Advice From a Mental Health Nurse
Welcome to the one day at a time podcast where we forget about yesterday. We don't worry about tomorrow. It's what are we going to do today? This all matters because you've only ever had or will ever have the fantastic twenty four hours a day you're about to embark on. Hopefully this episode is going to give you some daily dose of wisdom that you can take action on today to improve your life.
Speaker 1:And remember, all it takes is one day at a time. Good morning. Hello. Hello. Hello.
Speaker 1:So last night, right, I got my good friend Ryan Williams on who's a mental health nurse since he's been 18. So over a decade at least now. He's doing his masters in further development in our field and we just had him on for the annual call, so the annual circle call and some of the stuff was amazing, right. So the first thing that came to mind was, think about this, so if you on the annual call you're gonna get this but I want you to think of a of a country right that starts with the letter D. Okay.
Speaker 1:Now I want you to think of an animal that starts with the letter e. Okay? And I want us to think of a color of that animal. Okay? Got it?
Speaker 1:So you got Denmark, elephant, gray. Most likely than not, you got Denmark, elephant, and gray. So what he's trying to say is that is that our mind has got these, like, automatic sequences that we can easily lead lead ourselves down. So that was a simple trick. Like, you are familiar with Denmark because it's closest to us.
Speaker 1:Then obviously, e for elephant is the next most familiar thing, and then, obviously, an elephant's gray. So what he's trying to say to someone on the call last night was that if we got negative thoughts, we always go to something that's familiar. We always try and like then we go off that and we go off that and it basically is a very similar road we go down each time. So it is about being aware that that's the case, right? So me telling you now why you've said Denmark, elephant and grey, you're like, okay, I get it because I'm, you know, basically you're conditioned to be in the way you are in the world.
Speaker 1:If you were, if I asked you that in America, in Central America, you would have said Dominican Republic. Okay, so I will look at what the chain reaction is what he called he said his chain reactions happen and he said as many mental health people, patients he speaks to and it's like, I had a panic attack, I had a nervous breakdown, whatever it may be, panic attack, anxiety and Ryan's like, you know, what caused it? Like nothing caused it just come out of nowhere. And he's like, right, okay, let's have a look back to the day you started like, so what time did you wake up? So like, you know, half six.
Speaker 1:Okay, what time did you go to bed the night before? He's like, oh, well, am. He's He's like, well, you're in bed at 5AM. You have to wake up at half six. You panicked basically because you did you felt that you didn't have enough sleep and the day was gone.
Speaker 1:And then that was the chain reaction that that went onwards. So it is important that you try and figure these out for yourself. And journaling is by far the best one, right? So I got my old journal from last year, Ryan said journaling is one of the best ways that he recommends every single person who comes in with, you know, to a mental health clinic and wherever is to start journaling. And TJ, shout out to you for since reading Atomic Harbets, really taken journaling and making a part of her life and it's amazing to see like how in-depth she's gone.
Speaker 1:I'm looking at my journal now, right? So let me just find some entries that I did from last year just before lockdown happened, which is really interesting because you should put the day down, the date, the time you write in and where you are. So you kind of know, right? Friday March, '6 zero '1 AM '20 '20, Morning run done, getting quicker. Coronavirus has caused huge levels of panic and disruption.
Speaker 1:But as with anything, I feel there's always opportunities and hard times. That's true. Because we did go on and, you know, we did the I set up that business support group, we donated money, donated money to struggling businesses, did a lot of webinars to help. A lot of members actually came through that business support group I set up, which is cool. And then from there with Rugby Offer, live like Louise, we helped about as well.
Speaker 1:Live workouts, we did pay what you want so people could get in on the lives for, you know, whatever they could afford. And I put you down here, you have set up a small business support group to nearly 2,000 so far. So like, just looking back at these, like, I'll ask quite a like, look how far we've come there. Like, you know, coronavirus has caused huge amounts of panic and disruption. And what do you know what?
Speaker 1:On the call last night, people are saying they're worried about going back into the social world. And what I did was I asked people, how many of you are worried about going into lockdown when it first happened about how you're going to adjust to life that you can't go out for drinks and stuff like nearly everybody put their hand up like, yeah, I'm going to worry about it. How many of you worry now about going back into life social life, same people with hands up. The the thing here, the thing that's the same is change, but change is the only constant in life. I know you've probably heard that quote before, but change is the only constant thing in life.
Speaker 1:So if you don't expect change to happen, of course, you're gonna feel anxious and stressed because you're trying to control the world and not changing like think about it, think of unreasonable that request is, you want the entire world to just be still and not move. Thing is, it's always going to move. Same with the challenge. The challenge is always gonna keep moving. You know, you might slip behind some stuff and all that, but it's gonna keep chugging on.
Speaker 1:Time's gonna keep going. It's not about trying to, like, control that and it's coming it's kind of gonna left the jar and you're to put it back in, like, spilled milk, whatever. It's about accepting that you can't control her and what you can control is, you know, only the present moment like Big Don mentioned yesterday with hands on the steering wheel. That's the only thing you can do today is put your hands on the steering wheel. And, you know, like, it was nice to hear some people like, I do feel overwhelmed with the challenges so much and often I want to do it all and I got cycling to do now the world's opening up.
Speaker 1:You know, these are all great things to have, like, you know, like good problems to have, do you know I mean? And you've got to have access to the trainings and stuff for life. It's not as if we're gonna delete them and be like, you didn't do them in six weeks, so it's not happening. So yeah, you do need to realize that in a way because otherwise you're gonna get stressed out about it. Let me just go through my journal.
