CBT - Chocolate Behavioural Therapy

Yesterday was a tough day. The threatened mortgagee sale, with the consequent strain on my relationships with family members as we disagree on how to deal with it, and the uncertainty about where I will live, became a threat to my happiness. By early afternoon I was feeling completely miserable. Luckily I had an appointment for a free mammogram that got me out of the house. One of my tried and true techniques for lifting my mood is 'do something - anything' so I knew that simply getting dressed and going out would help. I barely talked to the poor radiologist, worried that one kind word would lead to me losing control and sobbing into the x-ray machine. After the x-ray what I most wanted was a packet of chocolate mint slices - I was sure that would make me feel better!

But before taking such drastic action I headed off the to the park. It was grey and raining (which didn't do anything for my mood!) but the dogs seemed happy to run around while I sat in the car and had a good cry. By the time I joined the dogs the rain had cleared (from both inside and outside the car!) and, with a warm hat and scarf, it was reasonably pleasant. I took a bag to pick up pine cones for the fire, and managed a walk right round the soccer field, quite a long way for me. I knew the bright light and exercise would help my mood, and by the time we got back to the car I felt a lot better.

But not so much better that I had changed my mind about chocolate mint slices! I don't know what it is about chocolate, but it does have a miraculous effect on my mood. (Shame about the disastrous effect on my teeth.) I was moderate in one respect - I bought the budget version! Back home with my spoils I decided to go on with my financial management activities, as I knew achieving something there would make me feel better too. I find behavioural techniques marvelous because they involve so little thinking and inward looking, and actually help me get things ticked on my to do list as well! But to lesssen any feeling of drudgery I watched some funny television programmes while I worked on my laptop.

A bath followed by a UPO (unexpected positive occurence) did the final work on lifting my mood - a friend called and after a heart to heart with her I felt a lot better. When I woke up this morning I heard the sound of the dawn chorus with joy and excitement rather than the sinking feeling I'd had the day before. So I think it's firmly established - chocolate works! Although behavioural techniques can be quite helpful as well.