Are You Feeling Overwhelmed and Stressed Out? Don’tDon’t fret – many others feel the same! Organizing your life and taking purposeful steps are all effective strategies for getting life back under control – This blog post will discuss tips to regain your control! This post offers easy tips to organize yourself and rebuild momentum for long-term success in both personal and professional settings – read on if you wish to regain the tools needed to take charge!

Regain Your Confidence

Sometimes life can make us feel like we’re spiraling out of control. It’s in those moments that our confidence can take a hit. However, regaining confidence isn’t as intangible as it may seem. One way to do this is to think about what boosts your confidence. It may be feeling good about your body, in which case committing to fitness could be a solution. If it’s the knowledge that makes you feel confident, find people you admire and learn from them or reach out to a mentor.

Assess Your Time Management

Assessing your time management skills is about taking a closer look at how you spend your time and being honest about areas where you may be wasting it. Whether it’s scrolling through social media, getting lost in email triage, or just taking longer than necessary to complete certain tasks. Identifying time traps is crucial to making better use of your day. Once you clearly understand where your time is going, you can start prioritizing the things that matter most to you and eliminating distractions. Remember, time is a finite resource, so make the most of it by being intentional about how you use it.

Organize the Little Things

Organizing the little things is an excellent way to regain control of your chaotic life. With seemingly endless to-do lists and constant stress, our environment can quickly become cluttered, leading to even more anxiety. Starting with simple steps like decluttering your workspace or organizing your sock drawer can promote a sense of order and balance. Repair that windscreen crack and start taking back your life; visit https://agdnow.com/ to learn more about windscreen repairs. Plus, small victories with middle-of-the-road tasks will motivate you to tackle more significant problems. By taking care of these small details, you can regain the reins and feel empowered to handle harder tasks.

Don’t Be Too Hard on Yourself

Being too harsh on yourself can take its toll on your mental health. Reminding yourself that progress takes time is key. Building routines and taking small steps toward your goals can add up over time to make big differences in life. Don’t be afraid to reassess and try something different if something doesn’t seem to be working; the journey toward improvement should be as rewarding as its end goal, so allow yourself plenty of time.

Life seems out of our control at times, which should serve as an alert that it’s time to slow down and evaluate where we stand in life. When things suddenly crumble all at once, this could be a telltale sign that our balance has shifted out of balance and needs resetting.

Balance is an ever-evolving pursuit and should evolve alongside major life events and the passage of time. Anytime everything seems overwhelming at once, consider it an opportunity to rebuild and get back on track.

This a collaborative post.

Melinda

Are your efforts toward better health more wellness-focused or illness-focused? A silly question? Let me explain….

Where’s Your Focus? Wellness or Illness? — Olive Tree Saints

Stress causes depression, anxiety, and health problems

Chronic Stress and Health — DocTalk, Explorations in Psychotherapy

Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series, I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week we highlight a new blogger, Dear Jo Anne.

Dear Jo Anne

My name is Hannah. I am 29 years old, from Australia and I’ve never liked introductions – probably because I’m not very good at them!

I adore blogging and find myself drawn to create pieces that are usually inspired by the difficult stuff. Some of my writing interests include adulthood, grief and loss, lifestyle, fiction, humour, social anxiety, mental health, self-improvement, and media.

Hannah’s site is great! Be sure to stop by and say hello.

Melinda

Looking for the Light

 

This is a topic that I’ve struggled with for quite some time now. You see while I have been living with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Lyme Disease (to name a couple), I also have a great love for ALL things fashion. So what’s the big deal? Well, I’m so glad you asked. HOW I SHOW UP […]

Chronic Illness & My Love Of Fashion — Windy’s Journey

After blowing a gasket to my husband about my health frustrations last night, I took my Xanax and went to bed early. This morning I’m feeling better, even went to the portal and erased the message to my doctor.

Since my appointment was an emergency and they worked me in I had to see a different doctor. Do that once and you may love your regular doctor more. The doctor did not share some basic 101 tips that would have helped me leave with a crumb. When I found it on the Internet, I got angry.

I’ve been headed toward a wall with my health for the past year and yesterday I hit it hard. Thank goodness my husband understands my health challenges, how to put the pieces again, and knows a cupcake goes a long way.

I cut most sweets from my diet a year ago as my weight loss journey began but today I added a large cupcake to lunch. The heating pad will feel so much better now!

Stay strong, get angry, get it out of your system, cry, or scream to release the anger, then take a step forward.

Melinda

You could argue that there’s no right time to have a baby. Having a baby will always be disruptive and you’ll have to make some sacrifices no matter the circumstances. 

That said, there are certain situations where it can be much easier to raise a child. These are the types of situations that you ideally want to get yourself into before settling down with a baby as it could make the experience much more rewarding.

For those who are undecided as to whether to have a baby right now, here are a few important questions to ask yourself.

Do you want to become a parent?

This is the most important question to ask yourself. If you are passionate about having a child and feel that becoming a parent now would complete you, then it makes sense to try for a baby right now while you are eager. 

If you have no interest in becoming a parent and cannot fathom taking on the responsibility, then now is clearly not the right time. While many reluctant parents learn to love parenthood when forced into it, there is no guarantee that you will feel this way, and shouldn’t let yourself be unduly pressured.

Does your partner want a child?

Deciding to have a child can be very difficult if one partner wants a child and the other doesn’t. If you want to stay together, one partner will have to make the ultimate compromise. Relationship counseling could be necessary to help you make the decision.

The decision to have a baby could be much harder if one of you is already pregnant and you are both conflicted about having a baby. You will have less time to make a decision – it could be important to look into services like abortion counseling services to talk things out. If you are pregnant, it is ultimately your decision whether to keep the baby or not, and you should not feel pressured by your partner to do something you don’t want.

Are you physically/mentally healthy enough?

Ideally, you don’t want to be battling any serious physical or mental health problems when having a baby. Becoming a parent could be too much of a strain and may just cause any health problems to get worse. Giving birth may even be dangerous for you or the baby if you have certain serious physical health problems.

Wait until you are in a better place mentally or physically to have a baby. There are times when having a baby can help people overcome depression or even addiction, but you need to be passionate about having a baby, to begin with. 

Is your home a safe environment?

You don’t want to be raising a child in a home that is unsafe. If you are living with people who are abusive or there are other issues like a high local crime rate or a pest problem in your home, you should consider whether you need to get out first. Leaving toxic people behind and moving to a better home could prevent you from feeling that you or your baby is in danger.

Is your age an important factor?

Having a child as a teenager can disrupt education and carry various pregnancy and birth risks. That said, many teen parents go on to have healthy and happy children. This post explains more about whether to keep a child as a teenager.

If you are in your late 30s or older, you may need to consider your fertility. Having a child now could be important to increase your chances of falling pregnant and carrying the baby. Most women cannot have a baby naturally after 45. This guide offers more information on having a baby in your 40s.

Can you afford to look after a baby?

Raising a baby is expensive, but with enough support around you, it is possible to still be a great parent with little to no money. 

Being financially stable first could be more important if you do not have much support around you. Without others around you to chip in, it could be much harder to afford the care your child needs. This guide offers more information about the costs of having a baby.

This is a collaborative post.

Melinda

Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series, I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week we highlight a new blogger, Thinking Sessions with My Heart and My Head.

The Thinking Sessions with My Heart and Head

Hello, my name is Mikka. It’s pronounced like MEE-kuh. I am 22 years old and living in Seattle, WA. I’m passionate about sharing my truth through the written word. I hope this can be a safe space for you to go deeper into yourself and reflect on what it is you may need to express and articulate. Your truth matters.

Check out her passionate personality.

Melinda

Looking for the Light

 

Written by: Kayla Mason, freelance writer, kaylamason.blog It’s no secret that during the emergence of the Covid-19 virus, anxiety and depression rates have skyrocketed. Rates of anxiety and depression among U.S. adults were about 4 times higher between April 2020 and August 2021 than they were in 2019 (Deangelis). In 2020 and 2021, I talked […]

5 Ways To Ease Depression Symptoms Right Now — Kayla Mason

You only have to listen to the headlines or read the newspaper to see that anxiety levels are rising and a growing number of people are experiencing stress. In this guide, we’ll discuss some common causes of stress and anxiety and offer tips to help you cope. 

Image credit: https://www.pexels.com/photo/design-desk-display-eyewear-313690/

Money worries and unemployment

Unemployment is one of the most talked-about subjects at the moment, with many people losing their jobs or businesses and others struggling to hang on to theirs. Balancing the books is challenging at the best of times when you’re trying to manage a household or raise kids, but the pandemic has exacerbated difficulties and made staying in the black virtually impossible for some. If you’re experiencing financial strain, or you’ve lost your job, there is help out there. Don’t hesitate to seek advice about incentives or support measures that are available to you during the crisis and look for opportunities to increase your income if your workload is reduced or you’ve lost your job. From Forex Trading, to online courses, and blogging to temporary jobs, it’s possible to find solutions, even if they are only a short-term option to tide you over. It’s also beneficial to try and reduce spending on non-essential items and budget to make your money stretch further and to find out about programs that could prevent you from getting into debt in the weeks ahead. Some companies offer freezes on loan and credit card payments, for example. 

Relationship breakdown

Relationships can make or break us. While some relationships lift our spirits and make us feel secure and content, others can have a negative impact. Break-ups are tough and it can take a long time to come to terms with the fact that you’re moving in a direction that is different from the one you expected to take. You might have envisioned spending your entire life with a partner, only to find that you’re now on your own. Take your time to process what has happened and to heal. Lean on the people closest to you and try to focus on the present, rather than the past. Often, relationships don’t work, and once you have a sense of perspective and time has passed, you realize that there was a good reason for parting. Let yourself feel and experience emotions and don’t put too much pressure on yourself to get on with life, start dating or stop feeling upset about the situation. Move at your own pace. Everyone copes in different ways and there is no right or wrong way to deal with relationship breakdowns. 

Trauma

Traumatic events such as accidents, natural disasters, or sexual assault can trigger a specific type of anxiety known as PTSD. These feelings of anxiety can be stirred up later in life – often by small and innocuous things that remind us of the traumatic event (such as the sight of a pool after a near-death drowning experience). Doctors can sometimes prescribe drugs to help with day-to-day life. There’s also the option of natural treatments for PTSD. In most cases, therapy can be the best option – a professional therapist will know exactly how to confront your fear in a healthy and effective way so that you can continue to get on with your life.

Work

Do you feel like you’re swimming against the tide, or do you dread the alarm going off every morning? It’s rare to find a job you enjoy every minute of every day, but work shouldn’t be a source of severe stress or anxiety. If you are feeling under pressure, or you’re struggling to switch off, talk to your boss about your workload, address issues that are getting to you, and take some time out. It’s crucial to have a balance and to enjoy downtime. Learn to say no. If you’re already working too many hours without pay, or your to-do list is endless, don’t take on more work or sign yourself up for extra commitments after work. Rest, relax and look after yourself. 

Stress and anxiety are rife at the moment. If you’re struggling, you’re not alone. There are myriad causes, but help is available. Don’t hesitate to reach out and try and take care of yourself as best you can. 

This is a collaborative post.

Melinda

Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series, I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week we highlight a new blogger, Milsy Girl.

Milsy Girl

Your self-care and wellness is my passion 🌻

Hi, I’m Rachel. I’m the blogger behind Milsy Girl 🌻. I’m here to help you create the best version of yourself that you can. 

If you’re not sure where to start, try taking my easy self-care audit. It will show you areas of your self-care and wellness that need a little TLC. 

My blog is packed full of useful tips and resources to help you on your journey.

Stop by to read Rachel’s self-care and healthy living post.

Melinda

Looking for the Light

 

VitalField does it again! Introducing the Pineal Detox FrequenCell. 

 

About Vital Field

Vital fields enable living systems – cells, organs, and micro-organisms – to transfer information and energy across the system (or body) instantly, helping the body’s cells to repair, regenerate, and protect against life’s cumulative stressors, such as toxins, stress, trauma, injury, and electrosmog.

Vital fields enable living systems – cells, organs, and micro-organisms – to transfer information and energy across the system (or body) instantly, helping the body’s cells to repair, regenerate, and protect against life’s cumulative stressors, such as toxins, stress, trauma, injury, and electrosmog.

The Pineal Detox FrequenCell

This FrequenCell supports the detoxification and cleansing process of the pineal gland from toxic loads. It is recommended to start with this FrequenCell to optimally prepare the body.

There are two other Pineal Gland FrequenCells that you can buy as a trio. The Trio bundle includes Pineal Detox, Pineal Gland DNA Strenthing, and the Third Eye FrequenCell.

To see the entire line of VitalField FrequenCells, click here.

I’m currently using the Pineal Detox FrequenCell. I will write a review once I have given it time to work.

Melinda 

Looking for the Light

In this fast-paced social media world, it can be difficult to find the time to look within or back in time. I hope you find these quotes and questions interesting. So glad you stopped by today!

Continue reading “Deep Thoughts” →

Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series, I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week we highlight a new blogger, Stony Soil Vermont.

Stony Soil Vermont

I live with my two daughters in Hardwick, Vermont, a small village along the Lamoille River.

Single motherhood and writing define the shape of my life.

Unstitched: Understanding Opioid Addiction and Repairing Our Communities twines my quest to understand addiction in Vermont, the country, and in my own life (Steerforth Press, 2021).

Hidden View is a gritty story woven with family, farming, and the desire for redemption (Green Writers Press, 2015).

Other things I love: are our two housecats, spring ephemerals, reading on the back porch, public libraries, and Yahtzee.

Melinda

Looking for the Light

Sleep is something that evades a lot of people. If you’re having trouble getting to sleep at night, the problem could be a number of things. You’ve got to try and work out the best way to get to sleep so that you can get those all important hours. It may feel as though you have tried everything, but we’re sure that there’s at least a couple of things that you haven’t thought of yet. In this article, we’re going to be taking a look at some of the things that you should try if you are having trouble sleeping at night. If you want to find out more about this topic, keep reading below.

Now, obviously, we’re not suggesting that you get behind the wheel and start driving if you want to go to sleep. Instead, you should ask someone else if they mind taking the wheel for a little while as you see if this works. It’s a great trick when you’ve got a baby who doesn’t want to sleep because the motion helps soothe them to sleep, so it might work for you too. In fact, a lot of people find it easier to sleep in the car than they do when they are staying still. As such, it’s well worth a try if you’re struggling at night time.

If this is something that you are interested in, you should look into investing in a high-quality sound system for the car so that you can play your music while you’re going around. You can find some reviews of options at a site like zenaracing.com. Looking at sites like this will help you determine which system could be the best for you, so it’s well worth checking out.

Another thing that we think you should try is keeping all the electronics that you own out of the room. This will ensure that you aren’t being impacted by any of the blue light that they emit because this can cause issues with sleeping. As such, when it’s time for bed, you should leave your phone, laptop, and all other devices outside the room, and preferably downstairs completely away from you.

Not only is this helpful for the blue light problem, but it also ensures that you can’t be tempted to turn over and play with it. We know the temptation and we know it well. You want to check your messages and see if anyone has spoken to you. You want to scroll through social media just to kill the time a little bit. But, doing things like this will keep you awake for longer, so it’s never a good idea even if you’re bored.

Have you ever thought about not going into your bedroom unless it’s time to sleep? Or at least, going in there minimal amounts of times and only when you need something from there? You should never get into bed if you’re not going to be going to sleep as this sends the message to your brain that it’s just another place for your day-to-day activities. 

If you can manage to get yourself into a routine where you only go to bed when it’s time for your nighttime sleep, you are going to find it much easier to get some rest through the night. This is because your brain gets the message that when you get into bed, you’re going to sleep for the night, so it knows that it’s time to switch off everything else and allow you the rest you need. 

Something else that could help is coming up with a night routine. For example, if you brush your teeth, do anything that you usually do like if you have a skincare routine, change into your pajamas, let all the stresses of the day go, and then go to sleep every night, eventually, it will just become a habit to go to sleep after these things. As such, each night, as long as you complete the routine, you should find that getting to sleep isn’t so much of a problem. Of course, this isn’t foolproof and sometimes it won’t work, but it will for the large majority of nights.

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the things that you should try if you’re having issues sleeping. Sleep is difficult for a lot of people, but it’s essential that you get it where you can and as much as you can, otherwise you could be in some serious trouble health-wise. Hopefully, something on this list will help you go to sleep.

This is a collaborative post.

Melinda

Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series, I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week we highlight a new blogger, DOREENSHEALTHANDWELLNESS63

DOREENSHEALTHANDWELLNESS63

The purpose of this blog is to share my personal medical stories about my Auto-immune(chronic illnesses) diseases and receive information from others in hopes that we can help each other.

Stop by and check out her site. 

Melinda

Looking for the Light

 

Please join our celebration of Ellie Thompson from Essentially Ellie, who has joined as a Contributor. I’ve been talking with Ellie for a few months and was overjoyed when she accepted to join the group.   Photo by Henry & Co. on Pexels.com Who is Survivors Blog Here? We support men and women Survivors from […]

Please Welcome Our Newest Contributor, Ellie Thompson from Essentially Ellie — Survivors Blog Here Mental Health Collaborative

Hello everyone🖖 Melatonin, commonly known as the sleep hormone is responsible for our cicardian rythm. But, it has some fascinating facts to be known. 1. The pineal gland, located at the base of the brain, is known to produce 5% of the total quantity of melatonin. Surprisingly, in all of the cells throughout the entire […]

10 interesting facts about Melatonin 😴 — The 3H:health,happiness,healing

Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series, I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week we highlight a new blogger, Explorations in Psychotherapy.

Explorations in Psychotherapy

Allan is a new blogger and doesn’t have an About Me page yet. I love reading his post and talking to him. 

Please stop by and say hello.

Melinda

Looking for the Light

I want to give a special thanks to Andrea Marchiano, Editor from Trigger Publishing for sending Befriending Your Brian to read and review. 

Publication

March 2, 2023

Blurb

Like many of us, James Lindsay is no stranger to stress and anxiety. But in his case, leaving those struggles untreated led to a full psychotic episode that hospitalised him for the better part of a month. With the help of medication and therapy, he has now overcome this dark period and is currently living a much happier life.

But his story doesn’t end there. Now, he wants to help others avoid the same fate by sharing his experience, including the red flags he recognises in hindsight and the path he charted to recovery. No matter where you are on your own journey, James’ story will resonate and remind you, as he puts it, that “recovery is always possible, and hope is never far away.”

My Thoughts

Great Quote from the book

James was plagued with anxiety from a young age but had little knowledge of Mental Illness, let alone Psychosis. He was bullied throughout his school years, and as James got older, his anxiety grew.  There were many days he didn’t want to attend class because they called him names, and it was troubling for him. He couldn’t just shake it off. 

Shortly before the breakup with his girlfriend of two years, James started to unravel. He starts talking to friends but is not making sense and they became worried. His behavior became more erratic, began hearing voices telling him what to do and Psychosis started. Which lead to more erratic behavior and he was taken to the hospital where he was diagnosed as having Acute Psychosis. James stayed in the Psychiatric Hospital for four weeks. 

To this point, you can see how his anxiety grew, and having treatment earlier would have helped. 

After several medication changes, James is on his way forward. He found a part-time job, and ran a 10K run which was something he did in the past. Doing more helped his confidence grow and help him look forward to life. James not only jumped back into the hobbies he loved but went way out of his comfort zone with other activities. He made friends and started to have a full life helped by CBT.

 I love that James includes a list of Apps that provide Mental Health support, a list of what not to say to someone experiencing Mental Illness, a list of Mental Health podcast,s and books to read about Mental Illness. I can certainly relate to the list as I was diagnosed with Bipolar, Anxiety, and PTSD at age 19.

I’ve shared more about the book than usual because it’s important to see that seeking help is the answer to moving forward. 

I’m so happy to say James found love again and is married and loving life. Jame’s book is really for anyone with Anxiety, depression, psychosis, and schizophrenia. It’s packed with great examples of the struggles he’s been thru and sticking with treatment, being honest with doctor and taking your medication is the way forward. 

Befriending My Brain is a must-buy.

Trigger Publishing

TriggerHub.org is the first mental health organization of its kind. We are bringing mental health recovery and balance to millions of people worldwide through the power of our books.

We have built a first-class resource of curated books produced and published in-house to create a unique collection of mental health recovery titles unrivaled in quality and selection. We work with experts, psychologists, doctors, and coaches to produce our books, but we also work with real people looking to share their stories to reach out to others and provide hope, understanding, and compassion. These brave authors also aim to raise awareness of mental health’s “human” face and its impact on everyday lives. 

Melinda

Looking for the Light