Hi,<\/p>\n
Do you ever have a bad day? I mean, I know everyone has a bad day every once in a while. But I mean, one of those days when nothing seems to go right.<\/p>\n
I had one of those the other day. I had placed an order for CDs, and the printer printed the wrong date on them. And they had to go out to our customers that way! Sheesh! Then I had to print an apology to every one of them for the printer printing them with the wrong date.<\/p>\n
Then my computer got a glitch in it and my emails started going haywire. I couldn’t figure out what was going on. That really frustrated me, because I’m usually pretty good with computers. But I just couldn’t figure this thing out. It took me hours! I finally got it right, but I was so frustrated by then that I thought I would tear my hair all out!<\/p>\n
Then I needed to talk to someone on my team and she was nowhere to be found. My fault \u2013 she had told me she would be unavailable, but I was so busy I had forgotten. Still, I was flustered that I wasn’t able to contact her when I needed her, because I couldn’t get the answer I needed when I needed it! Ahhhh!<\/p>\n
Then my car started making funny noises. You know how that can be. That can mean anything.<\/p>\n
Then just before I got so frustrated I wanted to kick the darn thing, the noise disappeared as mysteriously as it had come! Now I’m just puzzled, because I wonder what it could have been!<\/p>\n
And that’s almost as frustrating as if it had never gone away!<\/p>\n
So many things went wrong in that one day that I wished I had never woke up that day. I actually wanted to go to sleep and start the day over again!<\/p>\n
That’s the kind of day I’m talking about. You ever have one of those kind of days? The kind you wish you could start over?<\/p>\n
I bet you’re wondering what any of this has to do with bipolar disorder, right?<\/p>\n
Well, in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, there is something called “mindfulness.” Mindfulness is about “being in the moment.” It has to do with dealing with things the way they are instead of the way you wish they could be.<\/p>\n
Like the kind of day I was talking about. There were many times I wished I could change the circumstances I was facing (like with the computer). But I had to accept things the way they were. I couldn’t do anything about them.<\/p>\n
Many times, as a supporter to a loved one with bipolar disorder, you will face the same thing. There may be times that you will want to not only change the situation, but even want to change your loved one, but you can’t. That’s when you practice mindfulness.<\/p>\n
You just need to accept things the way they are instead of the way you would like for them to be.<\/p>\n
If you practice this principle long enough, you will find that you will have more peace in your life.<\/p>\n
Well, I have to go!<\/p>\n
Your Friend,<\/p>\n
Dave<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hi,<\/p>\n
Do you ever have a bad day? I mean, I know everyone has a bad day every once in a while. But I mean, one of those days when nothing seems to go right.<\/p>\n
I had one of those the other day. I had placed an order for CDs, and the printer printed the wrong date on them. And they had to go out to our customers that way! Sheesh!<\/p>\n