Most of the time, I have been trying to look after my mental health. However, during March, my physical health plummeted. I had small rubbing cuts on my feet, which I never gave a thought to. Then, slowly throughout the month, my feet and legs slowly swell up. I saw the doctor, take the advice with a blood test and went home for the weekend. Over the weekend, my feet and legs were swollen up, inflamed, and painful. I struggled to walk and get up. Also, what was getting worse about my health was that my hands were swelling up. After the third time, I managed to get antibiotics, which helped with the swelling and pain. After receiving the results, I was sent to the hospital for further assessment. Upon arrival, I had blood, swabs, and blood pressure taken. Feeling exhausted from half a day’s work and driving back and forth to places. A few moments later, I had my second test results. They admitted that if the results were the same or a higher trend, I would have been emitted to the hospital. However, they weren’t, so I was allowed to go home, but I needed to give more blood, urine, and X-rays. After giving them the samples, I returned home.
So I am waiting for my second appointment as an outgoing patient. However, at the beginning of April, my legs returned to normal with minor pains in my joints.
So when your physical slowly deteriorates and you’re not sure what it is? See a doctor and get things sorted. Otherwise, it could get worse and beyond repair.
March 2024 paths
We are climbing the same mountain but on different paths.
Throughout our lives, we will be climbing the mountain of life on our paths. During our journey, we may continue on our path and swap on to different paths created by others who are learning from their past experiences. Also, on our paths, we will meet different people who are also navigating throughout their lives. These people you meet could be
1. For a reason
2. For a season
3. Lifetime
You could learn from them, avoid them, or make a friend to help you along your journey.
Walk your paths in life. It could be creating a new one or following a pre-made one from others and remembering to enjoy life.
February 2024
Love and peace
This month we celebrate valentines day.
However, for me it’s just 1 of 365 days (+ 1 day for the leap year) that I show love and kindness and gratitude.
Everyday I try to show these.
kindest
1) Pay for someone’s coffee,
2) Leave a kind note on your neighbour’s doorstep,
3) Donate old clothes to a local charity,
4) Send a heartfelt message to a friend you haven’t talked to in ages,
5) Help an elderly person carry their groceries to their car,
6) Offer a sincere compliment to someone you admire,
7) Treat yourself to something special,
8) Surprise your loved ones with handwritten letters,
9) Volunteer at a local animal shelter,
10) Plant a tree in honour of Mother Earth!
Gratitude
1) Start your day with a gratitude journal,
2) Practice daily acts of kindness,
3) Offer a helping hand to someone in need,
4) Express your gratitude verbally to friends and family,
5) Meditate on the good things in your life,
6) Send uplifting messages to people who’ve inspired you,
7) create a gratitude jar and fill it with notes of thanks and appreciation for both big and small moments in your life.
8) Donate to charities that align with your values,
9) Write a letter to your younger self and express gratitude for the journey so far,
10) Reflect on your personal growth and celebrate your successes while acknowledging your challenges.
love
1) Prepare a surprise picnic in your coziest spot, complete with your favorite treats,
2) Create a thoughtful playlist tailored to their tastes and emotions,
3) Write a poem or short story inspired by your love,
4) Plan a fun adventure, like a spontaneous road trip or a visit to a nearby attraction,
5) Cook their favorite meal and serve it with love and care,
6) Offer a soothing massage after a long day,
7) Organize a mini photoshoot capturing precious memories,
8) Surprise them with a gift that embodies your connection,
9) Write love letters to each other and keep them sealed until a special moment, and finally,
10) Plant a tree or a flower together, symbolizing the roots of your love
Show these every day and hopefully, it will make a better place for everyone.
January 2024
Renewing resolutions
Month has past, so how is everyone getting on with their new you’s, resolutions etc
If you are successfully managing your new lifestyle great.
If you have stopped or given up, don’t worry. You can always restart it the next day or whenever it’s convenient for you. Also you can close one chapter and open a new chapter anytime you want. you can make a birthday resolution or march resolution or any other time.
Be happy with your resolution or renewed resolution and don’t worry if you trip up. Because you can restart it the next day.
This year has ended and a new one is about to be born. So are you ready for the birth of the new year?
If not here’s a few pointers you could use for your new journal.
• Birthdays, this year I have to keep reminding my brother nearly every birthday and a few people got pretty annoyed of him.
• My happy list, create a list of the things that will make you happy so you can refer to it when you feel down
• Targets and goals, write the main goal on top of the page then break it down into smaller ones in to stepping stones towards your main goal.
• Christmas list, have two lists ready one for what you need but not urgent list like if your coat is worn out during the year but can last up to Christmas, that’s a present on your Christmas list/celebration list. The second list, if you already know what people like or want for the special day, like my bro in law wants tools so he can customize it to his own needs, then pick some up.
