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Why is Journaling Good for Your Mental Wellbeing?

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It may come as a surprise to some that simply writing down your thoughts can be beneficial to your wellbeing. It seems strange that something as simple as keeping a journal can have a significant impact on your health, but the past thirty years of scientific research suggests just that.  

There are a variety of ways to journal, from daily entries in a diary or keeping a log of writing on your computer.  Journaling usually explores the thoughts and feelings you have towards life events. Its best when engaged as a daily practice but even sporadic journaling can be beneficial if you focus on emotional processing. 

Below are five of the main benefits of journaling to encourage you to get started today. 

Write your way towards better health! 
  1. It Reduces Stress 

Journaling is a very accessible stress management tool. Its free and you don’t need to book a class or be taught by someone. All you need is a pen and paper.  

Journaling doesn’t release tension from your body like yoga or meditation, but it’s a good practice for overall stress relief.  

There are three main methods for journaling to relieve stress which are: 

Gratitude Journaling 

This a practice of making daily entries of what you’re grateful for. This can make you more aware of the good in your life and encourage you to appreciate the little things even when times are tough. 

Bullet Journaling 

This is a journaling practice that helps you stay organised. Most use a bullet journal to keep track of what they have to do each day and any goals they want to work towards. Being more organised is a great way to feel more in control of your life and relieve stress. 

Emotional Release Journaling 

This is a form of expressive writing about your thoughts and feelings toward any troubling life event. This can relieve stress due to its physical and mental benefits which we’ll discuss further below. 

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

  1. It Regulates Emotions 

Journaling is an opportunity for emotional catharsis. By transferring thought to paper you allow your brain to process the emotions you feel instead of supressing them. By writing down your emotions, you can alleviate their intensity. 

Journaling can also help you be mindful and bring a better perspective to any situation. This can be helpful for regulating emotions, as it can be difficult to see past your how you’re feeling in the moment. By bringing a better perspective to the situation, you can better understand what triggered you and ease the strong emotions you feel.  

Regular journaling also has the benefit of greater self-identity and confidence. This is important for managing strong emotions and helping you to feel more equipped to overcome any challenge you face.  

  1. It Boosts Your Mood 

One of the benefits of regulating your emotions is that you’ll be more able to boost your mood. By recording the details of your day-to-day life your brain is more able to process the emotions that come with life events. This increases your overall sense of wellbeing as you’ll feel happier, calmer and more in control. 

By keeping track of your emotions and what triggers them, you’ll become more self-aware. This well help boost your mood as you become more aware of what results in positive feelings and what doesn’t. You’ll be better at seeking out what makes you feel good and more able to avoid anything that doesn’t. 

Your diary can keep you healthy!

Read Now: How to Tap Into Neuroplasticity in Your Daily Life 

  1. It Helps With Memory 

Keeping a journal improves your memory, comprehension and working memory capacity.  

A 2012 study on college students explored how expressive writing about emotional events can significantly improve autobiographical memory. This is beneficial as having more specific memories about your own life can help you to navigate future goals and problems.  

Studies in improving working memory, also known as short term memory, have also found that writing expressively about thoughts and feelings is beneficial over other forms of journaling.  

Although it isn’t entirely clear why the research shows that expressive writing is better than trivial topics when journaling, you can certainly reap the health benefits. 

Read Now: 4 Great Techniques to Boost Your Short-Term Memory 

  1. It Improves Your Immune Function  

Believe it or not but regular journaling actually decreases your risk of illness. Studies by psychologists in the healing effects of writing suggest that journaling about emotions and stress can boost immune functioning in patients with HIV, asthma and arthritis. Expressive writing has also been reported to improve liver and lung function.  

Journaling can even make physical wounds heal faster. A study from 2013 found that 76% of adults who spent 20 minutes writing regularly about their feelings two weeks before a medically necessary biopsy had fully recovered eleven days later. Contrastingly, 58% of the control group had not recovered.  

To Sum Up… 

The benefits of journaling are undeniable, and it doesn’t take a big commitment to start experiencing the effect. Begin with just fifteen minutes a couple times a week and increase from there when you feel ready. 

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At Ceed we have trained coaching experts to help you work towards improving your wellbeing. Visit our website to find out more. 

How to Live With Anxiety

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One of the most important topics of discussion, especially in a world that’s been affected by a pandemic, is the matter of our mental health. There was a significant increase in depressive and anxiety disorders in 2020 due to the pandemic throwing our lives out of synch, disrupting our day-to-day sense of normality. 

Our mental health isn’t something that should be treated lightly, as when there’s a problem, it can get worse without treatment. If a person suffers from an issue regarding their mental wellbeing, it can actually be worse than suffering from a cold or breaking a bone.

The longer a mental illness persists, the more difficult it’ll be to treat, leading to possible panic attacks while unaddressed trauma could culminate in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Address anxiety as soon as possible for a healthy mind!

