My eldest son getting his X-ray and finding out he broke his wrist at school this week.
70 ways to distract yourself from anxiety.
Friday, 29 April 2022
Hey readers,
Now sometimes using distractions as a tool to help reduce anxiety can be of benefit because you are not focusing on anxiety. The fewer thoughts you give to anxiety the less change of the anxiety manifesting and getting which could lead to a bad place.
Of course, it must be noted that distractions are only a temporary solution nevertheless can be of benefit because it gives you a break from being in that constant anxiety state. It allows you to pause and it can make the anxiety when it returns a lot less intense so much more manageable.
Below I have a list of 70 distraction techniques that you can take away and practice when needed.
1. Watch a tv show.
2. Watch a movie.
3. Sing your heart out.
4. Watch a Youtube video.
5. watch TikTok videos.
6. Grab a snack.
7. Mindful doodling.
8. Play a game.
9. Clean.
10. Listen to music.
11. Wash your face or hands.
12. Gratitude list.
13. Exercise.
14. go out for a walk
15. Listen to a podcast.
16. Listen to an audiobook.
17. Untangle the necklaces or leads you to have to lie in the drawn.
18. Sell stuff on eBay.
19. Take photographs.
20. Do some cooking.
21. Play with a fidget tool.
22. Name all the colours in the room.
23. Create a mantra if you don't have one and repeat it to yourself, e.g. "I can do this", "This too shall pass". Literally, spell it out if repeating is not enough.
24. Think of a common task and go through it step-by-step. Imagine you're explaining the process to someone else.
25. Mow the lawn.
26. Make a budget.
27. Meal plan.
28. Create an emergency fund.
29. Unsubscribe to any unwanted emails.
30. Clean out your emails.
31. Watch a Ted Talk.
32. Observe something and describe it in extreme detail. Notice how it looks, its pattern, texture, and how it feels. For example, you could say it is a green apple with two small bruises.
33. Practice mindfulness.
34. Journal.
35. Colour in.
36. Make a video.
37. Make lists (to read, to watch, to do, to listen, to play...).
38. Do the laundry.
39. Rank things (top 1o movies, best cuisines, top 5 musical artists...).
40. Make music playlists for different occasions (songs to dance to, relaxing music, music to listen to whilst reading...).
41. Discuss what you watched, read, or played with someone.
42. Browse social media.
43. Look at memes.
44. Dance.
45. Start a collection (stickers, memes, leaves...).
46. Make memes.
47. Write a positive review for something you enjoyed.
48. Learn about a culture.
49. Explore Wikipedia.
50. Warch a foreign film or drama.
51. Read a graphic novel or comics.
52. Make a bucket list.
53. Create a game.
54. Make a bucket list.
55. Observe wildlife.
56. Take a virtual tour.
57. Attend a virtual concert.
58. Travel the world using Goggle Earth.
59. Read some jokes.
60. Read articles on things you're interested in.
61. Take silly quizzes online.
62. Do a jigsaw puzzle.
63. Play scrabble.
64. Volunteer.
65. Make a gift or care package for someone.
66. Do nail art.
67. Redecocrate something.
68. Plant something.
69. Try a new recipe.
70. Make a stop motion animation.
What do you think of my list of distractions to help when feeling anxious? Have I missed any good ones that work for you? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below.
Cheers for reading X
On the side
Monday, 25 April 2022
Hey readers,
When I was a child I learned the art of a thing called masking, aka faking it and what this means is that I learned the behaviour of others. The problem being is that if something changes that I can mess up badly because I can't be flexible with my thinking.
That is one of the characteristics of autism is we manage change to some degree but we only see it in a structured way that is black or white (through past learned experiences or what we have read up on the problem where we fail is that if something slightly different happens in the format then we screw up basically. It can lead to getting things wrong, saying something wrong, coming across as rude, not coping, having meltdowns or shutdowns, etc.
