It’s ok to not be ok thread

[felonious]

Oct 28, 2020 15:34:09 GMT pricey21 said:

Oct 28, 2020 12:14:00 GMT Orbs said:

Staying inside day after day can't be helpful (if that's what's happening) If running isn't for you then just going for a walk for half an hour will do the world of good IMHO - I found a few small parks and wildlife areas near me that I didn't know existed and we've found that getting some fresh air a few times a week has really helped.

Where are the nice parks around Stoke-on-Trent? As a whole its a shite hole. I work in the week so weekends are usually the worst.

Barlaston Downs, Hanchurch Woods, The various canals and old railway routes, Hanley Forest Park, Hanley Park, Westport Lake, Silverdale country park, Apedale country park, Bateswood country park and nature reserve, Bathpool park, Bradwell woods, Consall Country Park, Tittesworth, Rudyard, Ladderedge, Biddulph country park, Chatterley Whitfield, etc we've got to be so lucky to live in this part of the world and of course being the Potteries people look you in the eye, smile and speak to you

[Orbs]

Dec 1, 2020 7:10:02 GMT clarkeda said:

How’s everyone holding up?

Well I hope. It’s really tricky now especially with the dark nights and cold weather. I’m usually pretty chipper but don’t enjoy being in all the time especially working from home. Feeling a bit cooped up. The running helps a bit but I can easily see how all this can get on top of you.

Please get some help, talk to somebody if it’s getting too much. Loads of good links on this thread.

[Orbs]

Dec 1, 2020 13:44:53 GMT felonious said:

Oct 28, 2020 15:34:09 GMT pricey21 said:

Where are the nice parks around Stoke-on-Trent? As a whole its a shite hole. I work in the week so weekends are usually the worst.

Barlaston Downs, Hanchurch Woods, The various canals and old railway routes, Hanley Forest Park, Hanley Park, Westport Lake, Silverdale country park, Apedale country park, Bateswood country park and nature reserve, Bathpool park, Bradwell woods, Consall Country Park, Tittesworth, Rudyard, Ladderedge, Biddulph country park, Chatterley Whitfield, etc we've got to be so lucky to live in this part of the world and of course being the Potteries people look you in the eye, smile and speak to you

Great post. No excuse not get out and about now!

[muggleton]

Dec 1, 2020 7:10:02 GMT clarkeda said:

How’s everyone holding up?

Finding lockdown 2 better than the first one tbh. Got a healthier routine that feels more sustainable than previous efforts (normally have cycles of binge/abstinence with booze/exercise/food, etc).

Getting the basics right (or at least better than previously) is making the bigger stuff a bit more doable.

Small steps, but progress nonetheless.

Look after yourselves.

[mattyd2]

Dec 7, 2020 16:14:57 GMT muggleton said:

Dec 1, 2020 7:10:02 GMT clarkeda said:

How’s everyone holding up?

Finding lockdown 2 better than the first one tbh. Got a healthier routine that feels more sustainable than previous efforts (normally have cycles of binge/abstinence with booze/exercise/food, etc).

Getting the basics right (or at least better than previously) is making the bigger stuff a bit more doable.

Small steps, but progress nonetheless.

Look after yourselves.

Same here...
Lock Down 1 was a nightmare for me.
Dont really think LD2 has really had such an impact on life generally.

[muggleton]

Dec 7, 2020 18:12:41 GMT mattyd2 said:

Dec 7, 2020 16:14:57 GMT muggleton said:

Finding lockdown 2 better than the first one tbh. Got a healthier routine that feels more sustainable than previous efforts (normally have cycles of binge/abstinence with booze/exercise/food, etc).

Getting the basics right (or at least better than previously) is making the bigger stuff a bit more doable.

Small steps, but progress nonetheless.

Look after yourselves.

Same here...
Lock Down 1 was a nightmare for me.
Dont really think LD2 has really had such an impact on life generally.

Good to hear.

1st time round my sleep pattern was all over the place, was para about getting Covid, and over estimated some of the risks. Ended up pretty isolated pretty quickly.

Put in some ground work on healthy habits before this one and it's going grand so far. Miss the pub and socialising, but other than that its fine. Thr vaccine news giving some light at the ebd of the tunnel definitely helps.

