I am posting this before the New Year. I have a busy holiday, made even busier because my floors flooded in this last heavy rains. We’re pretty sure the city system got backed up. I am working around the disruptions to my schedule and there are additional things that I need to do once my floors dry. Life is, as always, unpredictable. Luckily a family member invited me to stay and so now I am enjoying being out of the city for a few days. The fresh air, beauty, and quiet are so welcomed:)
2026 is the Chinese Lunar Year of the Fire Horse. According to my We’Moon Calendar, the Year of the Fire Horse, can be an important year to heal. “The Fire Horse Year is an ideal time to develop your strength, and recover if your health is weak” (Susan Levitt@ Mother Tongue Ink 2025, pg. 13). This is a hopeful message.
Here is a link to We’Moon (We’Moon: Astrological Moon Calendar w/ Art & Writing by Women!) if you are curious about these datebooks filled with incredible art and words from women around the globe. This year I have a poem in the datebook…look out for page 93:)
It is amazing how we make sense of life. From horoscopes to numerology, humans are looking for a guide to help them navigate life and its challenges.
My posts have all had this important underlying theme: you are your guide in mental health recovery. Your voice matters. There are amazing tools, new research and many personal stories on recovery but only you can find what works for you. This self-determination is meant to be empowering but often it can feel overwhelming and, at times, impossible given symptoms of depression, anxiety, mania, and psychosis. That is where support comes in: during crisis, and during different times of recovery we may need a lot. That’s okay. Mental illness is, if anything, a significant challenge to live with. We can’t heal alone. I have had so many helping hands along the way which I feel so much gratitude about. If you feel isolated in your mental health, one suggestion is reach out to nonprofit agencies and see what they offer in terms of support.
And yet, we need to direct our recovery. When I was younger, I put all my mental health into the hands of other people. I rarely did research. I didn’t track my symptoms, and I let others tell me what medications to take without knowing much about them. I have found over time that this is not the way for me to get better. It has been through experiencing really difficult episodes that the urgency to stay well has increased and my desire/desperation for wellness has led me to find some important tools to help my recovery. I haven’t found them alone: I have had recommendations from doctors, therapists, naturopaths and other healers. I have had friends and family make very helpful suggestions. I have done research and watched videos on Youtube for tools and inspiration.
My learning is in progress. Some days it feels like I don’t get my recovery right and go to bed anxious and my sleep is affected, making me tired. Some days I don’t make room for essential parts of self-care. Some days, despite all my efforts, I still have a bad day (or days). But generally, I know the things that make me feel better and when I do them each day I see how they help me. I am not perfect and so I have to let go of a “perfect” recovery.
If there is anything I want to impart for this year, this new chapter is that you don’t have to make big resolutions, you just have to do small steps each day in the direction of your health. Small things like taking supplements and putting a reminder in your phone. Getting some exercise everyday, even if you can only manage ten minutes. Instead of using force, allow yourself to enjoy the benefits of your recovery activities.
Here is a piece that I created recently. I love choosing colour combinations in art making…here I’ve used Cobalt Blue, Bright Yellow Green, and Silver Morning. As usual my pieces start with a base colour and then I start adding, using a sponge to soften and integrate the colours. Then I add bits of things, using the colour to adhere them to the surface and paint them.
While working on this piece, I was intentionally working on being mindful and calming my inner voice. It can be very difficult for me. I started the piece on a restless evening when I was tired but the art making gave me energy while also a sense of joy.
As I’ve said in earlier posts, these pieces that are messy and intuitive, pair well for me with focused writing and other work tasks. I am working away on my book and doing a lot of organizing this fall to help the writing flow. I need art to be relaxed. It is a nice evening task to make a cup of tea and work on art. Early mornings can be challenging for me energetically as I am working on my sleep so afternoons and evenings are great for art making.
Here are three images of the same piece. I like to get different perspectives of the same art piece because you can see/fee different things.
Whatever you’d like for your recovery in 2026, begin in small steps. Give yourself a lot of affirmation for what you do for your mental health. When you have a hard day, week or month, remember all the good things about yourself and what you have done for your mental health. Remember you are not alone and find people who can support you in positive ways.
Wishing you all the best in 2026 💙With care and kindness, Meegan
PS I had results of my ECG and my number has improved this year because of gentle medication reductions. According to my LifeLabs report, my QTc Prolongation status has now changed and is in the normal range, although I will have to talk to my doctor about it before I know everything for sure. A needed good piece of news!!
This is not a recommendation for anybody to lower medication because of side effects without professional mental health support. Withdrawal and potential relapse are quite possible. I did this extremely gradually with professional and personal support, but I did experience impacts on my sleep and anxiety levels which was hard, especially coupled with life stress.
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