Achieve and Maintain Mental Wellbeing

Achieving and maintaining mental wellbeing is very important, for both mind and body. However, around one in four people suffers from some kind of mental issue during their lifetime, but many do not seek the help they need to manage or overcome the problem.

Awareness of mental health problems is constantly rising, making it easier for people to recognize the signs and know what help is available.  Counselling is regarded as an effective form of treatment for many mental health issues.

The initial decision to take the plunge and accept help is undoubtedly one of the hardest parts of the whole process. However after this decision had been taken, a whole new set of questions can arise with regards to actually finding the counselor.

There are numerous issues to consider – practical and otherwise. What about, for example, location? Despite counsellors’ assured complete confidentiality people may prefer to see a counsellor that is perhaps outside their local area, but still in surroundings they are comfortable in.

And what guarantees that the counsellor is the real deal? There are no laws in the UK that govern counselling, so what’s to stop anyone setting up shop to listen to people’s problems? There are qualifications and professional bodies, but these can often be confusing and over-whelming.

Counselling can take many different approaches – from person-based to psychoanalytic, and it’s important to choose a counsellor with an approach the person will be comfortable with and respond to well.

Counselling Directory was set up to provide a simple, easy, and most importantly un-daunting way of connecting people that need help with the people that provide it. A comprehensive searching tool, the site allows postcode, town and country searches, and produces a list of counsellors registered in this area. Each counsellor has a profile, listing a bit about themselves, their approaches, what areas they deal with, and all their training, qualification and experience and fees.

The site shows which counsellors are registered/accredited with a professional body, and full profiles are only displayed after insurance and qualification documents are checked or membership with a professional body has been verified.

The site has also become a huge information bank – there are articles written by the counsellors, as well as comprehensive information on all kinds of distress – from depression to eating disorders to abuse, to help people identify their problems and become informed, not scared.

http://www.counselling-directory.org.uk

A Woman of Persistence

A woman of persistent  is characterized as continuously pursuing a goal or objective  in spite of  internal or external events that slow down  the process. Achieving success in life no matter how one may define what successful is will always be dependent on being persistent. 

 
Do you know this woman of persistence?  Is she your sister, your mother, your friend or that woman whose reflection you see in the mirror?

I know her well.  With some work and dedication I’ve learned to love, respect and care about her.  That was not an easy process.  I thought she was weak and afraid but have come to realized she has strength beyond measure and refuses to give up.

Let me share with you a little about her life.

• When she’s running late she finds a way to get there just in the lick of time.
• When there isn’t enough time for herself she makes time for others.
• When she’s short on money she finds a way to make ends meet.  And provides everything her family needs.
• When she’s sad she finds a way to smile and bring joy into the lives of the people she cares about.
• When she needs loves she finds enough love in her to give away to others.
• When she feels sick for she finds a way to care for others.
• When she’s hungry she will feed her family.
• When she feels fragile she discovers her strength
• When she feels afraid she courageously takes the next step.
• When she feels life if hard she declares it to be easy.
• When she feels like eating chocolate late at night she finds a way to eat carrots instead.
• When she feels vulnerable she finds a way to fight the battle.
• When she feels tired she finds the fortitude to keep going
• When she feels like surrendering  she refuses to give up.
• When she feels old she finds her youthful spirit.
• When she feels like giving up she finds the courage to keep going.
• When life made her feel like a failure she affirmed success, happiness and prosperity is  just around the corner. 
• When she feels weak she finds the strength and determination
• The woman of persistence and perseverance knows how to play the game of life.  Just like a card game she may lose the hand but still win the game. Being persistent will change your life.

Persistent in life is probably the most important quality necessary to achieve success.   Persistent starts with a goal, an idea of what you want to do.  Being persistent means being determined, unrelenting, and enduring through the tough times, and then making a plan on how you want to accomplish your goal as it will no doubt help you achieve your life purpose.

Persistence bring tears
Persistence brings rejection
Persistence may even bring angers

But if your persistent
It will bring you happiness
It will bring you laughter
It will bring you good health
It will bring you financial freedom
Believe in the power of persistent women, and with their knowledge, which sees beyond the way things are, to the way things are in the eyes of God.
She and I are working together building a business and a life.  I listen to this strong powerful woman.  She knows how to direct me to the right path.  She’s willing to share her knowledge and passion.

Never underestimate the power of a persistent woman.   A woman of extraordinary power and passion. 
The message is clear—there is no power on earth equal to that of a persistent woman.

Can you name the most persistent woman you’ve met.
So my sisters (and brothers) what are you persistent about?

