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The Importance of Congruence: How to Manage Your Thoughts

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A term you might’ve heard a lot nowadays is how you shouldn’t “bottle up” your thoughts, let alone your emotions. This means that you’re deliberately holding back from expressing a thought. Especially if it worries or concerns you because you don’t wish to face the emotions that will follow.

There are many harmful effects caused by you bottling up your thoughts. Just a couple include: 

  • Feeling anxious. As you’re trying to trick yourself into not confronting what’s on your mind, your anxiety levels will increase. 
  • Developing harmful coping mechanisms. To avoid the thoughts that are bothering you, you may find yourself eating or drinking and, if you smoke, smoking more than before. 
  • Following from the previous point, these habits can lead to not just weight gain or loss, and digestive issues as well. 

This article will explain how you should not bottle up those thoughts by confronting and accepting that you’ve been having them. 

Read Now: A Happy Diet: 9 Foods Proven to Lift Your Mood

Write Things Down

Writing can help you to understand your thoughts.

Although it sounds simple, writing down your thoughts is an effective technique. It’s even proven that it helps create catharsis. 

Whether you’re using putting a pen to paper or typing on a computer, there are several ways in which you could do this. It could be a diary or journal entry, or even a letter to a person who might be bothering you. Remember not to send that letter, as it’s only being used for self-therapy. 

As you write, your thoughts will properly take shape and become a lot clearer to you. They can become more personal than you expect. But writing will help you understand them more and give you a proper idea as to why you’ve been thinking about them. 

Exercise 

At first glance, you might be thinking “if I decide to exercise, won’t I be avoiding confronting my thoughts?”

No matter what method of exercise you engage in or how long you’ll be doing it, you’ll have the space to focus on what’s on your mind. This can be as simple as going for a walk, or going to the gym and lifting weights. Regardless, exercise gives you a chance to reflect on your thoughts and emotions. 

After all, the brain is often likened to being a muscle, so you’ll be exercising that as well as you move around. 

Read Now: Surprising Benefits of Exercise: Confidence and Creativity

Consider Why You’re Bottling Up


Negative thoughts can be difficult to deal with alone.

Sometimes, you are already fully aware of why you’ve been bottling things up. 

There are a variety of reasons for doing this. You could be angry or upset (or a combination of the two) over someone or something, which can cause emotional distress. Thinking about and focusing on these thoughts might feel as though you’re reliving the initial experience that led to you having them in the first place. This can lead to you not wanting to go through them again, but ignoring them won’t make them go away.

By choosing to ignore the problem itself, you’re going to cause yourself numerous harmful repercussions. The biggest side effect of not challenging those thoughts is the increase in your anxiety levels, which can eventually make you feel anxious all the time. 

Express Yourself Creatively

There are times when you just feel as though you want to express yourself, but you don’t want to downright say what’s on your mind. The thoughts can be negative or positive. But, that won’t stop them from being intrusive and possibly distracting you from whatever you’re doing. 

There are many creative ways for you to convey your thoughts and ideas. Some methods include: 

  • Writing: We’ve already mentioned writing a letter or diary entry, but you could also write a story. It doesn’t matter if it’s too short or too long – go for it! 
  • Drawing or painting: It can be a pencil on paper or a paintbrush on a canvas; it will reveal how dedicated you can be when creating something. 
  • Listening or dancing to music: The latter is especially effective, as your moves will help you let out any suppressed emotions you might have. 
  • Cooking or baking: Whether it’s a treat or a meal you’ve always wanted to make, you’ll be surprised by the enthusiasm you’ll have due to the anticipation of seeing the finished product. 

Talk 

A problem shared is a problem halved!

This sounds like the simplest thing to do, doesn’t it? But just saying “I’m sorry” or “I was wrong” is not easy for some people. If you’re an introvert, or you don’t want to confront your thoughts and the connected emotions, then talking won’t be easy for you. 

But, this is the most effective way to relieve yourself of stress. It doesn’t matter who you decide to talk to – it could be a friend, a family member, a work colleague, or even a stranger. Just as long as you speak to someone and say what’s on your mind, you’ll feel the burden go away. 

Read Now: How to Practice Active Listening

This was just a small number of ways to prevent you from bottling up your thoughts. If you’d like to know more on this topic, or perhaps an entirely different one altogether, please contact us today at Ceed. 

How Listening to Music Can Better Your Life

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Everybody has enjoyed music at some point in their life and has a genre they enjoy the most, whether it’s pop, rap, or reggae. No matter the genre, the feeling of listening to the genre that you like the most stays the same: it relaxes you. 

But what other effects can listening to music have on you?  

Mood Booster and Stress Reducer 

Nobody enjoys the feeling of sadness, but sometimes it is just part of our lives we can’t control. Music has a deeper connection beneath its surface than just a mix of sounds, and lyrics. It has been proven to stimulate your brain by releasing a chemical called “dopamine” which is associated with pleasure within our brain. This means that listening to music boosts yourself emotionally, and mentally reduces stress. Listening to a playlist of your favourite songs, and releasing the dopamine, can also reduce the feeling of depression. 

