Mental Health - Widower Experience (WX)

When the days are getting shorter - it is normal and extremely common to feel a kind of autumn or winter blues - many people feel sluggish and down during these months. With decreased sunlight and shorter days during the winter, our vitamin D, serotonin, and melatonin levels can become low, which exacerbates depression and other changes of their mood. When the weather is cold, people tend to stay indoors and become socially isolated especially or even more during the still ongoing time of Covid. They may also get less exercise, which can cause weight gain, lethargy, and lower mood. What can you do to beat the blues when the short, dark days are getting you down? A few hints I like to share ...  1. Practice gratitude and awareness Our thoughts precede our emotions and behaviors, so keep your thinking positive. Did you ever thought about autumn and its beauty? Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go. Autumn can be seen as a second spring - when every leaf is a ...

The importance of rest cannot be overstated!  Our attention is an energy / a resource - and resources are finite.  Real breaks are time-outs that are officially ours. Work requires often more than we like to really see and realize it requires to focus and pull ourselves together, breaks and free time allow the mind to wander, the body to recover. It is also important to be able to mentally distance yourself from work and really switch off. There are consequences of resting too less: Burnout Bitterness/resentment Physical and mental health issues A lack of interest and focus in things we usually find interesting and meaningful Feeling like you are in a constant state of overwhelm and operating from your reserves (not abundance) We need to give ourselves permission to rest. AND ... resting is not a waste of time! "We live in a society that HIGHLY values productivity and accomplishment." In a world that relies on our willingness to exhaust ourselves to the point we can't fun...

Today I like to share with you one of my favorite songs.  The song was written by Rutherford and Robertson after both of their fathers had recently died, but the lyrics were written by Robertson, and centered on the unresolved issues between him and his father. It's all about the lack of communication between him and his father before his father died. I mentioned and repeat my advice and recommendation talking to your beloved ones to your family and friends - telling them always one more often that you love them, how important they are for you. Something I realized and realize more and more - more and more intensive - that you might and can kiss your beloved ones, your family and friends goodbye and put miles between you, but at the same time you carry them with you in your heart, your mind, your stomach, ... with every fiber of my being - because you do not just live in a world but a world lives in you. No matter how many miles or 'dimensions' separate us, we will alwa...