Anxiety can strike in the most peculiar circumstances and situations. You may wake up anxious after a bad sleep, feel anxious as a result of your thoughts, or feel physically anxious for a range of reasons (eg exhaustion, food intolerance, too much caffeine).
The physical reactions you have when you feel anxious, such as your heart pumping quickly, have been programmed into you to give you a 'quick start' when you find yourself in trouble. However, because modern life lends itself to pushing you way beyond the norm, many people experience regular - unpleasant - anxiety which can be very uncomfortable and unpleasant.
Long term there are a range of anxiety reducing techniques (such as mindfulness and meditation) which work particularly well when your thoughts are the cause of your anxious responses. Thoughts related to worrying about something tend to be the culprit here. These thoughts include worrying about money, relationships, the world at large and so on.
Whilst long term anxiety reducing techniques are great and very useful, you often need a quick-fix when you're in the midst of an anxious episode. In this instance it has been found that one of the quickest methods of reducing anxiety is to shake it out physically - for instance through dance!
Everyone has a favorite song that makes them feel like being physical. If you're at home and you feel that anxious feeling coming on (eg you're siting at your computer stressing over your bills), stop for 5-10 mins and turn on your stereo. Find those songs that make you feel alive, energetic and full of life. Then, dance with all your might. You can do this alone or with friends/family/partner/your dog/cat. In fact doing this with others is a great way to shift you both into moment-to-moment thinking so it serves 2 great purposes.
If you're not at home, put your headphones on and stop what you're doing for 5-10 minutes and at least enjoy the positive energy boost you'll receive from the music, by tapping your feet or just breathing in the positive energy.
This simple technique is very powerful because it serves to physically re-adjust your body, shift your mental state from worry to happiness and to revitalize your body too.
So, the next time you're feeling anxious give this technique a go and enjoy the instant release it brings you.
For free videos, recipes, support and e-books visit:
www.happylife.net.au and www.helpformums.com
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Thursday, June 20, 2013
What do you need to change to look and feel good?
There comes a point when you realise you have to give up things you enjoy for a period if time in order to achieve something that is miles apart from where you are now. It would be nice if you could simply have anything your heart desires and enjoy all the little pleasures you take for granted - without any input. However, live is a bit trickier than that!
Getting healthy is a very good example of this. We often assume eating healthy foods and exercising are only important for the way we look externally. However, your extremities reflect your body internally. If you're eating unhealthy foods on a regular basis you're likely to find your skin looks dull, your eyes are not bright white, your nails chip easily and your hair may be thinner than usual too - to name a few...
The fascinating part of diet is that most of us are not truly aware of what we are eating. We assume we are pretty healthy most of the time. However, when you start to observe everything that goes into your mouth on a daily basis you may be shocked to realise you're regularly consuming products that are high in fats such as butter/margarine and snacking on foods that are high in salt and sugar.
It's also interesting to observe the quantity of fresh vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, healthy grains and healthy fats you're consuming. These are the things to increase in your daily life.
Of course, too much attention to your diet can drive you crazy, but slight changes to your eating, such as adding a salad to your lunch, swapping from sugar to honey and cutting out margarine/butter from you'd diet can go a long way towards increasing your health.
When you improve your inner health, your external appearance improves accordingly.
Feeling good on the inside will also give you back that spring in your step and make you feel more youthful. Tiny changes also tend to snowball into bigger and better changes - so start small and see how much better you feel.
Live this life to the fullest.
Download our free e-book for mums at: www.helpformums.com
Access our free healthy living videos at: www.happylife.net.au
Getting healthy is a very good example of this. We often assume eating healthy foods and exercising are only important for the way we look externally. However, your extremities reflect your body internally. If you're eating unhealthy foods on a regular basis you're likely to find your skin looks dull, your eyes are not bright white, your nails chip easily and your hair may be thinner than usual too - to name a few...
The fascinating part of diet is that most of us are not truly aware of what we are eating. We assume we are pretty healthy most of the time. However, when you start to observe everything that goes into your mouth on a daily basis you may be shocked to realise you're regularly consuming products that are high in fats such as butter/margarine and snacking on foods that are high in salt and sugar.
It's also interesting to observe the quantity of fresh vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, healthy grains and healthy fats you're consuming. These are the things to increase in your daily life.
Of course, too much attention to your diet can drive you crazy, but slight changes to your eating, such as adding a salad to your lunch, swapping from sugar to honey and cutting out margarine/butter from you'd diet can go a long way towards increasing your health.
When you improve your inner health, your external appearance improves accordingly.
