Tag: health

lifestyle, lockdown, Mental health, Well-being, wellbeing

Lock down tips for keeping yourself in check.

brainbiscuitscoaching

With us all experiencing lock down at various times around the world, this brings many challenges and changes in many ways to our day to day life. The one thing we can try to keep control of is to look after ourselves as much as possible at this very unpredictable time, so be kind to yourself and try to listen to yours needs for getting trough this all as comfortably and healthy both mentally and physically as possible.

Tips that you might find helpful;

1) If your working from home try to think about the most suitable place to set up. A place that you can distinguish between work mode and home life. Space might be an issue and if so find a room you feel comfortable in and that can change throughout the day from work to your personal living environment.

2) Think about how you start your days,mornings can become incredibly important as they can set you up for the day. Try to make them good for you and ensure they include something that supports your mindset for the rest of the day. From a good cup of your favourite coffee or morning exercise routine. Maybe wake up at different time to the rest of your house hold so you have some space first thing for you when waking up.

3) This has put a dramatic shift in most of our routines so you might find it’s a good idea to have a weekly or daily Planner, keep a list of what you want from the week, when listed you can then tick off as you go. A weekly planner/list will also visually show that things can still happen and be achieve even if more home bound than normal.

4) When possible Get some daily Fresh air, if safe where you are to go outside this is great for clearing your head. Walks are great or get in the garden for half an hour take a lunch break your inside a lot more and it’s darker this time of year in some parts of the world so any day light and especially if a sunny winters day.

5) clear clutter, because lockdown means we will be in our homes a lot more it’s a good idea to make time to finally tackle areas of the home that feel chaotic or cluttered, plan in time to do this as you don’t want chaos around you, clear home clear mind.

6) creative pursuits, it might be worth having a projects list that you can occupy yourself with when feeling fed up or board, Creative pursuits for example from baking, cooking, making things to painting just try different things as ways of relaxing and expressing yourself at this unusual time.

7) Have a plan for when you find yourself feeling stressed or anxious that you can draw upon, think of what will help you, for example a run or walk, have a bath read a book, call a friend. Tackle one worry at a time, write it down and then write how you can solve it and what you can’t solve how you can manage how you deal with it even if it’s drawing a line and saying to yourself somethings you can’t control or do anything about, but for example anxiety from this can be managed when I go for a run or walk etc to help as coping strategies.

8) Connect to those who keep you positive and check in regularly with friends and family from calling, face timing each other and try to join in with any fun things in your on-line community from quizzes, art classes and exercise classes etc.

9) Make a list of things you want to do when things are back to a new Normal, positive things such as places you want to visit and activities you want to do keep connected to the future.

10) Make a positive place where you have photos, things that make you smile and feel centred amongst all the crazy going on even if it’s a box filled with things like memories of vacations, places and photos of friends, family, experiences you have had that where fun. It’s so important to remind yourself it hasn’t alway been like this and it won’t always be either.

11) Take a minute out from everything and everyone each day find a calm spot inside or outside that you can go to. Use this time and space as the spot for clam thinking, reading, relaxing exercise etc it’s your place for your pause break to restore and recharge yourself we all need a moment at time’s.

12) If tour not coping and finding yourself slipping make sure you tell someone, reach out and you won’t be alone many of us will feel like this at some point, sharing your worries will help as you won’t feel so alone in your head with it all. Your not failing because you need support, help or struggling be kind to yourself and just reach out.

Stay safe, well both mentally and physically and look after yourself.

lifestyle, Mental health, Uncategorized, Well-being, world mental health Day

World mental health Day 💚

brainbiscuitscoaching
alone animal bird clouds

Photo by Gabriela Palai on Pexels.com

We all have mental health just as we have physical health however, it is not always something we look at regularly supporting and training, or exercising and reviewing. It would be wonderful to think we soon will be in a world where we could openly ask each other ” how you feeling today and how’s your mind”, without it being uncomfortable. We all have those moments in life where things can cause us to feel lower in our mood. This often affects our mental health. Times of this “low mood “ or any ongoing sadness can happen to any of us at any time, feeling as if it comes upon us without any warning. It is important to recognise your own personal triggers. It’s important to ask yourself;

1,what are my triggers?

2,What sends my stress levels over the edge?

3, Is there any changes you can make to help you manage these things?

4, what helps you to keep going when you feel like this?

