November 2, 2023 • 16 mins
PLEASE READ!
Please note that The Post Concussion Podcast has been closed for new episodes as of early 2024. Concussion Connect is also closed.
Thank you to everyone who was so supportive over the years and I hope these episodes continue to help others as they come across them!
I have set on a new venture (with a pen name - Izzy Barry) you can learn more about here
https://izzybarry.substack.com/
--
Imagine feeling trapped in a dark cloud, with no apparent way out. I've been there, living through the despair of depression. I'm sharing my personal journey with mental health challenges and how I've learned to find joy, even in the darkest of times. I'll be unveiling my strategies that can help you too. From advocating therapy to embracing simple actions like making toast (if you've listened for a long time you may know the toast story well), we're exploring the power of small steps towards happiness.
Now, what if I told you that combating mental illness is possible? It's okay to feel the way you do, but there are ways to make life less overwhelming. I'll be shedding light on my battle with hormone changes and what's been working for me. The path to happiness often involves trial and error, but every step you take is a victory. And remember, you are not alone!
Need a Hobby?
COLORING: The Post Concussion Coloring Book https://postconcussioninc.ck.page/products/coloring
COOKING: The Post Concussion Cookbook
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1738768503
Find Show Notes, Transcript, & More: https://postconcussioninc.com/podcast
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Bella Paige (00:03):
Hi everyone.
I'm your host, Bella Paige, andafter suffering from post
concussion syndrome for years,it was time to do something
about it.
So welcome to the PostConcussion Podcast, where we dig
deep into life when it doesn'tgo back to normal.
Be sure to share the podcastand join our support network,
Concussion Connect.
Let's make this invisibleinjury become visible.
(00:25):
The Post Concussion Podcast isstrictly an information podcast
about concussions and postconcussion syndrome.
It does not provide norsubstitute for professional
medical advice, diagnosis ortreatment.
Always seek the advice of yourphysician or another qualified
(00:46):
health provider with anyquestions you may have regarding
a medical condition.
Never disregard professionalmedical advice or delay in
seeking it because of somethingyou have heard on this podcast.
The opinions expressed in thispodcast are simply intended to
spark discussion aboutconcussions and post concussion
syndrome.
(01:07):
Welcome to episode number 122 ofthe Post Concussion Podcast,
with myself, Bella Paige, andit's just me again today.
This is the last solo episodefor a little bit, and it's just
here because something reallyimportant came up and I wanted
to talk about it, and it'simportant to me and it's
(01:29):
probably something you canrelate to, so I just want to
talk about it.
So, if you do notice that thisepisode isn't on YouTube it's
because this episode wasn'tplanned and I'm super sick.
So if my voice sounds funny itprobably sounded funny last week
too it's because I lost myvoice.
So I don't want to not do apodcast episode because of it,
(01:49):
but I just sound a little uniquecompared to what I usually
sound like here and there.
So don't forget to check outour YouTube.
We will be posting old episodeson YouTube clips because I have
tons of episodes with videobacklog to upload.
So make sure you check that outanyways and subscribe.
But let's get to today'sepisode.
So today's topic is kind of thatfeeling that I've been feeling
(02:10):
lately.
Now I feel like this because Idid a big medication change for
hormones and it has been reallyhard.
Honestly, it's been one of thehardest things I've done in a
while and that's because of afew things.
It's kind of made me anemotional mess.
Number one I cry all the time.
Depression has come back morethan I've dealt with in a long
(02:33):
time, and so I was just kind ofshocked with it and kind of felt
sad a lot, and trying to getthrough that took me a lot of
energy and just kind of feelstuck, like my brain, my body,
wants to be the opposite ofhappy, like if I could just lay
in bed.
That's what it wants to do.
So I just kind of wanted to goback and talk about how that can
(02:57):
happen to any of us.
I kind of explain it as likefeeling like I'm getting sucked
down, like I'm trying to climbout, but the bad thoughts, or
just that feeling of not feelinggreat, is just not letting go.
Some people might explain thisas feeling like they're drowning
.
Maybe it's a dark cloud.
I used to feel like that, a lotlike a weight on my shoulders.
Right now it kind of feels likeI'm just being sucked in all
(03:19):
Like quicksand.
You ever see quicksand?
As a kid I thought it wasreally relevant to life and then
you never cross it ever.
So, yeah, quicksand kind offeels like quicksand and so I
kind of feel like I just can'tget out of it.
