SHAKE OFF YOUR WORRIES IN 6 SIMPLE STEPS

"Worrying is like sitting in a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn't get you anywhere" 

We all get worried sometimes. It's completely normal, but more often than not a waste of time. Why? Because 90% of what we worry about doesn't even happen and let's face it worrying doesn't actually change a thing, it only steals your happiness. Nevertheless, we still worry anyway. 
The BIG problems occur when it happens too often - this is because it can drain our energy leading us to become unproductive, it can effect the way we deal with others and is proven to have a major impact on our stress levels and consequently, our health. 
Worry tends to be a result of fear. Fear of failing, making mistakes or experiencing some sort of rejection. Although it is an emotion considered common amongst all people, it's important to learn how to shake it off, pronto. Here's a few helpful ideas to get you started:

1) WHO CARES?!

One of the main reasons we worry is because we stop to think about what others might think about us. Learn to say "So what, who cares? I know what I'm doing is right and that's what counts!" After all, you only get one chance at life, is it really worth allowing others to make it less enjoyable for you? Plus, people's opinions change all the time, give it time. Remember when that person said they hated the colour yellow and now they've just bought a yellow jacket? Okay- so maybe that's not the best example but the point is people's minds always change, so what they think now may not matter later on. 

2) DON'T FOCUS ON THE PROBLEM

Another factor that leads to worry is that we tend to focus on the problem and forget that we need to find a solution. You will be surprised to find just how fast you can find a solution when you learn to recognise problems once , then change your thoughts to focusing on finding a solution rather than going over any problems again and again. 

3) Organise & prioritise

The root of most of our worries stem from lack of preparation for a situation. Learn to organise your days, to-do lists can be helpful as long as you don't create them with unrealistic expectations. It's common to give ourselves so many tasks to do in a day because we want or need to get them all done. However, overloading yourself can have the opposite effect, causing you too feel overwhelmed with tasks and therefore completing nothing or very little just because the thought of running behind brings you stress. You can stop this form of self-sabotage by setting your priorities straight, maybe write a list of all the things you need or want to do and at the beginning of  each day asking yourself, "If I could only get three things done today, what would I like them to be? What's top priority." 

4) Get support

Sometimes having someone either simply listen or share advice can help you find a solution to whatever it is you're worrying about. So next time you find yourself worrying about something, why not talk to a friend? 

5) Change your perspective 

Something that is really great to do is to try and see your situation from another perspective. For instance if it was a friend in the situation you're in, what advice might you give them? We tend to be really good at giving others advice and not so good at helping ourselves out. Viewing a situation as an observer rather than someone who is part of the situation at hand, can inspire a clear solution.

6) Write about it. 

Writing is a great way to gain perspective. Often when someone writes down their thoughts, a solution becomes apparent during the process. When your thoughts are in front of you they can often appear less stressful. 

"Worry is a misuse of imagination."

Love and light 

xo 

5 TIPS TO HELP MAKE YOUR LIFE MORE INTERESTING

“Good things come to those who wait… greater things come to those who get off their ass and do anything to make it happen.”

You don't have to do something wildly dramatic to lead a more interesting life, small and simple changes can have a long-lasting result. Does your daily schedule seem monotone and repetitive? Are you bored of being bored? If so, it's time to shake up your routine a bit and try something different, here are 5 tips to help you on your way:

1. Get out of the house! - This is a fairly obvious suggestion that tends to get overlooked, it's time to turn off the TV or computer/laptop/Ipad, Kindle, Phone - whatever it is that is taking up all your time inside the house- and do something. This could be taking a walk, Googling free or cheap events in your area and attending them, visiting a local gallery or museum or even just finding a quiet spot at the library. Make an extra effort to get out the house, because once you are out the possibilities are endless.
2. Learn something new! - Try your hand at something new, sometimes that's all it takes to liven up your day. Why not take up a new hobby or learn a new skill? You could learn a new language, both DuoLingo and the BBC Bitesize website offer free language learning activities and worksheets to help you on your way! Another option could be to channel your inner musician by learning a new instrument such as the guitar or piano. Take up a new online course, practice a few magic tricks or grab a pencil and paper and learn how to sketch; whatever you are interested in there's bound to be a variety of options available for you.
3. Meet new people!: Meeting new people can open new doors leading to excitement and adventure. Others may introduce you to new hobbies, interests and activities and give you the chance to make new friends along the way- different people have interesting stories and it can be nice to hear them and share some of your own!.
4. Make something interesting!:  Why not try crafting something and see if you're any good or just do it for the fun of it?! Pinterest can be used to quickly search for simple projects and thousands of results come up when you look up ideas using a search engine such as Bing or Google.
5. Travel to new places!:  A guaranteed gateway to meeting new faces, observing different cultures, discovering entertainment, trying out new tastes etc. You don't necessary have to go abroad to venture somewhere new, there's the option of roadtrips to different towns, or heading to the train station and jumping on a train to the cheapest new destination and seeing what happens. Although traveling somewhere new can seem frightening at first it can be refreshing and liberating, especially if you've been stuck in same place for a while. It's hard to stay bored when you are constantly letting new people and surroundings into your life.