Feeling good on the inside will also give you back that spring in your step and make you feel more youthful. Tiny changes also tend to snowball into bigger and better changes - so start small and see how much better you feel.
Live this life to the fullest.
Download our free e-book for mums at: www.helpformums.com
Access our free healthy living videos at: www.happylife.net.au
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Why is seems the law of attraction isn't working
If you're feeling like you're hitting your head against the wall because your desires are not coming fast enough, it's time to look at what you're thinking!
People often assume they are being positive because they focus on what they want for periods of time during the day, but how much of their day is spent being positive versus being negative ?
Being negative dies not have to mean that you're a pessimistic person or that you're severely depressed. Negative self talk often happens so quickly that by the time you realize you're being negative, you've had a plethora if negative conversations in your head that invite more negative people, circumstances and events into your life.
Negative thinking is a habit - probably one of the most detrimental habits you are likely engage in. Negative thinking includes small examples, such as:
• opening an email from a person who is driving you crazy at work & thinking "she's so annoying"
• collecting the mail & thinking "I'm not going to open it now because I know it's a bill I can't pay"
• being cut off in traffic and thinking "what an idiot that driver is - he almost killed me"
• running late for work and thinking "I'm hopeless, I'm never on time"
• getting upset with your kids/friend/partner/family member/colleague (with reason) and thinking "I should never have spoken up - now they'll hate me"
.... And the list goes on....
You can see how quickly negative thinking can affect your life and therefore influence what you attract into your life.
The crazy thing about negative thinking is somewhere underneath the negative thinking is a belief that states "if I think hard enough about what's wrong - something will change". However, this goes against all the natural laws of the Universe - sick as the law of attraction. This habit and belief are, unfortunately, very well ingrained, so it takes effort to be VERY mindful of all the little negative thoughts that pass through your mind and the start to concert then into positive thinking.
A great way to start doing this is to take a leaf out of Loiuse Hay's book. She tells herself a very simple mantra "only good things lay before me". This mantra gives you a different focus - when practiced regularly. For instance, if you believe only good things lay before you and during the day someone cuts you off in traffic - instead of thinking "he almost killed me", you can think "maybe that happened to wake me up and remind me to pay attention". Similarly if you receive a bill, instead of thinking "I can't pay this", you'll start to think "I always find a way to pay things so I can handle any bill I receive". By the way... This is very true of bills. Often people stress a lot about bills coming in, however, once the shock subsides, they find a way to pay it.
Small negative self talk, leads to larger negative self talk. This negative language infects your life and prevents you from living a full and happy life.
Start with small changes. Be mindful today of the things you're saying to yourself and to others. Start to tell yourself a positive mantra and trust that the Universe will bring you what you desire - when its right for you.
For more inspiration visit happylife.net.au or helpformums.com
People often assume they are being positive because they focus on what they want for periods of time during the day, but how much of their day is spent being positive versus being negative ?
Being negative dies not have to mean that you're a pessimistic person or that you're severely depressed. Negative self talk often happens so quickly that by the time you realize you're being negative, you've had a plethora if negative conversations in your head that invite more negative people, circumstances and events into your life.
Negative thinking is a habit - probably one of the most detrimental habits you are likely engage in. Negative thinking includes small examples, such as:
• opening an email from a person who is driving you crazy at work & thinking "she's so annoying"
• collecting the mail & thinking "I'm not going to open it now because I know it's a bill I can't pay"
• being cut off in traffic and thinking "what an idiot that driver is - he almost killed me"
• running late for work and thinking "I'm hopeless, I'm never on time"
• getting upset with your kids/friend/partner/family member/colleague (with reason) and thinking "I should never have spoken up - now they'll hate me"
.... And the list goes on....
You can see how quickly negative thinking can affect your life and therefore influence what you attract into your life.
The crazy thing about negative thinking is somewhere underneath the negative thinking is a belief that states "if I think hard enough about what's wrong - something will change". However, this goes against all the natural laws of the Universe - sick as the law of attraction. This habit and belief are, unfortunately, very well ingrained, so it takes effort to be VERY mindful of all the little negative thoughts that pass through your mind and the start to concert then into positive thinking.
A great way to start doing this is to take a leaf out of Loiuse Hay's book. She tells herself a very simple mantra "only good things lay before me". This mantra gives you a different focus - when practiced regularly. For instance, if you believe only good things lay before you and during the day someone cuts you off in traffic - instead of thinking "he almost killed me", you can think "maybe that happened to wake me up and remind me to pay attention". Similarly if you receive a bill, instead of thinking "I can't pay this", you'll start to think "I always find a way to pay things so I can handle any bill I receive". By the way... This is very true of bills. Often people stress a lot about bills coming in, however, once the shock subsides, they find a way to pay it.
