LCChaosandhome

Tag: mentalhealth

  • Thought for the day 3 July 2026

    Thought for the day 3 July 2026

    What do you do to improve your sleep?

    When Your Brain Thinks Bedtime Is Showtime
    You know that moment when your head hits the pillow and suddenly your brain goes:
    “Right. Now we plan our entire life, relive every awkward conversation since 1998, and maybe redesign the kitchen.”
    Lovely.
    Some people drift off peacefully. Meanwhile, the rest of us are hosting a full-blown TED Talk in our own heads at 2am.
    And if, like me, it runs in the family — well, it’s basically genetic chaos. My dad has it. My daughters have it. We don’t pass down jewellery or heirlooms… we pass down overthinking.
    Honestly, it’s the bane of my life.
    Tried It All? Same.
    Meditation? Done it.
    Warm bath? Boiled myself like a human teabag.
    Reading? Finished three chapters and somehow became more awake.
    Herbal tea? At this point I could open my own apothecary.
    Essential oils? I smell incredible. Still not asleep.
    At some stage, you just lie there thinking:
    “Right. Sleep is clearly in the lap of the gods. I’ll just… wait here then.”
    The Plot Twist No One Tells You
    The harder you try to sleep, the less it happens.
    It’s like your brain senses desperation and goes,
    “Oh, you need sleep? Absolutely not.”
    So instead of trying to switch my brain off (impossible), I’ve started… distracting it like a toddler.
    What Actually Helps (Somewhat — Let’s Be Real)

    1. The “Get It Out of My Head” List
      Before bed, I write everything down. And I mean everything.
      Jobs, worries, random thoughts, “buy dishwasher tablets,” all of it.
      It’s basically telling your brain:
      “You can stand down now. I’ve saved the file.”
    2. Background Noise for the Overthinking Olympics
      Silence is dangerous. That’s where the thoughts get loud.
      I stick on a podcast or audiobook I’ve already heard — nothing gripping, just enough to gently hijack my brain.
      Think “mildly interesting, not life-changing.”
    3. Stop Checking the Time Like It Owes You Money
      Nothing good has ever come from looking at the clock at 2:17am.
      It’s always just:
      “Fantastic. I’ve got 3 hours and 12 minutes left to panic about not sleeping.”
      Avoid.
    4. Get Up (Yes, I Know. Annoying.)
      If it’s really not happening, I get out of bed.
      Low lights, no drama, something boring.
      It stops your brain associating bed with frustration… and mild rage.
    5. Accept That Some Nights Are Just a Write-Off
      This one’s a game-changer.
      Some nights, sleep just doesn’t happen properly. And fighting it only makes it worse.
      Oddly, the minute you stop trying so hard, your body sometimes goes,
      “Oh… we’re relaxed now? Great. Lights out.”
      The Family Curse (or Superpower?)
      Having a brain that won’t switch off is exhausting… but it’s also the same brain that thinks creatively, solves problems, and comes up with ideas at lightning speed.
      Shame it chooses 1:43am to do its best work.
      Final Thought
      If you’re lying there night after night thinking you’re the only one — you’re not.
      There’s a whole club of us, wide awake, overthinking, rearranging our lives in the dark.
      We’re just… very, very tired.
  • Thought for the day 10.06.2026

    Thought for the day 10.06.2026

    What’s the one luxury you can’t live without?

    The Luxury of Silence is my one “must-have” luxury is. People would usually when asked this question expect me to name something material—a designer item, a travel destination, or a gadget.

    But my true luxury is much harder to find: Silence.

    In a world that is obsessed with noise—with constant notifications, endless chatter, and the pressure to always have a response—silence is the ultimate form of self-care. It isn’t just the absence of sound; it’s the presence of peace. It is the only place where I can truly hear myself think, where I can decompress, and where I can reclaim my own energy.

    For me, silence isn’t empty. It’s full—full of clarity, rest, and the quiet freedom to just be. The opportunity to just be to think and just be in the moment

    Carolyn

    Xx

  • Hardly Svelte, Wholly Determined

    Lance Martinus-Lewis

    I am going to immerse myself in unfathomable serenity and instill energy, regain empowerment, and accelerate momentum—not tomorrow or the day after, but on a pinpointed day.

    I would imagine a lot of people can relate to this.

    Communicating with people is extraordinarily hard. We don’t really speak to listen. In truth, influencing others was never difficult for me.

    In design (Adobe Photoshop), something I started 25 years ago, I was able to give advice born from repeatedly trying. In photography, people asked for advice inspired by the framed work that I was very fortunate to have adorning their walls.

    In fitness, when people told me they could never do a marathon, I had been there.

    My running advice was born from the challenges I encountered by doing it after hobbling around on crutches for three years. Moreover, it’s my perspective. I believe there is zero difference, analytically, in the first ten steps and the last of 26.2 miles. If you know of any, feel free to let me know. It’s the simplicity of this rhetoric that got me—a hardly svelte man—around 17 half-marathons and 3 marathons.

    weights and fitness

    I haven’t been to a Dr’s in 13 years. Perhaps that allocates me to “It might be working” Philospophy. If you asked my advice on weights and fitness, it would be given from the perspective of stepping into a gym at 23 and varying degrees of “lax” and “on-and-offs,” but mostly, to be very fair, pure tenacity and discipline.

    I know exactly where I am in the universe, and the world has taught me repeatedly—and ingrained in me—the pointlessness of assuming any kind of reasurence of safety from my fellow citizens bar one fabulous soul partner. My safety, my well-being, my fitness, and my psychological well-being aren’t enhanced by “this” decade’s emphasis on mental healths sudden importance or an awareness of how it presents. I solidly believe that just because you identify what impediment you suffer from it doesn’t mean that the solutions are more accessible. In fact, it means more people readily roadblock self-progress by utilizing what the medical fraternity christened it (if indeed it was confirmed by a Dr) as reasoning not to develop the skills to overcome problems incurred.

    Moreover, just because so many people can now identify the names of their fluctuating mental health, doesn’t mean they all try to overcome it. I am responsible for mine. Now, I can wholeheartedly acknowledge that, and given I have done so comfortably, I will set about initiating the changes required. It will start with the staple that first introduced me to confidence when I was 23: exercise.