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Is Your Relationship Going Anywhere? & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #270
Is your relationship going anywhere? How can you tell? Will it be stuck where it is right now and is that enough for you? Would you like to see it progress into something more? Is the other person on the same page as you? Whenever you are involved in a relationship with another person, these are questions that will naturally arise at some point. If you are currently in a relationship that has reached a crossroads, consider the following three questions to decide which way might be the best way for you and your relationship to go. Remember to be honest with yourself in your answers otherwise you will continue…
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10 Good Habits for Good Health
Simple habits and small changes in one’s life can actually make a big impact on your overall health and well being. To create a habit, it takes consistency over a period of time so that the action becomes integrated into your lifestyle rather than “just something you do” for a short period of time. The rule of 21/90 is a common standard for developing and maintaining a habit. You consistently stick to the desired goal for 21 days to make a habit and continue for another 90 days to establish it as a habit. Below are 10 good habits to help you maintain good health. Beginning with movement. Our bodies…
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Shelbee Asked…About IVF
I have been blessed with two beautiful sons, both naturally conceived within a few months of deciding we wanted to conceive. For this, I feel fortunate and very grateful. I have never had a struggle or experienced any fertility issues whatsoever, but I have many friends who have. And as I listened to their stories and observed their journeys, I definitely gained an even greater appreciation for the blessings in my life. Motherhood is the most challenging thing I have ever done in my life and I have done it willingly giving every ounce of my being to it. I entered the state of motherhood energized and excited. And now…
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Shelbee Says…”Forgive yourself.”
If you type in a simple Google search forgiveness quotes, you will find a plethora of profound and valuable statements from a vast array of wise individuals throughout the history of mankind. Forgiveness seems to be one of those virtues that allows us to let go of the wrongs that have been done to us or by us in order to move forward through the journey of our lives. Some wrongs may have been intentional with malicious purpose, some may merely be mistakes due to lack of insight, and some may be so incredibly minor as to have not much bearing at all on the grand scheme things, yet we…
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Shelbee Says… “Trust the process.”: 8 Steps for Managing Bipolar Mood Swings
On Friday, I wrote about the battlefield that is Bipolar Disorder and I discussed how I have developed a great capacity for managing the mood swings when they start. Often when I share my story, I am met with the question of how I manage my Bipolar Disorder so effectively without medication. Every time I am asked this question, I am left without an adequate answer. All I can ever come up with is, “I don’t know. I just do it.” However, I am fully aware that this answer helps absolutely no one. So I decided it was time to sit down and really think about how I navigate my…
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Shelbee Asked…”How Can I Manage My PMDD?”
I am a woman who has suffered from moderate PMS symptoms since the onset of my first menstrual cycle at 12 years old. However, in the past year, I have noticed an increase in the severity of my symptoms. Oftentimes, in the days leading up to my period, I end up losing days of productivity due to the extreme fatigue, debilitating cramps, and various other symptoms that sometimes feel like the onset of the flu. Rage and depression take over my mood all too frequently during these few days. To say it is frustrating is an understatement. It is an absolute interruption to my life. Knowing that I cannot possibly…
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Shelbee Says…”It is up to you how you respond to your fear.”
There is a common misconception among people that asking for help indicates an inherent weakness of sorts. Weakness in spirit. Weakness in soul. Weakness in initiative. Weakness is self-sufficinecy. But it takes a certain amount of courage to seek help from others. We come into this world completely dependent on other people for survival. Dainty, fragile newborns are weak in every aspect of the word. They depend on other humans to provide the basic necessities for survival. Without someone else to feed them and nurture them, none would survive. Yet they are resilient, hardy, and tenacious at the same time. Very early on in their young lives, we begin to…
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Shelbee Says…“Self-care is never selfish.”
My personal mental health journey through Bipolar Disorder was a long and arduous one. Because I navigated it primarily alone and without a road map, the lessons I have learned have become sacred to me. And while my lessons may not be the magical solution for everyone, they are certainly worth sharing in the event that they could possibly help someone. And one fundamental principle that I have learned to live by is that self-care is of the utmost importance. This is true for everyone, but it carries crucial significance for people with mental illness. Through decades of self-evaluation and introspection, years of therapy, and thousands of pages of reading…
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Shelbee Says…”Stay confident and strong in the truth of who you are.”
“Dear Shelbee, When I return to school in the fall, I will be returning as a transgender male. All of my classmates will have known me through eighth grade as a girl. I was home schooled this past year. When I return to school I know there will be many who will be giving me a very hard time about the change. I am sure there will be some teasing and bullying. What is the best course of action for me to take to deal with this? Do I fight back, ignore, or come up with something to quiet their taunts?” -Transitioning with Trepidation How to Handle School Bullies while…
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Shelbee Says…”The only choice you have is to survive…or don’t.”
The last few weeks have been somewhat of a roller coaster of emotions for me due to some recent unravellings in my personal life. And while I am slowly adjusting to a new normal, it got me to thinking about all the shit that I have been through in my life and how I have made it this far completely in tact and stronger than ever. Since I don’t have a reader question to answer, I am using this opportunity to share my own words of advice that I have to remind myself of when times get really rough. I have talked in the past about the choices that we…