35 and Older Accountability Group

Timber, you may want to watch this with your wife.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=642782703167460

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Dr. Laurie Santos hosted a Facebook Live Q&A to help us all find ways to cope and process. The video covers the following topics:

• Reducing tension in a relationship while sheltering in place (1:11)
• Consuming news without increasing anxiety (3:24)
• Supporting healthcare workers and helping them prioritize self-care (5:19)
• Remaining positive when living alone (8:51)
• Staying focused and productive at work (10:36)
• Finding your next career or job if you’ve been laid off (12:47)
• Helping children who are struggling without their usual routine or friends (15:00)
• Creating positive experiences while in lockdown (18:26)
• Sleeping better, despite increased anxiety and stress (20:48)
• Coping if loved ones test positive for COVID-19 (23:57)
• Spreading kindness or making social connections while isolated (26:32)

 

Since I'm on the subject, I discovered this last week. It is a free online course offered by Yale University (yes, that obscure and little known place) on how to achieve happiness. It is fascinating and a real eye opener. The professor is Dr. Santos above. She originally started this course on-campus to Yale students, and it has since become THE most popular course ever offered in Yale's 300+ year history.

It is offered through Coursera. You will need to register (for free) but past that there is no commitment. They try to bait you into paying 50 bucks to take it as a course where you will take tests, write essays, get a grade and an official certificate in the end, but it is unnecessary. You can just get the input at your own pace and do the exercises on your own for free. I'm loving it. Go ahead and check it out.

https://www.coursera.org/learn/the-science-of-well-being?

 

Hey look at that. 2 weeks!

Feeling hopeful and good. No real urges. When I get a little daylight from PM it seems absolutely insane I ever had anything to do with it. I hope I can bring that knowledge with me when the “storm days” come.

On the stress side... I took a big pay cut and lost some paid vacation days. I’ll take that over a loved one being sick, but I’m ready for this virus to move along lol. I’ll be able to absorb this one. I think PM jacks with my brain chemistry. I haven’t worried about something I can’t control like a I normally would.

 

Thanks, @discovery! I heard about the course and will check out the video.

Next few days promise to be stressful and will probably be a bit stormy. It should be fun!

 

Hi, I’d like to join the group. Will you please add me to the waiting list??

 

Restarting again......I've got to stop.

 

I intentionally took a job in an office instead of working from home because I knew it would keep me off pmo...but now I have to work from home like everyone else. What a mess.

 

As GottaBFree mentioned before regarding "Storm Days" well I had one this morning and the urge was really intense.

I am feeling positive though and can feel there is a light at the end of this tunnel that we're all in, I am just praying that the time comes soon where no PMO becomes second nature to us all and we just forget about it.

 

That’s such a huge win. Congrats on getting through.

Day 15 and no storms yet. I’m not looking for a fight. I’d be cool never to face one again... but I’m sure I will.

 

Thanks dude, gonna try cold showers as well as I am sure that's what got me through these storms in the past.

Congrats on 15 days as well, let's keep this up.

Keep strong everyone!

 

Just checking in. Starting to feel better.

 

Argggg....resetting again. Still have my old habbits. Probably spent about 5 hours with PMO today.

 

sorry to hear about that. It’s been a rough transition for everyone. I think there needs to be room to adjust and to fail in this crazy COVID world.

This is also a good time to develop a new routine for your day. I don’t know about your previous streaks and what motivated you to stay PMO free for long, but if you are just starting out, you are in the “grind it out” stage ... you just need to drag yourself through the day, meditate, pray, work out, take cold showers, read, build a dresser, learn to play mandolin, practice your Finnish - just get good routines going to fill your day!

 

Working on day 7... and in the middle of a very stressful week at work. The temptation to release pressure is HUGE and my mind automatically turns to M.


I am working on transforming this energy into something creative and positive. Anxiety is good if it is channelled into something productive. Right?

 

Been out the loop recently - the CV has messed up the days and the routines and its just too easy to PM whenver the urge comes. Still now on day 1 and feeling a little more focussed.

 

Hey there guys happy to get to 2 weeks and soon on to the top 10 ranking here !

Don't give up on this days of being locked up, let's avoid getting locked up on a PMO prison!

 

That's great. I cant' wait to get to 1 week. Even making it to 2pm today feels like an accomplishment. I got more done at work than I do in 2 days typically. Not splitting my attention.

 

Day 16...

Reading up on stuff... I hit a link to this page on the forum. Seemed a little better of a technical description than “storms” lol.

PAWS- Post Acute Withdrawal Symptoms. I’m still calling this crap a storm though lol.

I’ll post the is the link if anyone is interested. I found a quick read on the topic helpful.

https://www.addictionsandrecovery.org/post-acute-withdrawal.htm