Flipswitch

On this episode, we talk about the ins and outs of procrastination.  The bad habit of procrastination is devastating to many people and can be a stressful trigger for many people already dealing with mood disorders.  We go over some facts and theory about this specter.  Also, we talk about just a few ideas on what might help you to get started addressing your own procrastinating ways.

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Hey there, It’s that summertime that’s hitting everywhere now.  Summer is an interesting time.  Everyone’s planning vacations, kids are getting out of school for summer, the really stand up college folks are starting their summer classes to get ahead, people are moving out of their apartments more around that time, and on and on.  It’s just a  time of change.

It’s ironic that it’s six months earlier around January 1st, then, that people start making resolutions for the year.   Not that there isn’t a lot going on then too, but the change in the air of summer just seems to much more palpable.

Perhaps it has something to do with the sunny, warm, relaxing nature that is so often associated with the season.  Flowers in full bloom, beach trips, fun with friends; there are a ton of different things going on that all point to growth and vitality.  Maybe under such rosy conditions, the world calls for us not to think too hard about things.  After all, why think about the future or doing things better at all?  Things are rosy.

But I’d suggest that, indeed, summer is the perfect time to review one’s patterns in life.  It is a perfect time to recommit one’s self to living a more scheduled structured life that fights against the onset of depression or the exacerbation of cyclic bipolar disorders. Think about it.  Conditions are perfect.   Need to get into a good exercise program?  You’ll feel a lot more like doing that in the warm weather than the freezing cold.  Need to refocus on planning for the coming year?  A lot of people are getting out of school with a little time on their hands perfect for planning.  And on and on.

In addition, the summer offers an often unique set of challenges that are practice for staying committed to one’s own health.  For instance, the summer is a time when many people fall into the habit of not going to sleep at a good time, since there’s often no early class in the mornings or new friends demand that you go out with them at night.  As well, new changes in time commitments often cause people to fall into a pattern of aimlessness in how they manage their time.    And woah, the parties that often happen.  It’s a microcosm of the pitfalls of all life wrapped up in one season.

But this is no time to slack.  It’s an exciting time to put your commitment to your own health into practice.   It’s a great time reaffirm that you are in control of your own life and your health by doing what you know is best for you.  It’s a great time to reassess how your decisions related to health are doing and figure out what else you might be able to do to get further down the road to good health.

Remember, you can never reach the point where there is absolutely nothing you can do to get better.  That goes for everyone.  Nobody is perfect, but we can try to always get better.   And as I always say, if you focus on taking control of your health, in the end, you’ll feel better than if you hadn’t taken control of your health and just ignored doing what you can to get better.  That’s just the way it is.

Good luck out there.

Chris

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Aloha, listeners!

So, the other day, I’m at work and it’s getting to be around lunch time, so I want food. I didn’t bring any lunch with m like I should, because money is always an issue in college. Thus, my options were limited to being hungry, getting McDonald’s, or getting Subway.

To let you all know, I don’t make decisions very easily and choosing between McDonald’s and Subway became the difficult decision of the moment. I weighed the pros and I weighed the cons—McDonald’s is tasty and unhealthy, and Subway doesn’t put enough ingredients on and is healthy (depending on what you get).

After choosing Subway, eating it, going home, sleeping, waking up, and then thinking about a blog topic, I realized this is a perfect example of life. We make choices constantly, most of the time subconsciously, and they affect the way our day goes, who we see, what we say, and how we act. My decision to go to Subway consequently did all of these things. I was no longer able to say to someone, “I had McDonald’s for lunch.” I also missed the chance to run into a friend at McDonald’s, though I also allowed for the chance to run into one at Subway.

This all may seem trivial, and kind of silly, but it’s true. If you are suffering with depression, you don’t even want to make daily choices, but in reality that is a choice—you chose to not choose. What are the results? Sometimes you are stuck in bed all day, you don’t run into friends, you don’t get the chance to talk to people, and you don’t get the chance to actively deal with your illness. If you are suffering from Bipolar Disorder, you may be making the wrong choices. What happens when you decide to go over to a friend’s house or dorm and you know they drink a lot? You take away the options of hanging with other friends who don’t drink, and increasing the likelihood you will drink, dealing with your disorder in a negative way.

Whatever the situation, I now realize that even simple decisions are affecting my life in pretty significant ways. Like this morning I chose to sleep in a little extra, giving myself less time to do what needs to be done.

Cheers, Ryan

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