This month we’ve talked about making some time for yourself – ME TIME, where I suggested you take 15 – 20 minutes to meditate, reflect and give yourself some time to think. Sometimes, our lives are so crammed full, we actually don’t have the time to think how we are going approach that project tomorrow, which way we are going to drive to the conference, or literally what is for dinner! The TV is always on, when the phone dings we answer it immediately, we don’t know something so we search Google, the other half has lost the door key/bank card/favourite pants! The kids want taking to dancing/Karate/swimming, or are having a meltdown because they can’t find the other my little pony/Spiderman sock! And the house is a mess! Jeeez, take a deep breath and meditate. Get in your head, take control and get your life back. Prioritise what is most important or what you are most anxious or stressed about and spend time thinking it all through, you will be able to see with a renewed vision of how to sort it.

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Next, we talked about joining a club. Interacting with other like-minded people is immensely beneficial for your mental health. Your self-esteem will rocket, your sense of achievement will leave you feeling accomplished, you will feel needed, wanted, part of something, you’ll have somewhere where you can talk to other people, feel supported, maybe your club lets you get out into nature and the fresh air too. If your club involves getting physical it will also have a deep effect physically and therefore mentally too.

Next, I covered food and mood and explained how what you put in your body affects your mood. I gave you some homework to research exactly what is what in the manufactured food industry by watching some documentaries on Netflix, they explain how the tobacco companies changed tack once they were sued for knowingly selling tobacco to us with carcinogenic properties and got us addicted to something else – food. They now own most of the companies feeding us manufactured food, making us fat, unhealthy, addicted, and worst of all, making us possibly riddled with the associated disease of mind and body. I gave you a mood and food diary to fill in and see how much correlation there is between the two, although it will be 3-4 weeks before you can see a pattern. I explained how you should make the best use of fruit and vegetables and try and eat a plant-based diet. I’m not vegan or even vegetarian, but the chemicals they feed our animals bred for our food chain is incredible – up to 250 different types of drug, I don’t know about you, but I don’t want that in my body and certainly not in my mind.

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If you have tried to make a difference to your mind and, or, your body by following any of these strategies then I’m immensely proud of you and would love to hear all about it, either by email or text or social media message (email help@thetherapyshed, text 07572102520, or @therapyshedHQ on Twitter or @thetherapyshedHQ on facebook) If you would like to help yourself but don’t know where to start you can contact me by any of the means above for a chat to see how I can help you. Denise x