Starting your day off by listening to music can enhance the rest of your day. If you have issues with stress or just general sadness, then music is a great way to escape. Even if it’s only momentarily, it’s healthier than letting these negative feelings take you over.  

Read Now: How to Better Your Mental Health by Getting Creative

Mind Distraction and Improved Focus

It can distract your mind from your negative surroundings, keeping you occupied in a tranquil state. Noisy workplace? Just pop some earphones in and jam away. Drowning out sounds that stress you out and replacing them with dopamine fuelled music can enhance your mind to focus more on what you want to achieve. With this increase in focus, your productivity will rise higher than it did before and could even lead to avoiding work stress.   

Be warned however, as being overwhelmed by music can distract you from your work, or whatever you are doing while listening to music.  

Music can help you overcome personal difficulties.

Read Now: How Music Can Motivate You to Stick to Your Exercise Routine

Pain Management 

This effect isn’t just about physical pain, but mental pain as well. Whether it is stress, depression, or just general anger. Listening to music that relates to those emotions can cause you to push those feelings out of your mind. Knowing that someone went through the same situation as you and made a song filled with that emotion can let you know that you aren’t alone in this matter. This effect can also allow you to overcome blocks within your life. Whether that is writing blocks or mental blocks. 

It also reduces the pain you perceive and relaxes you a lot more if you are in any kind of physical pain. Which can be extremely useful if the pain is uncomfortable enough to keep you awake at night.  

Creativity and Sleep Improvement 

Music can be very tranquil and peaceful to listen to. It allows you to switch your brain off if you are listening to music without having anything to do. You create a narrative and envision the song in your head, which ultimately, can improve your creativity.

Most people listen to music when going to bed as this creativity that flows through you can help you sleep easier. The constant rush of dopamine to your brain makes your brain regulate hormones, and reduces cortisol which affects stress itself to help you sleep better.

Listening to music can improve your sleep schedule!

Mental Health Healing 

Improving your focus can also help to manage any effects that come with health conditions like autism, ADHD, or Tourette’s. As your mind becomes more focused on the rhythm, sounds, and lyrics, your brain momentarily forgets about reality and places you into a sort of daydream in your head. You remember who is in charge of your life, and it is you, and only you. 

Conclusion 

Music is of huge importance to our lives, even if you don’t listen to it every day. The deep connection between our brain and music is almost magical. You can always find websites online that allow you to listen to music, including:

Remember that there are people who are struggling or have struggled in the same way as you.  

If you require assistance with any topics mentioned here, or in general then please feel free to contact us here at Ceed today. 

Why Hobbies Are Good for Your Mental Health

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It’s very common for people not to prioritise hobbies and downtime. With working or studying full time it’s difficult to set aside time for ourselves to relax and indulge in activities we enjoy.  

Having a hobby is a great way to spend your spare time and unwind from your daily routine. Hobbies can range from learning an instrument, playing a sport, reading, photography or something artistic. 

By setting time aside for hobbies you can help improve your mental health and wellbeing. Research shows that people with hobbies are less likely to suffer from low moods, stress and depression. 

Hobbies allow you to enhance your life! 

What is a Hobby? 

A hobby can be any activity that you do regularly for your own enjoyment. Whether this is something creative, athletic or academic, what matters is that it’s meaningful to you. 

When you dedicate time to voluntarily engage in pleasurable activities, your mental health can benefit. 

Read now: The Valuable Mental Health Benefits of Cold Water Swimming 

Mental Health Benefits of Hobbies: 

Reduce Stress 

Hobbies are a perfect way to distract yourself after a busy day. They provide the opportunity to focus on yourself and release any stress built up from your day.  

Spending time on a hobby can be as simple as finding the time to listen to music. Whatever activity you choose will help manage your stress levels. So, take some time out of your busy day to start painting, or go outside and walk in nature.  

Creativity Boosts Wellbeing 

Partaking in creative activities such as song-writing, knitting, art and musical performance have all been shown to increase positive moods. By pursuing creative hobbies you’ll see an improvement in your mental wellbeing.  

Creative activities also allow you to expand neural connections in your brain, which has been linked to the release of the feel good hormone dopamine. Spending as little as two hours per week on an activity you enjoy can help you live a more positive life. 

Form Connections With Others 

Hobbies that include other people, such as team sports, offer great opportunities to foster social connections and friendships. Having a healthy social life can have a highly positive impact on your mental health.  

Shared experience through hobbies can also enhance your enjoyment of the activity and help you feel less isolated. So, if you’re looking for a new hobby, try something interactive team sport or even joining a band. 

Read now: Intentional Living: How Can it Benefit You? 

A hobby is something that you do for fun or personal fulfilment. 

