Monday 29 February 2016

Never Mind the Polyps

............. a little something I did for friends for Prostate Cancer awareness:-  ( deliver in JCC style-e )
Never Mind the Polyps
(cc) Tony Amis, 2016
Lets kick cancer in the balls
Everyday check in your smalls
Testicular cancer easier to find
Fiddling down there won’t make you blind
A harder topic that might need a Proctor
Get that well man booking with the Doctor
They might stick a finger up your bum
For some of our friends that’s probably fun
Only men have a prostate gland
Creates our semen ain’t that grand
Its the shape of a walnut underneath the bladder
Its the size of the head of a grass snake adder
Over the years its been a blast
Urinate, get in, wiggle about, ejaculate last
Well our women will tell us thats not the truth
Ejaculate fast ever since we were youths
Now prostate cancers not that funny
In old buggers like me its worth being prepared
If youre up all night having multiple wees
Every few hours its worth becoming aware
Other things it might be worth taking note
Difficulty when having a pee
Straining or a long time finishing your wee
A slow flow when urinating
A feeling youre not emptying your bladder that keeps you waiting
Sometimes leaking before you get to the loo
Dribbling wee when youre having a poo
Dribbling wee after you’ve finished
Speak to your Doctor and check alls okay
Men, think about checking these things today
The Prostate has played its quiet innings for the bedroom department
As old buggers lets think about symptoms in these days we are less ardent
***END***

Sunday 14 February 2016

Its such a perfect day I want to spend it with you .................

Today is February 14th, valentines day.  I think a lot of us look at valentines day with healthy skepticism, ultimately because with your partner, lover, wife, husband, every day should be special just because you are together.  In a way I feel valentines day cheapens 'real love'.

There are 364 other days in the year where we can choose to celebrate our relationships and I'm pretty sure those days are better days to do that than February 14th.  It's not a hallmark cards invented tradition though, as paper valentines cards date back to the 19th century.  

The holidays roots are roman, around fertility and in the 5th century a Pope created a feast day the day before the age old fertility festival to be Saint Valentines Day.

There are a number of things that I think we need to do to keep our relationships healthy.

1. Don't compare your relationship to other peoples relationships.  All relationships are unique.
2. Don't strive for your idea of perfection in your partner. 
3. Vive le difference.
4. Acknowledge the things you and your partner are good at, play to your strengths.
5. Spend time doing each others favourite things.
6. I think it's okay to be assertive in a relationship, don't be treated without respect, if your relationship is strong this should be a given anyway.
7. You still need to find time to do the things that you enjoy as individuals.

So that's my recipe.  Now let's turn that on it's head.  If you are suffering with your mental health challenges, the advice for a relationship could be the advice to yourself.  Looking at those 7 above targetted at you as an individual.

1. Don't compare yourself to other people. 
2. Don't strive for perfection.
3. Vive le difference, all people are not created equal.
4. Acknowledge the things that you are good at, your strengths.
5. Treat yourself well, do things you enjoy
6. Be assertive, don't let people treat you with little or no respect
7. Engage in work and hobbies you enjoy

Well, i'm not sure that makes sense but it did when I started writing it ............. Now I have 2 holidays Monday & Tuesday to recharge myself after my first full week back at work last week.



Monday 1 February 2016

Mindfulness is a skill ..........

mindfulness is hard ...........

The following are tips for mindfulness at work.
They may help / they may not.
A lot of folks tell me ( and I myself find ) that it’s really hard being mindful at work, even in short bursts.

·         Not judging your thoughts becomes easier with practice. Avoid logical left brain thinking, label the thoughts and pack them away.
·         Try not to judge yourself as well, don’t get cross with yourself as that will defeat the object of your mindful moments.
·         Try checking in with the body, this should distract your thoughts. Asking ‘How is the old left shoulder blade’ today may stop your mind wandering.
·         Experiment and discover which flavours of the above work for you, allowing you to continue being mindful.

The science behind mindfulness is quite basic.  Paying attention to the sole process of breathing means that you are increasing activity in the attention association are of your brain, you are concentrating rather than logically thinking.  Allegedly sitting in an upright position aides triggering positive neural circuit activity.  Breathing and focussing on that tends to switch your brain from habitual thinking to creative thinking, thinking that helps.  Over time as you utilise mindful thinking your parasympathetic nervous system is activated which should lead to a mentally clear and alert state of mind.