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It’s okay to be a glowstick; sometimes we need to break before we shine

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Every day may not be good, but there's good I everyday

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Make Your Year Count!

Sorry this is a really long post but I want to try and help as many people as possible.

Did you know just one small change each month over the year can really help you, on the road to a new you! Each month follow my tips to help make a change, trust me on this it really does work!

January - join a gym and get active. This year I made it my priority to join a year and go at least twice a week. Exercise can be used as an "antidepressant", exercise causes the body to produce "endorphins" which are chemicals the body produces to make you feel more peaceful and happy, doing regular exercise can also help you to sleep better!

February - A Moment for Myself Meditation Try to find a time to relax at least once a day, if you can try and pick the same time each day, so that this relaxation becomes a part of your natural routine. Find somewhere warm, comfortable and quite to sit and contemplate. play some relaxing music in the background and light a candle to create a "mood", you can sit and empty your mind of the events of the day or try a full body relaxation (I will explain this in a later blog)

March - Sleep Sleep is very important and is recommended you get at least seven to eight hours sleep each night. Now I know his can be difficult for some people, so here are a few tips I found to help yourself relax at night time:

Make sure your bed is comfortable and your room is dark and quite

Lavender oil. Place a few drops on your pillow at night.

Remove blue light (turn off all electronic lights)

If you find yourself worrying about something, write them down on a piece of paper and promise yourself you will deal with them in the morning.

 April - Challenge Negative Thinking  By challenging negative thoughts, it will make you stop upsetting yourself and getting you on the road to self-confidence! First think outside yourself, if you wouldn't say these things to someone else then why would you say them to yourself, stop allowing yourself to being "perfect" because nobody is perfect we all have flaw weather they are on the inside or outside. by surrounding yourself with positive people who care about you, it will make you feel more secure and happy no matter how upset or down you are.

May - The inner smile technique  Use this method next time you are feeling tense or stressed over something. In accident Chinese medicine a similar approach to this is said to activate the "tan tien" which is the energy store of your body. Think of something that makes you happy and allow this smile to travel within your body until it sits in your abdomen radiating warmth throughout your body.

June -  create goals  Sit comfortably. close your eyes. spend five or ten minutes thinking of goals and achievement you want to make in your life! let any ideas flow and write them down into a bucket list, it doesn't matter if you have one idea or a hundred write them all down and as you achieve them cross them off your list.

July - create a "Wellness Toolbox" A wellness toolbox is a way to come up with a list of "tools" which you can use to boost your mood. write these down and when you feel upset try using one of theses to lighten your mood, some of my example are:

Spending time outdoors

Reading books

Watching films (although not sad ones!)

Playing with animals

Listening to music

Doing something spontaneous

 August - walking Walking is a good way to get outdoors and breathing in fresh air. As you walk start to become aware of the texture of the ground. Enjoy the breeze on your face which down and touch the grass gently hold the head of a flower in your hands - Feel how soft the petals are.  Enjoy the sense that perfume again, bend down and smell flowers. Smell the bark of the tree and falling leaf. What can you hear? Tried to text small sounds often go unnoticed, such as the whistle of leaves, trickling water, chipping of birds and singing of crickets.  Explore the colours shapes and visual depths of your surroundings. Look into the near middle for distance to appreciate the variety of three-dimensional world. Trying to distinguish separate leaves on a tree. Practice excited different times of the year to see how your senses detect a change from season to season. 

September - accepting change  Change is an inevitable part of life. However, for some of us change can be upsetting and stressful, simply because we perceive that it takes away our sense of control. Do you only way to prevent change from causing stress is to let go of any desire to fight it, unlock on it rather as an opportunity to enjoy new experiences and develop new skills and strengths. Keep in mind that human’s beings are among the most adaptable lifeforms on Earth. It is completely within you to adapt as life demands it, if you cultivate an attitude of acceptance. Taoistis talk of the principle of wu wei - or “non-doing”. This does not mean that we literally do nothing, but rather that we avoid futile effort, allowing life to unfold in its own way. This is a good philosophy.  When change happens don’t try to force through it quickly (as if the sooner it is over with, the sooner you are back in control). Allowing things to occur naturally. Try always to look for the positives in any change. Something bad happens accept it and let it go.  October - Tips to go by These are a few tips I have learnt the hard way along my journey.

Reaching out is not a sign of weakness and you won’t be a burden to others by doing so

Talk to someone face to face (not through text or social media)

Turn to those how make you feel loved and cared for

Exercise is something you can do right now to boost your mood

Don't skip meals and try to eat healthier food.

November - taming your anger  When I'm put into a stressful situation, I tend to "snap" very easily. Here are ten ways I have learnt to tame my anger. 

Think before you speak

Once calm, express your anger

Exercise!

Take a timeout

Identify possible situations

Try not to place the blame on any one

Don't hold a grudge

Use humour to realises tension

Practise relaxation skills (more detail in future post)

Know when to seek help 

 December - unplug and unwind During this holiday season spend time with those you love and before the new year begins take time to clear your mind of all the negative things that happened in that year and focus only on the positives to take into the new year

I hope this post helps and gives you some advice on how to change your life. message me with any questions.  Keep smiling beautiful! Katie