A perfect day! Take a mental health day.

Have you ever had a day where you felt it was perfect, everything was fun, fulfilling and productive?

Of course, everyone has had days where things seem to fall perfectly into place. So much depends on our attitude on how we look at that day, the moments in the day and the events that made it feel ‘perfect’.

I like to talk about positive mental health tools. From the article on Promotion Positive mental health:

Positive mental health includes:

• feeling in control of your life and personal decisions
• being able to cope with life’s challenges and stresses
• functioning well mentally, such as being able to focus while at work
• being generally optimistic about life events
  • this means having hope that good things can, do and will happen in your life
• feeling physically healthy
• getting enough sleep
• feeling like you belong to your community, such as your:
  • school
  • church
  • neighbourhood
  • workplace

When you have positive mental health, you are able to handle problems and challenges more easily. This is called resilience.

If you are resilient, you have:

• the ability to learn new skills, ideas and concepts
• the ability to adapt to change and new situations
• healthy self-esteem
  • this means having a positive attitude about yourself
• confidence when managing conflict
• personal support from family and friends
• good ways of coping with stress, such as knowing how to:
  • relax
  • practise positive self-talk to think through situations before acting and to prevent negative thoughts
  • avoid stressful social relationships, such as interacting with people who make you feel bad about yourself or uncomfortable
  • plan pleasant events for yourself and keeping those plans

Let’s start at the beginning. I woke up to a phone call from City News in Winnipeg Requesting an interview on the recent RCMP press release of a 10-year investigation and possibly criminal charges of a Manitoba residential school.
This was a powerful opportunity for bringing the perpetrators to face their crimes of physical and sexual abuse of Indigenous children.  A step forward in healing. An opportunity to listen to victims and validate their trauma.  Remember It was the RCMP who historically removed the children from the reserves, their families, community and took them to the residential schools. That sense of mistrust, anger and resentment can be and is multi-generational.
The most important part is to listen to the victims, ask what they need and support them through the court process if needed, help them in understanding that not all cases will result in a criminal conviction. This does not mean their voice, trauma and their pain are not heard. Hopefully, other Provinces will follow suit and investigate these crimes and see if perpetrators can be brought to justice. People need to know there’s a difference between justice and convictions.

As an RCMP officer accept I failed to recognize trauma in people I was dealing with over the years. Last year having taken a trauma class, better understand the impacts of historical trauma. We can always learn, keep learning and I think trauma training for police officers would certainly help in how the police deal with everyone.

On the journey of empowerment, we learn from each other. We make mistakes and hopefully we learn from them and not repeat that behaviour. Be curious about your own patterns of thinking and behaving and what others might be experiencing based on their own life history.
Acknowledgment and attitude can make you have an awesome day with self-compassion, self-awareness and self-care tools. Yes, we can learn these at any stage in life.

The next part of this totally awesome perfect day was having lunch with my sweetie, who was able to take the day off. The sun was shining, the grass was emerald green, fresh air and we enjoyed lunch on the screened porch. Later in the afternoon, we went to the driving range. Not an avid golfer, the driving range helps me get used to using the clubs and hitting the golf ball. On a side note, interestingly   I realized that the only time I swear is when my swing misses the ball and technology with the computer. Clearly, that’s something I have to work on. As I said, it’s the awareness that can create change even in ourselves.

We spent some time taking a dip in our pool and enjoying the evening setting sun.

After dinner took a walk around our community and a peaceful second dip before settling down for the evening with a good book.

Reflecting on this day from beginning to end I really enjoyed every moment. The physical and emotional connections with my partner, enjoying outdoor activities, spending time on inner reflection and inner peace.
Now don’t get me wrong just because every day may not feel ‘perfect’ does not mean we cannot feel happy, content, energized and positive.
It’s about awareness, it’s about acknowledgement, it’s about self-care and it’s about knowing how to take care of yourself on the days when life can suck, ‘less perfect’.

Look at it this way, today think of four things that you like, that make you feel energized, confident, motivated and happy. Take those memories and moments out on a day when life can be less motivating and less happy less fulfilling.

It’s all about awareness and acknowledgement and knowing that you have the power to take care of yourself on the good days and take care of yourself on the not-so-good days. Yes, we will all have good days and we will all have bad days. How we get through those darkest days depends so much on our attitude, our self-care tools and strategies and seeking professional help if needed.

I love life, and life loves me back. Yes living with PTSD there are struggles, sadness and trauma but I actively choose to focus on the positive. Trust that you can get through all things in life. We have a choice each day to focus on the negative or the positive, to stay stuck in the past with pain and misery or find ways to move forward. Still, confused? Watch the TEDx Talk from 2015 to see how you too can find ways from pain to power and your own perfect day.  If I wish for anything dear reader, it is that you find a way to love life because it is empowering, happy and beautiful. You are worth it. Never give up on yourself.

Life is a gift.