I think it's really hard being an autistic girl growing up because there is so much more pressure to be sociable than a boy. When I was growing up I felt that boys got away with not getting noticed therefore resulting in having less social pressure.
I used to absolutely hate being a girl because of this reason and I thought boys had it a lot easier or more relaxed attitude with regard to social and communication which suited me perfectly.
Now that I'm an adult I find it a bit easier because I have more experience and knowledge but I still frequently mess up. If I am feeling anxious or if there is too much going on in my head can't seem to focus on the rules.
There are times when stressful factors cause me more brainpower than normal and it is like I regress in my behaviour. That is why it's so hard to measure autism, as it is not something that you can say x y and z it's constantly shifting depending on the environment and mindset of that individual.
Since being a parent I have learned that there are so many other social rules involved when bringing up a child.
I first it was lovely when my children were newborns as there is less pressure on me to be sociable but since my children are at school I have noticed that there's a hell of a lot more interaction going on.
Me being an autistic parent does affect my self-esteem. A lot of the time I feel inadequate, especially as my husband is very good at communicating and engaging with others. It leaves me feeling really angry and frustrated. I know comparing is the worst thing to do but it coincides with me learning about other people.
I think one of the hardest and most upsetting things is when people don't see you as an individual but as some sort of invalid because you're autistic. They don't look past the label or they do but then they just talk down to you in a condescending way. The thing is I am aware of exactly what is happening, I just don't have the skills to communicate and express myself as clearly as other people do.
It has really made me feel quite low at times because I feel like I can't give my child everything that a typical parent has to offer. I suppose that is why I enjoy the school holidays more because I don't have to worry about social things.
The only downside is that when I return I have to deal with the social side of education and whatnot. I feel rubbish and I have felt very very low causing me to struggle to get up in the mornings.
I have also learned to avoid situations and tend to get my husband to do the tasks because it's too upsetting at times to have to face discrimination against me. I think that's one of the saddest things about being an autistic parent is the fact that you deal with a lot of rejection or misunderstanding. I like my voice isn't heard and again that familiar outcast feeling appears.
Cheers for reading X
CheckoutSmart app review
Friday, 22 April 2022
Hey readers,
Not long ago I reviewed the Shopmium app here and there is a similar cashback app also available to download called CheckoutSmart which I am going to explore today.
It is very similar to Shopmium in the sense that you can get free or reduced food from shops in-store and online (CheckoutSmart has more stores). I think personally though CheckoutSmart is a better app because there are more offers the only downfall is the cashout element which I go into detail about later.
What is it?
CheckoutSmart is an app you can download on your phone for free on android and apple stores that offers cashback on products either for the full amount or a reduced amount. It is a great way to reduce the cost of your supermarket shopping and also sometimes you can try new food that you may not originally buy.
You just need to sign up to the app with your email or you can use your Facebook login details.
Make sure you check the app regularly as they frequently update their offers on the app.
The types of products range from Proper popcorn, Marrs chocolate bars, and Cadbury chocolate cookie mix. Richmond toad in the whole kid, flavored water, coffee syrups, Kellogs cereal, fiber bars to name a few that spring to mind.
How to use it.
Search for products you want (make sure you check the location is correct as well). Go to the store buy the item and get the receipt. Open up the app click on the red icon with your hand at the bottom of the screen (see picture below) then select the store you went to, then the day (you have 6 days to claim back) then either add from the list click on the item or you can scan the barcode of the product and click next.
Finally, scan in the receipt, and if it is a long receipt you can take multiple photos, and then at the bottom click claim cashback. Make sure you have good lighting and the receipt is as straight as possible so that it can be read clearly to get your money back.
It shouldn't take no more than 24-48 hours to receive notification of it is being processed or not. Obviously, if it comes back as they can't read the receipt you have an opportunity to reupload again.
Filter option.