Tips to Make Time for Hobbies 

A common issue when it comes to investing in hobbies is time. When it comes to how our lives are typically structured, work tends to come before play.  

Although many of us feel like there isn’t enough time in the day for hobbies, there are a few changes you can make to help free up some time for the things you love: 

  • Regularly participating in a hobby doesn’t mean you have you do it daily, a weekly activity will be a lot easier to fit into your schedule. Just an hour or two a week is a great addition to your lifestyle. If you feel you still don’t have the time try saying no more often and putting a hobby higher up on your list of priorities. 
  • It’s easy to lose a lot of valuable time in your day by doing mindless things like scrolling on social media or watching TV. Be conscious of how you’re spending your free time and try to make sure you’re using it wisely.  
  • If you’re finding it difficult to find extra free time, try taking more micro-breaks during the workday. This will help you find the time to do things you enjoy while also increasing your overall productivity. You could use these short breaks to go for a walk outside, listen to your favourite podcast or read a few chapters of a book.  

Read now: Surprising Benefits of Exercise: Confidence and Creativity 

Having a hobby can greatly improve your life. Do some research and find a few activities that interest you and simply try them out. There’s no pressure to stick to anything you don’t enjoy but eventually, you’ll find a hobby that’s suited to you.  

For further advice on lifestyle changes you can make to benefit your mental health, contact our experts at Ceed here.  

Why Creating a Healthy Routine is Good for You

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Routines are the mind, and body’s natural clockwork – after getting used to a certain internal flow, a habit will fit into place like a jigsaw puzzle and can get stuck there. 

However, sometimes, these routines can be bad and ultimately unhealthy for you. Here are what a healthy routine can do for you: 

Healthiness is key to a long and prosperous life. 

Mentally 

A healthy routine doesn’t just have to be physical exercise. 

For your mental health, a healthy routine can do wonders for your mind. Spend a few hours a day listening to music, reading, writing, or going on a walk. This can lead to you spending your time being more mentally free.  

Clearing your mind from negative thoughts and clutter can improve your focus and lead you to a happier lifestyle. Your mood can improve but your focus and memory can also improve when involved in mental gymnastics. 

Being more mentally free allows you to be happier, and have a greater outlook on life.  

Physically 

Usually, when someone mentions a healthy routine, you think of physical exercise and diet, and that is what’s going to be covered in this section.  

If you are self-conscious, then physical exercise can make you feel better about yourself by improving your body, and diet. These are not only healthier choices but helps build confidence and courage in yourself to be proud of yourself.  

You can also just simply partake in a diet that will help you feel better and healthier and will have noticeable changes. You will end up feeling sick less, but it can also make your mornings a lot less groggy. 

Making it a routine to get up early would improve your sleeping pattern, and allow you to have more hours to yourself – about eight hours is healthy. This means you can have breakfast, which is stapled as one of the most important meals of the day. 

Read Now: How to Get Better Sleep 

Economically 

Your personal finance can be affected by your routine due to always buying the same thing at the shop, or for dinner every day. It can also be that you buy a takeaway frequently which can cause a decline in health and your finance as takeaways have a huge impact on you and your economy. 

By spending less money, you are also inhabiting a healthier diet – and improving physically, and mentally. As well as saving a lot more money in the long run. 

This can then be used as a sort of reward system. Let’s say you have a takeaway once a fortnight for reducing your intake. This gives you a reason for wanting to complete the challenge and results in saving money.  

Read Now: 7 Ways to Ease Financial Stress and Manage your Money 

Key to a Healthy Routine 

The key to a healthy routine is to stick to your ideals and beliefs, as delving from it can cause you to go back to your old routine. It’s about commitment, and focus. You need to want it to get it.  

It is recommended to start small and work your way up. For example, getting up earlier and having breakfast. This small step will show you what it is like to change and then can alter further changes in your routine to be healthier.   

Then someday you can tackle the more difficult changes! 

Push yourself and you will thank yourself later! 

Conclusion 

In conclusion, a healthy routine is one of the most important things for a healthier and happier life and by following your heart and not letting yourself trip on your attempts to gain a better routine, you will succeed.  

You will thank yourself in the long run. 

You are number one, and you should look out for yourself. Don’t think about how other people think, go out there and succeed. 

Hopefully, this has helped you find out why a healthy routine is good. For more information, contact us at Ceed here today. 

How To Overcome Your Negative Thoughts

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When we have a physical injury, it’s usually easy to notice it. This makes it easier to manage, and eventually fix.  

The mind, on the other hand, isn’t so simple. We often struggle mentally without realising, and without anyone noticing. The way we think can easily impact our mental health, and it can be tough to break out of negative thought patterns.  

It’s perfectly normal to have negative thoughts, but they can become distressing when they start impacting your daily life. There is a variety of reasons as to why we might have them. Negative thoughts can come from stress, confidence issues, and even deeper mental health problems like anxiety and depression. 

