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Happy New Year

Happy New Year Everyone

Here we are a brand new year, 2023 Happy New Year everyone and what do you have in store for us?  Do I want to know; not so sure if I’m honest.   The past couple of years has been a hell of a rollercoaster ride.  More dips than highs but I’m working on that.

The end of 2022 has been horrendous; my eldest lost his grandad last week under awful circumstances and my younger two children lost their grandmother on Christmas Day.  On top of all that Christmas Eve night, I was throwing up constantly due to a bloody sickness bug.  Needless to say, this Christmas wasn’t what we all had in mind.  But the only way is up and that’s where I am heading.

New Year Resolutions

So who is making one?  I’d like to know how many are going to be losing weight this year.  I think it’s been mine every year for the past 3 decades; with the exception of this one.  This is because I have managed to lose over 3 stone and 30 inches this past 12 months.

Health Decline

My physical health took a nose dive and so did my mental health following a mini breakdown.  My blood sugars shot up, my liver wasn’t behaving, and my GERD was getting out of control; the list is endless.  The metformin wasn’t working as it should so as a last resort before insulin I got put on weekly Ozempic injections.  I will be writing more about this as a separate blog post along with the GERD; as I am waiting for an operation now.

Time To Write Again

I had stopped writing; BIG mistake!  I’d forgotten how cathartic it was and still is.  If no one reads it then actually it really doesn’t matter because it makes me happy.  And that is the thing; my New Year’s Resolution is to do more things that Make Me Happy!  I’ve spent most of my life trying to make other people happy and have given no thought to myself.

Firstly, how can you make someone else happy if you aren’t?  I need to change; I have changed and hopefully, this will become apparent as this year progresses.  I’m also going to be editing and updating my bucket list as I go, as I know I can take some now off having done them Woo-hoo!

Therefore my next post is the Bucket List.  I am also making time for creativity in whatever form it may be.  Some people say learn to do one thing and do it well; well that’s not me I have to do as many things as humanly possible.  I love to learn, I like creating, and using the end product or making someone smile with the end product.  I have vowed every day to do something creative it can be anything from a little pencil drawing to sewing a dress.

Business Moving Forward

I have to give this some thought.  Unfortunately two weeks after starting Karma Times CIC we had our first lockdown; it couldn’t have been at a worse time.  It’s changed things for so many people.

I now need to make the decision to close it down and go back to self-employment; which will probably be the most likely.  However, that doesn’t mean I am stopping my mental health awareness campaigns.  That will carry on but I might also be working on homelessness and domestic violence too and their effect on mental health.

Other Things…

I have got a few more books in me also this year.  More crafts and projects; it’s going to be a positive year “I can feel it in my water” as they say.   There is going to be a lot of spirituality thrown in for good measure; so much going on in the world and behind the scenes.

So please join me for the ride and hold on it might be a fast one either way it will be very memorable I can assure you of that.

Love and Light

Tracey xXx

New Year’s Resolution Diet

It’s That Time Again

Here we go again; that time of year where we tell ourselves this time I’ll stick to it.    If you don’t know what I’m talking about it’s the dreaded New Year’s resolution diet!  We all do it…. we have all been there and yes I’m saying it again too.  You will find my exclusive Exante discount code at the bottom of this blog post.

My Reason For This New Year’s Resolution Diet

It’s not really for blood sugar for me but it always helps that but it’s about some other health problems I have which I will be writing about in more detail soon.  I’m currently undergoing lots of tests because of Barret’s Oesophagus which is a pre-cancerous condition.

My Reason For Losing Weight

At the moment I have Level D oesophagitis, a hiatus hernia, gastritis and Barret’s Oesophagus and am on high strength PPI’s.  Weight loss and diet will help to some degree so to lose some weight at the same time will be great.  For this, I am going to be using Exante products again as I trust in them 100% and I know they are great products and they work.   I will also be using them for at least 12 weeks so if you want to accompany me on this journey please do.

Because of this, I am getting all my products together so I can start on 1st January with no excuses.   This time I have new products to try and also to review for you guys.  So let us look at some of Exante’s new products that will be included in my diet.

New Year’s Resolution Diet

From 1st January 2022, my diet will consist of 4 Exante meal replacements a day; broken down as below:

Exante Meal Replacement Bars – These I will be having for breakfast.  TIP – What I tend to do is cut them in half and have one half with a cup of black tea for breakfast and the other half mid-morning.  My favourites are the lemon yoghurt, strawberry jam, chocolate and orange, and the toffee nut.

Exante Meal Replacement Shakes – These I have at lunchtime/midday. I tend to stick to Cherries and Berries, Almond, or Vanilla.  Sometimes I will also have a shake for my evening meal too. TIP – When making the shakes please make sure you use very cold water from the fridge they taste so much better for it.  Also, don’t make them up in advance they have to be drunk as soon as you have made them taste the best.