[butlerstbob]

Dec 7, 2020 16:14:57 GMT muggleton said:

Dec 1, 2020 7:10:02 GMT clarkeda said:

How’s everyone holding up?

Finding lockdown 2 better than the first one tbh. Got a healthier routine that feels more sustainable than previous efforts (normally have cycles of binge/abstinence with booze/exercise/food, etc).

Getting the basics right (or at least better than previously) is making the bigger stuff a bit more doable.

Small steps, but progress nonetheless.

Look after yourselves.

Same here Muggers, 1st lockdown messed with my head, It hit me like a shovel every Saturday morning for some unknown reason that I can't even begin to explain then by Monday when back at work I was a little better, by Friday I was on cloud 9 but it kept going full circle!
What makes it harder to fathom is I really don't have a lot to worry about apart from the usual bills etc and as I was working all through it should have been plain sailing!
This lockdown has been much much better and I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, although this Saturday morning just gone felt like I was back to square one!
I will say a couple of thing about this year, one its made me appreciate things in life more but the main thing that I will take from all this is not to be too judgemental towards people who don't seem themselves and to take a step back and think about what they could be going through on the inside.
Good luck to you and every other person reading this thread, you're not alone👍

[chigstoke]

Hope everyone is all well here. Not just this thread ofc but all Stokies.

Lockdown 1 was fucking naff for me. Felt that one. Had some very kind PM’s. Being trapped home working with no social life took a bigger impact than I initially thought it would, add to that starting a new job, everything hit at once.

I’ve done better through the 2nd one and now Tier 3. I’ve just come off of a 6 week Bootcamp. A stone lighter and it’s probably done my mental health a load of good to get out and active. Not being trapped in this time round has been huge for me. I honestly cannot recommend it enough people, get out there and take it all in. Get fit, get healthy and take in that fresh air.

Now back at the gym thanks to them being allowed to open. 4/5 times a week is the new regimen, starting classes once allowed to operate them again. Goal is to drop another stone by the end of Jan, two by Feb if I can do it. I’ve got two nice Pretty Green shirts I want to get into

Enough about me. This goes for anyone, PM’s are open if you feel you need a chat away from the board. I can’t promise 100% timely response rates, but I’m happy even just to listen, regardless of whether I’ve had disagreements with you on the board or not, footie comes second.

[muggleton]

Nice one lads, and hopefully that wee bit of positivity is a reminder to anyone reading that this is doable and we'll get out the other side.

Exercise is key for me too, and has a noticeable affect on my mood. If feeling anxious/awkward/can't be fucked with social interaction I find running ideal as you get out and get on with it, without having to deal with anyone. Sometimes its the last thing I want to do, but never regret getting out in the air/pissing rain/whatever.

[muggleton]

Anyone any thoughts/experience on links between gut health and MH? Some really interesting work being done on this.

I get gut discomfort from stress, poor diet and too much booze, and it has a marked effect on my sleep and anxiety levels. Have worked on my diet, increased fibre, breaks from booze and introduced pre and probiotics, which all work pretty well til the bad habits creep in again.

Would recommend anyone who hasn't tried this to have a go.

Also take a vit d supplement which, placebo or not, seems to help.

[Rednwhitenblue]

The six weeks or so from the clocks going back to about now I find the most dreary part of the year. It's dark, it's grey, it seems to have been especially wet and miserable this year, and on top of that we've all got Covid to deal with this time.

That said, daily exercise definitely helps, even just a walk but started running again now, Christmas is around the corner, then we're heading for lighter evenings, Spring, new growth on trees, birds singing, vaccinations for Covid, warmer days and Stoke City getting promoted.

Hang in there, everybody, better days are coming.

[Orbs]

Dec 7, 2020 21:50:25 GMT chigstoke said:

Hope everyone is all well here. Not just this thread ofc but all Stokies.

Lockdown 1 was fucking naff for me. Felt that one. Had some very kind PM’s. Being trapped home working with no social life took a bigger impact than I initially thought it would, add to that starting a new job, everything hit at once.

