Mental Health - Widower Experience (WX)

No Brainer Day   –  Der No-Brainer Day (Tag des Nicht-Nachdenkens) findet jedes Jahr am 27. Februar statt – eine schöne, sanfte Erinnerung für Dich, vom Grübeln Abstand zu nehmen und Dir und Deinem Geist eine wohlverdiente Pause zu gönnen. Gerade heute, an einem Freitag, darf dieser Tag Dich – und uns alle – dazu ermutigen, einfache, stressarme Entscheidungen zu treffen und mentale Unordnung zu reduzieren. Etwas, das unsere Resilienz und emotionale Balance unmittelbar unterstützt. Dieser heutige Freitag – ein Tag, der Dich an Dich selbst erinnern darf – ist ohnehin ein natürlicher Wochen-Zwischenstopp. Eine perfekte Gelegenheit, bewusst etwas Gutes für Deine mentale Gesundheit zu tun und diese Haltung mit ins Wochenende zu nehmen. Vor mehr als 130 Jahren – also nichts Wokes, nichts Abgehobenes oder Esoterisches – stellte Swami Vivekananda 1893 beim Weltparlament der Religionen in Chicago vielen Amerikanern erstmals Meditation und kontemplative Praktiken vor. Seine Botscha...

Optimist Day is celebrated on the first Thursday of February and takes place on February 1 this year. The day focuses on building and sustaining a positive future. Are you wondering how this is possible? Well, anything can be achieved as long as you stay focused and optimistic. And for me it is part of being stoic. Pessimism and optimism from the perspective of a stoic depends on our / your perception of the bigger picture – our place in the grand scheme of things. Stoicism Isn't Pessimistic. I see it as boldly optimistic. One of the most common myths or misconceptions about Stoicism is that it advocates the suppression of emotions. Critics often misinterpret Stoicism's emphasis on emotional self-control as advocating for a numb, cold or unfeeling existence. People who know me or just met me knows that I am far from suppressing emotions :-)  How do I explain Stoicism to people in my life who are not familiar with philosophy and are looking for a simple explanation?  One valuab...

Saying good-bye and letting go of what was, transforming to what lies ahead. In 2023, a lot happened. I can't even begin to describe how much it means in words. Many of us experienced growth, change, ... you name it - so many changed that only a few years ago we could not have imagined. In your struggle, nobody is alone. You're not the only one who worries about what might happen next. And more and more, we all become aware of the little and significant shifts in who we are, how we perceive the world and reality, and how our awareness has changed.  Our drive to achieve goals is influenced by our level of confidence, which is why I wrote an article a few days ago. Having a confident base is essential while trying to modify our unhealthy habits or adopt new, healthier ones. Confidence plays a role in our motivation to pursue goals and so when we address how to change our existing undesirable behavior (e.g., excess eating, drinking, vaping, spending), or want to pursue new healthy...

When your mind, your self-awareness is unbalanced, situations and events in life are most often only problems. When your awareness is growing, is unfolding, situations and events in life are becoming and can be seen as challenges. When you are well balanced or even strong, situations and events in life are or they are seen as opportunities. Mental health is something that impacts our lives on so many or on every level. Your mental health is an important part of your well-being. Considering how much of a role your mental health plays in each aspect of your life, it's important to guard and improve psychological wellness. If you're finding it difficult to address mental health concerns on your own, don't hesitate to seek help from someone or a therapist.

Yesterday was a special day as one year ago my wife decided to go on the other side of the bridge. And I visited the forest where she was buried in the morning, stayed there through the day and in the evening. And I could took this picture ... It was amazing to see the lightness and how easy the glowworms 'wafted', 'floated' and flew through the forest where my wife was buried. Only in the darkness you can see the glowworms - no matter how dark a moment is - love and hope are existing and they are always possible. One glowworm is beautiful and is already amazing light - but the more they are the lighter get the darkness. Let us lift up our eyes and see the good in the world, when the morning sunlight filters through our eyelids and as well in the few days around summer solstice at night when the glowworms are flying. When such small glowworms can light the darkness - what can we do? ... people with an amazing capacity to do great good.  And if only a few of us choose to...

My beloved wife ... My heart my mind is full of 'pictures', full of memories. Every day, every minute with you was a gift, wonderful and irreplaceable. When we talked I most often used the German nickname 'Schatz' - the English expression 'darling'  is not the right equivalent  -  as you were 'my precious'   ... valuable, unique, wonderful - my one and only - you meant the world to me.  Your eyes like the deep, blue sky and your smile like the rising of the sun for me.  When I first held you in my arms, I hoped that moment would last until the end of time, and now I'm standing here and starting to realize that fate only gave us little bit more than 2 decades. I remember all the songs we listened, the movies we saw, the books we read to each other ... Goodbye my love, goodbye because I know we will meet again.  Help me to find the strength to do the right thing, I love you to the end of my days and I know that you will then be waiting for me there ...

While I am getting older, I become more aware of the rarity of opportunities, the opportunity to enjoy, admire the uniqueness and exquisiteness of beauty, and to see the beauty among rubble / in the midst of the 'noise of everyday life'. With each advancing decade, nature’s beauty and the magnificence of life increasingly amazes me.  Maturation allows us to enjoy and appreciate the spring of life and the youth and to inventory the knowledge garnered from rainy and showery, from hot and dry summer times, and also great and joyful times reflecting upon adulthood’s long pull.  Ageing allows us to free ourselves from the strife and as well attempt, aspiration, and ambition of our younger self - but this is not to say that it is over when you are older. Thoughtfulness, reflectiveness and also respectful and appreciative self-doubt, self criticism nurtures the cherished milk of wisdom.  Every day is a good day - a good time to embrace learning at all stages of life.  Life ...