Welcome to Mel-iorism, my new blog dedicated to sharing my journey to becoming a better me. I plan to share some of my goals and my progress in accomplishing them.
My main goal at the moment is to BE HAPPIER. I think this will always be a worthwhile goal. At the moment it is particularly worthwhile, as earlier this year I was diagnosed with Post-Natal Depression (PND), so being happier will be challenging and is especially important for me at the moment. The last year (or so) has been very difficult, I have experienced some of the lowest lows I have ever had to deal with. It took me a long time to actually do anything about my PND because my depressive episodes did not occur everyday, in fact some days were good and I felt like I could handle it all myself. I thought perhaps, I was experiencing just the normal ups and downs everyone experiences. I also felt embarrassed about needing some help, especially after studying Psychology myself. I also felt guilty about feeling so down when I had such a beautiful baby. Additionally, I had some reservations about some of the treatments out there, especially the drugs with their long lists of potential side effects. I eventually got to the point where I was not functioning well and I had to get help, I realised PND is just an illness and not something to feel guilty or embarrassed about. I wouldn't have so many reservations about getting help if I had a physical illness over a mental one.
I have started making some progress by finally seeking help and getting some treatment. Speaking out and seeking help has made a huge difference to my wellbeing.
As part of my Goal to BE HAPPIER, I have set several other goals:
- Improve my relationships: especially with my Husband and family, but also with friends making a special effort to be more social. I want to have more date nights with the hubby, more quality time with my son and invite friends over more often. I really enjoy entertaining and cooking for other people and would love to do it more!
- Increase my spirituality: my relationship with God is something that has really made a huge difference in my life and has been an enjoyable aspect of my life. After having a baby, I momentarily lost motivation to make time to do the necessary things to improve and maintain my relationship. I want to put in the effort and get back what I have been missing and then some.
- Be healthier: I want to eat more healthily, become fitter and as a result lose weight. I also want to improve my running and eventually run some running races! I have started making some good progress with these goals. Since the beginning of the 2013, I have lost approximately 7kgs to date. I have done this by primarily eating better and exercising more. I have more recently put in place a better eating plan and a structured exercise regime, with the help of my personal trainer.
- Kick start my career: I want to start using my degree in Law in my employment. At this stage, I think I want a legal position within government. I am currently working for government, which is a start, but its not the type of position I am after, and my role is not permanent at the moment. I have started applying for different graduate roles and other permanent roles. So far, I have had an interview and gotten to the first stage of the graduate programs. However, the job search is still on.
- Read more: I want to read more books for enjoyment. Recently, I have read the Harry Potter series and a couple of other books. I really enjoy reading, its something I don't do enough! I am currently reading 'Eat, Pray, Love', so far its been really good.
I'll keep you posted on my progress!
Wish me luck,
Melanie
What an awesome reason to blog. This is great.
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