If you or someone you know suffers from a form of anxiety, then this article will help you by providing advice on how to live with and manage it. Please note that this isn’t medical advice – if are suffering with anxiety it’s always worth seeking professional advice as well as taking these tips on board.  

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

Determine Your Triggers 

Anxiety can be caused by a variety of factors. These can include: 

  • Experiences from childhood that had a negative impact on you and have stayed with you until now
  • Your current life situation, e.g. pressure from work or studying, unemployment, financial issues
  • Physical health problems
  • Other mental health problems; some people who have depression develop anxiety as a result of this
  • Drugs and medication, including recreational drugs and alcohol. 

(Source) 

Many of these can lead to what is known as an emotional trigger. This is defined as something that will “spark intense negative emotions”. The key thing is to figure out what your trigger is and then limit your exposure to it. If this is seemingly impossible – say, the trigger in question is from just visiting your place of work – consult the other methods to manage anxiety in this list to help you cope.  

Do One Task At a Time 

To give one example, let’s say you’re at work or your place of education. As you know, you’re going to be bogged down with tasks that will require completion, often in a short span of time. This alone can fuel your anxiety and make you feel overwhelmed. 

There is a very simple solution to this problem: focus on one task at a time. 

Take things one at a time to avoid feeling anxious about a task!

Think – which task has the closest deadline? Which is the trickiest? Which will take the most thought? It’s important that you prioritise these particular tasks first, as putting them off will just make you feel anxious for when you do approach them. 

Focus On Your Sleep 

While there are certainly people who prefer to be active rather than rest, something we all need to do is sleep. Unfortunately, if you suffer from anxiety, it can lead to you having difficulty sleeping (insomnia), or difficulty sleeping can actually cause anxiety. 

Here are just a few ways for you to ensure that you can catch a good night’s sleep: 

  • Create and keep to a routine. If you break away from it, sometimes even slightly, this could make sleeping more difficult for you.  
  • Make sure your bedroom’s temperature is cool. A hot and stuffy bedroom will make sleeping seemingly impossible to accomplish. 
  • Have a comfy bed. After all, how are you supposed to relax if your mattress is lumpy, too soft, or too hard? Like with Goldilocks, it needs to be just right! 
  • Avoid using screens. Whether it’s the TV, a phone, or a computer/ laptop, the blue light emitted from them affects our Circadian rhythm, which is what helps us fall asleep. 

Read Now: Why Understanding Sleep is Crucial to your Wellbeing

Go For a Walk 

It’s as simple as this. If you find yourself in a situation that’s giving you anxiety and making you feel stressed, you just need to walk away. 

However, this doesn’t mean you should then start running away from your problems and avoid them altogether. If anything, this is going to make your anxiety even worse than it was before. By simply moving ourselves away from the problem temporarily and having a walk, we’re more likely to develop discerning thoughts. This means we’ll be better at making judgements and formulating good thoughts. 

Taking a walk can truly clear your head!

Sometimes it’s best not to make decisions sitting down. Being on the go matches how our thoughts are constantly moving and changing, allowing those ideas to be processed and analysed internally more easily. 

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These were just a small number of ways for how you or someone you know can learn to live with anxiety. If you’d like to learn more about this topic, or perhaps an entirely different one altogether, contact Ceed today. 

A Parent’s Guide: How To Take Care of Your Own Wellbeing

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Parenting can be hard work. It’s not always going to be easy. Watching your children grow is extremely rewarding but there will be challenges along the way and if you’re reading this now, you might be facing a tough time. But not to worry – we are here to help.  

Parents’ wellbeing is a challenging task alongside childcare and often overlooked. We emphasise the importance of caring for our children but not caring for ourselves.  

Therefore, we have come up with a parent’s guide to managing your health and wellbeing that we think will help. 

Look after your child by looking after your own health!

Here are some things to remember: 

  • It’s ok to make mistakes – You don’t have to be perfect. We are all fallible beings. We naturally make mistakes – we get things wrong and shout sometimes. You are not a bad person. If you find yourself losing your control, make sure to apologise to your child and explain why it happened. They will learn from you that it’s okay to make mistakes and it doesn’t make you a bad person.  
  • Talk to your child – Even young children can understand about feelings and behaviour if you give them a chance to talk about it. With open and honest communication, you can understand one another more and hopefully alleviate some stress.  
  • Look after yourself – it is important to take some time for yourself. Looking after yourself involves looking after your relationships, your health and your wellbeing. If you don’t look after yourself – how are you going to properly look after your children? Have a nice relaxing bath, see a friend, take your mind off things with a captivating book. Whatever it is, allow time to enjoy yourself. Everyone needs to be a little selfish sometimes.  
  • It’s okay to ask for help – if you’re struggling, it’s okay to reach out for support from friends, families and organisations that are there to help.  