And I really noticed how stuckI was in it.
And I know it's from all thehormone changes, but it doesn't
mean I can't, that I don't needto address it.
(03:40):
It really started from that.
But I was laying in bed and, asyou may know, a lot of this is
worse at night and in themorning usually, cause things
are quieted down, you have timeto think about how you're doing
and all of a sudden you're notdoing so well.
So for me, I was laying in bedand I'm like super upset.
(04:02):
I'm like why am I so upset?
Why can't I just be happy?
Like I was like what is goingon that's so upsetting right now
, and I couldn't think ofanything.
And so I changed my mindset andI was like you know what, why
can't we just be happy?
And I just felt like this rushof relief and I know it's not
that simple, but sometimes it'sthat simple in a moment.
(04:23):
Sometimes it's just thatmindset of can I just be happy
right now, so that I don't haveto be, you know, so upset all
the time like I was feeling sodefinitely something to consider
.
I changed my mindset but youknow, when I woke up in the
morning, I was back to where Iwas, and I'm sure many of you
have felt like this before.
So I really want to talk abouthow to get out of that, how to
(04:45):
get out of like that dark cloud,the wave and I'm not saying it
goes away in a day, I'm justsaying that we could definitely
do something to help brighten upour days.
Get up and do something, evenwhile we're ill.
There is no reason why youcan't be happy while you're ill.
I'm not saying you're gonna behappy all the time, but there's
no reason why you can't findhappiness.
(05:06):
The first thing I really wantto talk about is you need
therapy.
Probably.
If you're really feeling downevery day, then therapy,
medications, those are alloptions.
But right now I really want tofocus on what you can do
otherwise.
How about let's decide thatwhat we want is happiness,
despite the fact that ourthoughts are telling us the
(05:29):
complete opposite?
It's what we want, okay, great,but we don't know how to get
there.
So a good thing to do is get upand do something.
Now, this can be something frommaking toast, as you may have
heard my story before walking upand down in a driveway, doing
yard work, cleaning something.
I don't care if you go to adollar store and buy a bunch of
(05:52):
crafts and use them once.
Go spend $15, do something.
Get up, get moving.
And I think it's really hard,because sometimes we don't
realize how much we're notgetting up and moving and we're
really determined to just not doanything and we just feel stuck
, like we fight against everysuggestion because we say they
(06:14):
don't understand, and peoplearound us probably don't
understand.
But I'm telling you to get upand do something.
I'm gonna be the mean one here,because sometimes we need that
extra push of just getting toldto go do something.
I'm just saying it has to besomething.
It could be whatever you want,but the power of moving can be
really helpful, even if it's youlike to work out.
Go to the gym, move someweights into a quiet room at the
(06:36):
gym, work out there.
Maybe you have shoes withexercise, who cares if you just
go to the gym and lay there andstretch?
You got there, you didsomething, you moved.
Maybe you really like working onthings in the garage?
Well, you know what?
Maybe power tools is in yourbest friend right now, but
they're insured.
There's lots that you can dowithout them.
So you could tidy up, you couldclean, you could polish
(06:58):
something, you could use handtools.
There's options.
So try to think around what yourbrain is telling you that you
can't do, because, I get it,you're gonna have symptoms.
They might flare up and maybeit feels impossible.
But the more we let thatimpossible win, the less we can
do things.
It can take over and it takesone day at a time, like you're
(07:18):
gonna get up one day and you'regonna do all these things.
Maybe you got up today, youwent for a walk, and maybe you
go to work too and all thesethings, and then you're laying
in bed and it starts over.
You're miserable, you're sad,you're upset about how much
you're struggling, and that'swhat I mean.
This is an everyday thing,because habits take time.
To create happiness can be ahabit.
(07:39):
You have to change your mindsetand it's not gonna happen in a
moment, but you have to startsomewhere.
So let's start with one thingtoday, and maybe something else
in two days and something elsein three days, and in a few
weeks it'll be even bigger.
And if you're working and youhave kids and stuff, maybe read
your kids your favorite storyfrom your childhood.
(08:00):
Maybe do something fun withthem that's really low-key, like
arts and crafts find some boxesin the house and build a fort.
It doesn't have to be overlycomplicated, it's just getting
your mind on something elseother than the fact that you
can't do things or that you'restruggling because you are.
But it doesn't mean you can'tbe happy while you are
(08:21):
struggling, and I want you torealize that you can be.
A great solution could beputting music on.
