Tag: Mindfulness

Abundance, Health, Living Now, Mindfulness

Six Years Later

Lyn Bailey

Title: Six Years Later: A Heart Overflowing with Gratitude (and a Gift for You)

 

Yesterday, a wave of relief washed over me, a feeling so profound it brought tears to my eyes. Six years after my bowel cancer surgery, I received the all-clear once again. I am still cancer-free.

Those two words, “cancer-free,” are more than just a medical term. They represent a second chance, a gift of time, and a renewed appreciation for the beauty and fragility of life.

The journey hasn’t been easy. There were moments of fear, uncertainty, and exhaustion. But through it all, I discovered the incredible power of gratitude. It wasn’t an instant cure for my worries, but it was a steady anchor, a reminder of the good that existed even amidst the challenges.

Gratitude isn’t about ignoring the pain or pretending everything is perfect. It’s about acknowledging the blessings, big and small, that weave through our lives. It’s about recognizing the resilience of the human spirit, the kindness of others, and the simple joys that make life worth living.

In the past six years, I’ve learned that gratitude is a practice, a muscle that strengthens with use. It’s about shifting your focus from what’s lacking to what’s abundant. It’s about finding beauty in the everyday moments – a warm cup of coffee, a heartfelt conversation, a sunset painted across the sky.

This milestone has inspired me to share the transformative power of gratitude with you. I want to help you cultivate a deeper sense of appreciation for your own life, no matter what challenges you may be facing.

 

Want to dive deeper into the power of gratitude? Download my FREE Gratitude Worksheet! This simple yet powerful tool will help you cultivate more joy, appreciation, and positivity in your everyday life. Click the link HERE to grab your copy and start your gratitude journey today!



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Mental Health, Mindfulness, Personal Development

Daily Habits to Cultivate Gratitude

Lyn Bailey

Simple Daily Habits to Cultivate Gratitude

Develop an attitude of gratitude, and you will live a happier and healthier life. Gratitude has been a big part of my life for many years. It has helped me get through many major challenges in my life, including a marriage breakup after 34 years, and a diagnosis of bowel cancer over 5 years ago. Regular gratitude practice has been linked to significant health benefits in the mind and body. Your relationships will improve, and so will your outlook on life. I am living testament of this. Here are a few tips for cultivating gratitude daily for an overall wellness boost.

 

Volunteer And Help Others

How does helping others make you grateful? Volunteering your time or services develops an appreciation for what you have. It is a simple way to cultivate gratitude and connect with others who want to help in their community.

 

Say Thank You Five Times Every Day

Commit to thank someone five times every day. Do it in person. If this isn’t possible, then pick up your phone and do a FaceTime or audio call. This is far more personal and meaningful than a text message. If text is the only way available, as is currently with my granddaughter who is overseas for eight weeks, then by all means use it. Expressing gratitude in someone’s presence gives you the benefits of socialization. Personal interactions trigger the production of chemicals that make both parties feel safe and happy with the connection.

Committing to five “thank yous” every day is positively contagious. You will find yourself expressing gratitude more than five times each day in different experiences and aspects of your life.

 

Give a Genuine Compliment

Paying a compliment is a form of gratitude. You express your happiness about someone’s clothes, hairstyle, or behavior. People love receiving compliments. The recipient of your grateful recognition might be having a difficult day. Your sincere compliment could change their perspective from negative to positive. I like to make a point of complimenting someone each time I go to the supermarket. It may be a worker on their work, or another shopper on the colour of their top. You can always find something if you just look.

As with any act of gratitude, paying a genuine compliment makes you feel good, not just the recipient of the thanks. You are happy about what you did, and your self-respect grows. 

 

Express Gratitude for Yourself

You can thank yourself for being the unique person you are. Be thankful for your skill or a random act of kindness you performed. Being grateful for some aspect of yourself is a sign of respect. Your self-esteem and self-appreciation grow, and that’s a beautiful thing. This is often the most difficult expression of gratitude to give. Try it in front of a mirror, and repeat it until you feel comfortable thanking yourself.

 

Start a Daily Gratitude Journal

Record your thoughts every morning and each night. Begin and end your day with wellness-boosting thoughts of gratitude. Each morning, express gratitude for what you hope to accomplish. That increases the chances that you will have a good day.

At night, journal about the goodness you can take away from your experience. What people, places, and things were you grateful for that day? Are you thankful for something you did or experienced? Digital gratitude apps ensure you can always record your thoughts about what you are thankful for.

If you feel this is too much time or effort, then just get a small notebook and every day write down just three things you are grateful for, just three things.

 

Say “Thank You” to Your Mistakes

Look at the positive side of your mistakes and failures. If you let them, they can be wonderful teachers. Mistakes tell you what didn’t work, and they are stepping stones to improvement. Be grateful for your mistakes and embrace anything positive you can take away from the experience. This is often the hardest time to feel grateful. Believe me, if you do this, it can change your whole enjoyment of your life. When I was diagnosed with cancer I became grateful for my doctor who ordered the blood tests that detected something was wrong, grateful for my surgeon whose expertise saved my life, grateful for my family and friends who rallied around me during that difficult time. 

 

Start today with our FREE Mini Gratitude Journal. Click here.

 

 

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Journaling, Mental Health, Mindfulness, Personal Development

How Journaling Can Help with Mental Health Issues

Lyn Bailey

adult, diary, journal-1850177.jpg

Keeping any type of journal will help with improving any mental health issues. However, if you really want to tackle a specific problem youíre having, it will help to determine the right type of journal to keep. Keeping a particular kind of journal may work best for your issue.