Stress Free Living – Using Self Talk To Conquer Fear

Fear of failure, fear of change, even fear of success can hold you back from creating a   life by design.  Uncertainty and doubt can and will erode your  self confidence and lower your  self esteem.  The one thing in life you can be sure of,  is we all have fear.  Being afraid is a normal part of living but letting fear hold the key to your happiness will undoubtedly affect your joy for living.

The first step to eliminating fear is identifying the cause. Self talk is ineffective unless you understand the root of the problem. When fear overrules your life it effects both your   mind and body.

We talk to ourselves all day every day.  Except most of the time we say negative things to ourselves.
“Nobody likes me”
“I can’t get anything right”
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me”
“I’m so dumb”
Does any of this sound familiar?
Self-talk is more then just positive thinking and positive talk.  Thinking about something and never taking action is just thinking.  Yes you’ll feel better but it will have a limited impact on your life unless you take that thinking and add a quotient of action.

So when you look at it that way, self-talk at least effective self-talk, is action talk.  You can say to yourself all day everyday for a year “I’m successful”  but if there’s no action behind the words it’s pretty meaningless.

Do not let fear control your life. Self-talk will help you to do anything you want when your use positive thinking. Some people are afraid to climb over a fence. To overcome this fear of going over the fence, tell yourself you can do it. Face it and force yourself to go over the fence to the other side. Overcoming a fear systematically and self-talk your way through each step will help you to accomplish this fear. Think positive you can and will do it to succeed.

The key is to talk small steps every day.  When a negative thought comes into your mind reverse it with something positive.  And most importantly take an action step to reinforce the positive self-talk.

You are in control of your own desitiny, by the actions you take each and every day.  Be self-aware, and  self-confident to improve your self-esteem.

De-stress with Music and Dancing

What do you do to combat your stress? Taking a vacation may not be in the cards, but you can still escape from it all. Turn on the radio and shake your booty.

What one person finds pleasurable could sound like nails on the chalkboard to another. The best thing about music is that there is something for everyone. From hard rock to instrumental and everything in between, music is enjoyed by young and the young at heart.

We often attach memories to music—the first time we fall in love, our first dance, or a happy holiday. Music surrounds our life and listening to tunes that conjure up pleasant memories tends to relax us. If you don’t believe me, listen to some music that was popular when you were growing up.

Some people aren’t much for exercise as a stress reliever so you can dance instead. No need to think of it as exercise. Hopping around for ten minutes to your favorite song will get that heart rate up and keep you in shape.

Stop stress from ruining your day and your health. Use music and dancing to release yourself from the grip of stress and take back control of your life.

How To Use Self-Talk To Overcome Fear

Life for most of us should be pretty good for the most part.  But for so many that’s simply not true  Negative statements from others and yourself about you erode your self worth.  Are you  being held back from success because of what others have said to or about you or worst yet, what you have said about yourself.  When doubt creeps in, it brings us down by lowering our confidence and self-esteem. Being afraid of failure is the most common fear we have.

Are you letting fear control your life?   Self-talk will help you to do anything you want when your use positive thinking, on the other hand, negative thinking can prevent you from doing anything you want.  The choice is yours.  Overcome fear systematically with  self-talk.  Once you realize what is causing your fear, you can move to self-talk  techniques to change the situation..

First let me share what self-talk is not.  It’s not some mumble jumble.  We do it all the time but we just don’t know it.  Unfortunately, most of our natural self-talk is negative.  Most of us believe in positive thinking, and that’s good.  But deciding to only think positively for the rest of your life won’t work.  After all we’re all humans and bound to slip up every now and again.   But positive thinking can work if your negative thoughts are immediately replaced with positive one.  Wanting to be a positive thinker isn’t enough, having a positive attitude isn’t enough. You need the positive words to go along with it.  What I’ve learned about self-talk is it’s not hypnosis or subliminal but a repletion of the positive ideas concepts and affirmations that you say, or listen to over a period of time.

Let me give you a couple of examples. Instead of getting out of bed in the morning and saying “I wish I didn’t have to get up,” with your new self-talk say “it’s a great day to be alive”.  Or for those of us that have  to make cold calls instead of saying “I’d really don’t feel like making calls today,”  with your new self-talk try saying  “I excited to make these calls because I know I will make a great new connection today”.  Remember your rephrasing your old self-talk with new ones.  One more example so I know you get the picture.  Instead of saying “I’m so tired today I feel like going to bed”,  with your new self-talk say “I have a lot of energy today”.

Now the changes won’t happen immediately or overnight.  This will take some practice and skill to change your thinking and mindset.  When your with another person you might want to use self-speak silently, when alone you can feel free say it out loud or even have a conversation with yourself.  But remember when you find yourself getting off track by negative thoughts creeping in regroup and get right back on path.