Small negative self talk, leads to larger negative self talk. This negative language infects your life and prevents you from living a full and happy life.
Start with small changes. Be mindful today of the things you're saying to yourself and to others. Start to tell yourself a positive mantra and trust that the Universe will bring you what you desire - when its right for you.
For more inspiration visit happylife.net.au or helpformums.com
Friday, May 31, 2013
Why can't we see past our difference?
I've thought a lot about the comments made about race this week. I think the saddest part about what has happened is that people still think in negative ways about others just because of a difference in race, sexuality, gender, weight, age, clothing and so on.
It's interesting when you think about where these negative attitudes come from because when you look at children playing with other kids at a young age - they do not see any difference in physical appearance and thus do not judge other children or adults based on any differences.
This makes me wonder where it comes from. It must be taught - at some level. Of all the places in the world where its shocking to find that racism still exists its Australia - the multicultural country where we accept others with open arms to share the fortune we have of living in a country without war and where we have a great public hospital system and we look after those less fortunate. Yes it's not perfect, but it's pretty good.
So, what can we do about this? I think we can do 2 things very quickly 1) learn from children to see the person inside 2) teach our children how to foster this lovely nature into adulthood.
Part of teaching involves modeling. Adults spend a lot of time criticizing each other and children pick up on this and model it very quickly. For instance, have you ever heard yourself making fun of what another person was wearing? It might seem like an innocent comment, but it sets the scene for kids that it's ok to judge others based on their appearance. We live in a society that encourages this, but it would be so great if we all tried not to engage in such social comparisons.
By all means look after your appearance, but try not to use appearance as a way to judge another person.
The true essence of another comes from within. When you are with others, see the soul not the shell. If we teach our kids to do the same, imagine what a nicer world we would live in!
It's interesting when you think about where these negative attitudes come from because when you look at children playing with other kids at a young age - they do not see any difference in physical appearance and thus do not judge other children or adults based on any differences.
This makes me wonder where it comes from. It must be taught - at some level. Of all the places in the world where its shocking to find that racism still exists its Australia - the multicultural country where we accept others with open arms to share the fortune we have of living in a country without war and where we have a great public hospital system and we look after those less fortunate. Yes it's not perfect, but it's pretty good.
So, what can we do about this? I think we can do 2 things very quickly 1) learn from children to see the person inside 2) teach our children how to foster this lovely nature into adulthood.
Part of teaching involves modeling. Adults spend a lot of time criticizing each other and children pick up on this and model it very quickly. For instance, have you ever heard yourself making fun of what another person was wearing? It might seem like an innocent comment, but it sets the scene for kids that it's ok to judge others based on their appearance. We live in a society that encourages this, but it would be so great if we all tried not to engage in such social comparisons.
By all means look after your appearance, but try not to use appearance as a way to judge another person.
The true essence of another comes from within. When you are with others, see the soul not the shell. If we teach our kids to do the same, imagine what a nicer world we would live in!
Sunday, May 26, 2013
How to reduce fear and worry
Fear and worry are very common emotions - felt at varying degrees & often dependent in a variety of situations and circumstances. Constant worrying is often caused by underlying issues, however it worsens over time as a result of reinforcement. In other words - worry & fear result in even more worry and fear.
When you think about fear, you might think it doesn't apply to you because you don't walk around scared all day, however this underlying fear tends to be related to fear of making a mistake; fear of getting into trouble; fear of others not liking you; or fear of others disapproving of you.
Thus, these underlying fears can be quite debilitating for you. They will cause you to avoid doing things you really want to do and cause you to agree to doing things you really don't want to do.
People often assume sticking up for yourself is all about being more assertive, but the reality is that unless you deal with some of these fears, you are likely to find it very difficult to put assertiveness skills into practice.
Confronting fears is a two stage process. The first stage involves working on increasing your self belief that things always work out for you - no matter how bad they may seems at the time. The second involves healing this fear directly - thus working on challenging the fear itself. Here you need to prove the fear is irrational by behaving contrary to the fear and also challenging negating thinking which also perpetuate the fear.
If we take the fear of making a mistake as an example, the first thing to do would be to tell yourself that no matter how big a mistake, you can always say sorry and move on. Everyone makes mistake. A life spent trying to avoid mistakes is a life not lived in a manner true to yourself and one 'on edge' worrying about the constant consequences of behavior. The next thing to do is challenge the first opportunity you have of potentially making a mistake.