A lot of times when we'rereally sad.
I know I have a bad habit ofthis we put on really depressing
songs.
I've actually been working onclearing these songs out of my
song lists on my phone andworking on listening to more
like uplifting songs, because weget this habit of oh, I'm
(08:41):
really sad, so I listen to sadmusic.
But sometimes tricking ourbrain into listening to the
opposite can be really helpful.
The first few songs you'llprobably not enjoy because
you're like I'm not in the moodfor this, but eventually you
might become in the mood andmaybe you want to dance it out.
If you have trouble dancing, youcan dance sitting down.
I'm telling you to get moving.
Small movements, big movements.
(09:03):
Dance for five minutes in yourkitchen alone.
Do it with someone.
Dance in the bathroom, dancewith your kids.
Just get moving.
Find joy somewhere in your life, even if you're alone, even if
you're surrounded by family.
Find it, because if we don't golooking for it, it doesn't come
.
Because if we get stuck in thismode, we get sucked into this
(09:25):
quicksand and it won't let us upand the only way we're gonna
get out is if we climb out.
And I know it sounds reallyharsh when I say you can do this
and I'm telling you to go do it, even though I'm sure your
brain's telling you I can't dothat.
I can't do that.
I have this symptom.
This is.
I'm sure you're right.
Do it anyways.
Play-up days suck.
I know they do.
(09:46):
But the only way you find outyour limits is by testing them.
I don't come screaming at meafter this episode, I'm just
saying test them out, find outwhat your limits are.
We create our own limits in ourbrain, but what even are they?
The more you limit yourself,the worse it's gonna get.
The more you isolate yourself,the worse it's gonna get.
The less you do, the worse it'sgonna get.
It's been proven.
(10:06):
You have to keep doing things.
It's why physical therapy is soevident.
It's why they encourage therapyat the beginning of concussion
recovery now.
So because they've proven thatdoing something can really
benefit you Now.
I know, with the holidays comingup and things like that, it can
be really tough.
So don't forget that.
(10:27):
You know, let's get in thishabit now, before seasonal
depression comes, to try to helpfight that, and I'm not saying
it's going away.
I know how this works.
I've had mental illness for along time and I know.
This time I know where it'scoming from.
But it doesn't mean it's anyless work to get out of it.
I still have to do work.
I still have to do it every day.
(10:47):
For a while I'm working ongetting out of bed, doing
something, being active.
Right now I'm doing crochet.
Now sometimes this has come upon Conquestion Connect a few
times with people having troublefinding hobbies.
I get it.
It's really hard to find thingsthat you're passionate about,
especially if you're a reallyactive person before.
But sometimes it's just takingbigger hobbies that you're into
(11:08):
and shrinking them down orcoming up with something new
that you just can tell yourselfis temporary and maybe you'll
fall in love with it.
Maybe you won't.
For me, crochet's been great.
I'm making bears right now forChristmas gifts.
I love my grandma hobbies.
As I've been told, they arecold and that's okay.
I love puzzles, I love crochet,I like coloring and all these
(11:30):
things.
What these hobbies can also begreat for is that quiet time
right before bed where you go tosit in bed and all of a sudden
you're flooded with all theseemotions again.
So sometimes crochet for 30minutes, set a timer, coloring
for 10 minutes something likethat can kind of just de-stress
your mind before you go to bed.
(11:51):
And of course there's socialmedia, which you can scroll
through and like I'm not againstsocial media, I'm just seeing.
Social media is full of ourwins.
So just be careful on it.
If you are feeling down it canmake things worse.
But remember, if you can scrollthrough TikTok, all the fast
moving videos, the words, themusic, the text, if you can
(12:11):
scroll through that many videosfor an hour and a time go by,
then you can do a lot more thanyou're letting yourself do,
because think of how many brainfunctions that's taking to do.
It's not mind-numbing, you'reusing your mind to go through it
.
So put TikTok down and dosomething else.
Do something that will actuallycreate joy in your life.
(12:31):
If that doesn't work, headspaceis a great solution with
sleepcasts, putting music onwhen you sleep, sometimes
watching your favorite moviebefore you go to bed, to kind of
create good thoughts, thingslike that.
Just try to find joy in thesmallest things.
Put your favorite seasoning onyour food five days in a row.
Make your favorite meal frombeing a kid every day.
(12:51):
It doesn't always matter whatit is, it just has to be
something.
It has to be proactive.
