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Why Awe Walking is Good for Your Mental Health

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This article explains how to Awe Walk, and why everybody should take time to do it. 

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The benefits of Awe Walking are unlimited! 

What is Awe-Walking? 

Awe-Walking is not your typical stroll around the block. This type of walking focuses on appreciating your surroundings using mindfulness. It’s done to reach a ‘state of awe’.  

The awe state is thought to be a sensation of humbleness. It’s the feeling that you are part of something bigger as you open your mind to the world around you. Like when you stand on a sandy beach, feeling that you are a spec of sand in the vastness of the universe. Or standing on top of a tall building and seeing the night lit up by a city. 

This state of mind, feeling you are in the presence of something bigger, detracts you from your own life. Everyday stresses, work, commitments and responsibilities feel dwarfed for a while.  

Awe Walking is essentially experiencing places and feelings fully. Often, places that make you stand back in appreciation. So something a bit more interesting than the local park! Alternatively, awe walking can give you a newfound appreciation for places you love already. 

How to Awe Walk 

Awe walking is a meditative practice. So, it can ground you, distract you from your worries and make you feel more alive.  

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You can Awe Walk anywhere – it’s a state of mind. But try somewhere beautiful first! 

  • The first stage of Awe Walking is to get into the zone. Switch your phone off, be fully immersed with the moment, the sights and sounds.  
  • Once you have found a state of mind that allows you to be in the moment, focus on your breathing. Breath in for 6 and out for 6 as you prepare to start your walk. Keep an open mind. Continue to use this breathing pattern as you venture on. 
  • Throughout this walk, you will combine breathing with focus, taking in everything around you. Feel the air in your lungs, the smells and sights – big and small. Focus on shapes, colours, patterns.  

Here is a step-to-step guide on exactly how to Awe Walk, to get the most of out the experience: How to Awe Walk. 

The Complicated Bond Between Humans and Nature 

What is your relationship to the earth? Do you feel the urge to see new places, or are you more comfortable staying put? 

What do you do to connect to the earth? 

The current state of the world can make it difficult to feel connected to nature sometimes. And being in nature might sometimes feel like a reminder of the bad that is happening. Like an internal battle of knowing things need to change and feeling out of control. 

Technology has made it easier to see the world’s wonders on screens from our homes. But it’s just not the same! You can’t reap the rewards of being in nature through a screen. It’s a real issue for younger generations, who have been born into this online world.  

New generations may never truly understand what beauty has been lost already. Older generations have witnessed the earth’s decline – species dying, changes in weather etc. Some may even be afraid of nature in all its power. But really, we just need to appreciate it and look after it more. 

The truth is, the more we spend time in nature, and remember its value, the more we care and want to protect it. Being in nature soothes and nurtures us. It is humanity’s free remedy – to escape the stress and feel grounded.  

Why Awe Walking is Effective  

Turning your walks into Awe Walks helps you to notice the beauty in everyday life. Regularly taking time out of your week to do this has many health benefits. It can reduce stress and inflammation, boost creativity and open your mind. You can try awe walking with friends and family as a social event too! 

UCSF researchers conducted a study to assess the power of Awe-Walking. They asked 52 older adults to take a weekly stroll. Some were told to seek out physical vastness and novelty (Awe Walking). The others were told to take a regular walk. The ones who went Awe-Walking reported significant increases in compassion and gratitude. Also, their sense of wonder and appreciation for the outside world grew, among other benefits. 

This research is an example of how Awe-Walking can broaden the mind, heighten the senses and generally lift spirits.  

To Conclude… 

Walking in general has many health benefits. But Awe Walking takes it to the next level. Take fifteen minutes out of your week to try it out! It’s always good to get out of the house and explore the world – it has a lot to offer! 

For more help nurturing your personal growth, contact us at Ceed today! 

How to Tune in To Your Body and Reduce Stress

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Have you ever noticed yourself feeling run down, worn out and emotionally numb when stress levels are soaring? You might feel like you’re carrying the weight of your worries on your shoulders, and you wouldn’t be wrong.  

Knowing how to listen to your body can help you identify when you might need to take some rest and look after yourself. In this article, we look at the connection between the body and mind and explore healthier ways to respond to stressful times, so that you can find a little extra peace! 

It’s important to look after your body and mind!