I’ve done better through the 2nd one and now Tier 3. I’ve just come off of a 6 week Bootcamp. A stone lighter and it’s probably done my mental health a load of good to get out and active. Not being trapped in this time round has been huge for me. I honestly cannot recommend it enough people, get out there and take it all in. Get fit, get healthy and take in that fresh air.

Now back at the gym thanks to them being allowed to open. 4/5 times a week is the new regimen, starting classes once allowed to operate them again. Goal is to drop another stone by the end of Jan, two by Feb if I can do it. I’ve got two nice Pretty Green shirts I want to get into

Enough about me. This goes for anyone, PM’s are open if you feel you need a chat away from the board. I can’t promise 100% timely response rates, but I’m happy even just to listen, regardless of whether I’ve had disagreements with you on the board or not, footie comes second.

Top stuff this Chiggers and good news from Butters, Muggers and RWB. Nice to hear there are some solutions out there working for a few that don't cost a lot nor do they involve taking tablets (although this is of course also a viable alternative and works brilliantly for some) Added to the supplement aspect I started taking iron tablets a few months ago and I think they've helped keep the energy levels up. Apparently zinc, potassium and magnesium are helpful too. Even though it's getting dark, cold and about to rain I'm off for a jog.

[muggleton]

Dec 8, 2020 15:41:13 GMT Orbs said:

Dec 7, 2020 21:50:25 GMT chigstoke said:

Hope everyone is all well here. Not just this thread ofc but all Stokies.

Lockdown 1 was fucking naff for me. Felt that one. Had some very kind PM’s. Being trapped home working with no social life took a bigger impact than I initially thought it would, add to that starting a new job, everything hit at once.

I’ve done better through the 2nd one and now Tier 3. I’ve just come off of a 6 week Bootcamp. A stone lighter and it’s probably done my mental health a load of good to get out and active. Not being trapped in this time round has been huge for me. I honestly cannot recommend it enough people, get out there and take it all in. Get fit, get healthy and take in that fresh air.

Now back at the gym thanks to them being allowed to open. 4/5 times a week is the new regimen, starting classes once allowed to operate them again. Goal is to drop another stone by the end of Jan, two by Feb if I can do it. I’ve got two nice Pretty Green shirts I want to get into

Enough about me. This goes for anyone, PM’s are open if you feel you need a chat away from the board. I can’t promise 100% timely response rates, but I’m happy even just to listen, regardless of whether I’ve had disagreements with you on the board or not, footie comes second.

Top stuff this Chiggers and good news from Butters, Muggers and RWB. Nice to hear there are some solutions out there working for a few that don't cost a lot nor do they involve taking tablets (although this is of course also a viable alternative and works brilliantly for some) Added to the supplement aspect I started taking iron tablets a few months ago and I think they've helped keep the energy levels up. Apparently zinc, potassium and magnesium are helpful too. Even though it's getting dark, cold and about to rain I'm off for a jog.

Good man Orbers, heading out in the pissing rain for a run myself shortly. There's no mental health panacea out there, but small steps in the right direction can help most of us.

I've found magnesium helps me sleep through the night better and kelp supplements seem to help my gut, but above all getting the basics of diet /exercise/sleep (sometimes) right is key.

Really struggling to sleep at the min, but managing ok as things are generally better than average elsewhere. Usually a month of poor sleep would put me in a slump, but managing to cope better than usual and hoping it'll kick in one of these nights. Also as I'm in a better frame of mind the sleeplessness isnt turning into Dark Nights of the Soul (yet), so am just reading or listening to podcasts, without climbing the walls.

Look after yourselves lads.

[elystokie]

Dec 8, 2020 11:54:52 GMT muggleton said:

Anyone any thoughts/experience on links between gut health and MH? Some really interesting work being done on this.

I get gut discomfort from stress, poor diet and too much booze, and it has a marked effect on my sleep and anxiety levels. Have worked on my diet, increased fibre, breaks from booze and introduced pre and probiotics, which all work pretty well til the bad habits creep in again.

Would recommend anyone who hasn't tried this to have a go.

Also take a vit d supplement which, placebo or not, seems to help.

It seems as the consumption of fast food has gone up so have incidences of MH issues, I think that was the case pre covid.