It has to be you tellingyourself to do it, because
you're not going to do itwithout thinking.
So you have to tell yourselfI'm going to do this, I'm going
to help myself, I'm going to getout of this quicksand, I'm
going to move that dark cloud,I'm going to get out of this
water.
I can do it and I believe youcan, because I know you can.
(13:16):
Mental illness is something thatyou can fight.
It's something that ischemically changing in your
brain, but it is something thatyou can fight with every day.
But if you don't fight it, itwill take over, because I've had
it take over.
And you might feel like, oh, ifI just changed my mindset, it's
not enough and that's where theactions really help.
So don't forget about those.
And you might feel like, whycan't I just feel happy?
(13:37):
It's okay to feel the wayyou're feeling.
I'm not saying it's not okay.
You're ill, you're sick, you'restruggling.
Pcs is very tough.
It'd be very emotional.
But I'm also telling you thatlife doesn't have to be as hard
as it is.
I'm saying that things can bebetter.
And you can tell me a thousandreasons on why you can't do
(13:59):
something and I will give you athousand and one on why you can.
So if you have problems withtrying to do things, send me a
message.
Concussion Connect is a greatway to communicate with me.
I have tons of people messageme every day and I give
solutions, ideas.
There's always ways aroundthings.
You just have to kind of.
Sometimes you need an outsideperspective on how to do
(14:20):
something with your symptoms andthat's okay.
That's what Concussion Connectis here for.
So don't be afraid to go onthere.
Don't forget that just becauseyou had a good day yesterday,
you're going to wake up the sameway You're going to.
Maybe you'll wake up happy.
Maybe you'll wake up evensadder, but that's okay.
You're going to tell yourself,you know what, take steps to get
better and you're on the righttrack because you're listening
(14:42):
to this podcast and that meansyou care about yourself and,
honestly, that's the first stepto getting a lot better.
And you know what?
I'm climbing out of thisquicksand with you, with all
these hormone changes, and it'sbeen awful, honestly, really
awful.
I don't like it at all.
It's like my brain wants to bemiserable, and so I'm fighting
(15:03):
it too, and that's why I'mmaking teddy bears.
Those are my work breaks.
I've set like a half an hour,like a few times in the day, to
crochet, and you know what?
That's what works for me.
Maybe something else will workfor you.
Maybe reading Reddit funnyposts is what works for you.
It doesn't matter, just findsomething that helps.
And maybe it takes a lot oftrial and error and maybe that's
(15:25):
where the fun is.
But don't forget to reach outif you need it.
And don't forget you can behappy even though you're ill.
I don't care if it feelsimpossible, because I know it's
possible.
Need more than just thispodcast.
Be sure to check out ourwebsite, postconcussioninccom to
see how we can help you in yourpost concussion life, from a
(15:48):
support network to one-on-onecoaching.
I believe life can get betterbecause I've lived through it.
Make sure you take it one dayat a time.
Hi everyone.
I'm your host, Bella Paige, andafter suffering from post
concussion syndrome for years,it was time to do something
about it.
So welcome to the PostConcussion Podcast, where we dig
deep into life when it doesn'tgo back to normal.
Be sure to share the podcastand join our support network,
Concussion Connect.
Let's make this invisibleinjury become visible.
(00:25):
The Post Concussion Podcast isstrictly an information podcast
about concussions and postconcussion syndrome.
It does not provide norsubstitute for professional
medical advice, diagnosis ortreatment.
Always seek the advice of yourphysician or another qualified
(00:46):
health provider with anyquestions you may have regarding
a medical condition.
Never disregard professionalmedical advice or delay in
seeking it because of somethingyou have heard on this podcast.
The opinions expressed in thispodcast are simply intended to
spark discussion aboutconcussions and post concussion
syndrome.
(01:07):
Welcome to episode number 122 ofthe Post Concussion Podcast,
with myself, Bella Paige, andit's just me again today.
This is the last solo episodefor a little bit, and it's just
here because something reallyimportant came up and I wanted
to talk about it, and it'simportant to me and it's
(01:29):
probably something you canrelate to, so I just want to
talk about it.
So, if you do notice that thisepisode isn't on YouTube it's
because this episode wasn'tplanned and I'm super sick.
So if my voice sounds funny itprobably sounded funny last week
too it's because I lost myvoice.
So I don't want to not do apodcast episode because of it,
(01:49):
but I just sound a little uniquecompared to what I usually
sound like here and there.
