The Duffers Diary
Bio
Hi, I’m Christine. TheDuffersDiary.com is my weird blogging love child that’s either warm and supportive, or annoyed, sweary and funny. Burnout, stress, motherhood, music, and whatever my brain vomits up on a given day!
Stories (11/0)
An Open Letter To Gluten-Free Sceptics
Originally post on Medium 24/03/2021 Dear Gluten-Free Sceptics, I write this on behalf of all of my compatriots who would like to eat without grisly consequences. I’d like to reiterate that we are, for the most part, not trying to be “trendy” or being fussy.
By The Duffers Diary3 years ago in Feast
Being Honest With Myself When I Dissociate Is Easier Said Than Done
Originally published on Medium 24/03/2021 I’ve learned a lot about myself since March 2020, but good grief, it’s been profoundly uncomfortable. The main lesson learned appears to be "never underestimate the depth of my own unconscious self-deception" and has led me on a quest for an identity that functions for me now. That’s definitely a work in progress.
By The Duffers Diary3 years ago in Psyche
Why Traumatised People Aren’t Inclined To Tell You What’s Going On
(Originally published on Medium.com 13/05/2021) Something I’ve found from my own experience of PTSD, is when you have mental health issues caused by trauma, and your struggles are finally out in the open, it can be a minefield trying to negotiate your relationships.
By The Duffers Diary3 years ago in Psyche
Bloody Ties — My Link To The Border Reivers And Carlisle’s Cursing Stone
Originally posted on Medium.com 31/01/2021 If you’ve ever had the opportunity to travel in the far north of England, the moors and hills of the Cheviots and Pennines, though beautiful, are not the most hospitable of environments. Modern residents, with access to contemporary innovations like properly surfaced roads, well-stocked supermarkets, and internet service of a sort, are still cut off by snow and ice on occasion in winter, even when they don’t live too far from the beaten track.
By The Duffers Diary3 years ago in 01
At Odds With Technology
Before COVID-19 hit, smart tech in the home, as well as the wearable health and fitness variety, was ideal for many people. It kept us on track with our wellbeing, reminded us to move more, reminding us to calm down and even can warn us if we’re about to have a heart attack, which is definitely a benefit, whatever way you slice it.
By The Duffers Diary3 years ago in 01
An Open Letter To My Lovely (if somewhat ancient) Neighbors
Dear F & G, who both live in the flat downstairs, I hope you’re keeping well. I’m basically writing to let you know that you are genuinely very nice neighbors, and although due to COVID-19 we have only seen each other through the window, or over the yard wall for about a year, I would also like to express my eternal gratitude that you are a massive improvement on “the ones that came before”.
By The Duffers Diary3 years ago in Humans
Walking Back to Happiness
When you're under pressure, there is always a very strong temptation to rush everywhere, and to take life at a trot, if not a gallop. you may have kids with activities, fitness, lousy commutes, work, responsibilities that all take large bites out of your time, building up the feeling that you are never, ever going to achieve everything that you need to do.
By The Duffers Diary4 years ago in Motivation
Do the Bump!
Unsurprisingly, the world has not moved on in the seven and a half years since I procreated, and the toxicity of the UK press continues unchallenged by concepts like "Heavens to Betsy, that is a really pointless thing to get judgemental about" and "this has got bugger all to do with the public interest, let's go investigate tax loop holes for Billionaire’s instead."
By The Duffers Diary5 years ago in Viva
Bad Nerves
"He was bad with his nerves, you know." I've always been slightly suspicious of the tendency to try to stick a diagnostic label that's the size of the launch pad at Cape Canaveral on every variant of human behaviour. We humans are a diverse bunch, and history offers proof of the depth and freakish ingenuity of Homo Sapiens as a species. It also demonstrates our endless capacity for self-delusion, particularly when it comes to the workings of our own psyche. The goal to define and categorise these *wonderful* divergences is laudable, but sometimes putting someone in a box means that you throw them away.
By The Duffers Diary6 years ago in Psyche