How To Better Manage Your Wellbeing as a Parent 

Key points: 

  • Looking after yourself physically, mentally and emotionally will help your child grow and thrive. 
  • Manage stress by making time for yourself and seeking help. 
  • If you have a partner, you can look after your relationship with open communication. 

1. Recognise when you feel overwhelmed 

Being overwhelmed can lead to: 

  • Feeling tired all the time 
  • Headaches 
  • Being irritable and impatient 
  • Stress and anxiety 
  • Lack of motivation 
  • Trouble concentrating 
  • Poor eating habits 
  • General negative thinking. 

The stress caused by these symptoms can also impact our physical health. Therefore, it is important to find ways to help combat that overwhelmed feeling. Our next tips focus on a few simple ways that can help you achieve this.  

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

2. Focus on the here and now 

Take a few minutes to write down all the things that are causing you stress and anxiety. And once you have your list, identify what things you can tackle immediately and those that might take a bit longer.  

Get it clear in your mind what’s causing you stress.

For example, say you: 

  • Have difficulty getting off to sleep 
  • Have money worries 
  • Worry about you or your partner’s job security 
  • Find it difficult to manage your child’s behaviour. 

You can now separate these into two sections, something you can tackle immediately: 

And those that might take a bit longer: 

  • Money worries 
  • Job security worries  

Thinking about all of these will no doubt cause a sense of anxiety and a feeling of being overwhelmed, however, if we separate them out, we can clearly see what’s easy to tackle and what might take longer to resolve.  

By reordering the list to prioritise what we can tackle effectively first we can reduce some stress and that feeling of being overwhelmed. Recognising what is causing that stress and anxiety and creating a sense of order means you can think clearly and plan action, tackling one worry at a time.  

Read Now: 7 Ways to Ease Financial stress and Manage Your Money 

3. Say no 

Saying yes is a lot easier than saying no and we often agree to things that can negatively impact our health and wellbeing. Don’t overload yourself trying to fit additional tasks into an already busy schedule.  

If you’re worried about coming across rude, here are some ways to politely say ‘No’. 

4. Eat well 

Our mind needs fuel from a healthy diet to function well. Following a balanced regular diet will help prevent irritability and enabled us to concentrate better. Research has shown that if you eat a diet high in processed meats, fried foods and high fat dairy products, you’re more likely to be anxious and depressed. 

Choosing energising food for yourself can make a big difference!

Fruits and vegetables have great healing, restorative powers. So here are a few foods that can boost and maintain your mental wellness: 

  • Yoghurt has probiotics that assist in lowering levels of stress, anxiety and depression. 
  • DHA, an Omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish such as salmon can help improve short-term and long-term memory and reduce anxiety. 
  • Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries contain antioxidants that improve symptoms associate with anxiety and depression. 

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

5. Sleep 

Sleep has a huge impact on our mind and body’s function. Lack of sleep affects our mood, alertness and negatively impacts our ability to concentrate.  

How to sleep better: 

  • Reduce your alcohol and caffeine intake. 
  • Before bed, wiring a to-do list for the next day helps create a sense of time management which helps your mind relax, making it easier to drift off to blissful sleep.  
  • Having a regular sleep pattern – set a bedtime and stick to it. 
  • Don’t look at any devices – e.g. mobile phones, tablets or laptops an hour before bedtime and switch them off when you go to bed. 

Read Now: Why Understanding Sleep is Crucial to your Wellbeing 

6. And finally… talk about how you are feeling. 

A problem shared is a problem halved!

Sharing your feelings has many benefits. As human beings we are designed to feel and express our feelings. It’s never good to keep things bottled up. Sharing can help by: 

  • Reducing the intensity and power of a feeling, e.g. reducing anxiety levels 
  • Helping you get a new perspective on difficulties 
  • Making problem solving and decision making easier 
  • Reducing any sense of isolation and helping to restore a balanced sense of reality. 

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

How to Heal After an Unexpected Breakup

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Going through a breakup is painful, but one you didn’t see coming can be particularly hard to wrap your head around. It comes with the anger at your partner for jumping ship without warning, or at yourself for not noticing the signs.  

How you heal from a breakup is a personal experience, as everyone recovers differently.  So, although there’s no ‘right’ way to heal after a break up, below are some steps you can take to care for yourself during this difficult time. 

Be compassionate towards yourself while you heal from a breakup.

Don’t look for closure 

When your breakup seems to come out of the nowhere it can be incredibly destabilising. It reveals that your partner wasn’t communicating and being honest like you thought and it can feel as if the breakup up just doesn’t make sense.  

It’s common to want answers, but often with unexpected breakups you’ll receive vague unsatisfying explanations and a sudden no contact policy. This sudden one-eighty of your relationship can leave you reeling and in shock.  