Exante Meal Replacement Meals – This is my hot meal of the day and I tend to go for the spaghetti bolognese pots and the shepherd’s pie, apple crumble.  TIP – With the bolognese, I add dried oregano and a splash of tabasco.  Add any herbs you like.  With the shepherd’s pie, I add a dash of Worcestershire sauce and pepper.

I have talked about the above products already as you know.  However, this time I will be adding the following to my diet too.

Exante Burst – This is a fruity and refreshing low-calorie multivitamin energy drink with added collagen, caffeine and green tea extract. Available in three flavours: Strawberry Lime, Tropical and Mixed Berry.

Exante Slender Sip – This is a Cherry drink containing glucomannan which contributes to weight loss.  Once consumed, glucomannan aids weight loss by absorbing water and gently expanding in your stomach.

The  7-day pack provides you with 21 sachets, each containing real cherry juice and 1g of glucomannan.  Glucomannan is recognised and approved by the EU Commission to contribute to weight loss.  It is a water-soluble dietary fibre that expands in your stomach.  It is advised to take SlenderSip before a meal on a calorie-restricted diet, 3 times a day.

Exante Juiced -Juiced is a new product for Exante.  It comes in a tub that contains 10 servings.  It is the worlds first juicy meal replacement shake collection.  The flavour I am using is dark cherry which is made with real cherry juices this fruity shake is made with the revolutionary clear whey protein to create the ultimate juicy refresher!  Packed with 27 vitamins and minerals.  It is perfect for when you are craving that fruity fix.  Shake with 500 ml of cold water for the perfect juicy drink at only 202 calories.  Juiced also comes in Peach and Mango, Grapefruit, and Apple and Pear.

Exante Snack Shots -These are the perfect low-calorie taste sensation for busy lifestyles! Pick between Sweet Chilli & Honey, Dark Chocolate & Cranberry and Buffalo Chickpea & Pumpkin Mix. Each box is split into 12 individual packets making them the most convenient solution to healthy eating on the go.

I will go through all of the newer Exante products and flavours in the coming weeks; which there are a lot of.

Getting Ready

You have 12 days left to get yourself organised.  What I will be doing is going through my cupboards and taking out anything I will be tempted by and will give away to family.

Get your measuring tape out and the day before you start take all of your measurements including your weight.  This is so important as you have some weeks where you just lose inches and not pounds.  It also acts as a pick me up when you feel like giving it all in (which you will) just take a look at how far you have come.

exante diet meal replacement meals
Feel full longer

Not only do you need to take measurements you also need to take a photo, from the front, from the side and from the back.  I know this is going to be a really hard thing to do but I promise you that you will thank me for it in 12 weeks time.  At the end of 12 weeks if you would like to share your before and after photos with me for the blog please do.

Why not buy yourself a really nice large glass to have your shakes from, or your burst etc.  Make it a bit more special; it does help.  As does having sparkling water in a nice glass with a slice of lemon, spring of mint and ice etc.

Get yourself some things to take up your time at your worst times.  For me, it is at night time so I tend to paint, knit something, or draw.  I have done embroidery in the past, made bags, used adult colouring books.  Find something you will enjoy that will keep your fingers busy.  I will have other tips to share with you soon.

10 Ways To Grow Your Own Happiness
Do Something You Love

Most importantly buy your products as soon as possible because I can guarantee if you leave it another week all the best products will be gone as people will panic buy ready for New Year.  I have mine already now.  Create a space for you to keep them organised.   You can also use my money off code TRACEY35 which will let you have a 35% discount.

I have a lot going on right now and also a lot more to come so will be writing a lot more moving forward.  As usual, if you have any questions or if there is something you would like me to write about in the coming months please just message me and I will get back to you.  Hopefully, I will be posting Monday’s and Friday’s.

Tracey xXx

 

 

 

How To Stop Procrastinating And Achieve Your Goals

How to Conquer Self-Doubt and Reduce Stress

As most of you know I am back from St Lucia now after helping put together an amazing event.  During my time there I got to meet the world-famous speaker Peter Sage; who was doing some talks at the event.  In fact, he stayed in the same apartment as me so I got to know a lot more about him and had some incredible conversations and insights.  I am so pleased to say I can now give you the opportunity to see one of his webinars for yourself about how to conquer self-doubt and reduce stress.

I swear this man does not switch off; he is a force to be reckoned with.  In fact, his affectionate pet name by us was “Sage the Stage” because he lives eats, and breathes his convictions; this is seen in everything that he does and says 24/7.    Peter has a huge presence and you know when you are in a room with him.  People just stop what they are doing and listen.  You get what you see, and believe me, you need to either listen or go to at least once in your lifetime one of his talks or webinars.   He is the most confident person I have ever met in my life bordering on arrogance but what he says makes complete sense.

Peter has put together a webinar that is free for you and I am so glad to say that I can share this link with you right now by clicking here.  Alternatively, carry on reading to the bottom of this post and you will find a link there also.

Who Is Peter Sage?

