These 5 Things Saved My Life...

You asked. I'm answering.

I'm going to share some of the tools that have helped me along my journey. And in some cases, more than just helped… they kinda became my lifeline.?

Whether you experience challenges when it comes to your mental health or not - you’ll still benefit from the following ideas I’m going to share. Promise.

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CONNECTION.

I love people. I love meeting new people — wherever I go, whatever I’m doing. I’ve met people on the elevator, and somehow exchanged life stories by the time we’ve reached our floor. I’ve taken selfies with strangers-turned-friends on buses and trains and planes. Heck, I've even moved into a van with a man after knowing him for 48 hours!?(Well, that was likely my bipolar, let’s be honest…)

And there are so many special people in my life I love more than ice cream. That’s a lot! My incredible friends and family have truly been my lifeline. I don’t know where I would be without them.

Human beings are wired for connection. It’s one of our most basic needs. We want to feel?seen, heard, and accepted for who we are. We want to belong, we want to feel loved. And when you’re working through a challenging time, having people to rely on, cry on, and feel safe with - is critical.??

Invest in your relationships. Hold onto your peeps. Let them know on a regular basis what they mean to you. In fact, go and pick up the phone right now?(or rather, once you’ve finished reading!)?and let someone know you appreciate them.?

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MOVEMENT:

I blast ‘Everybody Dance Now!’?By C+C Music Factory before any important meeting, interview, or presentation. Now I realize I’m totally dating myself, however, blaring this song and I just can’t help but move and dance and shake and get totally pumped. It’s become my?‘go to'?any time I need to get rid of some of that anxiety or those nerves.?

Moving my body never fails to make me feel better.?And when I was down, it was more important than ever.?

The effects of exercise on the brain has been studied extensively, and the judges are unanimous! Any sort of exercise — be it walking, biking, or dancing in the kitchen — works wonders. It boosts your mood, improves stress, and decreases depression and anxiety.

There were many days when I didn’t feel like getting out of bed, let alone getting up and going out. Yet when I could push myself to go for even a short walk, it never failed to make me feel better.?

Walk. Stretch. Dance. Get out in nature. It’s more healing than chocolate.

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MINDFULNESS:

I gotta be honest with you, I’m on a journey with this one, and still often find the practice of mindfulness tough. Whether it’s my ADHD, or the ridiculous number of thoughts racing around up there at any given moment, I find quieting the mind - let alone sitting cross-legged to do so - ridiculously challenging. And yet, when I am able to slow down, somehow ground myself, or come back to my breath, I calm right down.

Here’s the good news: Mindfulness doesn’t mean sitting perfectly in lotus position with your eyes closed for hours at a time. It’s about becoming present in the moment, slowing down your thoughts, and cultivating an awareness - without judgement?- of what’s happening in the here and now.?It could also mean connecting and being fully present with others, or doing the dishes, folding laundry, or scrubbing toilets - mindfully.?

Research has shown the many positive psychological effects on your health and wellbeing. Moreover, it helps you understand your own thoughts and emotions, so you can begin to manage them instead of feeling overwhelmed by them.?

I challenge you to fold your laundry or wash your dishes a but more mindfully this evening… and see what happens!

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JOURNALING:

Getting your thoughts down on paper helps remove all of the stuff?that’s racing around your brain. It also creates space, quiets the monkey mind, and brings greater clarity. I always feel so much lighter after I do my daily ‘brain dump’, and more grounded when I take a few minutes to reflect at the end of the day.?

Journaling is also an opportunity to work through your thoughts, and make sense of your feelings and emotions. And gaining awareness means you can do something about it.?

You will never receive any judgement from these pages, so it’s a safe place to write openly and honestly, and to share whatever the heck you feel like sharing. In fact, your journal could become your biggest cheerleader!

Perhaps it’s time to dust off that journal on your shelf, grab your favourite pen, and take a few minutes to reconnect to you.?(And stay tuned - as I’m in the final stages of the?‘Brave Healing Journal' I've been busy?creating! I?shall keep you posted, don’t you worry!)?

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GRATITUDE:

I’ve practiced gratitude in various ways over the years. I’ve done the gratitude journals, I’ve made a list of a few things I’m grateful for every morning, and for a while there — before letting my legs even leave the bed?— I’d name five things I was grateful for. And when I was in deep depression, it often gave me a reason to live.?

Incorporating gratitude into your life is not a new idea. In fact, it’s an old one – an oldie, but a goodie! And for good reason.?Practicing gratitude is good for our brains, good for our mental health and overall wellness, and positively impacts our work satisfaction. It’s just good all around! It has you focus on what you do have, instead of what you don’t have, which allows for more good feelings to fill your body. It really can make you feel happier, wherever you are.

And the good news? All it takes is a few minutes a day to unleash all of the goodness that comes from feeling grateful.

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Phew, that was a lot!

I hope some of these ideas were helpful.

Connection. Movement. Mindfulness. Journaling. Gratitude.

Which one are you going to get curious about?

Have A FAB day.

Carol

P.S. I would be remiss if I didn’t share how excited I was to have partnered up with the amazing Michelle Hillier, founder of Breath & Fire, to bring (Brave Enough To Breathe - The?8-Week Experience ' into the world! We've combined all of the tools, ideas, and strategies that profoundly impacted our unique healing journeys, and are sharing them with you. It's all about discovering new possibilities for yourself and your life you never even knew existed...

*Our beta group launches on May 1, and is being offered an a one-time reduced tuition.?

It really is your time. And you are ready now.