Happy? Calm? or Stressed?

We're more than half way through March and the Easter bunny and Hot cross buns are on the shelves again.  Now that we are well and truly into 2017, back at school, uni or work, how manageable is your life? While on holidays it is easy to have a false sense of security and natural not to want to think ahead. But life happens, there are things we need to do and bills that need to be paid. It is uncertain and it can be tough. But we are not alone in this for we all experience stress and suffering in many different ways as we deal with the stuff of life.

As we consider the year ahead we might experience those often uncomfortable feelings. We may feel anxious, worried, panicky or somewhat over whelmed. These feelings may be brought on by the pressure of deadlines, when making difficult decisions or due to any perceived or real expectations of those in authority over us, from those we live with, those we love or even from within. 

To embrace more happy or calm and to be more stress free, we need to try to get things in perspective and to prioritise what will help us to feel better. We might need to challenge our thinking and to notice our self talk and to assess whether we are living to please others and to achieve their goals rather than taking responsibility for making choices that empower and enable us to live the way we want to. 

We can all benefit from doing an audit of our lives. If we are to holistically care for ourselves then we need to consider the impact of what we do on our well being which includes our emotional, mental, physical, social and spiritual selves. If we can get this in balance then we might feel a little less rattled and potentially more happy, calm and less stressed. 

To achieve more happy, feel calm and be more stress free, we can over time (do this alone or with someone or both)

1. Practice gratitude and notice things that help us to feel happy

2. Do something tangible to enable calm...breathe, walk, meditate, create, imagine ourselves somewhere calming

3. Choose to focus on one thing at a time and what we can can control 

We can learn to regulate the way we feel. Dr Seuss suggests, that when something like a holiday break finishes, "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened" We can change our perspective and we can make changes that help us feel energised instead of drained and overwhelmed. It might help to consider each of the holistic areas mentioned above and nominate where we sit on a scale somewhere between 1-10. 1 indicating that we're not ok at all and 10 that we're absolutely ok. Where we place ourselves on the scale will vary for each of us. If the number is on the lower end then you might consider What change might help to bring more calm, to energise and increase emotional, mental, physical, social or spiritual well-being? And if the number is on the upper end then consider What has enabled that? and be thankful. 

If you're feeling stuck...

Let's talk!