So don't forget to check outour YouTube.
We will be posting old episodeson YouTube clips because I have
tons of episodes with videobacklog to upload.
So make sure you check that outanyways and subscribe.
But let's get to today'sepisode.
So today's topic is kind of thatfeeling that I've been feeling
(02:10):
lately.
Now I feel like this because Idid a big medication change for
hormones and it has been reallyhard.
Honestly, it's been one of thehardest things I've done in a
while and that's because of afew things.
It's kind of made me anemotional mess.
Number one I cry all the time.
Depression has come back morethan I've dealt with in a long
(02:33):
time, and so I was just kind ofshocked with it and kind of felt
sad a lot, and trying to getthrough that took me a lot of
energy and just kind of feelstuck, like my brain, my body,
wants to be the opposite ofhappy, like if I could just lay
in bed.
That's what it wants to do.
So I just kind of wanted to goback and talk about how that can
(02:57):
happen to any of us.
I kind of explain it as likefeeling like I'm getting sucked
down, like I'm trying to climbout, but the bad thoughts, or
just that feeling of not feelinggreat, is just not letting go.
Some people might explain thisas feeling like they're drowning
.
Maybe it's a dark cloud.
I used to feel like that, a lotlike a weight on my shoulders.
Right now it kind of feels likeI'm just being sucked in all
(03:19):
Like quicksand.
You ever see quicksand?
As a kid I thought it wasreally relevant to life and then
you never cross it ever.
So, yeah, quicksand kind offeels like quicksand and so I
kind of feel like I just can'tget out of it.
And I really noticed how stuckI was in it.
And I know it's from all thehormone changes, but it doesn't
mean I can't, that I don't needto address it.
(03:40):
It really started from that.
But I was laying in bed and, asyou may know, a lot of this is
worse at night and in themorning usually, cause things
are quieted down, you have timeto think about how you're doing
and all of a sudden you're notdoing so well.
So for me, I was laying in bedand I'm like super upset.
(04:02):
I'm like why am I so upset?
Why can't I just be happy?
Like I was like what is goingon that's so upsetting right now
, and I couldn't think ofanything.
And so I changed my mindset andI was like you know what, why
can't we just be happy?
And I just felt like this rushof relief and I know it's not
that simple, but sometimes it'sthat simple in a moment.
(04:23):
Sometimes it's just thatmindset of can I just be happy
right now, so that I don't haveto be, you know, so upset all
the time like I was feeling sodefinitely something to consider
.
I changed my mindset but youknow, when I woke up in the
morning, I was back to where Iwas, and I'm sure many of you
have felt like this before.
So I really want to talk abouthow to get out of that, how to
(04:45):
get out of like that dark cloud,the wave and I'm not saying it
goes away in a day, I'm justsaying that we could definitely
do something to help brighten upour days.
Get up and do something, evenwhile we're ill.
There is no reason why youcan't be happy while you're ill.
I'm not saying you're gonna behappy all the time, but there's
no reason why you can't findhappiness.
(05:06):
The first thing I really wantto talk about is you need
therapy.
Probably.
If you're really feeling downevery day, then therapy,
medications, those are alloptions.
But right now I really want tofocus on what you can do
otherwise.
How about let's decide thatwhat we want is happiness,
despite the fact that ourthoughts are telling us the
(05:29):
complete opposite?
It's what we want, okay, great,but we don't know how to get
there.
So a good thing to do is get upand do something.
Now, this can be something frommaking toast, as you may have
heard my story before walking upand down in a driveway, doing
yard work, cleaning something.
I don't care if you go to adollar store and buy a bunch of
(05:52):
crafts and use them once.
Go spend $15, do something.
Get up, get moving.
And I think it's really hard,because sometimes we don't
realize how much we're notgetting up and moving and we're
really determined to just not doanything and we just feel stuck
, like we fight against everysuggestion because we say they
(06:14):
don't understand, and peoplearound us probably don't
understand.
But I'm telling you to get upand do something.
I'm gonna be the mean one here,because sometimes we need that
extra push of just getting toldto go do something.
I'm just saying it has to besomething.
It could be whatever you want,but the power of moving can be
really helpful, even if it's youlike to work out.
Go to the gym, move someweights into a quiet room at the
(06:36):
gym, work out there.
Maybe you have shoes withexercise, who cares if you just
go to the gym and lay there andstretch?
You got there, you didsomething, you moved.
Maybe you really like working onthings in the garage?