Peter is a world-famous motivational speaker, author, and personal transformation expert.  In 25 years, he created multiple million-pound companies (including health and fitness), whilst at the same time, investing considerable time into his physical condition, becoming an accomplished athlete by competing in many marathons including the Marathon des Sables in the Sahara desert (the toughest and most grueling foot race in the world), and competing in bodybuilding contests. 

At 18 years old, he published his first book on health and fitness called ‘Supreme Physique’.  The Energie Fitness Group, which he co-founded in 2002, is one of the UK’s fastest-growing chains of health & fitness centers and the winner of numerous awards.

He has taken what he has learned and is now committed to helping and mentoring others to achieve their dreams as well. His mission is to help us become the best version of ourselves, and create the mindset to unleash our highest potential, whether it’s on a business level or health and fitness/personal development.

What is the webinar about?

How to end procrastination and self-sabotage in all areas of life, whether it’s business-related, health and fitness, losing weight, saving money, etc

How you can become more effective, profitable, and fulfilled in life

How you can conquer self-doubt and reduce stress

Who will benefit from this webinar?

Anyone who’s ever had that little voice of self-doubt telling them they’re not good enough or incapable of doing the things they dream of  

Anyone who fears that despite all their hard work and effort (work, dieting, training), nothing is ever going to change or get better. 

Anyone who feels they need a kick up the butt and some motivation/encouragement to….

Get you going for the day/get things done/kick start your weight loss/get in shape/study/sign up to a challenge/keep aiming for their goals/get back on track/!

Questions To Ask Yourself:

“Do you want to learn how to stop procrastinating and achieve your goals?”

“Fed up of always being an expert in the art of distraction?”

“Do you want to break free of self-sabotage and achieve your goals?”

“Are you putting in the effort but always seem to be stuck at the same level”

“Have you had different relationships but find you’re always meeting the same kind of people?”

“Do you want to stop getting in your own way and sabotaging your own success and growth?”

“Fed up of self-help books never producing the results you’re looking for?”

“Do you want to achieve your goals and succeed faster without getting in your own way?”

“Fed up of seeing other people lose weight and not you?”

“Fed up of seeing other people achieve their goals and not you?”

If you can relate to any of those things then this webinar is for you!

Some of the feedback so far from watching this webinar:

People have been feeling instantly more….

Positive/motivated/confident/empowered/inspired to…..

succeed, take action, set goals for themselves, achieve their goals, become the best version of yourself, live your best life, push yourself, work harder, do well, share this to help other people, contribute to…, go for your dreams, become successful, get back on track, keep going, etc. 

It helped them start their day on a high, changed their mindset, thought with more clarity especially around what it is they really want and why.

The Ways This Webinar Will Change/Affect your life

  • Procrastinating less
  • Getting more done!
  • Improve your relationships – personally and professionally 
  • Earn more money
  • Lose weight
  • Compete in an event – 10k, marathon, cycling, etc
  • Help you achieve your goals/dreams
  • Bag your dream job
  • Overall feel happier, more confident, etc…
  • Improve your mental health
  • Change your outlook on yourself and your – Body… Life… or Career…

More committed to – putting finances in order… Work…  Becoming Successful… Losing Weight… Achieving your goals…

Again – Ask Yourself The Following:

What are your goals in life?

What is the one thing you want to change most in your life and why?

What do you find causes you the most stress or anxiety?

When Is The Best Time To Listen To The Webinar?

Quite often we try and convince ourselves that we just don’t have time to sit and watch something or read something but there are ways that you can fit things like this webinar into your life.

See below for some examples:

  1. In the gym or after a workout, listening to it while you on the treadmill, bike, etc and find how it inspires you and motivates you to keep going
  2. Walking to work, listening to it while you are on the train, bus, etc.In the car (when you’ve finished the journey of course!)
  3. listening to it whilst on the road, stuck in traffic, etc.
  4. Out having a walk, walking the dog, etc
  5. On waking up/going to bed
  6. Whilst cooking/cleaning, have it on in the background
  7. Night-time reading

Give Peter and his life-changing  webinar a listen; All you need to do is click HERE

I hope you all find it enjoyable…. Nothing to lose so give it a go

Tracey xXx

22 Photos Of St Lucia

Stop Off In Antigua Due To Tropical Strorm

Who Doesn’t Love The Caribbean?

Well following on from my last post I thought I would share some photos of St Lucia.  This has been my first trip to the Caribbean in fact it is the first time I’ve been on any kind of trip abroad for about 23 years.  So this excursion or vacation or work/vacation has been even more exciting for me. So today I thought I would share all my 22 photos of St Lucia so far.

The View From The Apartment At The Landings Resort
View Out To Sea At The Landings Resort

Quarantine

The first two weeks were spent in quarantine, but I could have been in lockdown at a lot of worse places.  I’m at The Landings Hotel and Spa Resort which is at the Northern end of St Lucia close to Pigeon Island Causeway, Gros Islet.  During quarantine, you still have access to the beach, restaurant, coffee bar, marina, and swimming pools.  You are given a blue wristband until you get the results back from the PCR test then you get to have a white wristband following a further PCR test.    However, blue and white are not allowed to mix.