• Money pots, set up money pots to set aside money for future pay outs.
So are a few things to get you started and if you want a new year theme/resolution.
Choose to be happy with yourself
November 2023 Are you ready for the season to be jolly?
Christmas is just around the corner, and so is everyone ready for Christmas and avoided the mad rush. Probably not, and you’ve had 11 months to plan it.
However, it’s ok. Remember, it’s your Christmas/holiday celebration, so plan it to make you happy and joyful.
So have a meal that makes you happy, it could be anything from the traditional turkey or it could be the local fish and chips or fast food.
If you didn’t get presents to give, how about IOU a favour voucher for cleaning the house, dog sitting or even looking after the children.
If you want to give out Xmas cards, then how about making your own cards. There are plenty of kits around or go online and download kits if you have the technology to do it. Also, it will let your creativity flow through since they are your cards to make, and you can do whatever you want with them.
Those are a few things to give you a jump start for the Christmas/holiday celebration. And you can use the same plans for the years to come.
October 2023 self image
Throughout last year, I was slimming down and gaining muscle until I was out on tablets since I went into a dark area. After recovering and maintaining my mental health. I realised I had out a lot of weight on.
It did bring me down because all that work was coming undone.
However, I still kept the same fitness when I was piling the weight on. So, I changed my mindset from getting slim to maintaining a body that I need every day life.
Most people slip into a dark place because they are comparing themselves to others on social media, in magazines and even each other, like person x has a great body image and has everything. I need to be person x
Have you ever considered person x could be thinking different mindset?
Person y is having a great life with nothing bothering him/her.
So what person would you like to be
Person x that has to reach other people’s expectations
Person y comparing to others
Me happy with myself and maintaining my needs
September 2023 my tools
This was mental health awareness month.
So, I decided to refresh myself and the tools to help with my mental health.
Breathe
When I get overwhelmed and stressed, I use to freeze. With the breathing box technique you breathe in for four seconds, hold for four seconds, breathe out for four seconds, wait for four seconds, and repeat.
It calms me down, and I use positive thinking. I was able to complete the task/event in hand.
Positive thinking
Your mind will probably try to hold you back and talk you out of it. With deep breaths, talk yourself around by saying, I can do it, I’m have got this, one step at a time and any other motivational and/or positive thinking.
Write away
During the night, a burst of adrenaline kicks in and picks something in my head and magnifies it, making me restless. Using my email accounts. If it’s work related to a to-do list, I email the list to my works account at the same time. I imagine it disappears from my mind. If it’s a letter, you can write it out or email it to a separate account.
nature
If things get on top of you, go outside and walk in nature. Listen to the birds, smell the flowers, and watch the animals and birds play in the area.
Grateful
Be grateful for what you already have. Most of us have a food source, water source, and shelter. There are other people around who are grateful for having these three basic items, and yet some of us want upgrades and the latest and are still not grateful.
Be happy
I may lose some followers. However, believe it or not, we can choose to be happy or not. Think of all the positive things we have already done and get be happy with ourselves. I may not be Hercules, but I’m happy that I have trained and maintained my body to the needs of everyday life.
Those are a few tools, and I am trying different ones or using a tool and adapting it to my needs. However, be happy, and even though the awareness month is over, we can still carry on creating awareness, getting people to talk about mental illness, and removing the stigma barriers.
August 2023 Do it your way
I was once trying to please people and see how people react to my Creativity. However, I felt ill and was in a dark area when I wasn’t getting the results I wanted.
Also, this month I was talking to a cosplayer and she had similar issues plus being bullied almost into quitting her projects and the hobby she loves doing.
After the conversation with her, she felt relief and looked at the situation from a different way.
The summary of the conversation was “Do things for yourself and not for others. Represent yourself as you and not how others want you to represent. The negative comments are used to grind you down and snuff you out because they are jealous and sneering at you. After all, you are better than them. So channel the negatives and turn them into your creativity, determination, and confidence. If social media gets on top of you just block them and walk away to a supportive community. ”
The cosplayer took my advice and started building an incredible costume.
So, do things the way you are happy with and do it for you.
July 2023 set your goals
Take baby steps or walk slowly towards your goals
When we set goals, our first thoughts could be ‘This will great achievement’ or ‘This will be rewarding’ However when we start working towards our goal it becomes haunting and adventurously lose momentum and stop. So how can we keep the momentum going without being haunted by the mammoth task? Break it down.
Marathon
Start, run around a block
Middle, increased distance
End, finish a marathon
Story
Write a scene which will become chapters. Then chapters will become a story.
Unless you have a deadline most goals are in your time frame. So be realistic about your time frame and leave the room just in case unforeseen circumstances come around, halting your progress. Break your goals down into bitesize, reward yourself on a milestone and be proof of your journey towards your goal.
My Mindfulness Journey 