Luckily, there are ways you can tackle your negative thoughts. This article will give you some guidance on how to challenge your negative thinking. 

Read Now: Better your Brain through Neuroplasticity and Positive Thinking 

Focus on The Thought Itself 

Take time to acknowledge your negative thoughts.

It might sound counteractive to focus on your negative thoughts. But the truth is, if you decide to ignore them by pushing them away, they’ll still come back. To make things worse, it’s likely that they’ll come back stronger than before and could become even more intrusive than they were previously. 

Allow yourself a little time each day to focus on these thoughts. Committing your focus to them, can help you to understand where they are coming from. Taking a moment to acknowledge them will prevent you from bottling up your emotions.  

Identify the Thoughts 

Now that you’re allowing yourself some time to focus on the thoughts themselves, the next thing to do is to identify them. This is not just the negativity, but the cognitive distortions created from them. Cognitive distortion is a more technical way of saying thought patterns, meaning you’ll be understanding why you think about those thoughts in the way that you do. 

There are multiple ways in which you may develop negative thoughts and thought patterns, which include (but are not limited to): 

  • Catastrophising – Assuming the worst is always going to happen, and not considering more realistic or likely outcomes. 
  • Blaming yourself –  Assuming you’re at fault for something that happened or might shortly take place. 
  • Jumping to conclusions – Making assumptions about something that will happen or what someone is going to think. 
  • Labelling – An identification method where we describe ourselves or the people around us. For example, you might not be good at cooking and label yourself as a “terrible cook”. This will then make you feel pessimistic about any activities that would require that skill. 
  • Overgeneralisation – If you’ve had one bad experience, you’ll develop a tendency to apply that to future experiences you’ll face. This can fuel your negative thoughts, increasing anxiety and making it seem as though another bad experience could happen again. 

Read Now: How to Overcome the Fear of Rejection

Stop Saying “Should” 

Remember what you are capable of!

‘Should’ is a dangerous word to use if you’ve been finding yourself experiencing a negative outlook on life. 

Saying “should” implies that what you’re already doing is bad – “I should eat fruit instead of crisps”, “I should walk or jog instead of driving to where I need to be later”, and “I should stop thinking about this” are all just a few examples of how we apply that one word to a problem.  

The constant use of “should” will lead to you developing a sense of guilt for not carrying out the actions or tasks which you know would be more useful for you. 

The solution is simple: replace “should” with more positive phrases. “I am going to eat fruit instead of crisps”, “I will walk or jog to where I need to be later”, and “I want to stop thinking about this and focus on something else” are all statements with an optimistic and determined approach opposed to the original’s pessimistic and not enthused attitude. 

Keep a Diary 

Keeping track of your thoughts is not an easy process. If anything, the mind can best be described as being non-linear. So how can we keep our thoughts organised enough to understand them? 

By using a diary or journal to jot down what those thoughts are, we’ll be able to understand not just why we’re thinking about them, but why we react the way we do when they suddenly occur. After this, we can learn what we’re being negative about and figure out how to be positive from then on. 

Read Now: A Guide to Handling Criticism

To Sum Up…

It can be hard to manage our thoughts, especially when they are negative. But it’s important to remember exactly what they are: they are thoughts, not facts! By following these simple tips, you will be able to reduce the negative thoughts you have and manage them in a better way. This is just one step in creating a more positive outlook on life.

If you’d like more advice on this particular topic, or perhaps another one altogether, don’t hesitate to contact us today at Ceed. 

Why Being Spontaneous Can Make You Happier

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Be Spontaneous 

Spontaneity can have enormous payoffs for mental health and wellbeing. It can make you feel happier and more creative – it can even rewire our brains. 

When was the last time you ditched your plans and did something completely spontaneous? 

With our overfilled diaries and online planners, our lives are often packed to the brim, leaving little or no time for a sudden whim. But, although routines can help us get through everyday tasks, like cleaning our teeth, filling every single moment with planned activity can badly affect us. 

We often pack our schedules so full that we leave little room for unplanned actions, but doing so means you may be missing out on moments of joy.  

Read Now: 4 Mindful Ways to Help You Live in the Moment 

Wake up feeling happier!

The Benefits of Being Spontaneous 

Being open to spontaneous events and allowing our mind time to reflect on things, rather than rushing from one planned activity to the next, can benefit our emotional health. 

Keep Your Life Fresh 

Spontaneous people are always up to try something new. They’ll spice up the day any way they can. It could be as simple as ordering something new from a local restaurant for lunch. Because they’re always trying something new, spontaneous people never get bored and stay fresh. 

Be More Flexible 

Be ready to try and do something new. And if plans change, adapt to them. Spontaneous people don’t feel tied down to one goal and will be more than happy to accommodate a contingency, as long as it leads to an exciting adventure.  

This “go with the flow” attitude helps them avoid conflict and confrontation. Instead, they can ride the wave of excitement that continuously exists within their life. 