Well, you know what?
Maybe power tools is in yourbest friend right now, but
they're insured.
There's lots that you can dowithout them.
So you could tidy up, you couldclean, you could polish
(06:58):
something, you could use handtools.
There's options.
So try to think around what yourbrain is telling you that you
can't do, because, I get it,you're gonna have symptoms.
They might flare up and maybeit feels impossible.
But the more we let thatimpossible win, the less we can
do things.
It can take over and it takesone day at a time, like you're
(07:18):
gonna get up one day and you'regonna do all these things.
Maybe you got up today, youwent for a walk, and maybe you
go to work too and all thesethings, and then you're laying
in bed and it starts over.
You're miserable, you're sad,you're upset about how much
you're struggling, and that'swhat I mean.
This is an everyday thing,because habits take time.
To create happiness can be ahabit.
(07:39):
You have to change your mindsetand it's not gonna happen in a
moment, but you have to startsomewhere.
So let's start with one thingtoday, and maybe something else
in two days and something elsein three days, and in a few
weeks it'll be even bigger.
And if you're working and youhave kids and stuff, maybe read
your kids your favorite storyfrom your childhood.
(08:00):
Maybe do something fun withthem that's really low-key, like
arts and crafts find some boxesin the house and build a fort.
It doesn't have to be overlycomplicated, it's just getting
your mind on something elseother than the fact that you
can't do things or that you'restruggling because you are.
But it doesn't mean you can'tbe happy while you are
(08:21):
struggling, and I want you torealize that you can be.
A great solution could beputting music on.
A lot of times when we'rereally sad.
I know I have a bad habit ofthis we put on really depressing
songs.
I've actually been working onclearing these songs out of my
song lists on my phone andworking on listening to more
like uplifting songs, because weget this habit of oh, I'm
(08:41):
really sad, so I listen to sadmusic.
But sometimes tricking ourbrain into listening to the
opposite can be really helpful.
The first few songs you'llprobably not enjoy because
you're like I'm not in the moodfor this, but eventually you
might become in the mood andmaybe you want to dance it out.
If you have trouble dancing, youcan dance sitting down.
I'm telling you to get moving.
Small movements, big movements.
(09:03):
Dance for five minutes in yourkitchen alone.
Do it with someone.
Dance in the bathroom, dancewith your kids.
Just get moving.
Find joy somewhere in your life, even if you're alone, even if
you're surrounded by family.
Find it, because if we don't golooking for it, it doesn't come
.
Because if we get stuck in thismode, we get sucked into this
(09:25):
quicksand and it won't let us upand the only way we're gonna
get out is if we climb out.
And I know it sounds reallyharsh when I say you can do this
and I'm telling you to go do it, even though I'm sure your
brain's telling you I can't dothat.
I can't do that.
I have this symptom.
This is.
I'm sure you're right.
Do it anyways.
Play-up days suck.
I know they do.
(09:46):
But the only way you find outyour limits is by testing them.
I don't come screaming at meafter this episode, I'm just
saying test them out, find outwhat your limits are.
We create our own limits in ourbrain, but what even are they?
The more you limit yourself,the worse it's gonna get.
The more you isolate yourself,the worse it's gonna get.
The less you do, the worse it'sgonna get.
It's been proven.
(10:06):
You have to keep doing things.
It's why physical therapy is soevident.
It's why they encourage therapyat the beginning of concussion
recovery now.
So because they've proven thatdoing something can really
benefit you Now.
I know, with the holidays comingup and things like that, it can
be really tough.
So don't forget that.
(10:27):
You know, let's get in thishabit now, before seasonal
depression comes, to try to helpfight that, and I'm not saying
it's going away.
I know how this works.
I've had mental illness for along time and I know.
This time I know where it'scoming from.
But it doesn't mean it's anyless work to get out of it.
I still have to do work.
I still have to do it every day.
(10:47):
For a while I'm working ongetting out of bed, doing
something, being active.
Right now I'm doing crochet.
Now sometimes this has come upon Conquestion Connect a few
times with people having troublefinding hobbies.
I get it.
It's really hard to find thingsthat you're passionate about,
especially if you're a reallyactive person before.
But sometimes it's just takingbigger hobbies that you're into
(11:08):
and shrinking them down orcoming up with something new
that you just can tell yourselfis temporary and maybe you'll
fall in love with it.
Maybe you won't.
For me, crochet's been great.
I'm making bears right now forChristmas gifts.
