Easy Ways to Start Looking after your Mental Health

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If you know that your mental health is suffering because of your job, the stress of home or anything else of the sort, then you will understand how important it is for you to make a change. After all, if you don’t then the problems you are experiencing will only get worse.

Workout

There really are many advantages to exercising. It can help you to boost your energy levels and it can also help you to use up any excess energy as well. This is a fantastic way for you to regulate your sleep pattern and your fitness. Another great bonus of working out is that it can help you to manage stress, and it is also great for boosting your confidence too. This can work wonders for your mental health, and it is also great if you want to try and help yourself to be more outgoing.

Nutrition

Nothing can quite compare to having a balanced diet. When your diet is balanced, this can help you with your energy levels and it can also help with weight control. This has a knock-on effect when it comes to your self-esteem and it is also a great way for you to feel better in yourself. If you want to get some help when it comes to your mental health or if you feel as though your diet is doing nothing for your state of mind then why not consider talking with someone from Bluesky Psychology?

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Relax

It is very easy to become overwhelmed with life, to the point where you can’t seem to find time for yourself. You have to know that this is completely normal. It is essential however that you find time to look after your mental health, and that you also relax in a way that relates to your lifestyle. This can be watching a movie with your loved one, or even practicing yoga on your own. Either way, it can really help you to take back control of your life and your stress levels.

Sleep

Sleep is so crucial for your physical and your mental health. Sleep helps you to become re-energised and it also helps your body to heal. Another bonus of sleep is that it keeps your memory working properly. If you don’t feel as though you are getting enough sleep in the day then you really do need to try and avoid stimulants where possible. You also need to try and make sure that you stay in a good routine, and that you go to bed at the same time every day. When you are able to get yourself into some good habits, you can then begin to feel better and you can also make sure that you are giving your body the rest that it needs.

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Of course, sometimes the stress of life gets too much, and this happens to everyone, but by making sure that you are looking after your mental health, you can be sure to help yourself stay healthy and positive during this difficult time.

The Benefits of Keeping a Bullet Journal

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The Benefits of Keeping a Bullet Journal

Bullet journals provide an easy way to track all of your thoughts, feelings, appointments, and goals for your life, whether for today, next week, or 10 years from now. Here are some of the different benefits of having a bullet journal.

You Can Reduce Stress and Anxiety

First of all, if you struggle with a lot of stress and anxiety on a regular basis, the bullet journal can help with that. You are able to record your moods and behavior changes, which help you to determine triggers for your anxiety and panic attacks. 

Since you aren’t missing appointments or schedules and become more focused on a daily basis, you can also find great stress relief.

It Helps Keep You Organized

You can also become a more organized person with the help of a bullet journal. Perhaps you remember to get to work on time and bring your kids to their dentist appointments, but you tend to forget about your daily fitness regimen or don’t feel organized enough for meal planning. The bullet journal can help with these tasks and much more.

The Journal Replaces Your Traditional Planner

Planners are great, but there tend to be some limitations with the store-bought varieties. They aren’t very customizable, so you are forced to use whatever calendar layouts and note pages are provided to you. This limits you to how much you can include on each page and what sections there are. 

With a bullet journal, it replaces your planner and includes absolutely anything and everything that you find important.

You Get More Information About Your Personal Goals

Bullet journals can give you a better idea of what your personal goals are and what is required to reach those goals. You will start including lists, aspirations, and bucket lists. This, when looking back on it, really gives you a good idea of what you want out of life and what tasks you need to do in order to achieve them.

You Can Track Your Regular Habits

When you enter detailed information in your bullet journal about your daily life, you will then be able to track your regular habits. 

For example, if you have a food and exercise log section, it lets you see what you are eating on a regular basis, how often you eat out, and what areas of your fitness routine need work. 


You can also track your moods and resulting anxiety or stress, or track your daily expenses to see where you might be able to cut back.