Be More Creative 

Spontaneous people aren’t constantly thinking about their next move – they do whatever comes to mind. This mindset means that they don’t set boundaries for what they can accomplish, and they can be more creative.  

Unlock your creativity today! 

Read Now: How to Better Your Mental Health by Getting Creative 

Less Stress 

People that are spontaneous tend to not stress out over much. They understand that life goes on, whether it goes as planned or not. And, of course, when life gets stressful, as it does every so often, spontaneous people know how to shake things up to relieve the stress and get over the hurdle they’re currently facing. 

Read Now: 4 Effective Ways to Clear Your Mind of Stress 

Be Happier 

Spontaneous people have a mindset that allows them always to see the bright side of things which optimises their ability to maintain a positive outlook on life, making them happier. 

How To Be More Spontaneous 

Becoming a more spontaneous person is certainly not easy, so here are simple things that you can do to live a more spontaneous life. Hopefully, these steps will encourage you to do something more when you’re finally ready to. 

Shake Up Your Routine 

It doesn’t have to be something drastic. You could start with something simple, like going somewhere else for your morning coffee or taking a new route home from work. 

When you do something different, you open your eyes and mind up to new possibilities. You’ll then feel more inclined and less afraid to try new things.  

Do Something New Everyday 

Whether placing a different order when you’re out at your favourite café, or putting on that shirt that you never had any confidence to wear, you need to break out of your comfort zone. There’s no need to plan for it; go with the flow. When the opportunity presents itself, don’t hesitate and do it. 

Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone!

 

Do What You Want 

Forget the rules, and do whatever makes you happy. Life is for living, so live it loud and proud. Focus on what makes you happy, and incorporate it into your life as much as possible. don’t get stuck doing things that don’t work for you just because it’s become your routine. Just be sure you don’t hurt yourself or anyone else. 

Start Saying Yes 

Whether it’s an invite to a party where you don’t know many people, an invitation to have drinks with co-workers you’re not very close with, take a risk and say yes. Something as simple as this can make a big difference to your day-to-day lifestyle. Once you start saying yes, you will notice more great opportunities arising that you otherwise might have rejected.

Stop Doubting Yourself 

The more you feel like you can’t do things, the more likely you won’t. When you psych yourself out to try something new that you’re uncomfortable with, you’ll likely break out of your monotonous routine. Spice up your life by telling yourself that you can do it, and you will. 

Read Now: How to Overcome Fear of Failure 

Turn Off Your Gadgets 

When you don’t have any distractions in the way, you will be more willing to get up and get something done. Taking a break from your phone or computer can force you into new situations that are likely to be more rewarding.

Speak To a Stranger 

More often than not, we tend to retreat into our comfort zone when we’re in unfamiliar territory and faced with unfamiliar faces. Don’t hesitate to speak to a stranger. You’ll be surprised at what you may gain.    

Your life is meant to be lived and not wasted doing things that bring you no joy. Despite your responsibilities, there’s no reason why you can’t inject some spontaneity into your life to make it that much more worthwhile.  

For further advice from our professional lifestyle coaches, contact us at Ceed today!  

How to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others Online

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When you’re constantly seeing the lives of others online, it’s all too easy to start comparing yourself to them. We are bombarded with everyone else’s achievements and successes, and it can make us feel bad about ourselves.  

It can be easy to compare yourself to others online.

But the reality is, all of us are in the same boat. The people you compare yourself to are doing the same thing to someone else. Social media is hard to avoid, so it’s best to focus on ways to make it a positive experience. There are lots of things you can do to limit the negativity that can come from social media, which can help you to stop comparing yourself to others. 

Read Now: The Impact of Screen Addiction on Health and Wellbeing 

Remember Reality 

It’s important to remember that what you see on social media is a curated version of reality. People don’t want to post the boring or sad parts of their life, only the good stuff. This can make it seem like everyone else is living on cloud nine, and it’s easy to be jealous of that.  

People only want to share the good parts of their lives!

When you are only seeing the good aspects of people’s lives, you can’t get a full understanding of them. You can’t accurately compare yourself to people’s lives, you can’t fully understand someone when you’re only getting half the story!  

Take a step back and think about the things you share on social media. Likely, you aren’t posting about the boring stuff, and that’s the same for everyone. People only want to show the best versions of themselves, so it’s important to remember that when you are online.   

Curate Your Feed 

It’s easy to forget that you are in complete control of what you see on social media. You can actively stop following people whose posts make you feel bad about yourself, and instead, follow things that make you happy. It’s normal to compare yourself to others when you are always seeing them. In the case of social media, out of sight can really mean out of mind! 

Once you stop seeing things that make you upset, you can have a more positive experience online. Accounts that focus on creating a positive atmosphere can help you feel better about yourself whilst cutting out feelings of jealousy. You are in control of what you see on a day-to-day basis, so pick things that make you happy!  