I love my grandma hobbies.
As I've been told, they arecold and that's okay.
I love puzzles, I love crochet,I like coloring and all these
(11:30):
things.
What these hobbies can also begreat for is that quiet time
right before bed where you go tosit in bed and all of a sudden
you're flooded with all theseemotions again.
So sometimes crochet for 30minutes, set a timer, coloring
for 10 minutes something likethat can kind of just de-stress
your mind before you go to bed.
(11:51):
And of course there's socialmedia, which you can scroll
through and like I'm not againstsocial media, I'm just seeing.
Social media is full of ourwins.
So just be careful on it.
If you are feeling down it canmake things worse.
But remember, if you can scrollthrough TikTok, all the fast
moving videos, the words, themusic, the text, if you can
(12:11):
scroll through that many videosfor an hour and a time go by,
then you can do a lot more thanyou're letting yourself do,
because think of how many brainfunctions that's taking to do.
It's not mind-numbing, you'reusing your mind to go through it
.
So put TikTok down and dosomething else.
Do something that will actuallycreate joy in your life.
(12:31):
If that doesn't work, headspaceis a great solution with
sleepcasts, putting music onwhen you sleep, sometimes
watching your favorite moviebefore you go to bed, to kind of
create good thoughts, thingslike that.
Just try to find joy in thesmallest things.
Put your favorite seasoning onyour food five days in a row.
Make your favorite meal frombeing a kid every day.
(12:51):
It doesn't always matter whatit is, it just has to be
something.
It has to be proactive.
It has to be you tellingyourself to do it, because
you're not going to do itwithout thinking.
So you have to tell yourselfI'm going to do this, I'm going
to help myself, I'm going to getout of this quicksand, I'm
going to move that dark cloud,I'm going to get out of this
water.
I can do it and I believe youcan, because I know you can.
(13:16):
Mental illness is something thatyou can fight.
It's something that ischemically changing in your
brain, but it is something thatyou can fight with every day.
But if you don't fight it, itwill take over, because I've had
it take over.
And you might feel like, oh, ifI just changed my mindset, it's
not enough and that's where theactions really help.
So don't forget about those.
And you might feel like, whycan't I just feel happy?
(13:37):
It's okay to feel the wayyou're feeling.
I'm not saying it's not okay.
You're ill, you're sick, you'restruggling.
Pcs is very tough.
It'd be very emotional.
But I'm also telling you thatlife doesn't have to be as hard
as it is.
I'm saying that things can bebetter.
And you can tell me a thousandreasons on why you can't do
(13:59):
something and I will give you athousand and one on why you can.
So if you have problems withtrying to do things, send me a
message.
Concussion Connect is a greatway to communicate with me.
I have tons of people messageme every day and I give
solutions, ideas.
There's always ways aroundthings.
You just have to kind of.
Sometimes you need an outsideperspective on how to do
(14:20):
something with your symptoms andthat's okay.
That's what Concussion Connectis here for.
So don't be afraid to go onthere.
Don't forget that just becauseyou had a good day yesterday,
you're going to wake up the sameway You're going to.
Maybe you'll wake up happy.
Maybe you'll wake up evensadder, but that's okay.
You're going to tell yourself,you know what, take steps to get
better and you're on the righttrack because you're listening
(14:42):
to this podcast and that meansyou care about yourself and,
honestly, that's the first stepto getting a lot better.
And you know what?
I'm climbing out of thisquicksand with you, with all
these hormone changes, and it'sbeen awful, honestly, really
awful.
I don't like it at all.
It's like my brain wants to bemiserable, and so I'm fighting
(15:03):
it too, and that's why I'mmaking teddy bears.
Those are my work breaks.
I've set like a half an hour,like a few times in the day, to
crochet, and you know what?
That's what works for me.
Maybe something else will workfor you.
Maybe reading Reddit funnyposts is what works for you.
It doesn't matter, just findsomething that helps.
And maybe it takes a lot oftrial and error and maybe that's
(15:25):
where the fun is.
But don't forget to reach outif you need it.
And don't forget you can behappy even though you're ill.
I don't care if it feelsimpossible, because I know it's
possible.
Need more than just thispodcast.
Be sure to check out ourwebsite, postconcussioninccom to
see how we can help you in yourpost concussion life, from a
(15:48):
support network to one-on-onecoaching.
I believe life can get betterbecause I've lived through it.
Make sure you take it one dayat a time.
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