The Landings Resort

The Beach

The beach at The Landings is the best beach I’ve ever seen.  But saying that I have not been away for 23 years as I’ve said already.  However, it is beautiful, the sand is soft and clear of stones and lots of shells, very soft underfoot.  It gets hot so you will need flip-flops if you want to walk far on it so best to walk in the water on the shoreline.

Caribbean Sunset

I have been witness to some of the most amazing sunsets while here in St Lucia.  It is stunning anyway but the sun sets around 6.30 pm.  Once the sun goes down it turns dark extremely quickly within 20 minutes or so and then the nighttime animals start making their own kind of music.  It really is like an orchestra.

Animals

So far I haven’t seen many animals.  There are different types of birds, quite small actually, sparrow size.  One of which is a Bullfinch.  A little black bird with a red patch in the throat area.  There are pigeons that have a pink tinge to the feathers, cockroaches although I haven’t seen many of them, small lizard-type creatures, and no spiders yet.  Although when we were diverted on the way here via Antigua there was a tarantula a few feet away from my door.  I made sure it was kept closed!  I did take a photo of it but I couldn’t get close enough as I was too scared so I had to zoom in so it was a bit blurry.

The Sea

The sea here is amazing.  I have never seen anything like it.  Apart from the fact it is lovely and warm, you can see right down to the bottom even when the water is shoulder high.  There are so many types of fish you can see swimming around which don’t touch you.  You have to be careful of the sea urchins but they are usually in the rocky area.

The sea is crystal clear, soft underfoot, and very little debris on the sea bed.  It’s actually perfect!  Now I can’t swim but I’m not letting that stop me.  I borrowed one of the free snorkel kits and managed to put my head underwater for the first time in my life and that is no exaggeration.  I was scared at first but within a minute I couldn’t get enough of it.  The fish were amazing.  Yesterday while on the lounger looking out to see I witness a group of fish jumping out of the water.

Cocktails

This week I had my first strawberry Daiquiri which was amazing.  Last week I went to Marigot Bay beach and had my first coconut rum.  They take a coconut and chop the top off.  You then drink some of the coconut water out and they top it up with coconut run – It was incredible and very moreish.  I’ve now bought myself a bottle.  The next cocktail on the hit list is going to be a Pina Colada.

The Roads

The roads in St Lucia make Harrogate’s look brand new.  Potholes everywhere, dirt tracks, really sharp bends, inclines.  I don’t think I’ve found a straight road in St Lucia yet.  When doing a long journey it can actually make you feel a bit car sick.  Luckily on the way to the Villa Susanna last week we stopped off quite often at the most amazing smoothie hut, not far from Marigot Bay.  My favourite so far is orange, mango, pineapple, and ginger.  A really cold slushie; the best I’ve ever had.  They also had fruit that I’d never heard of.  I am definitely intending to go back again.

Cost Of Food

The cost of food in the supermarkets is astronomical.  This is because it is an island and all the supermarkets are owned by the same person or group.  A tin of Heinz baked beans is nearly £3, avocados can be up to £20 (good job I don’t like them).  You can buy strawberries here but they don’t grow them which I find rather strange.

The fresh fruit and vegetables are so much better though.  You can drive down the streets and there are tables along the route selling cold water, watermelon, etc.  I had a chat with an optician last week who was telling me the cases of type 2 diabetes on the island is huge.  I think this is partly due to the fresh food being so expensive so most people are eating crap.

I think for anyone considering living here it might be worth living in a property where you can maybe grow your own vegetables and fruit.  Here on the resort near the beach is a mango tree and I’m keeping my eye on it ready to grab one when it is time.  There are also palm trees everywhere and coconuts so you have to be careful when walking underneath one.

There are a lot of photos of St Lucia to share and hopefully, there will be a few more to come as it’s my daughter’s 21st very soon, and I feel a party on the beach is on the horizon.  Alka Seltzer at the ready.

Tracey xXx

 

 

Book Launch Of A Darker Shade Of Blue

It Finally Happened

It’s been a while since I wrote my last blog post and a lot has been going on.  As you know we have had lots of lockdowns which has resulted in me having to put my business on hold; which has been extremely frustrating as it was just getting started and I managed to turn it into a not-for-profit CIC (2 weeks before the first lockdown).    But one of the positive things that have happened since my last post is my book launch of A Darker Shade of Blue.

Book Launch Of A Darker Shade Of Blue

I took the time during lockdown to finish putting my book together; “A Darker Shade of Blue”.  For those of you who do not know I have been compiling a collection of poems from people struggling with their mental health and also by the loved ones of people struggling.  It has been a very emotional ride but one of the most rewarding.  Being able to give people a voice is so important; raising awareness is key.

