The material presented
here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method
to exchange
information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal
level.
Todays reading is a focus of the acronym HALT. When things feel unsettled or there is a level of anxiety, its a quick check to see if we are Hungry Angry Lonely or Tired. The writer describes a time of life when he/she believed it was possible to go for days without food or sleep. The limits of stress were tested, as were times of isolation. This period of time when we are staying away from others is the perfect time to make sure these basic and important needs are being met for ourselves. The challenge today is that many of us are feeling each word in the acronym, probably all at once!
With self-care in mind, what I have noticed is when hungry- although snacks and sweets are what I gravitate to, I always feel better when I have fresh fruit/vegetables and water. When angry- I have to feel through it. It used to be my instinct to try and get rid of the angry feelings because they are unpleasant, but for me its better to really allow myself to feel kind of lousy, write about it or take a run in the neighborhood. The more I care for myself and pay attention, the less lonely I feel. We are all being challenged with this one now, as the people we see in person is limited to whoever is under our roof with us. I have noticed that trying out something new- a new piece on the piano, or trying to play guitar or work on another language, helps with the loneliness. I know we are feeling the particular tiredness that comes from stress! Again for me the best way to feel better rested is to be eating well, running, and reading before sleep.
I hope if anyone is feeling the weight of isolation, especially if new to recovery, they keep coming back to the program. It did and continues to help me turn my life around!
Thank you Mary for your service and ESH. Having had a background in the arts, a truly dysfunctional FOO, and two spouses with addiction, it was programmed into me from an early age to ignore myself and therefore my needs. Feeding myself had been a struggle for years, and except for exercise, most of my self-care was lacking.
Over the years improvement came, and now with program, I have the icing on the cake (progress not perfection). I am so much better at recognizing what I need, and taking the appropriate action. Grateful member, Lyne
Thank you Mary! I love the Hope for Today, as like probably everyone else here, when I am feeling distress, I can really point to one of these letters in the acronym!
H - Hungry? I have learned over the years that I am an emotional eater... so now I stop myself and ask "Why do I crave that?" "Can you do something else?" A - Angry. A state I lived in for quite a while. Learning to Let Go and Accept has been a game changer in dealing with this one. L - Lonely. Interestingly, I am very rarely lonely. Even now, without a SO, I don't feel lonely. Crowds (even crowds I want to be a part of) drain my energy. I need the alone time to refuel my batteries! T- Tired. This is a big one for me. I used to require way more than the normal 8 hrs. of sleep. I have always known that my patience, demeanor, etc, were negatively affected when I was tired. It's been this way since Toddler-hood! Getting enough sleep is key for me... for both body and mind!
Today is the start of a long, wet week. So some interior clean-up, a little practice on the piano, and perhaps a good movie or two is on the agenda for today!
Sending healing thoughts out to those in need, and hoping you Self-Care!
&
__________________
"The wolf that thrives, is the one you feed." - Cherokee legend
"Hello, sun in my face. Hello you who made the morning and spread it over the fields... Watch, now, how I start the day in happiness, in kindness." Mary Oliver
Nice one, Mary... last evening we had a street get-together- keeping our two metres. There was no traffic of course. I actually feel that that was pushing the line a bit- and we should have been isolating more.
Our country of 5 million souls has had one death- and that was five days ago. We must be getting something right!
We have no skyscrapers, or many high-rise buildings- which is a great help.
In six months a lot of people may have forgotten all of this and gone back to the same-old, same-old... but none of us are complacent- on the recovery trail.
Every moment of emotional sanity we have recovered is treasured.
As I write here... our monarch, what we kiwi's call "Liz" is speaking to Britain and to the world. A nice pep talk.
No one is immune to pain and anxiety. To grief, or even to joy.
That last word in the last line sneaks out, more and more... ...
Yes David- I am thinking about how those of us in recovery have done so much work internally, maybe its been a helpful preparation for what we are in now?
Getting enough sleep is key for me... for both body and mind!
& 
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