Read Now: Doomscrolling: Navigating Mental Health and Social Media 

Reduce Your Time Online  

The more time you spend online, the higher your chances of seeing something upsetting. A digital detox is a great way to remove yourself from negative feelings that can come from social media. It gives you a chance to unplug from the internet and focus on what brings you joy in the outside world.  

Try to limit your time online so you don’t get sucked in!

Even if you don’t think you can go a full day without social media, limiting your usage can make a big difference. Try setting aside an hour or two where you put your phone down and focus on reality. You will be surprised by how much difference it can make. Disconnecting from online even for a small while can often make those insecurities feel insignificant.  

Have a Purpose 

If you don’t have a specific reason for using social media, you can end up filling your feeds with people you are comparing yourself to. You can get sucked into everyone else’s lives and find yourself comparing every move.  

Create a reason for using social media, and focus on that instead of on others. Whether you want to get ideas for craft projects, or keep up to date with pop culture. Choose something that makes you feel good, and channel your energy into it. The more focus you put on things you enjoy, the less energy you will have for comparing yourself to others.  

Confront Your Feelings  

If you really struggle to stop comparing yourself to others online, confront your feelings to try and find the source. Think about why seeing particular people or posts makes you upset, and try to challenge those feelings.  

By acknowledging it instead of pushing it away, you can begin to understand your triggers and know what to avoid. This can help you make positive changes online and in real life, as it’s likely your insecurities carry across from your personal life to online.  

Check in on how different things online make you feel.

Read Now: Toxic Positivity and Social Media: Why It’s Okay Not To Be Okay 

To Sum Up… 

It can be hard to challenge your feelings towards social media, but it can result in a more positive experience online. Try to remember that you aren’t alone, and everyone struggles with comparing themselves to others. Take control of your social media, and don’t let it control you any longer! 

If you want to learn more about how to have a positive relationship with social media, contact our life coaches at Ceed today! 

How to Better Your Mental Health by Getting Creative

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Everyone is creative – whether it is solving problems or creating content. It isn’t just a case of different jobs being creative or not. If you work in a warehouse for example, you may just utilise creativity in a different way.  

Creativity stems from the imagination of an individual who can improvise, using their brain in any situation to think of a solution. Utilising this creativity we all have, you can engage in many different creative activities to help you mentally, and emotionally.  

There are countless ideas that can sprout if you allow yourself to be creative.

It’s a worldwide “rumour” that creativity lies in the right-side of your brain, however, it lies in both. The right when you are imagining something on the spot, and the left when you are imagining based on something already learned or established. 

Creativity is an extraordinary concept that allows us to build ideas out of thin air. Through mental construction we can form our own creation that we can be proud of. Knowing that you created it yourself can give you a tremendous boost in mood that, if you choose, can lead into a more creativity-oriented mindset. 

Read Now:

Here are a few activities that can help you release your creative energy: 

Creative Writing 

Writing itself has been around for at least 5000+ years, and creative writing has been around for about the same time. One of the first known creative writers or authors in the world was “Enheduanna”, who lived in around the 2200 BCE time period. She was one of the first known poets and authors – she even wrote hymns.  

This is a fine example of how despite having less technology than we have now, ancient civilisations still found a way to distil their imagination, creating something out of nothing. 

In modern times, we have many more ways to be inspired, whether that is by films, shows, music, paintings, games or speeches. There are countless forms of these things out there in the world for someone to begin their own journey on the creative road. 

Creative writing is one way to express an experience, emotion or a fabrication into a story format. It can be the most outlandish idea, or something very realistic.  

Why Write? 

Outputting your creativity can improve your brain’s memory. What’s more, this flow of “venting” out your opinions and experiences will release any negative emotion into what you are writing, like capturing it in a bottle. Connecting emotionally when writing embeds these feelings into the writing, strengthening the bond with it and meaning behind it.  

It’s your own creation – your own opinions, memories and inspiration mixed into a bundle. This makes writing a wonderful outlet for negative emotions, and can even preserve positive emotions forever in a written piece. 

Playing Instruments & Making Music 

It’s only in the past hundred years that music began to get more varied, more experimental and deeper, and it’s now become a part of everyday life. This is because of the dopamine released from listening to music that unknowingly lifts your mood and provides motivation. 

Why Play Music? 

Playing music yourself and learning an instrument can release this creativity and dopamine rush. This in turn strengthens the positive effect that comes with listening to music. This ultimately de-stresses you and gives you many health benefits.  

You can write as complex or as simple music as you like, but no matter what it engages and stimulates your brain. By having a song you can play yourself at anytime at home to express yourself; you basically have a infinite way to stimulate your brain at your disposal. 

Drawing & Crafting 

Express yourself and let yourself have mental freedom!

Artists can come in any form – creativity is a hidden ability in people and we can’t initially tell who is creative. Anyone can ultimately become an artist if they can learn to express themselves through drawing, and art. If they can reflect emotions, and experience and capture this in a drawn format it can inspire other people, and they can understand what the artist is demonstrating by having an open-mind.  