When someone ends a relationship with you abruptly and without warning, it’s not a reflection of you or your worthiness to be loved. They do this because of their own issues and their inability to communicate. Focusing on this can help you to move on when you feel you need answers.  

You didn’t deserve to be broken up with this way, your ex simply didn’t have the tools or emotional maturity to handle the breakup properly. You’re unlikely to get closure from any explanation they could provide, so instead seek closure by healing and allowing yourself to move on.  

Let yourself be sad 

When you’re in pain it’s natural to seek a remedy, to try to find the answer to “how long will I feel this way?” but it’s important not to rush anything. Let yourself heal and be kind to yourself. It’s okay to wrap up in your duvet, put on a movie and eat a whole tub of Ben & Jerry’s. After all, the clichés exist for a reason, and ice cream is the ultimate comfort food.   

If you’re not ready to let yourself be sad, that’s also okay. Leaning into your friends and filling up your social calendar is a good way to distract yourself from thinking about your ex and the whirlwind of emotions they bring.  

It’s good to reach out to your support network and remind yourself you’re not alone, but you also can’t distract yourself forever. Eventually you’ll need to let yourself feel and to sit with the pain of your breakup, but it’s okay to only do so once you feel ready. 

Feeling sad is an important stage of healing.

Going through a breakup is a form of grief and as frustrating as it can be to hear, there isn’t an easy fix – you simply need to give yourself time. Allow yourself time to heal and try not to compare yourself to the healing journey of others. Every breakup is different and everyone’s recovery will look different.  It could take you weeks, months or years and that’s okay.  

Don’t wallow 

While allowing yourself to be sad is important, make sure not to let yourself wallow. If a period of sadness comes, ride the wave and let yourself feel your emotions, but don’t go looking for things that may trigger you.  

As tempting as it might be, don’t look through old photos or stalk them on Instagram. If there’s a TV series you were in the middle of watching together or a café that was your go to spot, it’s best to avoid these while the breakup is fresh. By triggering yourself in this way you’ll only prolong the healing process.  

The best way to start moving on from your ex is by removing their presence from your life. Mute them on socials, put all their things away in a memory box and most importantly don’t reach out to them.  

Trust in love again  

Unexpected breakups are particularly hard because they demolish your sense of trust. Romantic relationships are deep vulnerable connections and it takes trust to be physically and emotionally intimate with someone.  

So when your partner blindsides you with a breakup it’s easy to lose trust in the belief that romantic bonds can be safe. It’s also very easy to lose trust in yourself when you question if you ever really knew your partner like you thought you did. 

Unexpected breakups are unfair, don’t let it affect your future relationships.

This breakdown of trust can cause you to approach new relationships with caution and wariness. Chelsea Lee Trescott, Relationship coach and host of Thank You Heartbreak, recommends writing down a list of all the ways your ex-partner blindsided you.  

Just the act of putting thought to paper can help release your emotions and start the healing process. Write under each point what you fear this means for your future relationships.  

For example, if your ex was behaving normally and lovingly up until the day they broke up with you, you could write that you worry you won’t be able to trust that someone means what they say. Write next to each of these points that you won’t blindside someone in the same way. So, you promise not to spare someone how you truly feel about them because being honest avoids confusion and breaking their trust.  

This is an important exercise that can help you to recover from the impact of your unexpected breakup and to move on once you’re ready. 

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For further guidance from our expert lifestyle coaches contact us here. 

How to Become More Comfortable in Your Own Skin

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Everyone has days where they feel insecure in their own skin, battling with their flaws and imperfections. There will always be days where you battle with your self-esteem, no matter how confident you are – and that’s okay. Everyone deserves to feel good in the skin they’re in. 

A lot of people will give advice and say… 

“Just love yourself and love your body.” 

But if it was REALLY that easy, then we’d all be fully embracing our bodies at any size and not spending BILLIONS on diet and beauty products. 

Maybe it’s time to just try to be okay with yourself. The society we live in makes us all feel pressure to succeed and be the best of the best. But in reality, just being okay is OKAY. In fact, the best thing you can do for yourself is… 

FIRST, focus on accepting yourself 

THEN, jump into being more confident and loving yourself. 

Self-acceptance must come before self-love.

Taking charge of your own thoughts, especially your feelings about yourself, is one of the hardest things to do when you don’t feel confident.

Even though it can be hard to truly embrace yourself and feel comfortable in your own skin, there’s a way to overcome your negative thoughts and learn to accept yourself for who you truly are.  

“The moment will arrive when you are comfortable with who you are, and what you are – bald or old or fat or poor, successful or struggling – when you don’t feel the need to apologise for anything or to deny anything. To be comfortable in your own skin is the beginning of strength.”  

