Tag Archives: Twitter Chat

#PPDChat 10.19.15: Word Play

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Words. They are powerful. They allow us to communicate everything from the mundane to the grandiose. Sometimes, though, words are seemingly too little for situations; not enough for experiences which defy description in any language.

But words have been a form of communication for eons.

Tonight, we’re going to play with words as if we’re toddlers playing with a brand new package of blocks.

Tonight’s chat will be all about what words and phrases inspire us; about the words which keep us going when everything else has us wanting to crawl back into the dark hole from whence we came.

I hope you’ll join us for this playful and spirited chat. See you on Twitter tonight at 9pm ET!

#PPDChat 10.12.15: Gut Check with @PhilStrandwitz

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Gut Check AnnouncementHey, y’all!

First, phew! It’s Friday! Another week down. I don’t know how your week went but mine was a chaotic whirlwind from the start. It’s been nice to finally have some relaxation, even if it has been for just a little bit here and there.

I know you’re used to me announcing #PPDChat stuff on Mondays but this coming Monday, we’re going to have a guest, Phil Strandwitz. Phil emailed me the last week of September with an interesting project he’s got going on.

Phil is currently crowdfunding the research he’s working on. And no, this chat isn’t to demand that you donate (although I know Phil would appreciate if you did so), it’s to discuss the research he’ll be doing.

You see, Phil’s project (which you can read more about here) explores the connection between the microbes in our gut with our mental health. It’s a relatively new field but one which is garnering a lot of interest and has already uncovered quite a bit.

According to Phil’s email:

“…we are generally searching for connections between the gut microbiome and psychology. Two of our major focuses are on depression anxiety. If we find there is a link between out gut microbes and these conditions, it would enable us to potentially develop novel microbiome-based therapeutics. This is incredibly important, as depression affects 1:5 people in the U.S., and anxiety 1:10. Incredibly, a substantial portion of people being treated with front-line drugs do not respond to treatment — suggesting we need to understand these diseases and develop new treatments.”

I have been reading some journal articles that Phil sent me and have to say that I’m absolutely fascinated by what I’ve read so far.

I truly hope you will be able to join us on Monday night at 9pm ET to discuss this topic – dig a little deeper with us into the connection between our brains and our guts!

See you there!

You can read the chat here:

#PPDChat 04.27.15: PPD & Friends

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Tonight’s #PPDChat will be hosted by the fantastic @DonutsMama.

She’ll be addressing the topic of PPD & Friends. It’s an important one as PPD not only changes us, but it also changes friendships – for a variety of reasons.

Friends may not understand what we are going through and not know how to appropriately reach out. Or they may be nervous about now being friends with someone battling a mental health issue. Or, in a worst case scenario, they may no longer want to be friends with someone who has a mental health issue.

There is also the other side – that of ourselves. We become enclosed in a bubble as we battle for our sanity and are not capable of reaching out appropriately ourselves. Then, as we begin to heal, we find the rubble which exists beyond our borders and are overwhelmed with how to proceed. Particularly for those who battle against anxiety, the prospect of making new friends or setting out to be in public is absolutely overwhelming.

Join @DonutsMama as she discusses the very important topic of PPD & Friends tonight at 9pm ET on Twitter. You don’t want to miss it!

#PPDChat 04.13.15: Finding Rays of Sun

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Finding Rays of Sunshine: Thinking Positively in the DarkIt’s tough to be positive when surrounded by dark, wrapped in fog. It’s tough to see the sun and embrace the warmth it offers when you all want to do is cover your head with a blanket and pretend the rest of the world doesn’t exist.

It is perfectly okay to wrap yourself up in that blanket and stay in a cocoon for awhile. But eventually, just like the caterpillar that transforms into a beautiful butterfly, you will have to emerge into life.

Baby steps.

Join me tonight at #PPDChat on Twitter as we navigate how to step out of the dark and foggy night into the sunshine. I’ll be talking about a few methods I have used for myself, all of which incorporate together nicely:

List of three: listing three things for which you are grateful in the morning before your feet hit the floor, and then listing three things which made you laugh/smile in the evening before bed.

Five Senses Self-Care: listing all five senses, then five of your favourite things for each sense and incorporating at least one thing from each sense into every day living. Also involves posting this list in a main area where members of your family are able to see this so they know what you need.

Daily Self-Care Time Out: Dedicate at least 10 minutes a day to YOU. Self-care does not need to be tedious or long. It can be as little as the routine of preparing a favourite tea, sitting in the sun, taking a hot shower – whatever soothes YOU.

I’ll see you tonight on Twitter at 9:00pm ET to discuss all of this and more. Oh, and you can follow along right here as well! I’ll be posting the live Twubs feed right before chat starts!

Meanwhile – get a jump start on the self-care today! What WILL you do for YOU today? Let us know tonight at chat.

Me? I’ve got some awesome chocolate in the pantry that needs devouring.

#PPDChat 04.06.15: Done

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Done.

As mothers, it’s not a word we utter a lot. Nothing ever seems to be “done” completely, does it?

There’s always dishes to be “done”, laundry to be “done”, baths to be “done”, and the list goes on and on. We are never DONE.

And yet, we should be done with small tasks throughout the day. Why?

Because, according to a fascinating article at Fast Company this morning, saying the word “Done” after completing even small tasks, allows us to feel a sense of accomplishment.

Seriously. They even cite science, y’all. What does it do? It shifts our brain in a neurochemical fashion, creating more serotonin. And we could ALL use a bit more natural serotonin, yes?

Join me tonight and let’s talk about everything you got “done” today. I’m willing to bet it is far more than you think.

See you at 9pm ET on Twitter. Be sure to check back here to follow the live feed if you’d rather not hop on Twitter itself. Thank you, Twubs, for existing.

With that, I’m DONE.

Next?