It can be difficult to start learning to draw but as you get better you can start to develop your own style, and way to express yourself. 

Why Draw or Craft? 

Just like other forms of expression, the benefits you gain wouldn’t be something you’d want to miss out on. 

Listening to Music & Reading

This is easier as it doesn’t require you to create content. What it does require is for you to hold an open-mind and envision what you are taking in – whether it is imagining the characters in a book, or letting the sounds of music flow through you. 

Why Listen to Music/ Read? 

Your brain will get engaged with the content and release dopamine that lifts your mood. You can indulge in whatever content you like, whether that’s listening to a happy song or a sad one.  

Relating to the music or story you’re taking in can help you find a solution to how you are feeling. Perhaps relating to a song about depression may open your eyes in some new way. 

Read Now: How Music can Motivate you to Stick to your Exercise Routine 

Conclusion

In conclusion, creativity goes hand in hand with imagination. Anything to do with creativity stimulates your brain in a great way, whether you are drawing, writing or playing music. When you create something, you are allowing yourself to be under control of the creative process. 

It’s like magic how we can create these concepts within ourselves, and the options available to us allow us to have a lot of mental freedom. 

For your next step, read on: How to Uncover Inspiration 

If you need any more help with making lifestyle changes, feel free to contact us here at Ceed today.  

Burnout: What is it and How to Avoid it

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It’s easy to feel stress in our daily lives, whether it’s from work, school, or relationships. But when that stress becomes unrelenting, you might be suffering from burnout instead. 

What is Burnout? 

Burnout is the combination of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion, often caused by prolonged stress. It’s particularly common in the workplace when employees are overworked and don’t have time to relax. Burnout can reduce productivity and decrease energy, and create a complete lack of motivation. Signs of burnout include: 

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  • Anxiety 
  • Fatigue 
  • Lack of commitment 
  • Low mood 
  • Headaches 
  • Difficulty concentrating 
  • Cynical outlook 

Read Now: How to Regain Your Lost Motivation  

Burnout or Stress? 

Whilst there are some similarities, burnout is not the same as just being stressed. Stress comes when you are still trying to cope with all your responsibilities; burnout hits when you have given up. Burnout is a more gradual process, which makes it harder to control. 

Burnout can make you feel hopeless.

Stress often feels like a state of panic, when you feel you don’t have enough time to get everything done. By the time burnout hits, you might feel like giving up on your responsibilities, as they begin to feel unachievable.  

Burnout can be caused by lots of different things, but it is usually a combination of factors, including: 

  • Taking on too many responsibilities 
  • Lack of recognition for hard work 
  • Overly demanding expectations 
  • Feeling like you have no control  
  • Not having time for socialising or relaxing  
  • Not getting enough sleep. 

Read Now: 4 Effective Ways to Clear Your Mind of Stress 

How to Avoid Burnout 

The best way to tackle burnout is to notice the signs before it becomes overwhelming. If you can work to prevent burnout before it hits, it will be much easier to manage daily stress. There are lots of different things you can do to prevent reaching burnout. 

Find the Source 

The easiest way to prevent burnout is to figure out what specifically is causing it. It’s different for everyone, so take time to evaluate your stressors, and see what often leads you to becoming burnt out.  

Finding what causes your burnout is the best way to stop it!

Once you know where the source is, it becomes a lot easier to create simple day-to-day changes. If you know where to look, you can prevent burnout and manage stress. This gives you space to set boundaries and identify areas in your life that can be improved.  

Organise Your Priorities  

If you don’t organise your priorities, you can easily end up spending too much time on less important tasks, and falling behind on the important things. Take time to assess where you should be putting your energy – you want to use it in the most efficient way possible.  

Don’t be afraid to set boundaries either. If you know your workload is too much for you, delegate tasks to someone else or ask for extensions. Becoming overwhelmed by your priorities is an easy way to end up burnt out. Prioritising the important stuff doesn’t mean you are lazy; it means you have a stronger understanding of your abilities.   

Read Now: 5 Essential Habits to Help You Stay Organised  

Ask for Help 

Tackling burnout alone can make your problems feel impossible to solve. Talking to others can help to ease the pressure you might be feeling, as it’s likely they’ve experienced something similar before. Co-workers can help you to pick up parts of your work that you don’t think you can complete, whilst friends and family can listen to and validate your concerns.  

Don’t be afraid to ask others for help.

Like the team at Ceed, life coaches can help you find the best ways of managing your workload to avoid burnout in the future. Different techniques work for different people, so it’s important to find what is best for you.  

Exercise Regularly 

Exercising on a frequent basis can help to improve your mood and boost productivity. It helps you to get better sleep, which in turn sets you up to have more energy for the working day. This can decrease emotional exhaustion, psychological distress and perceived stress.  

Exercising outside can help to boost your mood!