4 Tips to Getting Through The Stresses And Strain Of Being A Mom

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Finding out that you’re pregnant and that you are to become a mother is one of the greatest feelings in the world. A few months beyond that, you realize that giving birth and welcoming your child into the world takes the lead as the greatest. Seeing the little human being that you created and grow inside you for months and months finally in your arms as they frown, smile, cry and laugh is a feeling that you don’t understand until the moment happens to you.

28 Day Reading Challenge - Day 10

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I've read some pretty good chick-lit lately.  Sophie Kinsella never fails to come through.  One of her new books, Surprise Me also does not disappoint.

28 Day Reading Challenge - Day 9

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I run the risk of seeming like a book reader that really only loves books that get turned into movies given that most of my other posts in this challenge fit that description.  Particularly with today's selection of The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks.

28 Day Reading Challenge - Day 8

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The Happiness Project was another one of my favorite books from last year.  It follows the story of Gretchen Rubin as she tries to cultivate happiness over 365 days after having the realization: "The days are long, but the years are short."

She performs a variety of different experiments incorporating the wisdom of the ages, current research, and popular new trends to try and find what makes one happier.  She tests the theory of can money buy happiness.  Turns out it can if wisely spent.  What the Kon Mari method and my mother have been telling me for years - outer organization creates inner calm.

It is hilarious and at times a little sad as Gretchen finds her way through the 365 days of grappling with what happiness means.  I loved the book and definitely considered doing a 365 day happiness project myself.  Turns out lots of other people did too and now, there's a Happiness Project Manifesto, groups, along with dozens of other resources.

Until tomorrow and the next great read!

28 Day Reading Challenge - Day 7

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The Tea Girl from Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See is by far one of the most moving books I've read in a long while. I have loved Lisa See's books since I first read Shanghai Girls which was the first encounter I had with her work. I've since read most of her books, heard her speak, and been a loyal fan for years. The Tea Girl follows an Akha through her life in Yunnan province.


The Akha people are one of the 55 minority groups that exist within China's borders. Yes, China definitely has more than just Han majority. I actually spent 3 weeks in Yunnan province in 2001 and went to some of the places mentioned in The Tea Girl. It is a beautiful province that was extremely poor both in the novel and my personal experience.


Times have changed over the past 20 years and with the growth of the tea industry, Yunnan has become famous for their Pu'er tea. Tea is at the center of this story and how it shapes the life of Liyan. It is how her peasant family made a meager living prior to the opening of China and how Liyan ultimately triumphs. It the story of loss, love, struggle, enduring and overcoming.
It is also the story of mothers and daughters - a unique bond that defines who we are as girls and women the world over no matter race, creed, religion, or background.  Read this book!

28 Day Reading Challenge - Day 6

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The Help came out several years ago and also was made into a movie. It takes place in the deep South back in the 60s when white women were expected to marry, play bridge, and have the help raise their children.

28 Day Reading Challenge - Day 5

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28 Day Reading Challenge - Day 4

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28 Day Reading Challenge - Day 3

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28 Day Reading Challenge - Day 2

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How to Become More Organized With a Bullet Journal

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How to Become More Organized With a Bullet Journal

You already know that a bullet journal can help you make lists for the future, build your business, manage your finances, and relieve your stress. But perhaps one of the greatest benefits to this type of journal is that it can help organize your entire life.

Leading By Example: Overcoming Devastating Events As A Parent

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If you want your children to be well-rounded individuals, confident, good-natured, generous, and kind, it takes hard work, dedication, and commitment.

The Weather And Your Mental Health

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We’re all aware that the weather can affect our physical health, some people get more aches and pains in the cold; the flu and viruses are rife as winter hits and sunstroke, sunburn or heat rash are common in the summer. However, did you know that the weather can also affect your mental health? It’s not just about the time of year which people find difficult, Christmas and New Year aren’t necessarily happy for a lot of people, and if you’re suffering from depression, then you probably feel the pressure to be happy as well as general anxiety around the festive period. It’s also the weather and the weather won’t be getting any warmer or brighter for a few months yet, so after Christmas and New Year is often really tough as well.