The triggers could be anything, such as a memorable date, topics you are sensitive to and don’t want to face yet, family, relationships, self-limiting beliefs, traumas, life events, medical reasons, life pressure, public speaking, anything! It is so important to take the time to look at any trigger patterning you have. By looking at triggers you can possibly unlock a resilience strategy for yourself that just might help you cope better when you are in need. Emotional stress can be really overwhelming, it can impact both your physical and mental state. Strategies to support your resilience can work wonders in helping you through this time, along with of course any support groups, professional outreach etc available to you. Examples of resilience you can use when this happens are things such as supportive building blocks to help manage your stress levels. Some of mine are below:

  • When life is busy I have to make sure I  have me time
  • Personal head space-time, walk, read, chill out somewhere away from everything to just clear your mind (a pause moment)
  • Something that is physical such as sport; for me my main choice of activity to spend my “me” time on is running
  • Something that makes you feel a sense of belonging such as socialising with the right community
  •  Things I enjoy, things that make me happy, as happiness is so important!  Such as hobbies (Creative Diet)
  • I try to goal set my activities into my weekly plans, looking at how I can review and improve and identify the priorities I have. These keep me on track and both my physical and mental health are in better shape for it (Muscle Motivation)
  • Predict my stress triggers.  When I know something is coming up that is likely to cause stress good planning is key.  I look at what I can do to manage it as best I can, and what best supports me
  •  Make sure you tell someone.  If I am worried about things or stressed, just saying things out loud to someone can make a huge difference as you then own your true feelings
  • Choose to hang out with people on your level.  Someone you can text, call, meet and have that support with
  • I ensure I take regular pause moments; so important!
  • Even when you don’t feel like it connect with the world daily so you don’t become withdrawn.

Remember you are often not alone with these feelings and it is so important to tell someone. Don’t suffer in silence, it will only get worse.

confidence, health, Identity, lifestyle, Mental health, motivation, Uncategorized

Don’t compare yourself to others, compare your progress of change against yourself….

brainbiscuitscoaching

Personal progress starts from within remember the steps you took and where you once started. revisit the start in your mind how you felt and what your mind set was like and then use this for motivation, with comparison to where you are at present and more importantly where your heading and imagine how you will think and feel in your future when your goal is achieved, mentally, physically and emotionally.

It’s great to gather motivation for your journey but try not to compare yourself to others along the way if you can help it! don’t get me wrong It’s wonderful to have people who inspire us but when it comes to inspiration, take a lot from where you once where and don’t forget each positive change and step you have taken. Be your own measure-able motivation. Only you no the efforts it took to get you where you are today! These steps are so worthy of being phrased.

Just take a moment and ask yourself, when did you last celebrated for a minute your personal progresses, look at what you have achieved and not what you haven’t! I encourage you to keep records of your own start point and progress line and look back at the differences along the way. Look at what makes you feel and think the best you can about who you are and all you have become. These would motivate you to Become the version of yourself you want to be; what dose that even mean you ask?

Only you know what you want and who you want to be and have in your life, but I would imagine for most of us we would have on our list something that represents finding true happiness at the top of this.

So look at your present self, past self and what you want in your life with your future self.

It helps to become more accepting of yourself and make changes to what you don’t like or don’t want to accept and look at ways of working with the bits you want to change and plan your goals and the steps that will lead you to get results.

For the things we can’t change, review the way your mind set is towards them. Its so self rewarding to learn to draw a line! It’s important to learn to move forward with accepting this that your drawing a line and then let go of what you are not in control of and can’t change and finally be free of those holding you back.

I find it helpful to log all of your steps you have made, try a simple yet affective exercise.

1)Firstly find a quiet spot

2) take a price of paper and write down what you are in control of .

3)write wha you can’t control.

4) in the middle draw a happy bubble in the middle and fill it with a list of all the things that you love, enjoy and makes you smile.

5)pick a item off your list that you have in your can control column and make a start planing your steps towards that becoming a reality.

This chart example is where you list the things you can control, can’t control and then what’s your happy place your centre . Good for anxiety, personal goal setting,

Then every time you feel you need to re-evaluate you can use this exercise tool to help get things out and down on paper.

If you find yourself comparing things in life compare your journey, from where you have been, where you are now and where you are heading.Be in competition with no one just yourself!

accountability, Identity, lifestyle, Mental health, motivation, Self development, Uncategorized, Well-being

Accountability a powerful life tool!

brainbiscuitscoaching

It’s such a strength to own up to where you are in your life and if your not happy do something about it!

If you want things to change you need to be accountable and stop the rut you find yourself in. Own the current situation, draw a line it’s happened and for whatever reason you are where you are and more importantly your ready to face up to it, Your accepting that your the one responsible and in the driving seat and only you can steer yourself the way you want to go!

when you become accountable you will find yourself to have better clarity on things and that you are so much more stronger than before. From this moment of change you make happen results you want can take place and you don’t have to be in that same stagnant place of denial any more! Ever heard the line of you always done what you always do your always get what you’ve always got! It’s so true!

When your know longer scared of your current reality anymore and face things such as where you currently are in life how are you ever going to know what you want?

When you finally established a starting line and what you want the finish line to look like (the change) you then can move forward and take steps and go get your goals. We often slip into ruts with things and don’t put ourselves first but until you do put yourself first how can you ever move on!