Correlation is obviously not causation but I'd be interested in seeing the results of any studies done on the matter.

I'm pretty convinced blood type plays a part in what we should eat as well, a lot of us (me included) eat stuff that's harmful for our particular blood type.

[clarkeda]

Must admit had a bit of a wobble about a fortnight ago, being stuck in was really getting to me. My birthday followed afterwards so was able to snap out of it pretty quickly. Coupled with some time off work and the gyms opening again I feel a thousand times better.

I echo what everyone else has said on here. For me exercise is the biggest contributor to battling depression. I know the weather is shit, dark and miserable. But dragging yourself out will instantly make you feel better.

But even though we can’t do much, I would defiantly recommend taking some time off work. I hadn’t had any time of since March and I was fraying at the edges.

[Foster]

Dec 8, 2020 19:38:25 GMT clarkeda said:

Must admit had a bit of a wobble about a fortnight ago, being stuck in was really getting to me. My birthday followed afterwards so was able to snap out of it pretty quickly. Coupled with some time off work and the gyms opening again I feel a thousand times better.

I echo what everyone else has said on here. For me exercise is the biggest contributor to battling depression. I know the weather is shit, dark and miserable. But dragging yourself out will instantly make you feel better.

But even though we can’t do much, I would defiantly recommend taking some time off work. I hadn’t had any time of since March and I was fraying at the edges.

Went for a run today purely as a result of reading this thread. Feeling fine at the moment. Got the game on.
Attachment Deleted

[Foster]

Just an idea... How about a conf call (zoom, Ms teams, etc.) before Xmas for anyone on here that feels like a chat?...could do it while watching a game... Or even a dedicated group chat during a game if easier?

Get some closer chat going for those that want to....

[muggleton]

Dec 8, 2020 16:10:33 GMT elystokie said:

Dec 8, 2020 11:54:52 GMT muggleton said:

Anyone any thoughts/experience on links between gut health and MH? Some really interesting work being done on this.

I get gut discomfort from stress, poor diet and too much booze, and it has a marked effect on my sleep and anxiety levels. Have worked on my diet, increased fibre, breaks from booze and introduced pre and probiotics, which all work pretty well til the bad habits creep in again.

Would recommend anyone who hasn't tried this to have a go.

Also take a vit d supplement which, placebo or not, seems to help.

It seems as the consumption of fast food has gone up so have incidences of MH issues, I think that was the case pre covid.

Correlation is obviously not causation but I'd be interested in seeing the results of any studies done on the matter.

I'm pretty convinced blood type plays a part in what we should eat as well, a lot of us (me included) eat stuff that's harmful for our particular blood type.

So much of what people eat is processed to the extent it'd hardly be recognised as food by precious generations, and there's a price to pay for that. The impact on the gut biome is my primary interest (Dr Michael Moseley from BBC 2 Trust Me I'm a Dr worth reading on this) as processed foods are appalling for the digestive system, which in turn is increasingly understood as having a strong influence on mood and MH.

Just about everything comes down to getting the basics right, and going overboard on fast food isn't likely to lead to good outcomes.

[clarkeda]

Dec 8, 2020 20:27:17 GMT Foster said:

Just an idea... How about a conf call (zoom, Ms teams, etc.) before Xmas for anyone on here that feels like a chat?...could do it while watching a game... Or even a dedicated group chat during a game if easier?

Get some closer chat going for those that want to....

That’s a good idea. Nice way to break the ice would be to start doing it hiring games. Common interest etc.

[elystokie]

Dec 8, 2020 21:11:41 GMT muggleton said:

Dec 8, 2020 16:10:33 GMT elystokie said:

It seems as the consumption of fast food has gone up so have incidences of MH issues, I think that was the case pre covid.

Correlation is obviously not causation but I'd be interested in seeing the results of any studies done on the matter.

I'm pretty convinced blood type plays a part in what we should eat as well, a lot of us (me included) eat stuff that's harmful for our particular blood type.

So much of what people eat is processed to the extent it'd hardly be recognised as food by precious generations, and there's a price to pay for that. The impact on the gut biome is my primary interest (Dr Michael Moseley from BBC 2 Trust Me I'm a Dr worth reading on this) as processed foods are appalling for the digestive system, which in turn is increasingly understood as having a strong influence on mood and MH.