Let's say, you're at Uni or in an important meeting and a question has been raised. You think you might know the answer but you're not sure. To challenge the fear you tell yourself it's not really about getting it right or wrong - it's about contributing. So, you raise your hand and provide your answer. Most people disagree with your response, but you tell yourself that you're proud of yourself for having a go and you learn from the responses of others. As a result you grow from the experience.
This is the first step towards reducing your fear, because you can't avoid making mistakes, others being upset with you or not liking you - unfortunately it's a fact of life. So, by accepting that you do your best and deal with the rest, you start to reduce your fears and live with much less worry and anxiety.
For more support and free resources on fear and anxiety visit: www.happylife.net.au
When you think about fear, you might think it doesn't apply to you because you don't walk around scared all day, however this underlying fear tends to be related to fear of making a mistake; fear of getting into trouble; fear of others not liking you; or fear of others disapproving of you.
Thus, these underlying fears can be quite debilitating for you. They will cause you to avoid doing things you really want to do and cause you to agree to doing things you really don't want to do.
People often assume sticking up for yourself is all about being more assertive, but the reality is that unless you deal with some of these fears, you are likely to find it very difficult to put assertiveness skills into practice.
Confronting fears is a two stage process. The first stage involves working on increasing your self belief that things always work out for you - no matter how bad they may seems at the time. The second involves healing this fear directly - thus working on challenging the fear itself. Here you need to prove the fear is irrational by behaving contrary to the fear and also challenging negating thinking which also perpetuate the fear.
If we take the fear of making a mistake as an example, the first thing to do would be to tell yourself that no matter how big a mistake, you can always say sorry and move on. Everyone makes mistake. A life spent trying to avoid mistakes is a life not lived in a manner true to yourself and one 'on edge' worrying about the constant consequences of behavior. The next thing to do is challenge the first opportunity you have of potentially making a mistake.
Let's say, you're at Uni or in an important meeting and a question has been raised. You think you might know the answer but you're not sure. To challenge the fear you tell yourself it's not really about getting it right or wrong - it's about contributing. So, you raise your hand and provide your answer. Most people disagree with your response, but you tell yourself that you're proud of yourself for having a go and you learn from the responses of others. As a result you grow from the experience.
This is the first step towards reducing your fear, because you can't avoid making mistakes, others being upset with you or not liking you - unfortunately it's a fact of life. So, by accepting that you do your best and deal with the rest, you start to reduce your fears and live with much less worry and anxiety.
For more support and free resources on fear and anxiety visit: www.happylife.net.au
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Stop making excuses in relationships
It's very common for women in particular to make excuses for the behavior of partners at the expense of themselves - particularly in new relationships. Women who are likely to be suffering from low self esteem can find themselves in relationships where they are having to guess how much a new partner really likes them, wants to be with them and/or wants to be in a committed relationship with them.
As an outsider, it's often easy to see the problem in these situations - these women often desperately wants to believe the relationship will work, so they seek potential signs to prove the relationship will be a success. Often the search is for signs the other person likes Them. However this is where most of the problem lies. In seeking validation, women can confuse whether someone likes them, with whether someone wants to be in a committed relationship with them. They are very different things. The respective partner most likely enjoys the woman's company but if she is having to question his true intentions, he is not willing to give her as much as she truly desires.
It's very important for men and women to be VERY clear about the person they want to attract and the relationship they would like to have. In doing so, early warning signs of negative behavior (such as being distant, being rude, flirting with other people and showing a lack of respect) provide clear direction to either walk away or clarify the behavior early on - then make a decision about staying or leaving.
The key issue here is self respect and self value. People put up with bad friends, partners, family members and associates because humans have an innate need to be liked. However, it's important to remind yourself regularly that avoiding assertive actions (standing up for what you feel is acceptable behavior in a relationship) empowers you to create positive and supportive relationships. These relationships in turn help you to grow and succeed as a human being.
As an outsider, it's often easy to see the problem in these situations - these women often desperately wants to believe the relationship will work, so they seek potential signs to prove the relationship will be a success. Often the search is for signs the other person likes Them. However this is where most of the problem lies. In seeking validation, women can confuse whether someone likes them, with whether someone wants to be in a committed relationship with them. They are very different things. The respective partner most likely enjoys the woman's company but if she is having to question his true intentions, he is not willing to give her as much as she truly desires.
It's very important for men and women to be VERY clear about the person they want to attract and the relationship they would like to have. In doing so, early warning signs of negative behavior (such as being distant, being rude, flirting with other people and showing a lack of respect) provide clear direction to either walk away or clarify the behavior early on - then make a decision about staying or leaving.
