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Session 2 Pleasent Activities

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Session 2 Pleasent Activities

12 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2508

Today is a new day and the sun is just coming up..I have been a little down lately. It must be the time of year I guess.

I don't seem to be able to find that holiday spirit yet this year..I usually go out of my way to make Christmas special and decorate the inside of the house for the two of us..but this year I don't seem driven to do it. I have always pushed myself thinking if I just did this or that Christmas would come out perfect..Of course it never really does..To many expectations on my part..So maybe this year I have just come to realize that. Maybe this year I am just letting myself relax a little..Maybe nothing is wrong with me..Maybe I am just accepting it and seeing it differently. Well enough about that..Time to move on.

Today I am going to try and relax and not worry about it all..There is no reason to feel guilty because I can't seem to get excited about the holidays, so today I think I will spent the day doing something I enjoy... dreaming, creating and working on one of my sewing projects..It should be a good day..

Thats all for today..I have reached time limit online for today..

jdoe..

12 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2508

I am working on session 2 again and have just gotten into pleasant activities again..I have been enjoying reading on my kindle again and just finished a book titled " Be your own best life coach" by Jackee Holder. It was interesting reading..and I got some good tips out of her book..Today I think I will look for some more books on this subject. I was feeling a little guilty about all the reading I have been doing and than I remembered something I learned on the site here about building your self-esteem..My new mantra " It is not Selfish..It is Self- Nurturing"..

Well thats all for today..got to go for now and work on my program..The sun is up and I think today would be a good day to go to the swap meet and get a little exercise..The say the early bird catches the worm..

jdoe...

12 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1022

I'm glad I was able to find this post again. Will try to apply these strategies. Thanks again Rowsie.

12 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1022

Sometimes you just have to grab hold of the concept that it is, indeed, the journey that counts... not the destination. Hang in there Alexandra... you have come to a great place for help and support. I'm glad you are here!

12 years ago 0 +0 / -0 3

Thank you very much for that suggestion. It's probably not something that I would have thought of before. I realize that things are a work in progress, but it's nice to know that I'm not alone.

Thanks All!

12 years ago 0 +0 / -0 199

Great idea Rowsie,

Red....

12 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1022

good advice... thank you Rowsie. Too often I forget all about writing down the positives.

12 years ago 0 +0 / -0 3043

Hi Alexandra and ~m,

I think it's normal to feel disappointed after the pleasant activity. Reality is, we're depressed and one of the reasons is that our negativity outweighs our positive interactions. I was the same way at first. I found it hard to do pleasant activites because of it. I kept at it though and now the good feelings last well after my pleasant activity is over. I think this is one of the main ideas behind CBT.

Somedays are harder than others but the prgram works. One of the things that I did was to try and remember the best experience I had the previous week. Maybe review how you felt afterwards on your pleasant activity worksheet. Actually record your positive feelings (happy, smiling, uplifted, etc.) It might jog your brain in to feeling it again. It did with me.

Now I want to be honest that it doesn't work all the time. My pleasant activity yesterday was swimming at the pool with my husband and two kids. I was frustrated and depressed before hand but I really enjoyed the hour we spent in the pool. Afterwards, I couldn't hold onto that feeling. I was tired, frustrated and feeling flat.

But more often than not, the positive feelings last longer now. Keep working at it.

Rowsie

12 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1022

Hi Alexandra... I do experience something similar. When I manage to do something that lifts me out of my depression for even a little while.... it is sooooooooo disappointing that once the positive experience/distraction is over.... I'm still depressed. Only it feels worse because for one moment I got to feel better and whenever I feel better I immediately go into denial about the depression. Something like that. I don't know how to explain it. It happens though. It surely does happen and I don't know how to take the positive and keep it going....

12 years ago 0 +0 / -0 3

I just got back from going to the movies and coffee with my best friend. We haven't been in touch recently as much as we would like to. Work, family, life itself just seems to have gotten in the way. I just started session 2, and one thing that we used to do almost every Friday night was going to the movies.

I was nervous and anxious before meeting her for the movies, I think a hard day at work didn't help with the feelings either. I was scared that it wasn't going to be the same as I remembered.

We saw the movie and had a great time, enjoying something that we did before. I even got up the courage so to say, to ask if she wanted to go sit and have a coffee so we could really have a good visit. One of my goals is to see friends, or even just talk to friends more often, so I figured this was a good place to start.

It was an absolutely wonderful visit, we got caught up, even made plans to go another night in a few weeks here. My concern is that after it was over, on my way home, instead of feeling good about the evening I started to get more depressed. And I don't know why. I don't know if I just didn't want the visit to end, or I'm worried that next time we won't have as good of a visit. I'm just wondering if any one else has had these feeling before. What I can do to remember the part of the evening that was really enjoyable and not dwell on the fact that it is over. A way to remind myself that it wasn't the last time that we are going to see each other.

Thank you

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Session 2 Pleasent Activities