Bullying? How do you calm down?

Much of this blog has been about giving info but we want to expand to hearing your views and experiences.

Bullying in the workplace makes us feel bad. Reading back through the blog is info to make you feel better so please look at some of our older posts.

Today, I want to ask you what you did to find peace during the turmoil of bullying.

Here are a few of the things we did in our group Cancer-Bullied:

1. Tried to stay motivated. A little goal a day keeps the doctor away.

2.  Found a hobby to put us in flow. Painting, drawing, knitting, making models.....

3.  Listened to calming music such as the free version of the Calm Radio app

4.  Paced what we could do. 10 minutes cleaning or washing or going for a walk is better than nothing. You can increase or decrease the pace and increase or decrease the rest periods needed.

5.  Concentrated on breathing deeply to get good air in our lungs and fend off panic

6.  Took up Tai chi or a similar outside activity

7.  Took drives into the country and really took in what we saw

8.  Laughed, using comedy, jokes or anything. Even if it feels fake it will soon become real.

9.  Exercised regularly even when we did not feel like it

10. Reduced or cut out things like alcohol, cigarettes and painkillers when we felt able, seeking medical assistance if required.

11. Participate in social media and join communities for well-being

12. made sure we got a daily dose of chat with friends, family, communities or voluntary work

Doing some or all of the above grabs back YOUR control on YOUR life.


Please let our readers know your ideas. We would love to hear what you have to say on anything bully related!

Laughter as medicine for the soul!

"Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine." Lord Byron

Image Pixabay.com public domain

I was on the Macmillan communities site today and noted a post by someone saying that they had been to a comedy show. They stated they had not laughed for ages and posted a thread wondering about laughter as medicine for the soul. This got me thinking about bullying and cancer. During the period I was bullied which, if you count the work procedure the whole thing took nearly 7 months. That was longer than my breast cancer chemo.  I realised that my face had changed. My lips had turned down and one thing I noticed about myself was that I appeared to have aged since the bullying experience, even more so than when cancer took its toll. I looked a little sadder. The post on Macmillan got me thinking,  Had I stopped really laughing during the period?

This is not to be flippant, being bullied, being ill, having chemo, they are no laughing matter. However, when I was at hospital I buddied up with a stage 4 cancer patient who has never lost that sense of humour and self and she has battled cancer for 9 years. I learned and continue to learn a lot from her unbelievable faith and determination to make the best of life. Whilst being pumped full of the dreaded grog we used to sit in the chemo 'hairdressers'  and laugh. I don't know how we did it really, but we did. We still see each other and still find lots to laugh about. Now I am not for one minute suggesting this should be everyones journey, but it is ours.

Yet being bullied stopped me laughing dead and I suffered for it. If I had realised that I had stopped laughing and actively engaged in finding ways to laugh how might it have helped my low mood at that time?

Like I said, this blog is an aim to find coping strategies for bullying and to be honest the whackier the better, the more creative the better. There is bound to be something out there that might be missed and that might be the ultimate in aiding recovery.

There is now Laughter Yoga apparently to help you on your way? Lots of methods can be used, jolly good company, a joke book, comedians on Comedy Central or Dave, Live at the Apollo, a good comedy movie, I love Christmas with the Kranks, cat videos and pictures.....

So......

What would be the worst that could happen if you cracked a smile and laughed out loud even if just to  yourself, in the privacy of your own home? It might seem artificial, it might seem weird, but apparently laughing out loud actually tricks the brain into good humour. Give it ago. Here's a song to help you on your way.