–  Charles B. Handy 

Here are some helpful tips you can use to help you feel more comfortable in your own skin: 

1. Stop Seeking Validation from Other People 

The love you can give yourself is the most important kind!

Stop valuing the opinions of others more than your own. Seeking validation from other people is a dangerous spiral. You never seem to have enough, whether you’re hoping for hundreds of likes on Instagram or a simple pat on the back from your parents.  

Seeking validation from others can give quick boost of confidence. However, this feeling isn’t lasting. It’s totally fine to look for other’s approval on occasion. But there comes a point where it become a habit.  

To obtain truly lasting self-worth, you need to take an important step back and recognise that you do not need someone else’s approval to feel good about yourself.  

2. Accept Your Weaknesses 

Let’s be honest with ourselves, there are many things in life that we aren’t good at doing… 

…And that’s okay!

One of the beauties of life is that nobody is perfect. To truly be comfortable in your own skin, you need to be self-aware. You can’t turn a weakness into a strength if you’re too busy denying the weakness exists. Here’s an exercise for you: 

“I am terrible at…. (State your weakness) …and I’m okay with that.” 

You don’t need to be perfect to feel self-love.

3. Prioritise Yourself 

Taking care of yourself is vital when it comes to feeling more comfortable in your body. When you prioritise yourself and your own needs, you become more in-tune with them and who you are.  

You can prioritise yourself in a number of ways including: 

Those who don’t take the proper time for themselves are often harder on themselves in all regards. 

4. Practice Healthy Social Media Habits 

This involves trying not to compare yourself to everyone else. This can be difficult but there is a way to help: ensure your feed is filled with diverse individuals. There are many influencers out there showing the “real” side of social media. Including lumps, bumps, body hair etc.  

There’s nothing wrong with following fitness models, but if you find yourself comparing your body to theirs, maybe it’s time to focus on other things. The accounts you follow should inspire you, not make you feel any less about yourself. 

Get the best out of social media instead of the worst!

Read Now: Doomscrolling: Navigating Mental Health and Social Media 

5. Celebrate Every Milestone 

Every year we have spent living with our friends and family is truly a gift. We deserve to celebrate every birthday, every anniversary, every job promotion.  

When you celebrate a milestone, it is a genuine reason to provide yourself with appreciation and recognition – two things that will motivate people at every point in their life.  

Learn to celebrate your story. Every person’s story is unique. Some stories have more highlights, others more lowlights. And that’s okay. Anything you have achieved, big or small, should be celebrated. 

6. Live Unapologetically 

There’s a weird sense of freedom you feel from living unapologetically.  Don’t apologise for who you are and how you feel. Don’t hold back your authentic self and don’t be afraid to tell others how you truly feel. Hiding your emotions won’t benefit anyone.  

Here are some ways to live unapologetically:  

  • Be your authentic self 
  • Use your voice 
  • Don’t ask for permission 
  • Never be afraid to say no.
Don’t be afraid to be yourself!

7. Create a Life You Love Living 

It’s an unfortunate truth that many of us don’t feel like we’re living a life we love. However, to make the most of your life, you have to create a life YOU love. 

Creating a life you love is really about aligning your life with your own core values. Those are the things that are most important to you personally. To do so you must defeat those self-imposed limits you have on yourself.  

Nothing worthwhile is ever really easy. But good things are worth the effort. We owe it to ourselves to step past our self-limiting beliefs and take those steps to build the lives we love and be comfortable in our own skin. 

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

A Happy Diet: 9 Foods Proven to Lift Your Mood

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When you’re feeling low it can be tempting to turn to sugary food to help lift your mood. But in reality, those foods have a short-lived feel good effect and can leave you feeling worse in the long run. Instead, try making informed choices about the food you consume and implement them into your everyday diet.  

The relationship between nutrition and mental health has become a hot topic in the wake of the Covid pandemic and the impact it’s had on everyone’s mental wellbeing. Research shows a link between certain food groups, brain health and the presence of mood disorders. 

However, your mood can be impacted by many factors in your life – from stress, poor sleep and even genetics. This makes it difficult to measure the full impact of healthy food on your mood, but research suggests that a healthier diet means a healthier brain, which alleviates certain mood disorders. 

Below are 9 healthy foods that can lead to a healthier brain.    

Your food choices are important for your brain health!

1. Oats 

Oats are a great way to start your day as they slowly release sugar into your bloodstream to keep you energised for a long time.  

Oats achieve this by being very high in fibre. This slows the digestion of the carbohydrates in oats allowing for a gradual release of sugar and stable energy levels throughout the day. A high fibre breakfast can have a positive impact on your mood as stable sugar levels have been linked to controlling mood swings. 

2. Coffee 

Coffee is a widely popular drink and stimulant that makes you feel energised. Caffeine works by blocking adenosine, a neurotransmitter in the brain that causes drowsiness. This can boost your mood by making you feel more alert, sharp and productive.  

