered.

This is a tool to use during a confrontation with someone.  If you are with someone and they are verbally attacking you, try to just sit there and let them vent, and don’t say a word. Let all of their unkindness just flow around you, without any response. And when they are finished, acknowledge their feelings, and maybe even apologize for what they think you have done, and then move on from the situation. This is definitely a new tool that we could all use and add to our own toolbox. 

     If you’re in a difficult situation such as this, who knows, maybe a new skill could come from out of the blue when you least expect it. One final quote from Miriam for us to ponder;  

           “ just because someone says it, doesn’t mean it’s true “