AF Daily - March 11, 2009

[Accountable for Me]

Goooood morning! It is 1:00AM and I am not sleeeeping yet so I thought I would start us off today.

I am feeling 'stabby' as I can't seem to get to sleep early enough these last few days. I even took 2 melatonin's. I managed to fall asleep while watching one of my shows - of course I missed the end of it. :H Once I shut the TV off, I was wide awake again. **sigh**

I am taking today off of work. There is nothing to do, and besides my little one doesn't have preschool on Wednesday's until next week. Thankfully she is finally in 5 days a week now. Saves a lot of headaches for me in regards to care, etc.

So today, I am going to take her around town on a Double Decker Bus! We are going to do some sight seeing. I am totally excited! She is too.

Well, I guess I shall go and lie down again. I JUST KNOW that she will be up earlier than normal because I am up late. Murphy's Law!

Talk to ya all later. Have a great day!

[Kirova]

AF Daily - March 11, 2009

AFM, sounds like you have a lovely day planned with your little girl. Hope she gives you a little time beforehand to rest up! It's a dreary, rainy day here...so another indoor workout for me before I put in a full day at the office. I'm hoping to find a little fun here and there...Have a good one, all!

[speedster]

AF Daily - March 11, 2009

AFM, I usually sleep like a rock but not last night. It got so warm so quickly, I was hot. We still have flannel sheets and down comforter on the bed. I had the window wide open. Then the dog decided he needed to poo at 1:00am.....poor guy.

LVT - keep us posted on the siliva test, I am thinking about taking that test. Hormore swings make me stabby.

BTW, I'm tickled everyone likes the new word 'stabby'.

Mame - I like your dinner plan. Tonight I'm taking hubby to our favorite sushi restaurant. At 1st I thought eating out was going to be difficult to not drink, but now it's easy. I looked at the appetizers on their web site and picked one that will be a much better use of calores than empty AL calories.

Mame - I also agree about the fun vs challenge. I use to mainly challenge myself and often felt I then deserved beer/wine to relax from the stress of hard riding. Challenging rides are fun but not when it's the status quo and fun rides are only for recovery.

Mohun and Deter - hope you feel better. Pollen is wreaking havoc on our area this week. I think that's also part of my restless sleep.

Welcome to TG and Lila. Hello to everyone else, I'm so sleepy, I can't think anymore. Must finish packing lunch and get ready for work.

[Cinders]

AF Daily - March 11, 2009

Good Morning!!

I have a document to finish for work that is late already so up and at 'em, which is why I am on here? :H

AFM, sorry about the restless night. They happen to all of us, though, and we just forge on. Please have fun with your little girl today. All these days sober and with her are so precious.

Hi to Kirova, Speedster and all others to come.

Let's have a wonderful AF day.

Love,
Cindi

[charlee]

AF Daily - March 11, 2009

Morning everyone
Have the day off today, so definatley not stabby here!!
I am having a hard time with this time change, had a nice treadmill routine going early a.m., but it is now so dark I can't seem to drag myself out of bed that early. Early works best for me, so tomorrow I will set the alarm and get back into my routine...she says with conviction ...
Hoping everyone has a good "hump day".....Each day is bringing us a little closer to spring!!!

[retteacher]

AF Daily - March 11, 2009

Hi Everyone: Ditto here on the "fun" thing. I push myself incredibly & then I feel that I "deserve" a "break." I'm trying to learn to go a little easier on myself. I'm trying to be in the moment much more instead of looking forward to the next thing I have to do. You'd think an old retired lady like myself would be lying around the house, but that's not the case after years & years of working my head off. Old habits die hard.

I will check back later. It's so good to see the members of this thread doing so well. It encourages me.

Mary

[Tom 4.0]

AF Daily - March 11, 2009

Good morning everyone!

I guess I'm making some progress; a friend/employee has noticed the changes and is now asking me for advice. Long story short, I think I see in him the same patterns of behavior that I used to follow. That is, through our various life experiences, we create a role for ourselves to play in our script of our lives. And once we create that role, we relate to and percieve reality in ways that reinforce, or adhere to, our self-defined role. We view the world through the lens of our role, our own private reality.

My friend's role is "Angry young man screwed by Capitalism" and any small problem blows-up to fit that script; and then it's time to increase the Xannax (sp.) dosage . My former (?) role was "Martyr who could never do enough" and when exhausted, it was beer time. My point is, if we can change our self-defined role, then we can change our percieved reality and attain a comfortable, balanced life. Ideally, this would lead to no desire or need for alcohol, drugs, junk food, etc.

Thanks for reading; I guess I'm just trying to re-inforce this concept for myself. Perhaps it can help others too.

Have a great day!

[A Work in Progress]

AF Daily - March 11, 2009

Tom, that is a wonderful insight. I call it the "stories we tell ourselves." Usually they do follow a script, and they include one or more roles that we are accustomed to being in... the irony is that these roles are often very uncomfortable, and engender lousy feelings ("angry" young man, "martyr") and lousy behavioral responses, too!

The book I am constantly recommending (you would think I was getting a kickback, wouldn't you?): "Emotional Alchemy" by Tara Bennett-Goleman, is all about perceiving those stories and roles, and getting un-attached to them...