Even exercise like taking a short walk in your lunch break can help to relax your mind and get your blood flowing. Especially if you have a job where you are sitting in the same spot all day, it is easy to get overwhelmed and discouraged. Exercising can improve your wellbeing, and in turn, fights off burnout. 

Read Now: How Exercise Improves Productivity at Work  

To Sum Up… 

Dealing with burnout can be difficult, especially when it sneaks up on you. The best way to deal with it is to prevent it. Following these simple ideas will make it easier to avoid reaching a state of burnout, and can help improve your day-to-day stresses.  

If you want further help on how to tackle burnout, contact the team at Ceed today! We can provide lifestyle coaching experts to help you grow.  

How to Make Your Dreams a Reality

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When we dream of something, we think of some bold idea to accomplish. It could be anything. We want to go out and reach that goal, and it can feel incredibly satisfying to eventually get there.

You’ve envisioned your dreams, now what?

However, the thought of making our dreams a reality is easier said than done, and sometimes we feel like we’re in limbo when it comes to seeing it finalised. 

That’s where this guide comes in. With these five tips, you’ll be making those dreams of yours a reality in no time! 

Read Now: How To Uncover Inspiration 

  1. Write Things Down 

First and foremost, to help you figure out not just what your dreams are, but how you’re possibly going to reach them, you should start by writing down your thoughts and ideas. Now, while this may sound basic, you’ll actually find that writing down your thoughts is a rather effective method. 

As you write, whether that’s with pen on paper or typing on a computer or laptop, you’ll find that your ideas begin to take shape. You’ll be able to determine what works and what doesn’t, which will then start paving the way for a plan. It’s also good to do this in case you later forget of some of the things that popped into your head. 

When it comes to writing, don’t just use it for early plans and preparation. After initial preparation, keep note (in a diary, journal etc.) of all the things you’ve been doing to ensure you achieve your long-term goal. This can be recorded on a daily or weekly basis and provides you with knowledge of what you found worked and what didn’t. 

  1. Take Small Steps 

When you’ve figured out what your dreams are and how you’re going to accomplish them, it’s very easy to assume that you can just go headlong into a plan and reach them straight away. 

Sadly, life doesn’t work like that. If anything, taking huge strides and rushing into things won’t do you any favours. While you may reach your goal, you won’t be reaching it the way you intended and may ultimately feel unsatisfied by the outcome. 

Taking small steps and writing down progress can be hugely helpful!

We all know about The Tortoise and the Hare and its moral of “slow and steady wins the race”. By taking your time and making small steps, you’ll be reaching your goal at the required pace while learning of any advantages and disadvantages that could prevent you from getting there in the first place. It’s not about the destination – it’s the journey and what you learn along the way. 

Read Now: 8 Quick and Small Changes to a Better Life  

  1. Don’t Give Up 

Life is hard. There’s no sugar-coating it. There’s always going to be a challenge or a problem we’ll come across, especially if things seemed to initially be going easy, and it’s very tempting to call it quits there. 

Here’s the thing: don’t. 

“When the going gets tough, the tough get going”. No doubt you’ve heard this expression before. Basically, it means that a determined person is willing to work hard to reach their goal, which is something you should absolutely be doing. When you persevere, you’ll find yourself overcoming that troublesome obstacle that had initially got in your way. 

No matter how hard the challenge will be, there’s no denying that a level of catharsis shall follow knowing you conquered that challenge and proved it could be prevailed over. 

Read Now: How to Step into Your Growth Zone 

  1. Embrace Failure 

Sometimes, no matter how hard we work and no matter what decisions we’ve made, the only outcome can be failure. Now, you’re reading this thinking “well, that’s a very negative outlook”, aren’t you? 

Wrong! 

Just because we might’ve failed at something doesn’t mean we should then give up, just as we covered previously. Failure is by no means a terrible thing. Granted, you may feel defeated by it, but the truth is it’s an opportunity to learn. Think about where you went wrong; what could then be improved? The next time around, once you’ve fixed that aspect of your methods, you’ll know the right way to go, and if that fails too, try something else until you have the right solution. 

Don’t be afraid to play your cards wrong…

Life is a gamble. Everything can be a risk. The important thing is to take those risks. If they work, they’re a success. If they don’t, it’s just another chance to acquire more knowledge. 

Read Now: How to Overcome Fear of Failure 

  1. Find Others Who Share the Same Dreams 

There are times when the only things we need are a little bit of encouragement and excitement. A little of these can go a long way, especially when you’re striving to make your dreams come true. 

Try talking to others who also share the same dreams as you do. Along the way, you may even learn tips and tricks that can help you even more. Are there things that others are doing that you feel is a method worth trying? Why not try it yourself? 

Without finding the motivation to get you going, you’ll never even leave the place you started at. 

These were just five ways to help you make your dreams become a reality. If you’d like more advice on making lifestyle changes, don’t hesitate to contact us today at Ceed. 

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