Use positive thinking and self-talk to reprogram your mind to think positive. Don’t let your conscious and subconscious mind tell you that something can’t be done. If you use self-talk, you’ll soon learn that you can do anything you want and succeed by being positive.   Use positive thinking and self-talk to stay in control. Tell yourself that when you master confidence and self-esteem you can master anything.

If this was helpful let me know.  Add a comment in the comment area below this  sentence.  Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to know about self-talk.

Is Your Life All That You Want It To Be?

You’ve seen those ads for the army be all you can be join the army now. Have you decided what you really want in life?

Most people don’t discover what they want in life sometime until it’s almost too late.  Some never discover their life’s mission and joy. – and that’s a shame.

If your anything like me you’ve probably spent years watching television or doing things that didn’t move your toward any goal if you even had a goal. Benjamin Franklin was quoted as saying “Many people die at twenty five and aren’t buried until they are seventy five.” A sad truism.

Is your life all that you want it to be

If you’re struggling to answer this question be assured that’s not unusual.  But to your advantage unlike most people you’re actually looking for an answer.  This places you light years ahead.  When asked about goals most people have spent more time planning a party then they have their life goals.  Mostly because they think that life just happens and never realize their power to control what happens.  People without definite goals are letting time pass them by. Are you one of these people?

If you are undecided about what you want out of life, don’t worry.  There are ways of discovering your purpose in life.

Often times, people are ruled by logic.  People live by what they think they should be or even worse by what others think of them or would like them to be.  To discover what you want in life, try looking deep into your heart.  If you sit quietly and listen to your heart desires you can hear the whispers of your authentic self,  the real you.

You will totally enjoy doing things that are passionate about.  Setbacks, difficulties, and obstacles will make it more challenging, but will not deter you from pursuing your goals.  Remember this: the universe supports people who are pursuing their passion and those who are pursuing their destiny.

There’s only one  thing to remember: Every person, to live truly and greatly, must define how she wants to live and what her brightest life will look like.  Listen to your instincts and follow your heart’s desire.

As I’ve grown older the  only regrets I have are those when I  have done what others or society thinks I should have done and not followed my hearts desires.

If  you’ve found this article helpful. Let me know by leaving a comment.  See the comment link underneath this sentence.

What Type of Stress Do You Suffer From? – Eustress vs Stress

When you feel overwhelmed and up against the wall, do you notice the old familiar headache or backache that you get in response to a stressful situation?  Before you let it upset you, take time to think about what type of stress you’re feeling.

There are two types of stress that psychologists call Eustress and Stress. These are as different as two sides of the same coin. One is actually useful while the other is harmful to your body.
Eustress is healthy for you. It keeps you excited about life. It is basically a desirable form of stress which is healthful and gives a feeling of contentment.

Some of the examples of Eustress are:

1. Thrill experienced while watching a horror movie
2. Excitement of winning a race
3. Accomplishing a challenge
4. Joy experienced on a roller-coaster ride
5. Happiness felt on the birth of a baby
6. Excitement while getting wedded
7. A man’s shaking hand as he produces an engagement ring
8. Buying a new car and many more

Stress, on the other hand, is anxiety, fear, frustration and an overcoming sense of dread.

Job burnout is the result of working too long in a stressful environment. Continual exposure to stressful situations and people whose demands become stressful to you results in negative stress.

There’s nothing useful about stress. It’s the warm-up act for a heart attack, stroke and emotional breakdown.  If you say you “work better under stress,” you haven’t asked your immune system how it feels.

Stress is also referred to as distress,  anxiety, severe strain or mental suffering resulting from exhaustion or an accident.

Some of the events that lead to distress are:

1. Death of near-ones
2. Too much workload
3. Discontent in relationships
4. Financial tension
5. Unfulfilled desires

Living under stressful conditions for long periods of time is damaging to your immune system. Ever noticed how you’re more inclined to catch the office cold when you’re overworked than when you aren’t?

That’s a perfect example of how your immune system can’t deal with your stress load and have enough left over to fight a bug.  Stop and analyze your stress in a mood journal by writing down specific answers to these questions:

1. What causes you to feel stress?
2. Where are you when you feel the most stress?
3. Who is with you?
4. What are you doing?
5. Has anything changed recently in this situation?

By seeing your stress patterns, you can look at ways to change either your involvement with stress or your response to it. Is what you’re feeling really harmful stress?

If it’s actually eustress, then you can change what you say from, “I’m so stressed out over the party” to, “I’m so excited about this party!” It’s amazing how your body responds differently to each type of stress.  Sometimes your reaction is a choice.

Choose carefully and wisely.