Just about everything comes down to getting the basics right, and going overboard on fast food isn't likely to lead to good outcomes.

I've watched some videos by Dr Ethan Russo where he mentions the bacteria in our gut and how we should be paying more attention to it's health, it's more important than a lot of us think.

[muggleton]

Dec 9, 2020 8:38:57 GMT elystokie said:

Dec 8, 2020 21:11:41 GMT muggleton said:

So much of what people eat is processed to the extent it'd hardly be recognised as food by precious generations, and there's a price to pay for that. The impact on the gut biome is my primary interest (Dr Michael Moseley from BBC 2 Trust Me I'm a Dr worth reading on this) as processed foods are appalling for the digestive system, which in turn is increasingly understood as having a strong influence on mood and MH.

Just about everything comes down to getting the basics right, and going overboard on fast food isn't likely to lead to good outcomes.

I've watched some videos by Dr Ethan Russo where he mentions the bacteria in our gut and how we should be paying more attention to it's health, it's more important than a lot of us think.

Will look him up, cheers.

There's a growing understanding of gut biome health and its impact on immune response and MH, among other things. There's mixed evidence on the impact of probiotic yoghurts, etc, but a balanced diet of natural food and plenty of fibre is a good start.

[Rednwhitenblue]

Eating more natural food is definitely a good move. It's quite alarming how much we're 'conditioned' to processed food and flavourings and how 'bland' natural foods can taste initially.

But I started eating a few almonds every day instead of snacking on crap like crisps and you soon get your real sense of taste back which is better at detecting subtle flavours and realise how much processed food is bad for you on so many levels.

The squirrels like them too!

[muggleton]

Dec 10, 2020 8:10:59 GMT Rednwhitenblue said:

Eating more natural food is definitely a good move. It's quite alarming how much we're 'conditioned' to processed food and flavourings and how 'bland' natural foods can taste initially.

But I started eating a few almonds every day instead of snacking on crap like crisps and you soon get your real sense of taste back which is better at detecting subtle flavours and realise how much processed food is bad for you on so many levels.

The squirrels like them too!

To add to that I'm calorie tracking for the first time in my life and finding it leads to more mindful food choices, which inevitably leads to better ones.

Lost about 3kg over about 3 months without cutting anything out completely, and still drinking too much most weekends. Feels like something that can be sustained over the long term.

[Foster]

Dec 10, 2020 11:23:53 GMT muggleton said:

Dec 10, 2020 8:10:59 GMT Rednwhitenblue said:

Eating more natural food is definitely a good move. It's quite alarming how much we're 'conditioned' to processed food and flavourings and how 'bland' natural foods can taste initially.

But I started eating a few almonds every day instead of snacking on crap like crisps and you soon get your real sense of taste back which is better at detecting subtle flavours and realise how much processed food is bad for you on so many levels.

The squirrels like them too!

To add to that I'm calorie tracking for the first time in my life and finding it leads to more mindful food choices, which inevitably leads to better ones.

Lost about 3kg over about 3 months without cutting anything out completely, and still drinking too much most weekends. Feels like something that can be sustained over the long term.

Did the same (quite a few years back now). I was losing around 300-500 grams per week purely by exercising frequently and targeting 400 cals under my daily allowance - also considering the gains made from exercise.

I found that I was swapping out snack food on weekends just to make space for drinks. I even switched from beer to Port just to get more value out of it.

Seem to have stabilised these last 2 years at around 8-10kg over my preferred weight so I think I'll join you on the calorie counting.

[muggleton]

Dec 10, 2020 12:24:38 GMT Foster said:

Dec 10, 2020 11:23:53 GMT muggleton said:

To add to that I'm calorie tracking for the first time in my life and finding it leads to more mindful food choices, which inevitably leads to better ones.

Lost about 3kg over about 3 months without cutting anything out completely, and still drinking too much most weekends. Feels like something that can be sustained over the long term.

Did the same (quite a few years back now). I was losing around 300-500 grams per week purely by exercising frequently and targeting 400 cals under my daily allowance - also considering the gains made from exercise.

