Just how are you coping?

You need to have some techniques in your pocket for those moments when the world is a little too stimulating.

Grounding? Counting? Touching?

Anything. Let's randomly explain quickly the counting. It is not what you think. No,I will not ask you to count backwards from ten, because that is a recommendation for anger and for me doesn't work that well. If it does for you, great! Keep counting, or even better, stop getting angry...

But this counting is about counting objects around you. Are you on the way? Count cars. In a building? Count doors or windows. In a room? Count furniture.

An alternative to this is to name the colours. Blue, green, aqua... It's even better if you can let yourself just go with the flow of the thoughts of " could that be pink or purple? Fuschia maybe?" 

A level more advanced is to connect or recall a happy memory related to the colour. Blue, for vacation, gray for rain (if you like rain), orange for sunset, pink for those amazingly smelling bed linens your mom put on the bed, black for your favourite (motor)bike etc..

Keep these techniques into your pocket, just in case.

And do not forget: practice, practice, practice.

Ava Max

We all need that someone

Who gets you like no one else

Right when you need it the most

We all need a soul to rely on

A shoulder to cry on

A friend through the highs and the lows 

For my new friend in this amazing adventure that is starting in August.

What are you grateful for today?

 I cooked a recipe from Youtube (zucchini in the oven like fried) and the weather is great! My kitty is doing fine and she is a sweetheart to me. 

Last but not least, I am excited once again for the upcoming adventure!!  

Not okay day- audio

Abnormal breathing. Suffocating. 

I feel like there's not enough oxygen today. 

Some hormones in my head (in the literal way) are imbalanced. They play games. That makes me feel low. Some sadness is apparent in the background and irritability. 

But not the whole day!

The sense of time seems to be crumbled and somewhere far. Out of my head.

Days in, days out. Few moments I survive and those others I see everything around me through liquid. Those days or moments I make it a point to complete a task. Any task.

And oh dear god, it is so difficult. But the aftermath pleases me. I have one extra thing off my list.

Earlier I dragged myself for a walk. Just 2 km. Just the fresh air.

My work makes me miserable for some minutes. I don't hate it and that's the funny part.

I may, however, dislike some people in my company.

At least I am leaving. Officially.

And I kind of hope I won't work for another big corporation like that again. Yikes.

For those few who may want to experiment with something different, you could possibly wear earphones/headphones and listen to this

https://youtu.be/vz5NN-TKtQE

If you manage to let yourself go with the flow of his voice, start noticing how his voice trails off... Pay attention to the different tones for a while. For another while, notice the piano. How deep in the melody can you go? How long can you concentrate? 

I have enjoyed it maximum in a dark room, with few candles, noise cancellation headphones and some light incense. Volume up, eyes closed and light chiming.

Trance. The real thing.

What matters? (Mindfulness)

 Seriously, what matters to you? Have you ever considered that all the stuff you give a fuck about may not even deserve a single fuck?

I had some situation today. Let's call it a misunderstanding, which made my blood almost boil. But then I remembered.

"Stop, drop and roll" in case you are on fire.

What about the inside? You cannot put out an internal fire by rolling...

In that case, stop.

Literally, stop whatever you are doing or engaging in.

Drop.

The attitude, the action and furthermore the thoughts. How do you manage that fucking last one?

Roll.

Scan your thoughts. Ask yourself "does it even matter?" Do not skip the word "even", ask it with attitude. If you have time in your hands, you can also ask the reason it matters, but if you feel you are spiralling into a dead end, leave that part out.

Maybe do a body scan if it helps you. Locate the burn, the stress, the upset. Is it head? Is it chest? Alright, keep that.

Next classic move is to ask if it will matter in few days, then weeks and then years. Using the prism of time offers the big picture and a different perspective of the importance of life.

In these cases, it is probably for the best that we are not the centre of the universe. So, it WON'T matter.

Make yourself important, busy with only the finest of the life matters. Find your purpose and weed out anything that's not aligned.

Search inside yourself and if you have difficulty, then ask your mirror. What do you want?

Now, go get it.

Mindfulness practice

I met few people the last weeks. Virtually and physically. 

Some of them from work, the neighborhood and some from the prospect studies. 

All of them have one thing as common: they want to be happy.

Some of them have another common factor: stress 

And some of them have also panic attacks.

Coincidentally I completed a mindfulness training for second time recently (offered by my company- one of the most successful & popular trainings we sell to customers). So I thought of sharing some techniques with you. I won't go much deep into details, you can find a ton of info online.

Try this: A Cycle of Deep Breath with focus on how it feels in your body.

Do your lungs expand? Do you feel too stiff? Would you like to calm yourself?