* Boosts Your Mood ñ If you really want to boost your mood, keeping a gratitude journal is where itís at. All you have to do is once a day, preferably before bed, write down what youíre grateful for today. It might not seem like much but itís very powerful for going to sleep, thinking positively about your life.

* Increases Your Sense of Well-Being ñ As you write out your thoughts, youíll start seeing issues from a new angle just because youíre opening your mind to think about it. This is going to make you feel more capable of dealing with whatever happens.

* Lessens Symptoms of Depression ñ Understand that depression is something different from sadness, and that you likely need a counselor. Writing it all down can make it seem less horrific so that you can feel better. Plus, you can look back at days you thought life was “over” and see better days after.

* Reduces Anxiety ñ The problem with anxiety is that it was designed to help us get away from immediate danger. It triggers the “fight or flight” response. If each time you have that anxious feeling you choose to write in your journal how you are feeling and why, youíll start to control it better.

* Lowers Avoidance Behaviors ñ Many people who have mental health issues practice avoidance behaviors such as not going to places that cause them anxiety, or not doing the things they need to do due to how they feel. When you write it out, it helps you get the feelings out but do the thing anyway.

* Youíll Sleep Better ñ Pouring your heart out into a journal is a great way to get things off your chest. However, for sleep, go to the gratitude journal and write down what youíre thankful for today and go to sleep thinking of that.

* Makes You a Kinder Person ñ Exploring your own emotional state and accepting your own feelings while you work through what makes you who you are in your journal is going to make you naturally more empathetic to others too. Letting go of judgment for self improves your thoughts for others also.

* Improves Your Memory ñ This is almost a situation where you want to say “duh” but it has to be said. Writing down things helps you remember them because you can go back and read it, but also because the act of writing something down enables you to recall it.

One thing that can really help you make your journaling work is to learn how to keep one effectively. Make some journaling rules, do it every day to create a habit, and keep it private unless you decide to let your therapist see it or you decide to use it to help others. This is for you and only you for the most part.

Click here for your FREE Gratitude Mini Journal
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Living Now, Mental Health, Personal Development

Is Journaling Right for Everyone?

Lyn Bailey
notebook, notes, pen-1840276.jpg

Is Journaling Right for Everyone?

 

 

 

Journaling is an effective tool often used for self-reflection and personal growth. Self-reflection is the process of thinking about and evaluating one’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

 

It is a way of assessing oneself to make changes and improve one’s life. Self-reflection can be done through journaling, therapy, or simply taking time each day to think about your experiences and how they have affected you.

 

Self-reflection is critical because it allows you to see yourself objectively and to understand your thoughts and feelings better. It helps you identify areas in your life that you want to change. By practicing reflection, you can make positive changes that will lead to a happier and more fulfilling life.

 

Journaling can also be used to help improve your mental health, physical health, relationships, work-life and more. However, it’s not suitable for everyone.

 

If you’re not ready to truly look at yourself with an objective eye, act on the information you gain from this insight and do the work necessary to become the person you want to be, journaling may not be right for you at this time. When you’re ready, then journaling can help.

 

Below are some characteristics that may indicate that journaling could be a struggle for you. We’ve also included tips to help you overcome the problem so you can try to make it work.

 

You have trouble focusing

 

If you have trouble focusing on one task for an extended period of time, journaling may seem frustrating to you. The act of writing can be very calming and therapeutic, but it requires a certain level of focus and concentration. If your mind wanders, you may find it challenging to stay on track while journaling.

 

Tip to overcome this: If you have trouble focusing, try setting a timer and concentrate on writing for that amount of time. Alternately, rotate how you journal. One day, focus on what you’re writing. The next day, let yourself freely write whatever comes to mind, whether or not it makes sense. 

 

You are not comfortable with self-reflection

 

Journaling involves self-reflection, learning to be open and honest with yourself. Getting to know yourself on a much deeper level. If you’re not comfortable looking inward and examining your thoughts and feelings, you may find journaling an uncomfortable experience.

 

Tips to overcome this: If you’re not comfortable with self-reflection, try journaling about topics other than yourself. You can write about current events, your favorite TV show, or anything else that interests you. Share your thoughts, opinions, and feelings on the topics and even how the topics affect your life. 

 

 

You are resistant to change

 

If you’re resistant to change, journaling may be less effective than you wish. The act of journaling can be compelling and transformative, but it requires a willingness to reflect on your life and make changes. If you’re not ready to change your life, you may find journaling tedious.

 

Tips to overcome this: If you’re resistant to change, try journaling about your resistance. Why are you resistant to change? What are your fears? You may find exploring your resistance is not as impossible as you thought.

 

You are not comfortable with emotions

 

If you’re truly honest with yourself when writing, journaling can be emotionally intense. If you’re not comfortable dealing with your emotions, journaling may be an uncomfortable experience when first starting out. 

 

Tips to overcome this: If you’re not comfortable with emotions, try writing about them in a detached way. Don’t judge your emotions. Just observe them. What do they feel like? What are they telling you? By observing your emotions without judgment, you may find that they’re not as scary as you first thought.

 

Journaling is a fantastic way to improve yourself and your life. While it can be a struggle and may feel uncomfortable at first, if you’re in the right mindset and willing to do the work, the benefits can be rewarding. If you try it and find it isn’t right for you, that’s perfectly okay. Use the tools that work best for you to overcome the roadblocks that limit your ability to live the life you want.

 

To find out if journaling is for you, download your FREE Gratitude Mini Journal below and give it a try.

 

Click here for your FREE Gratitude Mini Journal
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