I found that I was swapping out snack food on weekends just to make space for drinks. I even switched from beer to Port just to get more value out of it.

Seem to have stabilised these last 2 years at around 8-10kg over my preferred weight so I think I'll join you on the calorie counting.

It certainly feels like its helping me have a healthier routine, and I do the same to fit in weekend booze (though jumping to port to save a few cals would be a bridge too far!)

Cutting out or significantly reducing booze would obv lead to much faster progress, but that's not really the aim for me.

Posted it in here as its had a noticeable affect on my MH, and is particularly useful working from home when I'd tend to mindlessly consume absolute crap.

Using My Fitness Pal, but if there's anything better out there I'd give it a try. Only really sticking to it from Monday til Friday teatime, which is no great hardship, and the weekends are gradually getting a bit healthier of their own accord.

Good luck with it mate.

[FranktheRabbit]

First time posting on this thread after flitting/reading through it for a few weeks. Good to see people willing to open up with this kind of thing, not something I would have expected to see, even a few years ago. Struggled with my mental health from an incredibly early age, and have genuinely only ever opened up about it to my wife, so the majority of my teenage/adult life has been spent "suffering in silence" if it can be put that way. My mental health we think is a result of a personality disorder such as BPD and/or ADD, which I am currently under the process of diagnoses for. To say I've lost myself, personality, soul due to this is an understatement. Years spent wondering "what the fuck is wrong with me?" and knowing I'm not particularly wired up correctly has taken it's toll massively, both further mentally and physically. At my lowest point selfishly and rather ashamedly I attempted to take my own life mainly due to the fact I kept all of this bottled up for years. Not one to have a large circle of friends in all honesty and have a couple of lads who I would consider my best friends, but even still, never talked to them about anything at all really. Typical male attitude I guess. That's it from me for now, but I suppose it's a step in the right direction and if I can't talk about this shit anonymously on a message board, then I will never do it. Willing to open up if anyone has questions, or even willing to offer advice if needed. No judgement here and a pretty good listener. If any of you have struggled with something, I am sure I have to, or at least experienced something similar, so happy to talk to anyone.  

[muggleton]

Fair play to Ed and everyone else sharing their experiences.

There'll be plenty of people reading who aren't ready to talk themselves, but will benefit from reading.

[clarkeda]

Just checking in with Everyone to see how everyone is feeling about the change in Christmas restrictions.

We all need to pull together and support each other to see this through.

[The battheader chronicles]

Dec 10, 2020 14:07:28 GMT FranktheRabbit said:

First time posting on this thread after flitting/reading through it for a few weeks. Good to see people willing to open up with this kind of thing, not something I would have expected to see, even a few years ago. Struggled with my mental health from an incredibly early age, and have genuinely only ever opened up about it to my wife, so the majority of my teenage/adult life has been spent "suffering in silence" if it can be put that way. My mental health we think is a result of a personality disorder such as BPD and/or ADD, which I am currently under the process of diagnoses for. To say I've lost myself, personality, soul due to this is an understatement. Years spent wondering "what the fuck is wrong with me?" and knowing I'm not particularly wired up correctly has taken it's toll massively, both further mentally and physically. At my lowest point selfishly and rather ashamedly I attempted to take my own life mainly due to the fact I kept all of this bottled up for years. Not one to have a large circle of friends in all honesty and have a couple of lads who I would consider my best friends, but even still, never talked to them about anything at all really. Typical male attitude I guess. That's it from me for now, but I suppose it's a step in the right direction and if I can't talk about this shit anonymously on a message board, then I will never do it. Willing to open up if anyone has questions, or even willing to offer advice if needed. No judgement here and a pretty good listener. If any of you have struggled with something, I am sure I have to, or at least experienced something similar, so happy to talk to anyone.  

Hiya mate, superb post and you should be very proud of yourself for sharing that. We’re all here for you x

[maxplonk]

Dec 20, 2020 21:17:38 GMT clarkeda said:

Just checking in with Everyone to see how everyone is feeling about the change in Christmas restrictions.

We all need to pull together and support each other to see this through.

Admin. Might it be worth pinning this thread? At least over the holiday period?