You may have heard about Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that comes and goes in a seasonal pattern. It is sometimes known as "winter depression" because the symptoms are usually more apparent and more severe during the winter although a few people with SAD may have symptoms during the summer and feel better during the winter.

According to the NHS, the exact cause of SAD isn't fully understood, but it's often linked to reduced exposure to sunlight during the shorter autumn and winter days.

The leading theory is that a lack of sunlight might stop a part of the brain called the hypothalamus working correctly, which may affect the: production of melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that makes you feel sleepy; in people with SAD, the body may produce it in higher than normal levels.  A lack of sunlight may also lead to lower serotonin levels, a hormone that affects your mood, appetite, and sleep. Feelings of depression can also be linked to your body's internal clock (circadian rhythm) as your body uses sunlight to time various vital functions, such as when you wake up, so lower light levels during the winter may disrupt your body clock and lead to symptoms of SAD.

It’s not just SAD and not just people who suffer from depression that suffer depending on the weather, according to John Grohol, PsyD, founder and CEO of Psych Central, “the overall preponderance of evidence suggests that weather can have more than just ‘a little effect’ on your mood.” In a 1974 study with 16,000 students in Basel City, Switzerland, 18 percent of the boys and 29 percent of the girls responded negatively to certain weather conditions, exhibiting symptoms of fatigue, dysphoric moods, irritability, and headaches.

During the winter months, everyone should try and get as much natural sunlight as possible, exercise regularly, and manage your stress levels. There are Depression Treatments available such as light therapy – where a particular lamp called a lightbox is used to simulate exposure to sunlight or talking treatments – such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), or counseling can help too.

Taking Active Steps to Make 2019 As Positive As Possible

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2019 is literally around the corner and this can mean many things to many different people.

What’s Stopping You From Becoming Your Best

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Life can be tough, there’s no doubt about that. But it can also be beautiful and fun, curious and incredible. And if you’re not really living to your full potential, you may not know that. So, it’s ever so important for you to be able to become your very best self. Yet, it’s really not always that simple. Sometimes, you feel held back. Yet you have no idea why. And sometimes, you cannot figure out what you need to do to be able to make a change. And when you’re in this kind of situation, you’re not going to be at your best. So let’s change that. Because we all have potential and we all deserve to live our lives to the fullest and really get the most out of life. So let’s take a look at what could be stopping you from becoming the best version of yourself.

Fear

To start with, it could be because you’re scared. And not on an everyday, you’re so terrified of life kind of fear. But the fear of stepping out of your comfort zone. The fear of changing your life. The fear of failing. Yet, you won’t ever know what will happen until you try. Or until you make that first step. And if you have dreams and you want to accomplish them, you need to feel the fear and work on them anyway.

Money

Sometimes, it can be money. And if you do not have the funds to do what you want to do in life, then you need to work on that. Start to save. Get a new job. Sell your stuff. Start a side hustle. More money can always be earned, remember that.

Health

Next up, it could be your health. Maybe you’re sick or something happened to you? When this is the case, you may be worried about how you can move forward. Or maybe you’re still recovering from birth injuries or a diagnosis and you’re unable to actually do much to help yourself? Then here, you’re going to want to help your health and get the medical assistance that you need to actually move forward. You owe it to yourself.

Others

If you know that the opinions of others are holding you back, or what they actually want for you, then you need to just move past this. This is your life, and you need to do what makes you happy - for you. Because you’ll only ever regret it if you don’t.

Your Mindset

And finally, we then also have your mindset too. Because it could actually be the case that you’re kind of holding yourself back. And sure, sometimes this is through fear, but not always. Maybe you’re too negative and you always see the bad in life and in people? Maybe you’re pessimistic all of the time? Then you will need to improve your mindset. Because you’re only damaging yourself here. When you’re positive and grateful, your opportunities truly are endless.