Speaker 1:Oh, here's a good one. There's I wrote on the all blacks mantra. So the rugby team, the all blacks, they're like the best rugby team ever. They've win, they've had wins or like they've had the biggest win percentage over like one hundred years. It's not just the players, it's the culture they build, right?
Speaker 1:So I've read of this culture, they got the mantras and I think it's brilliant. Number one, sweep the sheds. Never be too big to do the small things that need to be done. So true. Same with you, same with your life.
Speaker 1:Don't don't think you're too big to do the small tasks. Same for me. Clean the dishes, mate. Okay, do it. Two, go for the gap.
Speaker 1:When you're on top of your game, change your game. You know, when you're feeling good, don't be complacent. Resistance will eat your ass and it'll just you're gone. You're gone. Right?
Speaker 1:So you can't resistance eat your ass. I don't even know what that means, but it's gonna kick you in your ass. It's gonna catch you. You're running away and it's gone. And it's got you.
Speaker 1:Okay. So play with purpose. Ask why. So what is your why? Have you done the seven levels deep yet?
Speaker 1:Maybe you haven't, maybe not. Find out where your why is. Pass the ball leaders create leaders. Hey, while you're learning, pass it on to your friends and family. If they want to learn, become the leader within your group.
Speaker 1:We can all be leaders and also leaders are readers. Okay. Okay, five, create a learning environment. Leaders are teachers. Again, same point.
Speaker 1:Six, no dickheads, follow the spearhead. So they said no two player is bigger than the team, whoever the captain is, he's our leader, let's go with it. Maybe you are the leader, maybe there's leaders you need follow, but obviously you've got to be your own individual person, but it's good to have that structure. Right? Seven, embrace expectations.
Speaker 1:Aim for the highest cloud, embrace the fear of failure. This team has got so much pressure on them, they got to win all the time. Train to win, practice under pressure. Okay, good point. You're going to practice slowly coming out of lockdown.
Speaker 1:It's good. There's not going from lockdown straight out to the social world like parties and stuff. So you are going to get practice, we're going to go out for food first and it's going to be small tables and then it's going to be bigger households and it's going to be 30 people in the park and then it's going get bigger as long as it's not going to just you're not going to be thrown into the wild, right? So you will be practicing the pressure. Keep a blue head.
Speaker 1:So cool head, control your attention. That's good. Focus wherever you focus is where you you know, you start feeling it, right? Okay. Know yourself.
Speaker 1:Know thyself. Keep it real. Same as Bruce Lee, you know, you can only be your authentic self peel the onion skin back, who really are you? What has been added to you that's been done by society, friends, family, education that you don't really believe in, it's just been added, look, remove it. Addition through subtraction.
Speaker 1:Okay, 11, invent your own language, sing your world into existence, you know, unique player. 12, sacrifice, find something you would die for and give your life to it. 13, ritualize to actualize, basically to create a culture habits important. 14, be a good ancestor, plant trees you know you'll never see. I love her.
Speaker 1:And just like you know, this is in my journal from last year so definitely, start journaling. You just write down your days where you're grateful for as if you know, like Donald says, write on things that you're grateful for as if they weren't present. So you've got something like think of it gone and then you'd be more grateful wouldn't you? You know, write down notes, things you love, wisdom. There's some rage posts here that I spoke about last night in the annual call, my rage post which was on the twenty fourth of Feb twenty twenty, turned it around.
Speaker 1:And I'm gonna see if I can finish on just another word of wisdom from this journal. You know, I'm talking here about my taking on too much. Yeah. Maybe be more laid back like a kid, take risks, enjoy it, live life, unleash. That's one entry.
Speaker 1:Be like a kid. Come on. Enjoy it. Starting to live like lose membership. Well, turned out well, didn't it?
Speaker 1:Hello. Hello. There's a lot here guys, I don't know if I can see anything that's gonna come over in the next few seconds otherwise you're gonna be listening to me turning pages like how nice is that? Do you like the sound of it? Hopefully you do, because if you don't I mean it's not good.
Speaker 1:Oh my god. How big is this journal? Talking nonsense. Okay. Focus to feel focus then positivity.
Speaker 1:What's up for words you use? Okay. This is a good one. I'm finishing this. So watch out for words you use when something doesn't go right.
Speaker 1:So Churchill used words to lift people. Right? What is and then it comes across something. Worst thing you the worst thing that can happen to you is this that is inconvenient. So words basically basically you say words then you feel something more than the other way around.
Speaker 1:So if something annoys you and I say you're like, know, swearing usually someone doesn't go right and go, I'm swearing now this is shit or whatever. Instead of being so aggressive with our like, oh, this is shit, I hate it, the fuck. Basically got, it's kind of inconvenient, but it's okay. And then you have a completely different approach to stuff. So for today, no, you know, winding yourself up, all something can be in reality most of the time is an inconvenience.
Speaker 1:We live in a first world country enjoying internet, we know we're in a good place. It's just an inconvenience, nothing more. And that's it guys, I hope you have a good day, focus on your one big thing, whatever that is, bring those two hands on the wheel of the one day at a time, and we're off to the races for today. See you soon. I'll tell what that was.
Speaker 1:Ta da. And that's it. Thank you for listening to the one day at a time podcast with your host, Galf Lier. Hopefully, you understood something I said. I hope that some wisdom kind of distilled through into your mind, and I want you to now action it today.
Speaker 1:I don't want you to think about tomorrow. I don't want you to think about yesterday. I don't want you to think about leaving a review on this podcast. I don't want you to think about going to another website. What I want you to do is as soon as this podcast ends, you will take action and make the most of today.
Speaker 1:Ground yourself today. Follow the one day at a time philosophy, and your life will change.