The key issue here is self respect and self value. People put up with bad friends, partners, family members and associates because humans have an innate need to be liked. However, it's important to remind yourself regularly that avoiding assertive actions (standing up for what you feel is acceptable behavior in a relationship) empowers you to create positive and supportive relationships. These relationships in turn help you to grow and succeed as a human being.
Friday, May 17, 2013
The power of motherhood
Regardless of whether or not you are a mum, it's important to recognize the powerful impact mothers have (& potentially CAN have) on their children - including the role your own mother has played in the development of your self worth & happiness.
As a mother, you know you are bringing a new child into this world who you want to love and protect with all your heart. Pregnancy brings with it many hopes, dreams and fears but no-one can prepare you for the amount of pressure you place on yourself to be perfect. This pressure often leads to self doubt & self criticism because the expectations mothers place on themselves are often unrealistic. and idealistic of a perfect mum that in reality doesn't exist.
Despite these internal worries, the best part about being a mum is having an opportunity to know in your heart that you are adding value to your child/ren's lives.
Being a parent comes part and parcel with responsibility, worry, fun, happiness, exhaustion, exhilaration & much more... It's arguably the toughest job in the world, despite its lack of recognition. As a mum, you often feel responsible for the happiness of your children (& often of your partner as well). You can feel so much pressure to have to be perfect because there has never been more information available on the impact of parenting on child development.
However, there are always two ways of looking at this relationship. On the one hand you can focus on all the worries before you & the magnitude of your responsibility to assist your child/ren to grow & develop into strong, healthy & successful adults. Yet another take on this role is focussing on what a great opportunity you have to empower your child with the wealth of knowledge and experience you have learnt throughout your life. Whilst not always perfectly achieved, your own mother would have done her best - from her own world of experience - to impart her 'life lessons' on to you.
Whilst all mums are bound to get things wrong from time to time, each generation has the fortune of learning lessons from the previous generation, so as a mum you have the power to instill all the positive values you have learnt (& will continue to learn) throughout life.
Part of this learning is remembering to look after yourself.
A mothers own happiness and success is of paramount importance to her child's development. Through her happiness her child learns all the joy that life has to offer & he/she receives the benefit of her positive moods. Similarly, through her success, her child has a great role model to inspire her children to strive to be their best.
When you look at your mother, you are most likely judging her on aspects such as love, dedication, support and self worth. These are the most powerful elements of mothering that are most likely going to have the most profound effect on your long term relationship with her and the closeness of your relationship in the future. Thus, you can see that by appreciating all your mother is doing for you, encouraging her to look after herself - and taking in board this advice when/if you are a mum - will empower you both to have a more fruitful and happy life.
As a mother, you know you are bringing a new child into this world who you want to love and protect with all your heart. Pregnancy brings with it many hopes, dreams and fears but no-one can prepare you for the amount of pressure you place on yourself to be perfect. This pressure often leads to self doubt & self criticism because the expectations mothers place on themselves are often unrealistic. and idealistic of a perfect mum that in reality doesn't exist.
Despite these internal worries, the best part about being a mum is having an opportunity to know in your heart that you are adding value to your child/ren's lives.
Being a parent comes part and parcel with responsibility, worry, fun, happiness, exhaustion, exhilaration & much more... It's arguably the toughest job in the world, despite its lack of recognition. As a mum, you often feel responsible for the happiness of your children (& often of your partner as well). You can feel so much pressure to have to be perfect because there has never been more information available on the impact of parenting on child development.
However, there are always two ways of looking at this relationship. On the one hand you can focus on all the worries before you & the magnitude of your responsibility to assist your child/ren to grow & develop into strong, healthy & successful adults. Yet another take on this role is focussing on what a great opportunity you have to empower your child with the wealth of knowledge and experience you have learnt throughout your life. Whilst not always perfectly achieved, your own mother would have done her best - from her own world of experience - to impart her 'life lessons' on to you.
Whilst all mums are bound to get things wrong from time to time, each generation has the fortune of learning lessons from the previous generation, so as a mum you have the power to instill all the positive values you have learnt (& will continue to learn) throughout life.
Part of this learning is remembering to look after yourself.
A mothers own happiness and success is of paramount importance to her child's development. Through her happiness her child learns all the joy that life has to offer & he/she receives the benefit of her positive moods. Similarly, through her success, her child has a great role model to inspire her children to strive to be their best.
When you look at your mother, you are most likely judging her on aspects such as love, dedication, support and self worth. These are the most powerful elements of mothering that are most likely going to have the most profound effect on your long term relationship with her and the closeness of your relationship in the future. Thus, you can see that by appreciating all your mother is doing for you, encouraging her to look after herself - and taking in board this advice when/if you are a mum - will empower you both to have a more fruitful and happy life.
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