So the book was finished several months ago and is now available on Amazon both as a paperback and also on Kindle.   I will warn you now; it’s emotional but beautiful and I feel honoured and humbled that people were wanting to help me on this mission and to the people that donated a poem I am truly grateful.

For people who would like to purchase a copy, you can find the link here.

Now available as Kindle and Paperback via Amazon

I really do not want to close the business Karma Times, as it is something I am passionate about.  I am currently working for someone who has given me a wonderful opportunity, an all-expenses-paid job working out in St Lucia which I couldn’t refuse and there is the possibility that this will lead to turning Karma Times into Charity status; which is my ultimate dream.  Whether I do this from this side of the ocean or the other will remain to be seen.  But either way, I will make sure I have the most amazing team to run it and I will continue to carry on working in the background and also go back to giving 1 to 1 treatments etc.

My next blog post will be all about my time here so far in St Lucia and will share some incredible photos with you.  I’ve so missed writing my posts.

Will write soon

Tracey xXx

 

 

How to Lose Weight with Low Carb Products

Losing weight with low-carb products

I am so excited by these products which I’ve just started using and couldn’t wait to tell you all about them and this company.  As you already know I still use Exante shakes and bars and always will but these products can live side by side with them and what’s more, they taste naughtily calorific.  It is important for my health to stick to low-carb as much as possible.  My body does not react well to high carb products on a regular basis; my blood sugar goes through the roof.

How to Lose Weight with Low Carb Products

So on my weightloss journey, I have tried a lot of low-carb products.  I kept seeing the name lo-dough and thought I would check them out.  So today’s post is about some of the products they make.  So far I have tried 2 of them and I have to say I am seriously impressed.

These are bloody delicious

I’m very fussy when it comes to alternatives to the real thing so the fact that after tasting the first 2 products have made me want to skip around like a 6-year-old child about to have some birthday cake.  These bars are the texture of cake and proper cake!

I will go into more details about the products in future posts and show them and show you what you can create with some of them too.

Who is Lo-Dough

Lo-Dough is a small start-up based in Rochdale and they started producing and selling their original Lo-Dough bases, in 2017. The idea was to allow customers to eat indulgent foods like pizzas, kebabs, pastries and other such savoury treats without the massive amount of carbs and calories found in the dough elements of those meals.

Since then they have released their delicious, adaptable, and easy to use Lo-Dough Brownie Mix and their flavoursome Southern Style Coating for meats, veggies and more!.

All their products are designed to suit your dieting and lifestyle needs, whilst still allowing you to enjoy the foods you love without compromising on taste.

The Perfect Bread Substitute

Lo-Dough is a game-changing, innovative food product that is primarily used as a pizza base and a bread and pastry alternative. It can be used to make so many different dishes, including:

  • Pizza
  • Quiche
  • Cakes
  • Wraps
  • Pies
  • Pasties
  • Brownies
  • Cheesecake

and much more…

But alongside this, they have various spice mixes, low carb brownie mixes, cake bars (bloody delicious) with a new one on the way, low carb crumb mix, and also cookery books, etc.

Lo-Dough can be blitzed to make breadcrumbs

Blitzing your Lo-Dough to crumbs opens up a world of new culinary opportunities.  Everything from low-calorie chocolate brownies to savoury fritters, a crumb coating to the biscuit crumb for a cheesecake

I can honestly say I can not wait to start trying some of the recipes too they look mouth-wateringly good and I’m not exaggerating.  I’m ordering loads more today.

I am so really happy to be able to offer my followers an exclusive discount of 10% by using the code TW10.  All you need to do is to click on the link here which will take you to their website so you can see their fantastic products.

Welcome to the world of indulgent, healthy eating.

Enjoy!

 

 

3 Ways of Coping with Anxiety

Anxiety is on the increase

Life has changed immeasurably in the past few weeks and months.  We are all dealing with uncertainty.  Fear, doubt, financial concerns, and family stresses sow the seeds of anxiety.  As Donna Booth explains, our need to contribute, combined with a growing sense of helplessness, often causes anxiety to spiral.  It’s essential to take a moment or two for yourself to get everything back under control.  So today I am going to share with you 3 ways of coping with anxiety.

3 ways of coping with anxiety

Deep Breathing

Deep breathing is excellent for bringing your attention out of your head and into your body and helping you to manage emotions.  You can do it anywhere, at any time, without people noticing.

Sit comfortably and place one hand on your belly.  Imagine there is a balloon in your belly and imagine filling the balloon with your inhalation.  You should notice the hand on your belly rise.  Don’t worry if it is your chest that rises first, the more you practice, the easier it will be.  Hold the air in your lungs, and then exhale slowly.  The secret is to go slow:  Time the inhalation (4 seconds), pause (2 seconds), and exhalation (6 seconds).  Practice this for 3-5 minutes.

Progressive muscle relaxation

By tensing and relaxing the muscles throughout your body, you can achieve a deep feeling of relaxation.  This exercise helps you recognise where in your body you are holding tension.

