I find its the small things that can change your mood, making you feel positive. Looking forwards to seeing someone, watching your favourite TV show, finally reading that new book, receiving unexpected messages that make you smile, savoring your favourite foods.

If something is bothering me my family will often say to me “Just let it go”….. but letting things go takes times. Thoughts that pop into my head, either from something that I have seen or just ‘randomly’ will often start to play on my mind. I begin to chase these thoughts deeper until it results in a ‘panic attack’.  These thoughts drive me absolutely ‘bonkers’ and make me feel down and not motivated to enjoy things that would usually give me pleasure.

I have recently found a way to cope with these worries and stupid thoughts. It is called ‘Leaves on a Stream’. When I first heard about this approach I immediately wanted to find out more so I found some information. They said to treat thoughts as just thoughts and nothing more. Don’t focuses and become fixated on them, just label them as a ‘thought. Say to yourself ‘It is just a thought, I am OK’.

Leaves on a Stream

Start by imagining a stream with leaves going down it. When a thought pops into your head, just say “that’s a interesting thought” and put it on a leaf. Watch that leaf go further and further away from you until eventually you don’t see it anymore. The important thing to remember is to NOT follow the leaf. This will not allow you to create distance from that thought. It doesn’t happen straight away but will work. You just need to Practise, Practise, Practise!!

I hope this helps you to let your thoughts go and let your mind rest.

Turn that frown upside down!

As part of being positive about myself and how I am as a person, I found this really cool wiki page about how being a homebody can be a GOOD thing. I love being at home, I love the environment, I love to spend time with my family and time to be by myself. Sometimes there are expectations that you need to do this or that to have a fulfilled life. These social pressures and expectations  can lead to some anxious moments for me. I don’t smoke, drink or go out partying and sometimes it is easy to feel that if you do not take part in these types of events you are ‘weird’. The truth is peer pressure plays a massive role in social anxiety for me and many others. If I would rather stay home with a good book or watch a movie, I am more myself and happy about who I am than being at a bustling nightclub with lots of people that I don’t know. That lifestyle is fine if you enjoy it, more power to you,  but for those of us that prefer a quiet night in, it can be seen as like you don’t get the most out of your life because it is not conforming to what most people do. I guess another factor is that I enjoy the pace of my life at home, unlike work, it is a calm and relaxing space. Where some people enjoy being busy and being on the go, I prefer a more relaxed zone that is my home (little rhyme for you there )

Having a hobby, such as reading or doing crafts, really helps me stay positive about my social choices and knowing that if I WANT to be a homebody, then that is my choice and I should not let anyone else make me feel different. I mean, it is not to say that I don’t go out to lunches and dinners with my friends and family, I do, it has more to do with knowing my limits and what activities I feel comfortable doing and being confident with those choices. The wiki page (link below) is a real good and positive read about how you can be proud to be a homebody. It definitely gave me the confidence boost in my choice! haha

So if you are like me and prefer to snuggle up with a good book, just relax with a movie or do whatever at home hobby you love, own it and be a PROUD homebody!

Turn that frown upside down!

Link:

It is always great when you can find an app that you know will help you improve positivity and give you techniques to deal with stress.  Well the smiling minds app is just the thing. I love this app! As a teacher, I used this app with my students to calm them after being outside. I use this app for my own personal use. When the pressure builds and you can feel the anxiety coming on, it is really important to have strategies to help you calm down and refocus.

You can download now for smartphones at the App Store or visit the website:

We are sisters who are going through the path of life. For both of us who suffer with anxiety, this plays a big part in how we feel and react to certain changes and in our daily lives. It’s hard to take certain ‘leaps of faith’ and jump into the unknown when you don’t know if it safe or not.

We have been brought up into a loving, close-knit family where we are constantly caring for each other. Life is Great!… but also scary. Both of us at in our twenties and have reached our goal of becoming teachers. Our jobs a great and enjoy the commitment but we both want to thrive for MORE!

This blog will follow our ups and downs as we strive to achieve a positive mindset. We hope to share our strategies and stories to inspire and encourage others to think positively.

Turn that frown upside down!