Dear Reader,
When you have a mental illness, working the typical 8-5 job can be out of reach.
Mr. B has a rather severe form of Bipolar 1. Despite his best efforts and years of attempts, we’ve both come to a place of acceptance. Typical work isn’t going to work for us.
My depression and anxiety isn’t as debilitating as what Mr. B. experiences. It’s still limiting though. I have serious doubts about my abilities to keep up with a 40 hour work week. 20 hours a week already feels like 60!
Nonetheless, Mr. B and I both love to work when our health allows. We’re both passionate and care a lot about our work. We’re both have our own unique set of skills and talents. Our mental illness has been an opportunity to get creative.
Since our health doesn’t permit us to pursue traditional routes to provide for ourselves…
We homestead. Homesteading is a loose term. For us, it looks like gardening for food, cooking from scratch, making what we need or finding ways to do without. In general, we work to be as self-sufficient and independent as we can. It works well for us. Mr. B is a brilliant gardener! So I’m never short of wonderful produce. I enjoy all things homemaking. I’m glad for the chance to try making what we need instead of buying it. Our particular skills and passions make this a very nice lifestyle for us. It’s well suited, not just to our skills, but to our health as well.
Just because a 9-5 job is out of reach doesn’t mean their aren’t other ways to work for yourself and others.
Even if you have limitations, what skills do you have and what ways would you like to use them?
Daily Living with Mental Illness 