Here we are again with another update. I hope these are helpful to someone. 
I'm actually feeling really great! I love my part time job at a Vet hospital. I love greeting the animals! I feel like my brain is working better. And I've actually busted through the weight plateau I've been on for a long time and started to loose some! Hoping that continues!
The observation of note for this blog is that I feel like my brain is kicking in again; the first sign I noticed is when I'm trying to help others organize and remember things. I'm doing good at work keeping reminders going and helping the doctors. And I did good this week helping my sister work through and remember things on her long to do list. So I found it really interesting that that is where my clarity lies. Hoping it will trickle into my life and what I need to remember and I think it will. I have some projects I'm working on at home and cleaning. This weekend I've even done food prep for the week.  And last night I had a real long list of grateful/joy moments to list in my gratitude journal.
I've also been taking a 12 hour Aleve in the evening to help my achy body at night and more vitamin D.
So all in all there are some great things happening to get me out of the fog and malaise I've been experiencing for so long! If you've had any of these type feelings look into some of these things. I really think there is a way to feel better!

I was told it takes 2 weeks for the anti-depressant to kick in so to speak.  It has  been two weeks.
I am feeling good. I like my new job. I've finally gotten to foster a kitten, second one will be picked up tomorrow. I have some long sought sewing projects under way. I'm working to get meditation back on a daily basis. And I'm setting aside time to read every day.
Many of these things are just things I like to do when I'm not drained by my theatre job though. So how much of it is not working my theatre job and how much is it the anti-depressant kicking in?  I'm not sure.
One of the key things for me is my fatigue and brain fog. And again working one job instead of two is always going to be less fatiguing, however, I'm not bubbling with energy either. I have been very mindful to not do anything too long, so that I don't overwhelm my system. I'm doing a larger variety of things but not for long periods of time. This works well for me. As to the brain fog I think that is improving. I have not had significant instances of memory failure and at my new job I am often keeping track of multiple tasks at once and staying on top of it for the most part.
As I read online there is a large time frame for the anti-depressant to take affect. So monitoring my energy levels seems to be the best way to know how it is going.
One key thing that has really made me feel good lately is taking the time while I go to sleep and wake up to visualize the life I want. I'm a visual person anyway but seeing what I want happening is a great boost.  Those times between wakeful hours and sleeping hours are really good to let the better feeling sink in.
I think next I will look into Introverts and depression to see some of the theories as to why so many introverts are affected by this.

It's been a while I know. I have had a hard time knowing what to write and focus on. I have struggled with my path for over 20 years. Not very good at this adult-ing thing. And in that time I have had a lot of aches, pains, and ongoing fatigue that just clouds my brain and energy that I've allowed to get in my way. I've talked to doctors several times about it and nothing was discovered physically. I try to do meditations and tapping which are good for short bursts but I have a hard time staying focused because of this fatigue. This last year has gotten worse - the fatigue, the body pain, the brain fog - so I brought it up to my current doctor. We did the standard blood tests, we talked about hormones and introversion and her conclusion was that I suffer from a subtle depression with social isolation and so she is starting me on anti-depressants. 
This all spoke to me in terms of what a lot of introverts go through so I thought I'd blog about my experience in case that helps anyone else out there. Our brains are so powerful they can create physical reactions to stress, trauma, and just being in survival mode for so long. This of course is just my experience and my thoughts, if anything rings true for you please talk to your doctor!  I think you'd be surprised how many of them are also introverts. Also find a doctor with which you do feel comfortable talking. This was a big thing for me! I like my doctor, she's easy to talk to and relates to the whole introvert thing because she is too. As a bonus the clinic has eCare so I can see results, email questions, make appointments without having to make phone calls - an introvert plus.
I have just started the anti-depressants. She wants me on an SSRI (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor). I think of it like retraining my body to recognize and use serotonin (It is believed to help regulate mood and social behavior, appetite and digestion, sleep, memory, and sexual desire and function. ~Medical News Today). I just started and it takes a few weeks to kick in. My hope is to have some results and experiences that you all can relate to if I can keep up with the blogging. My doctor feels this anti-depressant will help me focus and get a step up so that I can take over from there.
That morning, before I saw her, I was thinking "I know I need to get into a higher energy flow to attract the higher energy flow things I want and need in life, but it's a catch 22.  If I just had a way to get a step up, see some progress...." I can make things better!
Please comment, share, or ask questions if there is something you want to know or express.

