How do you protect yourself?

Did something happen to you? You don’t have to say what it is but I hope you are ok.

Psychologists have identified five ways to protect wellbeing. 

• Connect with others
• Be active
• Try something new 
• Give to others (volunteering/helping someone or something)
• Savour the moment (mindfulness)

I realise looking at this that I don’t often try something new. I don’t know how often people need to try a new thing to make this helpful for wellbeing. At what point does a new thing become an old thing? 

The past week has been really rough since the weather dip. I left my therapist, then cancelled my request to leave her luckilly she didnt get my message. My feeling is generally to go into defensive mode and curl into a ball but I can see not talking to people can be a problem. I just see too many issues in the world its like someone removed all the veils - now I am just thinking how can people just let it run like this. Creativity has been my saviour so many times. I just find it hard when things get revealed for what they are. It just becomes this kind of cold hard manual world, where everything is a thankless souless task. I wouldnt mind that so much if I saw there was light at the end of the tunnel. 

My main vulnerability at the moment seems to be that I am kind of on the breadline, accepting food parcels and going to the community fridge in the church. At the same time it feels like I am fighting a losing battle with people not interviewing, employing or paying me for my time.

When I got me autism diagnosis last year I wanted to help people, I am seeing how hard now that is because people dont want to see the extent to which society is offset. This is compounded by the fact I can only tell very few people I have it, its not a problem but it is the more I think about it.

Sorry to sound gloomy, I am an optimist :)

I really understand what you mean about the world feeling cold, hard and manual once the veils lift and how deeply the injustice and lack of truth can hurt.

For me, non-violent self-defence of my wellbeing looks like being careful about what I let in, keeping support like therapy (I’m really glad you kept yours  mine helps me so much) and holding onto animals horses, cats where things still feel real and honest.

I know it doesn’t fix things but it helps me feel genuine connection that feels safe and I don’t have to question.

I really understand what you mean about the world feeling cold, hard and manual once the veils lift and how deeply the injustice and lack of truth can hurt.

For me, non-violent self-defence of my wellbeing looks like being careful about what I let in, keeping support like therapy (I’m really glad you kept yours  mine helps me so much) and holding onto animals horses, cats where things still feel real and honest.

I know it doesn’t fix things but it helps me feel genuine connection that feels safe and I don’t have to question.

Some days I remember ans understand everything, problem solving seems boundless. Other times I’m caught up on every detail or every little emotion. Kind of the opposite of flow.