I’ve never learned to knit, though I did try crocheting for awhile. Everything came out crooked, though, so I set that aside.

I haven’t suffered from migraines in a long time, thank goodness, but I deal with panic attacks, anxiety, and depression. On those days (or weeks) when I can scarcely keep my head above water, much less feel truly productive, it helps to make a list of the things I am proud of myself for. It’s a bit like a “To Do List” in reverse. I’ll add even the simplest accomplishments, for example, “I made a good meal for my family,” or “I read stories to my kids.”

At the end of the day, I read the list, and I feel better about myself and my day. Then on those days when everything seems to be falling to pieces, I can pull out previous lists and be reminded that good days do come back around.

Best wishes!

Mary

Now, to your questions:

I don’t like to suggest anything I haven’t tried myself, but this morning, I read Leo Babauta’s post at Zen Habits and decided I would focus on three research/writing projects for my nutrition blog this month. Link: http://zenhabits.net/2007/11/haiku-productivity-limit-your-projects-to-achieve-completion/

This number seems manageable to me. Perhaps this strategy that Leo calls Haiku Productivity would help with your creative projects. I will certainly let you know at the end of November if it worked for me.

Anytime you need a boost to help you get through a project or remind you of your accomplishments, I think you should come to your blog readers. After all, you gave us the Creativity Challenge which helped us complete knitting, sewing, and gardening projects. Yes, it worked for me — it helped me decide what to finish and by when.

And what you do in a “sick” week would take me at least a “well” month to accomplish.