Welcome & thank you for looking at my page!
A bit of background… my name is Kim and I’m a registered mental health nurse in the UK. I’ve been battling Anxiety, Depression and Panic (in fluctuating amounts) for as long as I care to remember. I often find the irony of being a mental health professional, with mental illness quite overwhelming and have historically been very hard on myself for this fact. “You should be able to cope better”, “You must not be a very good mental health nurse”, “You aren’t capable of looking after patients with mental illness”, are just some of the negative thoughts that frequently pop in. However, with the help of my colleagues, my friends and family, a year’s worth of CBT, 10mg of Citalopram and my wonderful husband, Andrew, I am learning that I am human first, nurse second. And a bloody good mental health nurse, at that.
So, today’s the day that I finally decided to get off my arse, take charge and start making changes. I made my first video diary (felt like a right plonker), the URL is:
https://choosetransformation.files.wordpress.com/2019/03/day-1-290319.mp4
So please go and have a look and let me know your thoughts. I was surprisingly emotional making it, but am glad I finally took the first step!
It was a book that changed it all for me; ‘Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy and Liberation’ by Thich Nhat Hanh. This book enlightened me with its Buddhist teachings, to make changes for myself and improve my quality of life.
The only way our lives can change for the better, is if we get up and start making those changes. So that’s what this experiment is about! I hope we can embark upon this journey together and support each others highs and lows.
A couple of warnings though- I do enjoy an expletive adjective from time to time… and noun… and verb… Also, I’m not into fancy video editing and all that malarkey- take me as you find me and I’ll promise to do the same.
In the mean time, have a peaceful afternoon folks. K x
Choose Transformation 
Thanks for dropping by my Nature blog and following. Reading Buddhist philosophy and following Thich Nhat Hanh’s books on living my life Mindfully is the only way I’ve managed to cope with Severe Chronic Pain and Illness over the past 38 years or so. I encourage you to read more of Thay’s thoughts on life. They are the start of a better more meaningful path. That ‘Black Dog’ often visits me, but I’ve managed to tame most of it by walking outdoors in Nature and my Photography hobby.
Finding something you feel passionate about in a hobby (outside working hours) is a ‘game-changer’ too.
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Wow, thank you for sharing your thoughts, am sorry to hear about your struggles, but it sounds like you cope with them admirably. I am definitely planning to read more and explore some hobbies, I’m determined now! All the best x
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Thank you, that’s really kind!
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Hey there!! Fun video! I LOVE your accent. Wow, very British. I haven’t studied Buddhism recently (or ever–my memory’s horrible!), so I’d love to learn the basics of it again, or for the first time. My real blog isn’t my author page–it’s at whenbadadvicehappens.wordpress.com . I keep it separated from my avatar for general privacy purposes (from my family and such).
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Ah, thank you 🙂 My memory’s not great either, which is why it’s so handy to watch my videos back! I look forward to having a peek at your other blog, I totally understand why you might keep it separate.
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Excellent! Job well done. I’m sure that was difficult to record, but I believe you will be able to help many. Most importantly, as you mentioned you are a person first. I think this journey you are on will be a great benefit to you.
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Benjamin, I’ve nominated you for the Sunshine blogger award! Check out my post 🙂
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Wow! Thanks ok I will
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Hi Kim, I decided to read your blog from the beginning, as I wish people would read mine, but I know most don’t. You certainly have written a lot in your first few weeks, and sounds like you’ve made a lot of videos to watch. (Are jou just doing them in from of your phone, or tablet, or computer? I’ve never thought of doing such a thing. Maybe I could look into it. We’ii see.)
I don’t suffer from anxiety much anymore, though I did before I retired. Depression has been with me for years, however. I have not experienced a panic attack for about 25 years, but the last one really rattled me. Still, I go on.)
I don’t really talk about mental health much on my blog, though some might find the undercurrent there if they look for it. Still, I look forward to your posts, as I am always interested in meeting new people.
On my blog I would love to hear what you find interesting, and what you don’t. Please feel free. I will do the same for you as I work my way through it.
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Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog, I appreciate your investment! I’m just using my laptop mostly, sometimes mobile. Thank you, I’ll have a read of your posts when I get chance.
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No problem. All things in their own time.
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Thank you for connecting with me. I’m starting to develop an interest in Buddhism too. I write about mental health issues in my debut novel – one of my characters self harms. I hope to represent this character with compassion and understanding. I also have suffered anxiety and depression and sometimes battle with it particularly when tired or stressed.
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You’re welcome, thank you for your comment 🙂 Good for you! I think self harm is a misunderstood topic and often portrayed unfairly in the media. Good luck with the novel! Having had your own experiences, I’m sure your empathy will shine through in your writing. x
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Some background on me; I’m a stress, anxiety and depression sufferer who has embraced his demons (cautiously!) and lives on the negative side of the emotional scale
And I must confess I happen to air on the sucicidally dark scale of adjectives and humour!!
Nice to meet you
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Well thank you, first and foremost! It’s lovely to meet you too- From the sounds of it, we’re going to get along famously! x
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