Be aware of Selfsavatarge mode, this is another way of ruining things for yourself, when things start to go right for you are you someone who then trys to stop it from happening because it’s new Territory and this terrifs you? Meaning you go back to what was to feel safe back into the “comfort Zone” do you put obstacles in your own way. If you think yes this is me than you need to plan strategies of what you can do when you find yourself in this position along the way again your being accountable and showing up for yourself! If you no certain things trigger this behaviour avoid it as much as you can.

The thing is when you face things and you make changes and you become more the you that you want to be,it can really push you at times when you have nowhere to hide from things and face things and be challenging to not slip back into old habit, it’s much harder to fully accept the new you to even yourself and also for others to accept this change to.

Remember Your not being selfish because of this change either you have just hit a point where you have to put yourself first. So you can really start living again and in the moment and most importantly feel happier.

When you start owning your feelings and emotions your are then allowing things to be released and no longer have them bubbling away inside and just think any negativity that’s inside from this you can finally let go of! just think how liberating and emotionally lighter you will feel, accountability really is a detox in its own right.

If You feel yourself start to slip back off the wagon again with your goals the steps I would recommend are;

1) checkin with yourself are you experiencing lots of emotional or physical stress at the moment?

2) ask yourself do you feel in control or out of control?

3) who can help you when you face the current situation? And how can you contact and reach out to this support and help?

4) workout the current reality of the situation, where are you right now? What are you able to change?

5) write down what you want to happen next

6) write down the steps you need to go from where you are to where you want to go

7) remember what triggered this off before for you and plan strategies to keep you on track.

8) surround yourself with motivation, be it people, environments, photos, items whatever sparks joy and makes you want to succeed.

9)Remember to Remind yourself how far You’ve come. How You felt before and how You feel when all your steps and goals You set are reached and use that to motivate yourself back on track again

10) show up for yourself every day your responsible for ensuring your worth. write down steps and tasks that will help get your where you want to be and tick them off your list as they are completed. There is lots of proof that when you write things down your more likely to stick to what’s written.

The above steps should help you identify with the life you want and person you want to be, remember having accountability is a key life tool which will keep you on track, it will ensure You don’t steer off course and remain responsible for go getting what you want in life.

health, lifestyle, lock down, Mental health, Uncategorized, world mental health Day

Mental health awareness week!2020

brainbiscuitscoaching

Mental health awareness week has fallen at a time where many of us are in lockdown or just starting to come out of it! to a new way of being and living until changes and vaccines are hopefully made!

This is a time where we all will feel a change in our mental health, wether we are fully aware of it or not. It’s a time to be kind to Ourselves and listen to our needs especially if we feel we need support, space or some me time.

We all have mental health just as we have physical health however, it is not always something we look at regularly supporting and training, or exercising and reviewing. It would be wonderful to think we soon will be in a world where we could openly ask each other ” how you feeling today and how’s your mind”, without it being uncomfortable. We all have those moments in life where things can cause us to feel lower in our mood. This often affects our mental health. Times of this “low mood “ or any ongoing sadness can happen to any of us at any time, feeling as if it comes upon us without any warning. It is important to recognise your own personal triggers. It’s important to ask yourself

1,what are my triggers?

2,What sends my stress levels over the edge?

3, Is there any changes you can make to help you manage these things?

4, what helps you to keep going when you feel like this?

The triggers could be anything, such as a memorable date, topics you are sensitive to and don’t want to face yet, family, relationships, self-limiting beliefs, traumas, life events, medical reasons, life pressure, public speaking, anything! It is so important to take the time to look at any trigger patterning you have.

By looking at triggers you can possibly unlock a resilience strategy for yourself that just might help you cope better when you are in need.

Emotional stress can be really overwhelming, it can impact both your physical and mental state. Strategies to support your resilience can work wonders in helping you through this time, along with of course any support groups, professional outreach etc available to you.

Examples of resilience you can use when this happens are things such as supportive building blocks to help manage your stress levels. Some of mine are below:

  • When life is busy I have to make sure I  have me time
  • Personal head space-time, walk, read, chill out somewhere away from everything to just clear your mind (a pause moment)
  • Something that is physical such as sport; for me my main choice of activity to spend my “me” time on is running
  • Something that makes you feel a sense of belonging such as socialising with the right community
  •  Things I enjoy, things that make me happy, as happiness is so important!  Such as hobbies (Creative Diet)
  • I try to goal set my activities into my weekly plans, looking at how I can review and improve and identify the priorities I have. These keep me on track and both my physical and mental health are in better shape for it (Muscle Motivation)
  • Predict my stress triggers.  When I know something is coming up that is likely to cause stress good planning is key.  I look at what I can do to manage it as best I can, and what best supports me
  •  Make sure you tell someone.  If I am worried about things or stressed, just saying things out loud to someone can make a huge difference as you then own your true feelings
  • Choose to hang out with people on your level.  Someone you can text, call, meet and have that support with
  • I ensure I take regular pause moments; so important!
  • Even when you don’t feel like it connect with the world daily so you don’t become withdrawn.

Remember you are often not alone with these feelings and it is so important to tell someone. Don’t suffer in silence, it will only get worse.