But the benefits don’t stop there, coffee increases the release of dopamine and norepinephrine in your brain which are both neurotransmitters that help regulate your mood.  

A small study of 72 people found that both caffeinated and decaf coffee significantly improved mood compared to those provided with a placebo. This suggest that coffee contains many other compounds that influence mood, although more research is needed. 

3. Nuts and seeds 

Nuts and seeds are high in healthy fats, fibre and protein. They also contain tryptophan which is an amino acid that produces serotonin and stabilises your mood. Nuts can also help with zinc deficiency which is a vital mineral for healthy brain function. 

A long-term study reported a link between moderate nut consumption with a 23% decrease in the risk of depression. This suggests that nuts and seeds are an important food group for maintaining your brain health.  

4. Berries  

A diet rich in antioxidants has been linked to lower levels of inflammation which has been associated with depression.  

Berries contain a variety of antioxidants which help to prevent an imbalance of harmful compounds in your body. They’re also particularly high in anthocyanins which have been associated with preventing symptoms of depression.  

Fresh berries can be expensive so if you’re struggling to have them regularly in your diet try buying frozen instead. Make sure to purchase berries that are frozen at their peak so that you’re still getting the same number of antioxidants as you would from fresh fruit.   

Choose healthier options for a healthier brain. 

5. Fish  

Oily fish are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s help build membranes around each cell in the body, including brain cells. They improve the structure of neurons which are necessary for all function within the body. 

A 2017 study found that high levels of omega-3s increased blood flow in the brain and resulted in a greater ability to process information. This suggests that eating oily fish can do wonders for your brain function.  

Examples of oily fish that contain high levels of omega-3s include salmon, tuna and sardines. However, you can also find omega-3s in soybeans, nuts, and seeds if eating fish isn’t an option for you. 

Read now: Hungry, Or Just Bored? Keep Track Of Your Eating Habits 

6. Bananas 

Bananas have been reported to alleviate the symptoms of depression. This may be because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into mood-lifting serotonin.  

Bananas also contain vitamin B6, which has been shown to even out your mood naturally by helping synthesize the feel-good hormones dopamine and serotonin. 

Bananas are also a great source of prebiotics which encourage and feed healthy bacteria in your gut.  This is important because a rich gut microbiome has been associated with lower rates of mood disorders. To reap the full benefits of this, make sure to eat your bananas while the peels are still green. 

7. Fermented foods  

To make sure you have a rich microbiome in your gut you should consume fermented foods, like yogurt and kombucha. The fermentation process allows live bacteria to thrive in foods that are then able to convert sugars into alcohol and acids. 

These live bacteria are called probiotics and they support the growth of healthy bacteria in your gut.   

However, not all fermented foods are sources of probiotics, for example beer isn’t due to the acid from the hops that kills any beneficial bacteria.   

Probiotics are important for boosting your mood as up to 90% of your body’s serotonin is produced by your gut microbiome. Serotonin is the key hormone that stabilises your mood, feelings of well-being, and happiness.  

Explore the relationship between what you eat and how you feel!

8. Dark chocolate  

Similar to coffee, dark chocolate contains a stimulant, called theobromine, that can make you feel alert and positively impact your mood.  

It also contains tryptophan the amino acid that your brain uses to produce serotonin. The darker the chocolate the more serotonin is produced and the more your mood will be boosted.   

Dark chocolate also contains several antioxidants including polyphenols which are known to reduce anxiety and depression.  

Read now: What is a Life Coach and What Do They Do? 

9. Beans and lentils  

Beans and lentils are high in fibre, plant-based protein and healthy nutrients. They’re an excellent source of B vitamins, which help improve your mood by increasing levels of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine, which are all vital for regulating mood.  

B vitamins are also important for nerve signalling, which allows for proper communication between your nerve cells. This means that including B vitamins in your diet is highly important. Vitamin deficiencies, especially in B12, can lead to depression and other serious complications such as nerve damage. Eating beans and lentils is a good way of avoiding this. 

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For more advice on how to stay healthy and live a better lifestyle, contact us at Ceed here. 

How to Get Out of a Funk

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Sometimes you just feel unlike yourself. Maybe you feel disconnected from the people around you or you find yourself having an “off” week. Typically, we call this situation a “funk”. However, experiencing brief periods of feeling low isn’t always cause for concern.  

To be human is to get into a funk from time to time. It isn’t something to be ashamed of. We all have our rough times, when we feel stuck, depressed or just discouraged. Things just feel bigger and heavier. The way funk manifests itself in our lives is subjective, but we all do experience it. Some last days, while others last weeks or even months or years.  

To be human is to get into a funk from time to time.

