If I need to drink more water, I leave out the water jug. Fully loaded and ready to pour. But its not enough. I put it in line of sight. But its not enough. I put a glass beside it. But its not enough. I pour water into the glass. But its not enough. I place the jug and the glass beside the kettle and beside my notepad which runs my life. But. Its. Not. Enough. I leave it in front of all the important things, so my wrists have to trip over it to reach anything life affirming. But it is not enough. I need to leave it there for some time. Sometimes an hour. Sometimes a day. Sometimes a week, a month, a year. Now I've learned a bit and I just leave it all set up every hour of every day of my life. And I drink more water.

If only improving our mental health was so simple. Some of us need to work harder at keeping our mental health on the lead than others. Whatever it is you need to do, even if you are not sure what that is, just keep bringing 'things' that are good for you into your line of sight over and over and over again. One day you will find a rhythm and one day you will harness the good days and ride them like a wild horse and one day you will see the bad days and just sit beside them until they abate. The hurt does lessen.

Know that. And if you simply don't have any strength to know that, at this moment, then you can trust my word. It's taken me more than thirty years to glimpse it, learn about it and believe it, but now I know it. I'm not fixed or cured, I'm not sure I want to be, but I know I can cope with it.

Your rhythm will come. It'll start with random beats. Hang on.

Now do your Moodscope cards. They will illustrate your rhythm.

Love from

The room above the garage

A Moodscope member.