Sit back or lie down in a comfortable position.  Follow the instructions below, tensing each body part for about 10 seconds.  Notice how the feeling of relaxation differs from the feeling of tension.

Feet – Curl your toes tightly into your fee, then release.

Calves – Point then flex your feet, then relax.

Thighs – Squeeze your thighs together tightly, then relax.

Torso – Suck in your tummy as if you were trying to touch your spine, then relax.

Back – Squeeze your shoulder blades together, then relax.

Shoulders – Scrunch your shoulders up to your ears, then drop them.

Arms – make fists and squeeze to your shoulders, then drop them.

Hands – Make a fist by curling your fingers into your palm, then stretch your fingers wide and relax.

Face – Scrunch your facial features as if you were trying to get them to meet in the middle of your face, then relax.

Full body – Squeeze all muscles together, then release the tension.  Deep breath in, deep breath out.

Using Your Senses

This exercise brings you back into the moment.  It can be done very quickly, or you can take a little more time on each sense.

  1. Notice five things that you can see.  Look all around to take in all your surroundings.  Look for small details you would usually miss.
  2. Notice four sounds that you can hear.  Listen closely to everything around you and further away.
  3. Now three things that you can feel.  Think of how the air feels on your skin, and how your clothes feel on your body.
  4. Notice two things you can smell.  What scents are present?  What does the air smell like?  Take some time to appreciate the sents.
  5. And finally, one thing you can taste.  Do you have something you can eat or can you taste the air or the inside of your mouth?Above all, make sure you take time for yourself, don’t feel you must use this time to do ‘all the things’.  Pause, breathe, take care of yourself, be with your loved ones, and give yourself time to consider the parts of your life that you want to carry forward into your new future.

    I hope you enjoyed this blog post, 3 ways of coping with anxiety and I will be writing about many others in the future so make sure you hit subscribe so that you don’t miss any of them.  Thank you for reading.

Love and Light

Tracey xXx

Using the power of mindfulness to alleviate depression

The Universe

When Antidepressants Aren’t Enough

I read an extremely interesting article by Dr. Stuart J. Eisendrath, which I am going to share with you today about using the power of mindfulness to alleviate depression.  Stuart Eisendrath is the founder of the University of California San Francisco Depression Center.  Dr  Eisendrath pioneered research into the therapeutic effects of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) on people experiencing clinical depression.  In his new book, he outlines an easy-to-implement MBCT program that has been scientifically proven in a US National Institute of Health study to bring relief to chronic sufferers of depression by helping them realise that their thoughts are not their reality.

Treatment-Resistant Depression

A 2018 article in the British Medical Journal suggested that between 10% and 30% of those in the UK who suffer depression – which could mean as many as 2.7 million people – have treatment-resistant depression.  Those with TRD will have tried at least two antidepressant drugs without a positive outcome.  Yet, there are non-drug treatments that can be equally, or more effective than antidepressants and do not carry these risks associated with withdrawal.

Our minds are particularly good at thinking, problem-solving, worrying, judging, and analysing.  Yet, when it comes to depression these skills are often not in your best interest.  If you suffer from depression, memories and thoughts tend to be biased toward the negative, which diminishes your problem-solving abilities.  This may lead to misinterpretations, inaccurate assessments, and inappropriate decision making.

For example…

Take Carol, who was walking down the street and waved to her friend across the road.  Her friend didn’t wave back and Carol felt rejected, worried she’d offended her friend, and was depressed.  Actually, her friend has been studying an important business e-mail on her phone and hadn’t even noticed Carol.

Sam thought of refusing a promotion because he thought his boss was setting him up to fail rather than having confidence in his ability to handle the new position.  Such an approach could have severe consequences for his career.

Using the power of mindfulness to alleviate depression

A key step in coping with such thoughts is trying to decide if such situations are facts or just thoughts.  Mindfulness gives you the space to look at the situation from multiple perspectives and without judgment.  Then you can decide how to respond to the situation skillfully.  You can evaluate your thoughts in several ways.  One is to hold back on acting on a thought while you gather more data to assess whether the thought is a valid one.  Another way of assessing a thought is to ask yourself how you feel in thinking it.  If you feel more depressed, there is a very good chance the thought is being driven by depression.

The critical voice of depression

Once, I was teaching a beginner’s class in meditation.  One woman said, “I can’t meditate as well as everybody else here.”  This is one of the most common thoughts of beginning meditators.  Then several other members of the group expressed a similar idea about themselves.  I asked them how they knew this, and as we assessed the situation, it became clear that such a thought was based more in the critical voice of depression rather than being a fact.  Since none of the members had had any prior experience with meditation, it would be unreasonable to expect anyone to be better than anybody else.  Moreover, meditation is not competitive.  It’s about being present, not about doing something better or worse than someone else.

As the beginners discovered, this is a valuable lesson about how our minds generate negative and unduly critical thoughts.  We need to label them as such and bring the attention back to a neutral object like our breath.  When we can recognise such thoughts for what they were, we don’t feel compelled to act on them by doing something such as dropping the class.

