Stacking Up the Complaints for Filing - a poem to dump my troubles in and a laughter exercise

Complaint Litany

Depression and poor sleep

never good

blood work out of balance

cause for lethargy and weight gain

fuzzy thinking

bad memory

To Do lists growing longer

office stuff undone from last month

broken foot unhealed

achy joints and itchy skin.

Caring for an elderly dog

mobility impaired

Half blind

two weak legs

digestive issues

and incontinent

we mirror each other in our inactivity.

Wonder about the family

whispering  “here comes the trouble fairy”

I’m also sick of listening to myself

so writing them down

the litany of complaints

to get them out of my head

and make room for something productive.

Maybe.

©2017 Noreen Braman

Have a complaint litany of your own? Make a list, with each complaint on its own line.  Then, read each line out loud, and at the end of the line, say HA HA HA, next line say, HO HO HO, next line, HEE HEE HEE, and repeat to the end. When you are done, take a deep breath smile, then laugh. Start off with pretend laughter and see if you can break into real hearty laughter. No worries, even the pretend laughter tells your brain to release endorphins which help you feel better. Still feeling lethargic or anxious? Try a little mindful breathing. Below is a poem to help you with that, alternate breathing in and out deeply with each line.  I'm doing this with you! We can lift our spirits and forge ahead!

Breathe

breathe in calm

breathe out fear

smile: even if you don't feel like it.

release the anxiety

breathe in healing

breathe out pain

smile: with your lips and eyes.

release the worry

breathe in happiness

breathe out catastrophes

smile: feel love in your life

release the sorrow

©2017 Noreen Braman