14. Getting better and better

It’s been 2 weeks since my last post and 4 weeks since I quit my job, since then I seem to have got my life back in order.

I’m back doing what I enjoy most, driving a lorry, I’ve also spoke to my doctor and I have reduced my dose of tablets, first time I’ve reduced in a long long time!

If there’s anything I’ve learnt from all this and it’s something my sister always used to say (I thought it was one of her fads at the time) was ‘don’t sweat the small stuff’, that’s so true, try not to worry about what has happened before (can’t be changed), don’t worry about the future (could change in a split second) but worry, wrong word, enjoy the moment you’re in, look around you and appreciate everything that is good.

I know this seems a bit silly but I’ve been listening to my Feel Better Live More podcasts from Dr Rangan Chatterjee which has been very helpful to me. Little things that are discussed etc are things like, walk more, get fresh air and just take in the beauty around you, really look at the things you’re surrounded by, trees, grass, flowers, people, the sky, even to a point vehicles, and just take a moment to think about them, how they came to be about, what their purpose is and why everything works better together. Use the Calm app and take time out for yourself (others are available but I like this one), be grateful for what you have, don’t stress for what you don’t have.

I’ve been thinking recently about friends and family who are suffering with mental illnesses, how are they doing in this difficult time that we all face? Would it hurt to pick up the phone to the people you love and care about and just spend a few minutes brightening their day. What a lot of people don’t understand is that a mental illness is not rational, think of a lorry, a caravan or trailer that you’ve followed on the road, you know the ones, when they indicate all sorts of weird and wonderful things happen to the lights, the brake lights go out or flash instead of the indicators, you get the picture, the system on those vehicles is still working, the driver at the front is blissfully unaware of what is happening back there, it’s the same with peoples brains, everyone is blissfully unaware of what is going on but simple things (to most people) is setting of a string of weird and wonderful events in that persons brain.

I was at a store a couple of days ago making a delivery, went to use the toilet, wash my hands and sing happy birthday when I noticed a sign up explaining to the staff how one of their colleagues and friends (not very old) had taken his own life, I spoke briefly with the store manager about sharing this blog with the staff, mainly because as he said ‘he seemed so happy, it was out of the blue’ perhaps that call, that chat or that little laugh may have helped him, maybe not, it’s not something we will ever find out if we don’t try.

In this troubling time let’s all look out for each other, let’s be stronger together, let’s ALL get through this!