2/23/23

  • I mentioned last month that I started mixing up the notes I made for Hayden by adding shark drawings. Well, I now have added basset hounds and yellow labs to the mix. And I have made some strides with the sharks by giving them a little more personality. 


  • I was on a roll so I made another drawing for my lovely wife because she could tell I was feeling a little blue and reminded me that talking about it helps. I then reminded her that I am a Shifley and our motto is "I don't want to talk about it." Below is the illustration I shared with her about where my headspace has been lately: 

  • Usually, when I am depressed I have a hard time doing things that normally are no big deal like going to work, going to the gym, taking the dogs for a walk, etc. And everything feels more overwhelming than it should be. So that is what the drawing is about. Me feeling a lot of apathy and lacking motivation but I know it will pass and it will pass even faster if I power through.

  • One thing that might be contributing to my blahs is the amount of caffeine I've been putting into my system. I've also had some stomach pains recently and I was trying to pinpoint what might be the culprit. In doing my research, I realized that I am drinking a minimum of 600 mg of caffeine per day. The recommendations are to keep it around 400 mg so I'm going to crank down the caffeine for the time being to see if that helps out old Mr. Shife. Yes, I just referred to myself in the third person.

Meme dump











Thanks for stopping by. Talk to you soon.



I will persevere.
I will keep moving forward.
I will be the stream.


Comments

  1. Great drawings and cartoons! And may your spirits lift so you can fly right past Apathy Mountain.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Debra. I almost have it in my rearview.

      Delete
  2. I get the apathy, and like you I know it will pass...sometimes quickly, sometimes a day or two. Hang in. And for Pete's Sake! pull up! I love the drawings. Your sharks appear both terrifying and annoyed. Great memes!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am pulling up and it is looking better. Thanks.

      Delete
  3. Pull up, pull up. I hope you get beyond the blues. Great drawings! I really like the Bassett hound

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Jeff. I am fond of the basset as well.

      Delete
  4. Drawing (and writing) are ways to be open yet still private. So, they are positive coping skills. Hope you feel better soon, Matt. I have no idea how much caffeine I ingest. Two shots of espresso each morning? In a bunch of milk and chocolate. It's really more of a ramped up hot chocolate. Take care, my friend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am surprised that the drawing is helping out as much as it does. Thank you, Margaret.

      Delete
  5. It quite possibly could be the caffeine, I know it bothers me sometimes. I do feel apathetic, too, at times, though at my age it's usually fixed by taking a nap. Day 21 and counting!! Dogs will do that. Have you ever caught yours looking at you out of the corner of their eye? When they do that they're calculating something.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I get lots of side eye from the doggos, Dave R.

      Delete
  6. Drawing makes me feel better, too. I haven't been doing as much art lately and find myself spiritually constipated. So now I'm doing some different projects for work. It's a snow day and I'm working from home. I should have something to show for it, right?

    I hope YOU continue to do things to give yourself a boost.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Ami. I hope you are feeling more spiritual.

      Delete
  7. OMG love the sharks! And I get the apathy. It does take awhile to get over it. Hold on there.
    Also, caffeine is very sneaky.
    I think that drawing is a fab form of self-therapy.

    XOXO

    p.s. I like the new layout!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Cute drawings! I just don't know why I was thinking about your airplane one ... cold as a witch's ...
    I definitely don't want to talk about it. lol
    I know you'll cut back a bit on caffeine and be feeling much better real soon.
    Funny memes! Black dog duck is my fav. Ok, probably a coot, not a duck, but... whatever. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hayden's a lucky girl to get a daily note or picture from you, I'm sure she will treasure them forever. We've drank half caff coffee for years, maybe give it a try. A few of the major brands make it. Very insightful picture of apathy mountain. It sure can cast a shadow over things at times. I hope you can rise above that mountain very soon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, kden. Things are looking much better this week.

      Delete
  10. Wow, what an artist! If you ramp back the caffeine be prepared to feel even worse for a while.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oh dear. The Shifely motto sounds a great deal like a great deal like my husband's family motto: 'bury feelings - talking won't help'. The

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We sure like to stuff those feelings way down there.

      Delete
  12. You are a talented artist (or at least compared to me!) I’m sorry about your depression. Your posts and memes are a day brightener for me, so thank you. I love that dog doing camouflage! So cute! I would also like to give 8 hours of sleep a try. Heck, even 7 would be amazing.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Don't "ramp back" that coffee. Just cut back a little over a week, then maintain. Repeat if necessary.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You always dispense top notch advice, Joanne

      Delete
  14. "apathy and lacking motivation"
    Not to worry. Being motivated and excited will just get you into trouble anyway.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Yeah. I'm kind of right with you. I'm having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day myself.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry to hear that, Debby. I hope things are better.

      Delete
  16. Hey, you've got talent, Mr. S! Those drawings of the sharks and dogs are excellent. I'm discovering the world of depression and apathy for the first time in my life and it sucks. I've been journalling, though, and it helps, both to vent and to gradually work out problems. Good luck, man. Wishing you all the best.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, jenny_o. Good luck to you too, Journaling is a really great resource so is a gratitude journal.

      Delete
  17. I think we all get a little seasonal apathy, but Spring is around the corner and I hoope you are back to your optimistic self. Love the drawing btw.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I thought spring was right around the corner too but then I woke up to 4 inches of snow

      Delete
  18. I love the little drawings. Those are too cute.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I love the drawings...but damn bud...cut off the caffeine..I allow one cup of tea with caffeine a day in the morning from keeping me from killing the fucking happy birds...no more the rest of the day..you get loooow? call me...send me a email and I'll send my number..

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment