Seasonal depression affects 1 in 3 people in the UK alone according to The Independent. It can affect you in a mild form or completely take over your life.
As someone who has experienced depression and anxiety in the past, I wanted to share the 5 ways I beat the winter blues:
With the general business and busyness of everyday life, it’s so easy to get swept up in the day isn’t it? But I find that by starting my day off on the right ‘foot’, it gives me a head start in overcoming any stress and negativity that comes my way throughout the day.
By having a daily routine, I have time for me albeit in the early hours before any else is awake. Yes, I often struggle to get out of bed in the morning due to tiredness but I usually stick to my daily routine which happens to be in the morning (and bits of it are often repeated at night) and I really feel the difference.
Have you ever thought that you need to have a perfect blue sky dotted with clouds in order to cloud watch?
Well think again…
It’s a past-time for all seasons!
Take this picture that I shared on instagram. Though there’s not much blue sky, isn’t it beautifully atmospheric and zen-like? (if I say so myself!!)
Granted, I’m not suggesting that you lay on your back on some sodden, cold grass and cloud watch, but just stop a moment.
Be in the moment.
Take in the clouds as they swirl by… Follow that swirl as it changes form…
Although you haven’t got your eyes closed, it’s a great way to slow down and it actually might just be a form of meditation.
Why not make it a habit?
Do you like cloud watching? What else do you like to do that relaxes you and is a great past-time to adopt? I’d love to hear from you! Please comment (below) or tweet me @AllSortsHere. And come and say hi on social media ~
Thank you 🙂
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So, have you got a plan to improve your fitness?
Maybe you’ve joined a gym?
Perhaps you’ve got kitted out for running or swimming?
If you have, great! Good for you!
Or maybe you’ve got yourself a yoga mat or a meditation app.
A step in the right direction…
All of the above exercises and activities improve our mental health as well as our physical health, of course. Those wonderful endorphins that are released in exercise… ooh yeah, give me some of those!
And it sounds pretty obvious that a consistent approach is best and that it gives you the best chance of success. Taking up and continuing with exercise or a beneficial activity is a bit of a mind-game. Particularly in the early days, getting into your exercise kit is half the battle. We know we’re going to feel great during and after exercise but resisting the sofa, TV and treats can be a huge battle.
As I’ve already touched on, once those addictive endorphins start pumping, it’s like a good habit and you just want to keep going back for more.
To help you on your way, here are 5 ways you increase your chances of success to be more healthy… and stay that way (be it physical or mental, or both!):
There you have it then, 5 ways to be more healthy and stay that way!
Thank you 🙂
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Being reiki level 2 attuned, I am able to treat family and friends and also myself.
And now I’m extending the offer of a 15 minute distance reiki session to you!
Just enter by using the rafflecopter (below). The giveaway is open to Worldwide entrants and ends at 12am on 30th November 2016. Good luck to you!
While you’re here, why not share your posts that are positive, happy and full of zing and show us how you put the zing back in your zen?
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Welcome back to #TheZenZing, where I help you put the
zing back into your life.
This time I ponder how to change your zen to achieve your zing!
In a previous ZenZing I shared how I intended to start running and swimming again.
After I passed my health check with flying colours, I decided not to assume I would remain physically healthy.
I decided that I needed some cardio to get my blood pumping.
My yoga, reiki and meditation help to keep me balanced mentally but I also needed to get moving.
I completed the Couch 2 5 k a couple of years ago (you can read my poem ‘Cancer, jog on!’ here.)
So, I thought it wouldn’t take a huge amount of effort to get my fitness back.
And did it?
Well, I don’t know!
I never started the running again. Instead, our little girl has been swimming at her school and has been asking to go swimming at the weekends. So we’ve been a couple of times and although I’m not doing hardcore swimming, I’m still getting some exercise. It look like she’s getting very close to swimming unaided so it’ll be lovely to be able to do a width or 2 with her, moving on to lengths soon enough afterwards perhaps.
So, although my running’s been a non-starter (so far), swimming has taken its place!
And I’m okay with that because any exercise is better than none at all…
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Sharing with…
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Follow Carol Cameleon Writer & Blogger extraordinaire’s board My zen 🙂 on Pinterest.
Welcome back to #TheZenZing, where I help you put the
zing back into your life.
This time I’m going to tell you how you can reset yourself by way of a chakra cleanse.
And look out for a chakra bracelet giveaway this month on my blog!
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Sharing with…
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Follow Carol Cameleon Writer & Blogger extraordinaire’s board My zen 🙂 on Pinterest.
Yesterday I spoke about how I am now reiki level 2 attuned, about how I treat family and friends and also myself.
Now it’s time to offer one of my lovely readers (it could be you!) a 30 minute reiki distance healing session. Just enter by using the rafflecopter (below). The giveaway is open to Worldwide entrants and ends at 12am on 9th July 2015. Good luck to you!
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Hello and welcome to another #TheZenZing! Here I share how you can put the energy back into your life! Last month we looked at meditating with crystals. How did you get on with it? Did you feel the benefits? Let me know by tweeting @AllSortsHere.
This month it’s time for some reiki and tomorrow on this very blog I will be hosting a distance reiki session giveaway… 🙂
If you’re new to reiki and are curious as to what ‘it’ is, let me enlighten you. There is energy all around us. I’m attuned to reiki 1 , have recently been attuned to reiki 2 and feel the benefits every day from treating myself.
Each person’s experience is different and personal (at least from the feedback I’ve received from family and friends).
Reiki is ‘universal life force’. It’s the universal energy being transported through the ‘giver’ to the ‘receiver’.
It’s the transformation of this energy into ‘chi’ and as the chi flows through the meridian lines, clearing any blockages in its path, it’s the alignment and the balancing of the chakras.
Reiki will go to where it’s needed. Reiki is awesome and can be healing too. It can be practiced in person or (at level 2) by distance with the person’s permission.
Reiki love to you…
It’s #TheZenZing…
I am attuned to Reiki level 2 and I practice meditation and mindfulness, along with yoga and find this holistic approach works for me. I would always advise anyone to seek advice from a doctor or similar medically qualified professional if you have symptoms that are a concern to you.
I invite you to share your blog posts on anything ‘positive, happy and full of zing’ by linking up each month to #TheZenZing linky. It will be open from 0600 GMT on the 1st of each month for 2 weeks. I’ll share each post across my social media and in my monthly newsletter. In the following month’s #TheZenZing post, I will share my favourite post from the previous month’s linky.
So get involved! Spread #TheZenZing positive vibe 🙂
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After taking part in the April AtoZChallenge, I feel the need for some relaxation and then some zing… so welcome to another #TheZenZing! Here I share how you can put the energy back into your life! The last time we looked at our breathing and how we can breathe effectively by using the natural breath. How did you get on with it? Did you feel the benefits? Let me know by tweeting @AllSortsHere.
This month is all about breathing with ‘mindfulness’ (also known to many as meditation). Some believe that you shouldn’t empty your mind while meditating. I beg to differ.
That’s the beauty of mediation though – you do what works best for you and what you feel most comfortable with.
What works for me is mentally taking any thought (or thoughts) that pop into my mind and putting them into an imaginary basket next to me. Next I ensure I’m sitting up comfortably straight, quieten my mind again and start again. First, I focus on my breathing and then, as any thoughts pop into my mind (because they always do), I get my ‘basket’ and pop them in there.
And so the positive cycle of relaxing, focussing on breathing and being mindful starts again. Can you see how it’s a practice? Make it a habit to meditate and I’m sure you’ll reap the benefits.
Meditating can clear your mind, de-stress you and ultimately make you feel more alert and energetic. That’s what #TheZenZing is all about!
Next month we will look at using crystals during meditation and I will be introducing my virtual friend Chrissy Faery, Certified Crystal Healer.
It’s #TheZenZing…
Though not a qualified holistic therapist, I practice meditation and mindfulness, along with breathing techniques and find this works for me.
Now I invite you to share your blog posts on anything ‘positive, happy and full of zing’ by linking up (it’s live for the next 2 weeks). I’ll share each post across my social media and in my monthly newsletter. In the following month’s #TheZenZing post, I will share my favourite post from the previous month’s linky.
So get involved! Spread #TheZenZing positive vibe 🙂
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