A funk can hit you at any time. Perhaps when you least expect it. If you find yourself in a funk, the good news is your situation is only temporary. The first step to getting back to your best self is recognition. And… you’ve already made that step by visiting our page! We are here to help you take the action needed to beat your funk and see positivity return back into your life.  

Here some helpful tips and guidance you can always take to get out of a funk. 

Break the Routine 

Every day we do things without thought. Brush our teeth, eat the same food, watch the same thing on the telly. Having a routine isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It can help you stay organised and be productive.  

However, exercising habitual behaviour can cut you off from feeling and put you on autopilot throughout your day. You may find yourself in a funk. We’re all guilty of sticking to a routine. But mixing it up could provide us with more than just a little excitement…  

Ways to Break Your Routine 

  • Take a different route to work: We tend to take the same way to work every day, and for good reasons; the shortest, least stressful, takes you past your favourite coffee shop. However, if you’re finding yourself in a funk, taking a different route to work is a simple way of getting you out of the same boring routine. 
  • Cook a new recipe: Spice up your life… and food by cooking up a new recipe. Explore new ingredients. Try new flavours. Start simple and see where you go from there. You don’t have to be the best chef in the world. Cooking is an activity that should be enjoyed.  Blast away your funk with the opening of a hot oven.  
  • Take on a new hobby: We spend far too much time in this life worrying. Having a hobby allows you to take a break from your day-to-day obligations.  By doing something fun, you are able to take a step back from your busy life while also having a sense of purpose.  Do something that you love or have always wanted to do.  Open up your mind to new ideas. The possibilities are endless.  

Make a Gratitude List 

When you’ve fallen into a habit of negativity it can be hard to break out of it. However, sitting down and making a list of everything that you’re grateful for really helps you to remember all the good in your life. Remember to get everything down on your list. Doesn’t matter if its big or small!  

Listing what you are grateful for can have a huge impact!

If you’re struggling with writing this list, think of things as simple as having food to eat or a bed to sleep in. The objective of this list isn’t to impress people; it is to change your mindset from what is lacking in your life to what you still have that you can appreciate. 

Do More of What Makes You Happy 

In other words, have fun! One of the most obvious ways to happiness is to do more of what makes us happy. When you choose to do what makes you happy, you instantly build your confidence. You are telling yourself that you are worthy and deserving of happiness. And nothing motivates people more than the feeling of happiness.   

Compile a list of things that make you happy. This can include such things as: 

  • Seeing friends 
  • Listening to your favourite song 
  • Going to a nice restaurant 
  • Gardening 
  • Playing with your pet 
  • Treating yourself to a gift  
Put your happiness first and do more of what you enjoy!

Remind Yourself that Feeling Low is Normal 

Occasional sadness is very much a normal part of life. Our brains have been wired to believe that we’re not supposed to feel bad, instead of knowing it’s ok not to feel our best sometimes.  When you’re having a tough time, you’ll probably notice your mood reflect the challenges you’re facing. This is normal. Our feelings and emotions are supposed to change in response to our experiences, good and bad. 

Your feelings are valid. Remember to remind yourself of that. 

Seek Professional Help 

What’s the difference between passing sadness and depression? 

Most people feel sad at times. It’s a normal reaction to life’s challenges. But sometimes these feelings can stick around for a while and if left unaddressed can have severe consequences. The difference between sadness and depression is that sadness usually passes with a little time, while depression lasts much longer and can appear without any specific cause. 

Symptoms of depression include: 

  • Continuous low mood 
  • Low self-esteem 
  • Having no motivation 
  • Increased fatigue 
  • Anxiety 
  • Changes in appetite and weight 
  • Reduced interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed 

If you think you might be suffering from depression, you can get help Here. 

Professionals can guide you through tough times in your life.

And… Breathe 

Concentrating on deep breaths helps you to disengage from distracting thoughts and sensations.  Deep breathing is one of the best ways to lower stress in the body. By doing so, you are sending a message to your brain to calm down and relax. Breathe your way out of a funk and try some breathing exercises today!  

“To change your life, you have to change yourself. To change yourself, you have to change your mindset.”- Anonymous 

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

How to Achieve the Perfect Work-Life Balance

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Finding the perfect balance between your professional and personal life can be challenging, but it’s essential for your overall well-being. Our drive and desire to achieve professionally can often harm our own successes. 

Creating a perfect work-life balance will improve not only your physical, emotional and mental well-being but it’s also crucial for your career. If you’re struggling to achieve the perfect work-life balance, you’re not alone. Here are some useful tips to help you achieve the perfect balance! 

1. Manage Your Time 

Time management is key. This will determine the work-life balance you maintain each day. Ways of improving your time management include: 

  • Create a timeline of your activities for one week. Make sure to include family commitments 
  • Prioritise your tasks in accordance to their importance 
  • Avoid multitasking. Focus on one task at a time 
  • Learn to say “no” 

We don’t have unlimited hours in the day. Be honest and let people know if you can’t take on additional tasks at the moment. Remember, your time is valuable! 