Find a question that can work for you and use this technique, pretty much everywhere. Closing your eyes is not even necessary and therefore noone has to know that you are "meditating".

Scientifically proven, meditation helps the production of serotonin, the happiness hormone, so give yourself a boost of that as many times during the day as you please!

Congrats, you just completed the first task! 

Ζερβάκης - το μηδενικό

 

Enisa madness

 

If everything goes well and planned, what will your life be like in 5 years?

 (Journaling) 

   So here I am, holding my Bc in Psychology and waiting to defend my thesis for my Research Master's. After I step out of this room, I will be officially a psychologist. I can now be more confident about the result of my PhD application, which I am sure is going to be a positive response -therefore acceptance. I have finally all the tools needed for publishing my my amazing opinions about the functions of the brain. 

   In two months, I have to attend and speak about it to a conference that I was invited as an honoring speaker. Seems like my presence is a big deal. I am important. I am someone. Already!

   On the side I prepare keynote presentations and I have already travelled to Japan and Canada. Both beautiful professional trips and experiences. I met a load of people, many of which were highly educated, scholars and important in my field. Collaborations are already being discussed for future publications. People seek my opinion and sometimes my name on the internet.

   Soon enough, I will have my own long list of publications and references to my work and name. This will slowly let me penetrate some of the universities as an assistant, where I can work and learn even more, so that I can be prepared to teach the future generations as a professor. 

   I am glad enough that I have surrounded myself with friends and colleagues of prestige and knowledge. No more toxic people, no more drama. Only success and happiness. 

I MADE IT!

Good night strange world

 "She craved love, to be accepted.

She wanted friends, wisdom.

  She needed a hug, a shoulder to cry on.

She wished for hope and dreamed on."

New style!

How badass!

Accidental good shot last evening. 

Meet my new "me":

 

The ... Duchess and other movies

Hey,

Lately I have developed a taste for movies of an old era. Those with the difficult and complicated English. Funnily, some of them not only haven't gotten greek subtitles but not even English ones. It is surely a fun activity, especially when I sit there wondering what the actual heck they might mean by something they said.

Anyways, two of the latest I watched was "Pride and Prejudice" and "The Duchess". The first was a bomb, like I still wonder how the book may have looked like, however I have no interest in reading it, as I have a dozen others in my list. In regards to the second one, I have to say that it was immensely more interesting when I -mid watch- read online the real story of it. We are speaking of a historical person, who existed Devonshire, UK. Quite unique situation, which taught me furthermore some peculiar details of the era's society. I recommend should you have such tastes.

Another one I watched, based again on the book of Jane Austen, was "Sense and Sensibility". I think the basic reason I watch these are the costumes. I couldn't even recognize the actors (not that I have any deep or long knowledge but Google revealed that one of the guys was Hugh Grant, a name I have heard before, but couldn't out a face on).

Besides this new activity (I am not fan of cinema and movies as it sometimes can be just a loss of precious time), I keep being stuck on my books and precisely the audiobooks. Have found a couple of good readers and later I search based on them. Most of the books are still around psychology, although lately I have indulged in some articles of various content, such as astronomy, zoology and automotive news. Haven't I mentioned again how versatile I am?

I enjoy this last activity, when the weather permits, while I cycle on my (cheap) bike. For three weeks we had continuous rain and cold which left me upset as I couldn't enjoy the outdoors more. For now I hope the sunshine can last a bit longer, so I can go for adventures on the two wheels.

Hmm, who took this shot?

The time is coming

Results are in, on Friday. Accommodation is booked and paid, files are in hand, flight ticket sponsored and my list of items for the suitcases is almost complete.

Last piece: the resignation. My employer is already informed, although I am handing in the document on Friday by EOB officially too. Excited? Absolutely nuts! (like those I m currently munching on)

I am lately busy with various activities, one of them is the reading/ listening to some amazing book titles, trying out and finishing few Xbox games (including Tony Hawk, "the council" and some Assassin's Creed). My cat has been sick as well, so we had a couple of visits to the vet, where she got double injections every time- the poor little thing.

Besides all these, I have finally gotten my certification in Clinical Herbal Medicine (Western and Chinese)! I had to study and pass the last tests, but I made it! 

Furthermore, I am arranging the last things for my remaining stay in the Czech Republic, so I am accumulating the necessary paperwork (example the end of my current lease) and other small details of my daily life in this city. 

Moving countries. That's it.  I am doing it and I am still within the big plan of my life.

Although there is a big change in those plans, it's purely positive. I m going to study and realize my dream. 

Nothing can stop me. 

Tilburg, see you in August.