I've started a new job at a school teaching Theatre.  I'm just part time but I'm finding many challenges.  One of the big ones is how much energy is drained from me.  Now after a month plus, I'm starting to balance out a bit but this first month was really a struggle.  New job, new people, state expectations, a different school culture than I'm used to, middle schoolers!...It's been difficult.  But I think my coaching has helped me.  I know to take the down time I need.  Even though my inner hermit wants me to stay away from people I'm spending time with others at the school to get into the culture.  And most of all I know that my own perspective and attitude are what will change things the fastest and help me adapt.  
New jobs can be very daunting for introverts.  The job hunting process alone is miserable.  Interviews are like first dates!  Yuck!  But also once you've gotten the job, adjusting yourself to the new routine, the new energy flow, are all things that take time and it's important that you allow yourself that time.  
It's also important for those sensitive introverts to be careful what they are feeding themselves in terms of entertainment!  I have been working really hard via all the streaming options to catch up on shows that I always wanted to watch but never did.  And the show I was catching up on during this time of new-job-transition was Alias.  A wonderfully written and dynamically performed show but it was too dark for this transitional time!  Now that I'm watching Sabrina the Teenage Witch my transitioning is going much smoother.  So think in terms of how you react to different genre when you are relaxing at night and allowing your energy to calm to it's usual pattern.  It may just be television/movie/book/music but entertainment is escapism.  And when you are escaping from a challenging time during the day be mindful of what you are escaping to!  These things effect your energy, this is why we like them!  But it is not always something we are consciously deciding.
​Be mindful of the environment you choose for yourself, especially during these transitional times.

I've created a survey to better see the Introvert need for Life Coaching...or not.  Go to the contacts page on my site or click here.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8DZNNFR

With the world as busy as it is and Introverts valuing their time and energy, let's consider what our Foundation of Yeses is!  
In other words what have you committed to say yes to?  What is most important to you?  Family, Career, Love, Travel...?  What are the things you won't give up?  Make a list and post it with your calendar.  When you are asked to take on more, when you are tempted by learning or doing something else...consider if you will have to neglect these Foundational Yeses.  How many balls can you juggle?  If you can't juggle, or can only handle so many balls, then you know your answer needs to be no.  If the new thing(s) is more important than something else you have already said yes to, are you willing to let an old Yes go?
I encourage you to make your list.  Follow your bliss and learn this time management tip.  I think it will help you with decisions, time management, and overwhelm.  You are the lead player in your life, base your choices on that fact.  Be the lead player not the supporting player.  It is the only way to win the prize.

I was just on Facebook and saw a clip of Russian ballet dancers...and I thought "what would it feel like to be in a body with power, that doesn't get tired, that has that coordination and skill"...what would it feel like????  
I know that your own perspective and perception is how our world is flavored.  I think it is only natural to want to compare.  And I think it is healthy to "walk a mile in someone else's shoes".  What if we discovered it doesn't feel all that different from our own bodies?  What if we learn that everyone feels this way in the morning?  What if we would see there isn't any difference after all (or very few)?  A man could feel what it is like to be a woman and vice versa.  I really would like to experience someone else's body.  Maybe I could let go of some of my own uncertainties.  If nothing else I would know what it feels like so that I could strive for that feeling again in my own body, or not.
It is a common recommendation for us to try to think from someone else's perspective so that we can understand when we are in conflict.  What progress we could make if we could switch homes of our spiritual essence to reside in someone else's body for a time.  Where is the magic for this spell?
I know all the villains of the world would want to take advantage of this, but it would still be nice to experience for so many reasons.
What are your thoughts?  Have you ever felt this way?

I just had an interesting experience at the grocery store.  The Check-out Clerk didn't look up.  She started her scanning and bagging without even looking up at me.  I had reusable bags in my hand which she didn't see so I had to stop her bagging and tell her to please use my bags.  So she picks the biggest bag and just starts shoving things in as she scans them.  Now I walked to the store, my list wasn't long and I live a block away.  I purposely brought bags that would go over my shoulders well.  One of which was a denim bag to handle the heavy stuff.  Now I hadn't intended to, but ended up finding a frozen turkey breast.  So I stopped her again and said wait, please put the heavy things in the denim bag.  She was confused and didn't know which items those where....it goes on, but the whole experience was her in a zombie state.  
It's no wonder zombies are so popular now, that is what we've become.  We just go through the routine.  We are checked out.  Now we both stayed polite, I wasn't upset, she didn't seem to be.  But it was fascinating to me how much smoother her job would go if she looked up and invested some attention into her surroundings and job.  No it's not the most glorious job, but I've worked a register before, people are generally happy they came and got what they needed and are now ready to leave.  I worked at a crafts store and people were also excited to tell me what they were going to do with their purchases.  But you have to look up.  It won't slow you down.  It will make your time go faster and your experience richer even if you don't like what you are doing.
Take the time to look up, focus, observe...what have you been missing????  Why have we stopped investing in our lives?  Is it really that bad?  And if it is that bad what inspiration or connections are you missing because you've checked out?
​Please join in the conversation!