Ways to find axiety relief.

Hey readers.

If you are a regular you will know that I suffer from anxiety and depression for a number of years. 

I have explored many ways to help reduce the mental distress that these conditions cause me. I thought I would share some of the successful ways that have helped reduce my anxiety.

Laugh - such a fun and easy way to make you feel good. I love a good stand up DVD or someone funny that you can get off  Youtube really put me in good spirits.

Have a bath - it can help you relax and soothe your pains away. If you are like me then with my anxiety I tense my body, so much so at the end of the day, my muscles are aching.

 I love a hot bath and something soothing in it to help relax me. It is perfect to help with getting a good night sleep.

Sleep - sometimes life can get too much with all the worry that anxiety brings. I just take myself to bed early, close the curtains and just put some relaxing music on to help make me drift away. I feel so much better in the morning because I have allowed myself to switch off and just relax.

Talk to someone - it doesn't have to be someone you know could be a helpline or talking anonymously to someone on a forum. It is a massive relief just getting things off your chest even if you find no solution.

If in doubt at all go to your doctors and seek professional help. Don't be ashamed as you are not alone, many people suffer from mental health issues.

Sometimes, I don't always have the vocal skills to express what is on my mind so a good way that has helped me is to write down how I am feeling. 

I feel that once it is down it stops getting messy in my mind. With my thoughts been written down on it feels more concrete and a lot easier to understand.

A brilliant anxiety technique to do is try deep breathes. At first, it feels funny but the more you practice the more it will feel natural to you.

 It is brilliant for getting more air into your lungs and using them to your full compacity rather than just doing quick and fast rapid breathing.

 Breathing more oxygen exchange meaning release of the hormone cortisol which helps with destresses. There are plenty of videos of guided how-to videos o it on youtube.

Sometimes we can feel that whatever we are thinking must be true, but reminding ourselves that actually, not all feelings are facts. 

They can be illogical and biased. We chose what we want to believe in, there are so many thoughts that we produce but we get stuck on all the negatives one that we let slide the other side of the argument.

Finally, one that I do regularly as I find it so beneficial but it is the most difficult and that is a change of scenery. It can be so easy to just stay indoors when it feels safe.

Cheers for reading X

6 ways to keep sane during a lockdown.

Hey readers,

We are in the mists of the Corona Virus outbreak impacting on everyone's life resulting in having to spend more time at home. 

But it can be tough especially when the boredom kicks in so here are my top 6 tips on how to keep sane during the lockdown.

1. Walk.

As the government have stated it is ok to go out once a day for a walk or bike ride. 

Fresh air can do the world of good (just make sure that you keep your 2 metres distance from people and avoid busy areas). 

Not only does this help with physical health but mental health too which is equally as important. When going outside it can help to break up the scenery of the day so you're not stuck 24 hours inside the four walls.

2. Exercise.

Exercise is so good for you, it can relief frustration and increase the number of positive hormones being secreted such as serotonin (associated with happiness) and reduce negative ones like cortisol (which relates to stress).

There are so many choices online via Youtube and virtual gyms that you don’t have to feel stuck in what you do. 

You don’t even have to do gym type exercise there are kitchen discos you can join in via Tic Tok or take part in Yoga.

Of course, if you have children you can join in with PE with Joe Wicks. 

Therefore as you can still load of positive ways to incorporate exercise in the home.

3. Organisation.

Now is a great opportunity with the spare time on your hands to sort out your home and put some organisation whether it is cleaning out your make draw or sorting out the kitchen this time is fantastic to get stuff done.

4. Reach out.

Just because we are self-isolating doesn't mean you have to stop all forms of communication.

 We are blessed with technology with the likes of House Party, Face Time and What's App to name a few where you can still speak to people at a distance.

Some people set up groups where you can hold a virtual book group for instance with friends. Where you can get time to read and connect with others with what you have read. 

This can make you feel less isolated and get social contact all within your home.

5. Escapism.

Dig into a boxset whether it is a comedy or a thriller say take that time out. 

This is the time to enjoy something on the box that takes your mind of the current situation we are living in at the moment for a while.

It is good to have a rest and watch something that gives you enjoyment.

6. News.

Don’t focus on the news 24/7 because that will send you quackers. Setting a certain amount of time watching the news such as the 6pm news headlines or the daily conference the government holds. Putting up barriers on how much news coverage will help keep you sane.

I know these times are scary and there is a lot of uncertainty in the world at the moment. However, like always the press love to scaremonger and with how big Corona Virus is they are going to use that a lot in the media.

 Yes, it is serious but you can’t just sit in the corner scared, use common sense and protect both your physical and mental health.

Cheers for reading X 

My Sunday Photo 05/04/2020

If you get tired learn to rest, not to quit.

Hey readers,

Sometimes life can be hard right?! Sometimes trying to keep up with the momentum is challenging and you just not getting that buzz to continue. In actual fact, it is damn right hard to keep motivated and it can be quite draining.

It can be so easy to quit because then you don't have to deal with it or need to continue thinking of how you can overcome the obstacle that is so challenging. 

I think back to many a time that I have been in this situation but there is one vital lesson I have learned and that it is ok to have a break, you don't need to quit. 