What I like about the app is the feature where you can click to choose all stores or chose a particular store of your choice which will come up with only offers for that store. Also, you can sort out offers by cashback in pounds, cashback in %, or when the offer start date is, which makes it so much easier to navigate around the app.
Shops you can use it in.
Of course, offers are available from the big supermarkets - Asda. Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, and Lidl but they also offer in other stalls such as Whsmith, Holland and Barratt & Wilkos for example. Also if you buy the offers from CheckoutSmart then you could get branded items cheaper than the supermarket's own items.
Deliveries.
Not only can you get cashback from supermarket items but you can also claim back 1% in cashback from your delivered takeaways from places like Just Eat and Deliveroo.
Claim money back.
Once you’ve scanned a receipt, it takes up to 7 days for your reward to be tracked. The money will show in your account after this. You can request the money directly to your bank account, or you can choose to cash out with PayPal instead – it’s your choice.
For your first payment, you can claim anything over £1. After that, you can withdraw the cashback when your account reaches £5 and over. Please note, that there is a 5% processing fee charged if you transfer less than £20, so make sure you’ve earned cash back over £19.99 before you request a payment.
Conclusion.
CheckoutSmart app is a fantastic app to help reduce the cost of shopping, you often get free food and there are frequent new offers. It doesn't take long to add up to the £20.00 mark so you won't have to worry about waiting months to cash out. Overall it is my favorite food cashback type app and if you haven't downloaded it what are you waiting for?!
Cheers for reading X
why I blog.
Monday, 18 April 2022
Hey readers,
I love blogging and there are so many reasons why you should try it. Check out my reasons why I blog down below.
I started my blog as a way to share my thoughts, they were personal to me, and sometimes they were light and fluffy. Depending on my mood and what I wanted to write the posts would reflect that.
I write about life, which isn't perfect, sometimes I write a matter of fairness, and other times I write like my heart is on my sleeve. My blog is a place that is mine, and I write whatever tickles my tastes buds.
2. Improve my writing ability.
I am not the best with grammar but being a blogger for a number of years has definitely helped me improve my writing abilities. I am nowhere near perfect but I have learned a lot over the years.
I find writing has helped me channel my thoughts and write them down on my blog. As a regular blogger who writes twice a week the consistency and keeping in a routine has helped. Like anything the more you practice the better you get.
3. Learn a skill.
Blogging is learning a new skill from coming up with ideas on how to design your blog to work out how to share blog posts, how to write blog posts, and how to join in with blog links. All these things I never knew about before joining the blogging world. Obviously, I still have a lot to learn but looking back it is amazing how much I have developed over the years during my blogging journey.
4. Overcome trauma.
Originally when I first started blogging the aim was for me to use blogging as a tool to distract me because I was going through some personal trauma. I needed something to take my mind off some heartache and blogging was just what I needed.
It really gave me something to focus on, learn and write. It was definitely a cathartic process for me when I first started blogging. Even now when I am going through difficult times I turn to my blog as a way of escapism to distract me from what is going on in life for a bit, really does help a lot.
5. Inspire others.
When writing personal stuff using my first-hand account of what it is like to have autism has helped people to understand or relate. It has made awareness to help understand which is positive all around because often voices aren't always heard because barriers get in the way such as not being from a middle-class background or male or whatever barrier.
With the internet, this erases such blockages as blogging is accessible to anyone regardless of background etc. It is free to do so anyone can set up a blog and write authentically and without being influenced.
6. Increases your confidence.
With time doing blogging helps increase your confidence because you get into a routine with writing and this forms your personal voice. With writing, you can share your thoughts with what you believe in and the thoughts you want to share.
Blogging can give you a voice when as mentioned in the previous point at times barriers get in the way blogging is a place where you can write out your stresses and feel a lot lighter. As a blog is a documentation of your thoughts you can look back over past posts and can see the changes that you have made and the growth that you have done.
Have you tried blogging? Are you a blogger? What do you think about blogging? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below.
Cheers for reading X
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