Rely on your observing self

The observing self can help you see what is being generated by your mind and assess how you feel, both physically and emotionally.  You then become capable of extending compassion to yourself and others.

If we expect that we can stop our minds from generating negative thoughts through meditation, we will be disappointed by our limitations.  Our minds wander on their own, and our trying to control them makes them want to wander even more.  In fact, experiments have shown that efforts to suppress thoughts actually intensify them.  If you want to suppress a thought, you actually have to push off against the thought, which intensifies the thought you are trying to suppress.

Our minds are always trying to explain events.  That is what our minds do and are built for:  trying to organise and understand information.  We have the need to try to conceptualise what is happening and to build hypotheses from an early age.  Initially, an infant sees patterns of black and white on a page, then becomes able to organise the black and white areas and recognise letters and words.

Similarly, we all organise events and pieces of information into stories we create and construct.  When we do not understand something, we still try to organise it to fill in the blanks.  We create stories, plots, and themes.  In depression, this is often based on how we are feeling.  Our emotional state can generate negative thoughts just as much as negative thoughts can generate a depressive state.  You can actually step back and observe yourself generating thoughts.

Try This:  Observing Yourself think

  • Close your eyes and focus on your breath for a minute or so.
  • Once your mind has steadied, take note of the thoughts that emerge over the next few minutes that tend to distract you from your breath.  Ask yourself, “What is (fill in your name) thinking?”  Notice what thoughts are emerging.
  • Ask again:  “What is (fill in your name) thinking?”  See what thoughts come up.  Then bring your attention back to the room.
  • The observing self was the self who was taking note of your thoughts.  That self was watching your thoughts emerge.  The observing self notices what you are thinking and feeling.  Afterward, you might say, “I noticed my mind having a thought about (fill in the subject).”  You might also say, “I noticed my mind producing depressive thoughts that then shifted my mood.”

There are some great apps you can use for mindfulness and the best two that jump to mind are, “Calm” and “Headspace”.   These are also great for beginners to meditation and mindfulness and have free versions.

I will be doing physical guided meditation sessions very soon so watch this space.

Love and Light

Tracey xXx

How Can We Make The World A Kinder Place?

It’s easier than you think

So how can we make the world a kinder place?  The answer is definitely easier than you think.  There’s a comfort in knowing that people are there for you and willing to help.  Little acts of kindness mean we have a caring community and everyone has a better day.  Kindness is reciprocal.  One kind act tends to lead to another, which has a cumulative effect on wellbeing and happiness.

Kindness is not something we often think about, or really value as a society.  Sometimes altruism is seen as weakness, when, in fact, there’s a strength and resilience in kindness.  Nor is it about smug, self-satisfied do-gooders.  Kind people reach out and touch the lives of others.  In an increasingly harsh world, filled with criticism, pressures to conform to an unachievable standard, and online trolling, we all need to try to be a little kinder to ourselves and those around us.  Kindness is its own reward.

How can we make the world a better place?

Here are some ideas for little acts of kindness that may lift the spirits of those on the receiving end and boost your own wellbeing.

Be kind at work

  • Volunteer an hour of your time to help a colleague who is running behind once a month.
  • Bring in cake, coffee, or some healthy snacks once a month, or go out for a meal or drinks with your colleagues.
  • Send an e-mail letting a colleague or a supplier know what a great job they’re doing.
  • Make an effort to learn something new about a co-worker.
  • Assume the best in others.  If someone is running late or has cancelled an appointment, don’t assume they’re trying to get out of something or annoy you.
  • If you can know a great therapist, tradesperson, designer, accountant etc recommend them to others and provide referrals.

    10 Ways To Grow Your Own Happiness
    Help Someone Who Needs It

Be kind to those around you

  • Compliment someone on their shoes, hair, smile, anything really.
  • Let someone out into traffic, or stop so a pedestrian can cross the road ahead of you.
  • Hold the door open for someone or make the lift wait for them.
  • If you have things you no longer want, offer them for free on a local recycling group, or donate them to a charity shop so someone else can benefit from them.
  • If someone gives you good service, write to the company praising them.
  • If you’ve always wanted to learn something, look for a local skill-sharing organisation.
  • If you’re popping to the shops, check if an elderly neighbour needs anything.
  • Give up your seat on the bus, underground, or train to someone who looks like they need it more.
  • Do nice things and don’t tell anyone about it.
  • Help a lost tourist or give someone directions.
  • If your parking ticket is still valid, leave it on the machine for someone else to use.

Be kind to your friends

  • Write and send a handwritten thank-you note when you receive a gift or someone does something you appreciate.
  • Don’t just text.  Pick up the phone and arrange to meet up for a chat over lunch or a coffee.
  • Send a copy of an old photo and reminisce about old times.
  • Try to find some good in a friend’s partner you dislike.
  • Bake a birthday cake.
  • Comment positively on social media.
  • If a friend is organising an event, make a point of going to support them.

