Become Gracious & Grateful with a Gratitude Journal
Being grateful for what we have in life is certainly not always an easy task. We know deep down that we are all lucky in some way. We may be grateful for our kids or that we are not living in poverty. What we find hard though, is bringing that gratitude into our daily lives. It’s all very well knowing we are better off than most, but when we are having a tough time, that sometimes doesn’t seem to mean that much. We battle through our day, making sure all our jobs are done, looking after other people, perhaps fighting whatever inner demons are ours, and by the end of…
The Creative Type? Unleash Your Inner Artist with an Art Journal
I came across a really intriguing new type of journaling recently; art journaling. I love words and I could chat and write all day long! But, speaking to friends and family about their lives and difficulties, it came to me that it is not so easy for everybody to express what they are feeling using words, whether that is to someone else or to themselves. We are all so different, and have such varied means of self-expression, which is what makes us so interesting. Whereas for one person writing about their feelings can be cathartic, for someone else, painting or playing the piano might help to reduce stress. For all…
Are You An Emotional Eater?
So many of us have a complicated relationship with the food we eat. Body-image issues are incredibly common and many of us have been on the diet merry-go-round for much of our lives. Even if we are happy with our bodies, what we eat often seems to be tied in with our emotions. I would say that the majority of my girlfriends (and some of the guys too!) would admit to reaching for a huge bar of chocolate or a tub of ice-cream if they are upset or stressed out every now and again to make themselves feel better, and I’m certainly no exception! And, surely, there’s no harm in…
Meditation, Mindfulness & Journaling
Mindfulness is big news right now. But what exactly is it? How can it help us and how can we use it as part of the journaling process? Well, mindfulness as a concept actually fits in really well with journaling as it is about stopping, being present in the moment and taking time to allow ourselves to just be. How often do we do that? The most common answer among most of us would be occasionally or never! What with jobs, family, bills to pay, shopping to do, not to mention keeping ourselves physically fit, we so often neglect our minds. What I have noticed since I became interested in…
Could Journaling Help Me with My Anxiety?
Anxiety is so common in the hectic, pressurized world we live in today. I don’t know about you, but I find that any time I open up about my struggles with anxiety to a friend or colleague, they will tell me a story about their own struggles with anxiety, whether they are related to their jobs, family, issues with self-esteem or just keeping going with the daily grind. Not to mention the impact of hormonal imbalances on our anxiety levels; the theme which I chose for the focus my last series of blog posts as I know how many of us are affected in this way. My teenage daughter, as…
Why Do You Need to Create New Habits?
While you are busy creating goals for yourself, there is one thing you need to remember – habits are more important than goals. Why? Because it is hard to complete tasks required to achieve a goal if you have not formed a good habit first. You need habits to gain focus and momentum, improve your daily life, and get the willpower you need to accomplish more in your life. Start with One Small Habit When you create new habits, there are two important things to remember: 1. You should start with just one habit at a time. 2. You want to start small. You may have a vision of these…
I Have PMDD And It’s Like a Mental Disorder
It’s been a while since I’ve had a day like today. It’s hard to convey and even harder to understand since I’m on meds that are supposed to help with the symptoms. I woke up late after being up even later thanks to the kiddo not taking her sleeping pill. She has autism and requires meds to shut her brain down enough to sleep. (It took 10 years of not sleeping to figure this out). Anyway… They let me sleep in, but I was not in a good mood for it. No idea why. Actually, yes, I do think I know why. It’s hormonal. And stress. I opened up the bill…