When I am carefully observant, I can see it in my own behavior and emotional responses, all the time. It's not fun to watch, but if I don't watch out for it, I am just a slave to it... Freedom comes from watching our habitual responses, and changing them, even when (especially when) it is really difficult...

[LVT25]

AF Daily - March 11, 2009

Good morning friends!!

Speedster, perhaps you should consider giving us a daily or weekly "word". I love learning new words, it's fun to hear the different terms from the "other side" too! "Gobshite" still fascinates me!

These days my idea of a fun reward after a busy day is reading a book, taking a nap, or watching some TV. Pretty wild, huh?

Our cows are having baby calves now, I'm going to get a picture of a sweet little heifer and post it when I get time.

Another busy day ahead--take care all! :h

[LVT25]

AF Daily - March 11, 2009

Cross-posted Tom an WIP. Interesting thoughts, Tom--I TOTALLY agree. It's cool people are looking to you for advice now.
I bought "your" book, WIP--I'm anxious to start it after I finish reading "The Shack".

[Lila]

AF Daily - March 11, 2009

good morning all -
that is so interesting about the life scripts! I am into the library lately - ordering books all the time, and it is free! I am going to find that book, I have heard about it for awhile now.
I am still tired this week, I am not adjusting to daylight savings endings very well.
Mary, I feel that way too. I always think I have to be doing something serious, and I don't have fun just for the sake of having fun. Something to think about.
Lila

[Mohun]

AF Daily - March 11, 2009

Good morning all. I am starting to adjust to the time change. I had a good nights sleep (hangover free as well). Here is a good article on how even small amounts of alcohol can disrupt your sleep.

Alcohol and Sleep - Alcohol Alert No. 41-1998

Alcohol and Sleep in Those Without Alcoholism

Alcohol consumed at bedtime, after an initial stimulating effect, may decrease the time required to fall asleep. Because of alcohol's sedating effect, many people with insomnia consume alcohol to promote sleep. However, alcohol consumed within an hour of bedtime appears to disrupt the second half of the sleep period (7). The subject may sleep fitfully during the second half of sleep, awakening from dreams and returning to sleep with difficulty. With continued consumption just before bedtime, alcohol's sleep-inducing effect may decrease, while its disruptive effects continue or increase (8). This sleep disruption may lead to daytime fatigue and sleepiness. The elderly are at particular risk, because they achieve higher levels of alcohol in the blood and brain than do younger persons after consuming an equivalent dose. Bedtime alcohol consumption among older persons may lead to unsteadiness if walking is attempted during the night, with increased risk of falls and injuries (3).

Alcoholic beverages are often consumed in the late afternoon (e.g., at "happy hour" or with dinner) without further consumption before bedtime. Studies show that a moderate dose1 of alcohol consumed as much as 6 hours before bedtime can increase wakefulness during the second half of sleep. By the time this effect occurs, the dose of alcohol consumed earlier has already been eliminated from the body, suggesting a relatively long-lasting change in the body's mechanisms of sleep regulation (7,8).

The adverse effects of sleep deprivation are increased following alcohol consumption. Subjects administered low doses of alcohol following a night of reduced sleep perform poorly in a driving simulator, even with no alcohol left in the body (9,10). Reduced alertness may potentially increase alcohol's sedating effect in situations such as rotating sleep-wake schedules (e.g., shift work) and rapid travel across multiple time zones (i.e., jet lag) (9). A person may not recognize the extent of sleep disturbance that occurs under these circumstances, increasing the danger that sleepiness and alcohol consumption will co-occur.

[retteacher]

AF Daily - March 11, 2009

Tom: How incredibly insightful! My role: "Very good person who would anything at all for you." Perfect formula for hitting the bottle. Wip: I too have read Emotional Alchemy at your suggestion. It is easy to see my automatic reactions based upon my role in life. Changing them is very, very difficult. Coming out into the open has been incredibly painful. I've kept so much locked for such a long time.

Mary

[A Work in Progress]

AF Daily - March 11, 2009

retteacher;569062 wrote: Tom: How incredibly insightful! My role: "Very good person who would anything at all for you." Perfect formula for hitting the bottle. Wip: I too have read Emotional Alchemy at your suggestion. It is easy to see my automatic reactions based upon my role in life. Changing them is very, very difficult.

I agree, Mary, and the thing is that we don't get to just do it once and get "over it," these things (stories, roles, scripts) are very tenacious. I grew up as an only child in a house with two drunk parents (or, when my father was away, one drunk parent). Very early, I became the one who was in charge, helping everyone else, and averting disasters; I was the only one in the house who wasn't crazy. The only one who could make good decisions. When we get stressed out, especially, these things become really prominent and sometimes in really, really counterproductive ways... And it truly is all tied in with the alcohol. We have to be vigilant about all this stuff, it is one big ball of wax, isn't it?

[Joanna]

AF Daily - March 11, 2009

I've gained so much from reading Emotional Alchemy. It was all stuff I knew already but she writes well and expresses things succintly so you feel you an get a handle on them. Tom I'm off to have a think about some of my scripts and how would describe them to myself. 'Brain injured woman in denial' is a good one for starters! Thanks for your post; has got me thinking again :thanks: