Came across this little spring time fairy garden on a walk today. Needs a little bit of love but it gives life to a small piece of grass which otherwise l would not of stopped to take a picture and share with you.
Little things can make a big difference, just like this little garden made to me today.
Notice what’s going on around you, acknowledge other people’s efforts and share the appreciation.
Give yourself permission, regardless of what is going on, to stop spinning the plates and just focus your attention on one thing.
Perhaps it can be one part of your body, your breathe or somewhere in the location you are in.
No need to force it just let it flow and if your mind wanders, which it probably will, then just say to yourself, “Return” and refocus again.
Try it for two minutes, then another two, then another two until you feel the time is right to come back to conscious awareness and continue with the rest of your day.
Taking a day off from work or regular responsibilities can have several benefits for your overall well-being and productivity. Here are some of the key advantages:
Rest and Relaxation: A day off provides an opportunity to recharge your energy and reduce stress levels. It allows you to step away from the demands of work and take time for yourself.
Mental Health: Regular breaks and time off can positively impact your mental health. It can help prevent burnout, reduce feelings of overwhelm, and improve your mood.
Physical Health: Taking a day off can give your body a chance to recover from physical strain and potential ailments related to stress and overwork.
Increased Productivity: Paradoxically, taking time off can boost your productivity in the long run. It allows you to return to work feeling refreshed and more focused, potentially leading to higher-quality work and better problem-solving abilities.
Enhanced Creativity: Stepping away from your routine can foster creativity and inspiration. Having new experiences and exploring different activities can stimulate your mind and lead to fresh ideas.
Work-Life Balance: Taking regular days off is essential for maintaining a healthy work-life balance. It enables you to spend quality time with family and friends, pursue hobbies, and engage in activities you enjoy.
Prevention of Burnout: When people overexert themselves without taking breaks, it can lead to burnout, which negatively affects their physical and mental health. Taking time off helps to prevent burnout and fosters long-term job satisfaction.
Improved Relationships: Spending time away from work can strengthen relationships with family and friends. It allows you to be more present and engaged during your time off.
Self-Care: Taking a day off is a form of self-care, which is crucial for maintaining a healthy and balanced lifestyle.
Long-Term Health Benefits: Consistently taking days off and managing stress can have positive effects on your long-term health, reducing the risk of stress-related illnesses.
Remember, the benefits of taking a day off can be maximized when you use your time intentionally. Engaging in activities that bring you joy, practicing mindfulness, and avoiding work-related tasks during your day off can help you reap the full advantages of this well-deserved break.
So ditch the guilt and jump right in, you deserve it, go on treat yourself.
Although we are nearing the end of the year and we reflect on the past and look forward to the future; how many of us take the time to be in the present?
We can only be physically in the present so let’s bring our minds there too.
Picture the scene, your in bed, anxiously just lying there,the seconds on the clock becoming minutes which soon become hours. No sleep just thoughts bouncing around your head. This is so common when we are anxious.Worry, stress, rerun conversations going round and round and feeling totally bushwhacked when it’s time to get up.
We never seem to be able to relax, always walking zombie like through life always making mistakes and that no matter how hard we try we always seem to be in trouble or doing things wrong.
Despite our best of intentions of trying to keep helping other people, or to make a positive difference, it all seems to keep going wrong.
Sometimes when we are anxious, we end up trying too hard, or not seeing the problems in what we’re doing, because we’re rushing around not able to focus on what we are doing we end up making a mess of things.
I can think of so many people who just couldn’t stop and kept making things worse even though they had the best of intentions.
When the anxiety systems of the brain are active, we’ll often get that knot in the stomach, or a tight chest, and those physical feelings make everything feel urgent and really strong. We act instinctively trying to do the right thing but time after time it seems like we just keep getting it wrong.
The more you try the worse it seems to get , your anxiety feeding self doubts and feelings of failure. You beat yourself up over the smallest things , you feel alone as if it’s only you going through this constant cycle of anxious failure.
It doesn’t all have to be like this. Little changes can make a big difference. Cutting stress with simple activities like mindfulness, exercise, focused breathing etc can all dial down the strength of that worry reaction.
However, if there’s been a lifelong tendency of anxiety or to always be worrying, or having constant mental reruns , then there’s probably a lot of opportunity to make life better by dealing with those issues. That’s what has completely turned the lives around for many people I have seen.
My honest advice is be true to yourself and make a list of what and how often you are worrying or stressing and see how big an issue it is in life. You can choose to ignore it but if that’s what you have been doing up until now ask yourself how that’s been working out for you.
There are a lot of proven ways to reduce anxiety, worry, fears and phobias – I use a variety of strategies tailored to personal needs.
Recognizing that there’s room for improvement in life is very often the first step that takes us to doing what we need to do to make our life better in the future.
You have lost enough sleep to anxiety now is the time to get the help you need.
On an island with the Atlantic to the West and the Irish Sea to the east September brings in many changes. Not only the weather as who can tell the variables of such a potent force? But more than this for us as people. Our lives change back to the normal, back to the routine- school, work, commuting, and so on.
Another year has passed, some people have gone, some have arrived , that unstoppable circle of life that the seasons only provide a marker to what time it is. The Sun’s casting shadow getting longer, if indeed you’re lucky enough to see it (remember it always shines above the clouds) as we tread further into our daily life.
Like I said at the beginning I like September as it provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the summer gone, even the year that has passed but more importantly take notice of what’s going on now. A moment to plan for the winter ahead on how we are going to protect ourselves, physically from the elements and mentally from the stresses and anxieties of daily life.
So as the sun sets on summer what are you going to do to protect yourself perhaps some of these tips will help:
Keep connecting with your family and friends
Get active, move more
Make time for yourself doing something that you want to do
Smile and be grateful for what and who you are
Take two minutes to be mindful (I can send you on my two minute sessions for you to try)
Whatever it is you choose remember the sun is going to set anyway, your not alone, the seasons will come and go , we all go through it, but we can go through it together.
How often have you felt little, unexplained feelings of happiness popping up from time to time.
I like those little, unexplained feelings . It’s like getting a free hit of feeling happy without having to do anything to get it.
Do you get them too? Mine don’t last too long but that’s ok for l don’t expect them to, but I do like to notice and enjoy them when they arrive.
When we stop to think about it, are we too busy trying to figure things out, getting caught up in the noise that we diminish these happy moments as a distraction and getting in the way of how we really feel?
It’s strange how we try to force feelings as opposed to accepting them for what they are. Sometimes I just feel happier not because my life got better or sometimes I don’t feel so happy but again not because my life got worse. It’s just where I am at that moment and I realise like all feelings they will pass.
For me the important factor is to be mindfully aware of the good feelings when they come along. Where in my body do the feelings manifest, is it just a simple need to smile, no matter what or where, I can allow the feelings just be what they are.
And be wary of denying the good feelings as you think you should be worrying about something, Just let the moment in and go when it does.
We can spend a lifetime chasing happiness yet miss those little moments of unexpected happiness which just pop up now and again. Watch out for them and when they come, accept them and let them go when they do.
We all deserve a little happiness no matter how fleeting.
A little gift from a former client which was very nice of them. It came with a little note stating that I had helped her stay afloat.
I think it’s not always clear cut on how we need to approach problems and indeed solutions as there may be a third way which is available if only we take the time to appreciate it.
She didn’t want to give up by sinking nor swim away but just staying afloat was enough to keep her head in the right place.
The note concluded with , “It’s been a pleasure”. My sentiments exactly.
Anxiety Clinic Dublin 