    Be kind to your family

  • If you have the space and time, adopt a rescue animal from a charity.  It’s great for wellbeing, fabulous for kids too.  If you live in the city, cats who’ve previously had cat flu can be a good option as they need to stay indoors.  Rescue centers have everything from snakes and lizards to rabbits, guinea pigs, hens, and horses.
  • Pause before speaking angrily to someone and consider what you’re really angry about.  Try to reframe your comments in a positive way.
  • Tell your parents that you love them and appreciate all they have done for you.
  • Take a tip from Frozen and just Let it Go.
  • Create a family happy book.  Gather all your good memories and thoughts into one place.
  • Catch up with nieces or nephews over Skype or FaceTime.
  • Have people over for lunch or dinner once a month.

Be kind to your significant other

  • Tell them you love them and why you think they are so special.
  • Pick up their chores every now and again if you know they are stressed.
  • Be a good listener, rather than an advisor.
  • Don’t nag, but work together to find another way to get something done.
  • Give them a big hug at least once a day.
  • Tell them you missed them.
  • Have a regular date night.
  • Made a special day for them, filled with their favourite food, activities, and tickets to a concert or the cinema. (COVID permitting).
  • Snuggle on the couch while watching TV.
  • Respect them and don’t make decisions that should have their input without consulting them.

    Be kind to yourself

  • Make time for yourself each day.  Self-care is important.
  • Treat yourself to a day off and spend it doing things you love, but never have time to do.  Visit a gallery, have a long lie, watch an old movie, read a book, be creative, a walk-in nature…
  • Forgive yourself for past mistakes and make amends to those you have hurt.
  • Be an optimist.
  • Get a plant for your office or buy yourself some flowers.

    Now think of the ripple effect these little actions would have on the community?  Join me and start that ripple today…

Love

Tracey xXx

 

The Diet Starts Monday

What A Weekend

The diet starts Monday, just how many of us have said this?  I’ll start it on Monday; I’ve lost count how many times I have said that.  And guess what?  I’m saying it again.  I was really stressed over the weekend and the reason being was that my beautiful younger sister had her first chemo on Friday and I couldn’t handle it.  It was a dreadful day and obviously even more so for her.  Someone at the hospital had messed up and forgot to give her an ECG and as a result, they were telling her she couldn’t have the chemo for another week.

Waiting Game

When you have already been waiting 4 weeks being told one more week, well they may as well have said a year.  The waiting is unreal it just drags and drags.   Thankfully my mum and dad are with her and a wonderful nurse pushed some buttons and she finally got her treatment late Friday.   I just had a complete stress meltdown and ended up putting whatever edible items I could find into my mouth.  Just goes to show yet again I am only human.  It’s difficult I think because it hasn’t sunk in yet with us all.

As for my sister she was being violently ill all weekend.  I need to be strong for her and the rest of my family and that’s what I need to keep telling myself.  If she is having to endure what she is enduring then me giving up a biscuit is nothing or as she would say “a piece of piss” (ex RAF).  Sorry for swearing Mum.

 

Find A Distraction

I admit I was a mess this weekend and was feeling very emotional and that I need to stop beating myself up about it because it’s going to be a tough journey right now.  But as the days go by it will get easier.  I just need to change my mindset and my reaction process in the meantime.  I have to accept that there are going to be bad days in my sister’s journey and me stuffing my face every time isn’t going to help anyone.

Walk The Dog

So I have been thinking this morning about what I can do differently.  The thought that popped into my head is when I am thinking about reaching for food reach for the lead and take the dog for a walk.  Being outside I hope will put me back on track.  So that’s what I’m going to do.  Harvey is going to love it.

However, he is terrible to walk though as he can’t do straight lines; it’s literally zig-zags and I’m not over-reacting.  In fact, I think I’m going to video him so you can see for yourself.  So that might not work; there’s a thought I might end up coming in more stressed than when I was when I left the house.  Hmm.. this will be interesting might have to think of a new distraction.  So what are your distraction go tos?

Coping Mechanisms

There are a lot of things you could do to distract yourself actually.  One of my others is art or being creative, whether that is drawing, painting, or making jewellery, knitting, etc.  I will write about these and other coping mechanisms in a lot more detail in a future post.  In the meantime please feel free to share your coping mechanisms at the bottom of this post as it might help others as well as just me.

The Diet Starts Monday

So as the blog post title says, the diet starts Monday.  I’ve given myself a huge talking to and I am back at it.  So far today 2 bars and 1 shake down and one more left to have tonight when I get home.  I am not just doing this for me but my sister.  Because she has no choice and I do.  She also needs me healthy so I can give her 100%.  If that’s not enough incentive I don’t know what is.

So the diet starts Monday… Let’s do it….

Tracey xXx

For anyone joining me on the Exante 100 days to Christmas challenge remember that you can get 35% off your shop by using my code TRACEY35.

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