The most important thing is to have a rest and not think about the situation.

It can help to have that break as it allows you time to rest and give a chance for creativity to come back to the issue at a later time with a  clearer head.

An example of times where I have struggled to overcome obstacles is when I am faced with having the confidence to keep writing or trying to find something new to write for my blog. 

This is because  I have found during these periods having a break has been really beneficial. I have also found it effective because I can stop trying to think of ideas, therefore, giving my mind a rest. 

Sometimes, I have learned that just taking the time to live can give me the inspiration needed to come up with new content for my blog.

So, as you can see having a break can give you a chance to reconnect with that spark of why you wanted to do the thing before you got demotivated.

 It can help give you back that focus, so the best thing to do if you want to quit is to have a break first and come back later to see if things change.

What do you think? Do breaks help you?

Cheers for reading X

How to cope with sleep depreviation

Hey readers,

When I was pregnant with my first child I was often told about the struggle I will face of lack of sleep when you become a parent. 

But boy they weren't sh*tting me, I didn't take any notice at the time because I was more bothered about finding a place to puke.

 The first couple of months is a killer but you can get through it as so many parents have before. Below I share with some of the things that have helped me when I have experienced sleep deprivation.

It is ok to ask for help, let your partner take care of some duties well you have a rest.

Sleep when the baby sleeps, everything else can wait and get sorted out at a later stage.

Make sure that you are eating correctly as food provides energy that you so desperately will need.

Be aware that your environment has changed, you can't do everything and you need to be kind to yourself.

Learn the art of delegation - priorities that are important and need to be done urgently and learn to burn things off. At the end of the day, you can always come back to them at the end of the day.

Sometimes a walk outside can do wonders with getting some fresh air. It is amazing how just a walk around the block can be really beneficial.

 It helped me a lot in the early days when I felt like I was going insane looking at the four walls.

I know it is hard to believe but remember there is light at the end of the tunnel and it does get better. 

Soon, the baby will grow in the amount of time it sleeps through and before you know it you will experience a night where they sleep a solid seven hours straight and it is bloody amazing. I still remember that first time.

Is there anything that has helped you with sleep deprivation? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Cheers for reading X

Break

Hey readers,

my word of the week is:

because it is the last week of term and I am knackered. I always am but have to say I am a wingy cow, haha!

My eldest did me proud, we have always struggled with homework. He protests every time he hates homework. I encouraged him to do a bit and remind him that once it is done that he then has the rest of the night to play.

Well, he did his homework and then decided he wanted to do all of it. I told him he could do it tomorrow but he was having none of it and wanted to complete it there and then.

Another big achievement for him is he made up all the sentences by himself with no prompt. Now, this may seem like nothing but this child struggles with abstract and thinking ideas without prompts. So, when he did do sentences I was pretty proud of him as I know this is a big challenge for him.

hope you have a lovely Easter.

Cheers for reading X

10 best life tips

Hey readers,

As we get older hopefully we learn and grow insight to improve as a person. 

I myself have learnt some things along the way on my journey through life and I thought I would share some of my best life tips.

1. This lesson IS difficult but if you learn to not be angry and put blame on people you will lead a more fruitful life. Life is a b*tch and there are some God awful people out there. 

I have experienced a fair few. But, once I learn to let go of that anger and just accept it, life is much more pleasant. I don't forget the hurt by any stretch of the imagination. 

I just let go, untie it from my emotions. The more you hold on to the negative feels they will only fester and bring you down. The more that you don't allow it to influence you means you can enjoy life better.

2. I know people go on about enjoying every second and you should be enjoying it. However, let's face it life is not like that.

 Don't put these expectations on, just focus on not taking life too seriously, have a laugh and make happy memories.

3. I know it is cheesy with the whole idea of the power of positivity. I suffer depression but looking at one small thing a day no matter what it is can really help you. 

Even for example it is just getting out of bed or leaving the house, that is one step closer to helping yourself move forward.

4. Enjoy the outdoors and surround yourself with nature - it can really help physically and mentally. Plus it is free, so even if you have no money you can still go out and look at the trees.

5. If you can help people, karma and all that. Plus it is nice to just do something for someone.

6. Don't compare yourself to other people, remember that we are all on our own journey.

 You don't know what people are going through, you only see a section of that person especially if it is on social networks like Instagram. 

Never forget that comparison is the thieve of joy so instead of worrying about missing out, just focus on your self and what you are doing.

7. Write down goals - small or big get them down physically on the paper and see where you can make improvements. Small steps lead to better destinations. 

It can help if you are in a negative frame of mind to work on something that you can focus but also check in each month to see how far you have progressed. 

This can help make it feel more real and concrete giving you that well-earned boast that you deserve.

8. Make sure you get some sleep because it really does help give a clear mind to think.

9. If in doubt or you don't want to do something, do micro-tasks that lead to the bigger goal. This can help you feel less overwhelmed and in the long run, be more productive.

10. Make sure you are on top of your emails. Go through them each day and delete the unnecessary ones.

What life lessons have you learnt along the way of your journey?

Cheers for reading X