2. Set Specific Personal and Professional Goals 

There are many benefits to setting specific personal and professional goals. When your goals are clearly articulated, you can complete tasks with a strong sense of direction and a better focus. Take your list of priorities and turn them into specific and measurable goals. These can include: 

  • Walk thirty minutes a day, five days a week. 
  • Speak to a family member for an hour once a week. 
  • Take twenty-five minutes once a week to reflect on success and achievements.  
  • Decrease a website’s bounce rate by 10% in six months. 
Setting goals for a better work-life balance is key!

Read now: How to Build Effective Short-term and Long-term goals 

3. Ignore Perfectionism 

Moving through the challenges of perfectionism is difficult. Here are some tips to help you achieve this: 

  • Practice self-awareness. Remember that you already possess some level of self-awareness to realise that perfectionism is causing issues for you.  
  • Realise that no one is perfect. 
  • Never compare yourself to others. You are on your own journey. When you compare yourself to others, you’re only setting yourself up for disappointment.  
  • Set realistic goals and remember to reward yourself as you achieve them. 

4. Establish Boundaries 

Setting boundaries between work and home is important in achieving the perfect work-life balance. This can be done by: 

  • Establishing fair and realistic limits on what you will do / will not do both at work and at home. 
  • Communicate this clearly to your supervisor, coworkers, partner and family.  

For example, a boundary you could set is not checking or responding to work-related emails whilst at home.  

5. Leave Work at Work 

Disconnecting from work at home isn’t easy. To get the most of our time off and leave work at work we need to be deliberate in how we end our days. This can be done by: 

  • Writing tomorrow’s to-do list today. 
  • Remove the expectation of thinking about work outside of work hours. 
  • Make time for your interests and pursue your hobbies. 

6. Make Time for You 

Making time for yourself and doing things that you love is important. Doing so will energise and refresh you. It will also enable you to nurture your creativity which is extremely beneficial in the workplace. Remember to give yourself a relaxing break and enjoy yourself at least once a day. This can include: 

  • Going out for dinner with friends or family 
  • Catching up on your favourite show 
  • Reading a book 
  • Having a relaxing bath 
  • Going for a dog walk.
Relaxing is essential to staying energised!

7. Work Smarter Not Harder 

The skill of being able to use your time more efficiently is one that everyone could benefit from. Working smarter, not harder involves managing your time better, knowing what needs to get done and when, and making most of the tools that will keep you on track. Here are some ways to achieve this: 

  • Batch similar tasks together. 
  • Take more breaks. 
  • Turn off notifications. 
  • Track your time and review your productivity. 
  • Stop multitasking. 
  • Unload your more pressing tasks by doing them first. 
  • Trim your to-do list by removing less important tasks. 
  • Plan tasks based on your energy levels. 

We tend to ignore our energy levels when planning our work. However, being mindful of this can be extremely beneficial in regards to productivity. Everyone’s energy spikes are different. Whether you’re more productive after lunch or first thing in the morning. Determine when your energy spikes are and plan your tasks accordingly. 

8. Unplug from Technology 

Our phones and technology follow us everywhere. This means our ability to disconnect from work is increasingly difficult. However, unplugging from technology is achievable. Here are some tips to help you get started: 

  • Switch off your phone for a couple hours each day. 
  • Enjoy some tech-free activities, like switching off technology at dinnertime. 
  • Prioritise human connection. 
  • Set up a Digital-Free Zone in your home. 
  • Create non-negotiable working hours. 

Read now: The Impact of Screen Addiction on Health and Well-being

9. Take Care of Your Health 

Your health should always be your number one priority. A healthy lifestyle is fundamental to coping with stress and to achieving the perfect work-life balance. Neglecting your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing will see both your personal life and work-life suffering. Take care of your health by: 

In order to achieve balance, you need to take care of your health!

10. Rest 

There are many benefits to a good night’s sleep (internal link to Why Understanding Sleep is Crucial to your Wellbeing). While you sleep, your brain works to restore your mind and body. This involves processing your emotions and what you’ve learned during the day. Receiving more sleep can improve your memory which may help you perform better at work and in your day-to-day life. The following techniques may help you achieve a good night’s sleep. 

  • Avoid screen time for an hour before bed. 
  • Reduce your caffeine intake. 
  • Avoid liquids before bed. 
  • Implement a morning and night routine. 

Read now: Why Understanding Sleep is Crucial to Your Well-being

By implementing a routine in the morning and evening, you are supporting the hormones that affect sleep, manage stress levels and help you feel rested and energised throughout the day. This will help you achieve the perfect work-life balance.

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If you need help achieving the perfect work-life balance, we’re here to help! Reach out to one of our experts here at Ceed today! 

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