Healthy Thoughts // Healthy Habits

Staying fit and healthy doesn't just mean keeping in shape and bikini ready. If your thoughts aren't healthy then everything else just becomes much more difficult. We all have bad days or those little insecurities that turn into something much bigger in our heads. The stresses of juggling everyday life can get on top of us all and can have serious consequences. It is a scary thought that 75% of all illnesses are thought to be stress related and every day over a quarter of a million people in the UK miss work everyday due to stress.

 We all need to take some time out every now and again. I know for me I really relax next to the sea. Lying down in the sun, listening to the waves lap up against the sand and breathing in fresh air is my ultimate in relaxation, however for most of us this isn't a daily reality.

If taking a holiday to a beautiful location isn't an option then it's important to find a few minutes to unwind and clear our heads throughout the day. I like to enjoy a few quiet moments in the morning before anyone is up, maybe have a drink in the sunlit garden or light a candle and take a shower or bath in the evening to zone out. I also find that a pilates session helps to ground me when I am feeling under pressure and some quiet music helps me unwind at night, helping me to fall asleep if my mind is in overdrive.

When I was has having treatment recovering from anorexia, my therapist introduced me to positive affirmations and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy. Her introduction to it was "now I'm not trying to turn you into a hippy or anything but...". After years of negative thinking, anxiety and self-hatred, I didn't believe that this would actually enable me to deal with situations I found difficult. It was difficult to look in the mirror and focus on positive aspects of myself. It was alien to hear good things and I'd always found it difficult to take compliments.  MBCT however, teaches you to pay attention to the present moment, rather than worrying about the past or the future, and to let go of the negative thoughts that can tip you over into depression. It also gives you a greater awareness of your own body, helping you to identify the signs of oncoming depression and ward off the episode before it starts. It is a proven way of paying attention to the present moment, using techniques like meditation, breathing and yoga. It helps us become more aware of our thoughts and feelings so that instead of being overwhelmed by them, we’re better able to manage them. 

More often than not I am now able to recognise when a panic attack of episode of anxiety is coming on, I am aware of the triggers and have the skills to think more rationally about the situation or if it is not the appropriate situation I can usually take a few deep breathes and decide to deal with it at a more appropriate time when I can explore what caused those feelings of anxiety to arise. It has given me the skills to lead more of a normal life, I don't generally avoid situations now because I know that I have the skills to overcome any negativity that I may face from myself or others. 

Yesterday at work a volunteer told me that she had started a diet as she needed to lose a lot of weight and asked me if I'd ever tried or thought about doing that diet. The anorexic voice in my brain tried telling me that she thought I was fat and needed to go on a diet. Instead of getting upset I took a deep breath and remembered that earlier she had complemented me on how nice I looked and that she wished she could wear a dress like mine. She may have meant did I use that diet to get in shape so just replied that no I hadn't tried it and just try to eat as clean as possible and had she looked into that?

Of course I still have my off days just like anyone else. There are times when I react completely irrationally to something someone has said or done. Mindfulness takes continual practise and if I do flip out I know that I have let that practise slip. I try not to beat myself over it though, everybody has bad days and tomorrow is a brand new day. On that note, I'm about to take five minutes to sit in the garden and enjoy the birds singing before I focus on getting on with the day :) 

How do you cope with stress on a daily basis? Do you take mental health days? 

Amy-Louise

xx

Linking up with Katie //Healthy Habits, Shanna // Random Wednesday

Park Life

Play suit - Miso

Sandals - Next

The weather was glorious this weekend and we certainly made the most of it Saturday. We were in Somerset again and I'm certainly getting used to these weekends in the peaceful countryside. I took the girls to the park at the other end of the village, the walk is beautiful through the lanes past  the church and beautiful, quirky houses. 

Don't get me wrong, I love the hustle and bustle of the city and the city girl in me has not left yet, but after a busy week I love waking up to the birds singing and watching the horses at the bottom of the garden over my morning cup of tea. There's something very 'old world' about this corner of the country, the buildings are fascinating and the countryside beautiful with lots of stories to tell.

After playing in the park for a couple of hours we headed back to the house for a picnic in the garden and a change into swim wear for hours of fun with a hosepipe and a slide, which proved both refreshing and exhausting. After a shower and change of clothes we popped out for food at a nearby restaurant (well nearby for this neck of the woods) then put the kids to bed. All the fun in the sun proved tiring for all the girls. The youngest didn't make it home before falling asleep and the older two fell asleep as soon as their heads touched the pillow. A rather successful Saturday! 

Amy-Louise

xx

Linking up with Shanna

This week....

I seem to have lost four days! I've been a little pre-occupied and it seems to have gone in a flash! Of which I'm not complaining as it means I get to head off for a break and a weekend of motorsport. Although Tuesday could have hung around a little longer. My good friend Tyler has been over from America for ten days and came to visit for the day. It was a beautiful day so we headed out to enjoy the sunshine and walked down the lanes to the pub to sit out in the beer garden.

We love having Tyler around and Megan was upset to see him go again. He was living here for nearly four years and now he's back in America, the short time he was here for just didn't seem right.

Before he came back to the UK this time, I made a few purchases from Charming Charlie, Forever 21 and the Anberlin merchandise store. International shipping is just so expensive and as Tyler had pretty empty suitcases (his visit to the UK was to collect more of his belongings) he kindly offered to bring them all over for me and kindly brought me a bottle of Carolina Coast Spiced Rum as a gift (yes I am a pirate girl at heart!).  I'll go into what I bought more next week but I was so excited to receive them!

To end this week on a cute note, here's daddy bunny aka Billy in his new hiding spot - my side unit. He's been having great fun jumping up and finding new things to chew! Meanwhile his baby bunnies are growing very quickly and having lots of playtime and cuddles. I can't believe they are now a moth old.

Do you have lots planned this weekend or just planning on relaxing in the sun? Whatever you are doing I hope you enjoy this beautiful summer that we are having so far this summer. See you Monday!

Amy-Louise

xx

Linking up with H54F, Daily Diaries

Contemplation

This weekend I was fairly busy. I met my friend in Cardiff Friday afternoon as he's over from America for ten days. We caught up at Starbucks, then spent a leisurely evening down the bay eating at Las Iguanas with a couple of drinks. I looked after my niece and nephew (aged 3 & 5) after braving Tesco on a busy Saturday morning, who then woke up at 5.45 on Sunday morning. We spent Father's Day morning sat with my parents, enjoying the sun in their garden, then went home and decided to have a big sort out. 

Despite all the business, I seemed to spend the whole time in some sort of daze and I couldn't seem to shake it off. I'm not unhappy, but rather found myself reflecting upon anniversaries that sneak up, where I'm currently at and where I see myself heading. I'm sure it can't only be me that lies there on a warm summers day, looking up at the blue sky watching the clouds pass by and wondering where on earth do we fit in to the grand scheme of things? 

So where did all this reflecting get me this weekend? Did I resolve any questions that I was pondering? 

I can't say I did to be honest! However, my skirting has had a good clean. I got through a load of washing and through out a bin load and two bags of recycling of accumulated junk that I'd be meaning to sort out for months! I guess there was some productivity after all and I had a good dose of vitamin d even if my head still feels as though it is living on a different planet!

I hope you all had a good weekend.

Amy-Louise

xx

Linking up with Monday Morning Gossip, IBOT