Dealing with Depression

I know that many people including myself battle this disease, and sometimes when the weather changes or if ANYTHING changes, it can get harder. Here are a few tips I found about a year ago online (I believe it was beliefnet.com) and I have them written on my "sticky notes" on my laptop's desktop so I see them everyday. (My notes are in italics)

Depression Busters:

1) Get some buddies -friends make everything a little more bearable
2) Read -can take your mind off troubling things and help you learn new things
3) Be accountable - let someone know a goal(s) you would like to reach
4) Predict weaknesses - for me, it's idle time, so I try to make schedules and lists
5) Distract yourself - I like doing arts and crafts
6) Aerobic workout - this is by far one of the best things you can do for your mental health
7) Start a project - this will give you a goal and something to work on
8) Keep a record - any journaling helps, especially if keeping track of mood, sleep, meds, etc..
9) Help someone else - serving others can be very gratifying, boost mood, and spread joy!
10)Get security items - if I'm having a hard time, cuddling with my pugs works wonders
11) Pray - even when you think you are talking to your ceiling, God listens and heals
12) Meditate - this simple, beautiful act of breathing can calm and refocus

Now by no means is this list exhaustive. I would love to hear if you have anything to add!

And always, if you notice yourself isolating, giving up dreams, goals, and/or interests you once had, please speak to someone about this-especially a mental health professional. Also, if you have thoughts of harming yourself or others, please contact a suicide hotline, the police and/or 911. Don't be fearful. Don't be embarrassed. There are people wanting to help you be you again. There is hope and life awaiting you.

Read Luke 10:19 --overcome!

Love Always, Jenna

5 Years

Yesterday was Ryan's and my Anniversary. 5 Year Anniversary. A half a decade together. Really? Wow. Looking back at these 5 years, it seems that we, like good wines, have gotten better with age at this marriage thing. Yes, it is not perfect, we don't have all the answers but we make it work because we have committed to love each other through the ages. We have let each other change, but we have grown together for it. And some days our pugs have saved our marriage. :) We were only 22 when we tied the knot, but it was our time. There was a lot more self-discovery that we went through married, as a lot of people do when they are single. But we have made it work 5 years and that is something worth celebrating.

Where were you 5 years ago? How have you changed and what successes have you celebrated?

Realizations

Today I had a realization about the way I was raised and how it affects me today.

(Disclaimer: My parents did their best and loved me dearly, and I can never thank them enough for giving me the gift of life. Love you Mom & Dad!)

Because I was given a lot of freedom to make my own choices, I (this is hard to believe) made some poor ones--drinking young, poor relationships, and lying to authority figures. But I have also made some pretty good decisions along the way, too--committing to my goals, following the Lord, and marrying Ryan. Now, I don't have the blessing of raising children yet, but it made me think about the way I wanted to raise my future children. I have so many ideas of how I want to teach them about the world, provide them structure, and show them love. I don't know if I will give my future children as much free reign as I had, but I do know that I want them to have a base structure to fall back on to make good decisions.

What kind of realizations have you had for raising kids? What kind of legacy do you want to leave with them? I would love to read some of your ideas. :)

It's been a year!?!?!

WOW...Good job Jenna. Tomorrow would have been a whole year since I last blogged...and a lot has changed. So in order to not have gone the full year...here is an update:

We moved.

God showed up in a big way when Ryan was offered a CVICU position on the spot with Vanderbilt University. He had been searching for over a year and this awesome opportunity came forth so we took that cliche yet truly scary leap of faith and moved to Nashville from Phoenix.

We were also led to Cross Point Community Church, where we were welcomed with moving help, friendly faces and authentic worship and sermons. How blessed we were to find a church community so quickly.

I am still looking for work, although I still do part time contract work for Ashford University as a Teaching Assistant online. It has been a struggle feeling overlooked and rejected, but I am keeping the faith that something will be revealed for me soon. It is a humbling experience and I know many Americans are going through this same situation.

On top of this job hunting, I am sensing that God wants to use me for creating positive change in people's lives, but I just don't know in what capacity and vehicle it will be. Ministry? Non-profit? Momapreneuer? Leadership? Something as "simple" as having a current and updated blog for people? :) We will see.

But, as promised, here is how to make that chore schedule:
1) List out all daily things that need to happen (mail/dishes/etc...)
2) Do the same for weekly chores and errands (grocery shopping/cleaning bathrooms/etc...)
3) Guess what? Do the same for bi-weekly, every two weeks and monthly things.
4) Get 28 note cards and line up 7 in a row and 4 in a column.
5) Get different colored pens/markers to color code weekly-monthly.
6) Write down all the daily chores on every card in one color.
7) Pick two days a week for bi-weekly chores and write down those in another color in each row.
8) Do you see where I am going with this? Do the same for weekly chores, every other week's and monthly's. Be sure to space them out so you have an even amount of chores/errands every day, and that not all heavy chores are on one day.
9) Label in the corner from 1 -28, gather together in order and put in a holder/container of some sort.
10) Follow the chore schedule and then move the card to the back of the stack after completed. Your house will be sparkling clean in a month and then kept that way!

Tips:

Don't get discouraged if you don't finish all the chores on the card. Things come up. Time runs out. I would suggest always doing the monthly chores then working towards the dailys. Make a very "light chore" day of the week to save for chores that you didn't finish earlier. Remember, it's not the end of the world if you don't finish a chore...especially a weekly. It will just come around again next week. :) Also, you can use this same system electronically with, for example, Google calendar or Outlook calendar.

If you want me to help you create this, please contact me. I would be happy to talk you through it and give you an estimate, but I won't do your chores for you. :)