If it's necessary schedule excitement into your daily routine, make having fun a priority, take it as seriously as your other commitments.  Just changing up your routine a little or trying something completely different can make all the difference, after-all variety expands our experiences and helps us lead a more fulfilling life.


Love and light
xo

Twitter: tyisha_rochelle

HOW TO BREAK THE HABIT OF COMPARING YOURSELF WITH OTHERS

"The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else's highlight reel."

If you always want what others have you'll never have enough.

Why do we compare ourselves to others? Well, simply put, the ego wants to be number one. However, the problem with comparison is we tend to compare our weaknesses against another's strengths or we compare ourselves to someone who has more expertise or experience in a certain area. This can leave us in a never-ending spiral of self destruction and unhappiness. We feel inferior because we feel like we should be entitled to have or to be able to do, all the things we admire/envy in others.  Even if we do well in the comparison we make with another, it's a short-lived boost of ego which is easily knocked down. Comparison is a losing game, but luckily, we get to make the rules. Here's some tips on how you can break this habit that doesn't serve you any good.

Breaking the habit of comparison...

Learn from a rivals positive points:

So, after hearing or seeing someone do something well you think you lack in some thing? Transform the jealousy into admiration and use this as motivation toward self improvement. It's easier to criticise people than compliment them, don't fall into this habit. Instead of trying to find a flaw in what they are doing in order to make you feel better about your own shortcomings, why not change those thoughts into that of inspiration ( I.e "If they can do it, so can I. Time to start working towards what I want!") You could even ask someone to teach you the skill they are good at, if that's not an option there's plenty of resources available to learn yourself in the form of Youtube videos, blogs etc.

Awareness:
Be aware of when you're slipping into comparison-mode, often we're so used to doing it that we don't even realise that we've slipped into it again. Be on a lookout for these thoughts, and when they creep up, pause, acknowledge the thought and gently change focus, "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."

Don't knock others down:
Sometimes we criticise others to try make ourselves feel better, this is just destructive and can form enemies where you could of formed a friend. It does you good to support others in their success, as a result they are more willing to help you and more interested in seeing what you can do. Remember, nobody has to lose for somebody to win. "It doesn't build you up to tear others down."

Be a better YOU:
Instead of comparing and competing with others you can always compare and compete with yourself.

 "Those who compete with others become bitter, those who compete with themselves become better."

You are the only person in the world you have the power to change and improve. So why not redirect the comparison? Ask yourself some questions: 

What are you doing now that you couldn't or didn't do a year ago?
What steps out of your comfort zone have you taken?
How further towards your goal/s are you now compared to 5 years ago?
How have you improved?
What negative behaviour/habits have you finally managed to stop engaging in?
Recently, what have you done that you thought you could never do?

Basically, how have you continued to become a better version of yourself?

This may work better instead of trying to stop comparing altogether, as that can be tricky to grasp hold of instantly due to the fact that the mind likes to figure out where we fit into the scheme of things.

Focus on your strengths:
Don't brag but feel good about them and work on using them to your advantage. Everyone has something they are good at, even if it's not the thing they most desire. Appreciate them, be grateful for them.

"Don't compare your chapter 1 with someone else's chapter 20."

Take note, that we only see the part of others they choose to share with us, they too have their own shortcomings and insecurities, there will be somebody they don't feel they measure up to when comparing themselves to another too. Don't be fooled into thinking their life is perfect, we are all fighting different battles. It's hard to judge a situation well that you are not a part of, so try to focus of the one thing you are in control of - yourself.


Love and light
xo. 

ATTEMPT THE IMPOSSIBLE

Take time to think in terms of possibilities rather than in terms of limitation-  just because something is hard or hasn't been done yet, doesn't mean it can't be. Besides, it's kind of fun to do things that others say can't be done.


"The Wright brothers flew right through the smoke screen of impossibility." - Charles Kettering