A bit of stress here and there is perfectly okay. It might push you to meet deadlines or walk faster when you’re late or sense danger and seek safety. But overactive and prolonged stress levels can be physically damaging, as the mind is intrinsically connected with the body. 

Why Does Stress Manifest Itself Physically?  

It’s all down to a science. When you encounter a stressful situation or thought, your brain transmits signals that release a steroid hormone called cortisol into the body. Cortisol, also known as the body’s natural alarm system, regulates certain processes in the body such as your immune system and digestive functions. However, much like anything out of balance, this hormone can put your health at risk when overactive.  

The short term effects of this could manifest in symptoms such as:

  • Tension headaches
  • An upset stomach
  • Muscle tension
  • Sleep problems

Long term effects include increased risk of heart attacks, arthritis and memory issues.  

Why Is It Important to Listen to Your Body?

We all get aches and pains sometimes, but persistent headaches, digestive issues or muscle pains could be your body’s way of telling you to rest and make changes to your lifestyle! Prolonged stress causes muscles to tense up in a fight or flight response. So, if you notice (in particular) your back, shoulders and neck aching, it could be that your body is signalling to you to do some stress relief exercises.  

Here are some ways you can destress easily in your day-to-day life: 

1. Exercise Regularly

Exercise increases the body’s ability to absorb oxygen, increasing blood flow and releasing endorphins, effectively de-stressing the body and loosening your muscles (remember to warm up first!). A little bit of regular exercise will release tension from the body and help you think clearer too, as you focus on the present moment and let your stressful thoughts go.

Read Now: How Exercise Benefits Mental Health

2. Sleep

Your body restores and repairs itself during deep sleep, so keeping an eye on your sleep cycles and ensuring you are getting proper rest is essential to staying healthy and keeping stress levels at bay.

Sleep is crucial to a healthy lifestyle.

Read Now:  How to Get Better Sleep and Why Understanding Sleep is Crucial to Your Wellbeing

3. Understand Your Stress

What is it that is stressing you out? How can you tackle this? Getting to the root cause of stress will help you to navigate your way through it. If it is work, for example, you may need to consider cutting back your hours or organising your life so that you have enough time for yourself. If it’s a deeper issue that is troubling you, you could consider some talking therapy. 

4. Strike Balance

Make sure you are taking time to have fun and let go. When your life is dominated by stress, your body will begin to feel it. Have a bath, go for a walk somewhere stunning, see your friends and family, and find new hobbies that give you pleasure.  

5. Breathe Deep and Stretch

This is useful for short term symptoms of stress, such as feeling tight chested and short-breathed, or to alleviate aches in your muscles. Getting your body moving and controlling your breathing pattern can help you to centre yourself and calm down.

Read Now: Four Effective Ways to Clear Your Mind of Stress. 

To Sum Up…

Our emotional worlds manifest in physical symptoms in the body. But this works in both ways: when we smile and rest and experience joy, it boosts our immune system and fights stress and aches. So, it is important to have a healthy balanced lifestyle with plenty of rest and quality time for you!   

For more help managing your health, wellbeing and lifestyle, contact us at Ceed today! 

How to Manage Moving Out for The First Time

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So, the time has come; you’ve decided to move out and start your own life.  

It can be extremely difficult to move out mentally. It’s a new fresh start to move out of your guardian’s house, and it means letting go of your past. Despite how difficult it can seem and feel, it is healthy for your mind. You will have a lot of freedom. Every decision is now yours, and you are responsible for everything yourself now. 

This article is going to help you in many ways, from preparing mentally for your move, to the positives and negatives of having full responsibility.  

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It can be a daunting experience, but once you have moved out, things should get better! 

Why You May Want to Move Out 

Before delving further into the topic; you need to understand the groundwork of your need to move out.  

There are numerous different mental issues at home that can affect your need to move: 

  • Toxic environment 
  • Unsafe 
  • Outgrowing home 
  • Too much responsibility 
  • General attitude to move 
Toxic Environment 

You may be living in a toxic environment; this could be the people you live with or just the general environment itself. This can be unsafe for your mental health and can lead you down a dark path if exposed to it for a long time. It can also affect future social situations if you are around people who do not allow you to be yourself. 

Unsafe 

Your home may be unsafe; this is particularly worse if any siblings, or other residents steal or make life even more stressful for you. This will make you never feel comfortable or safe in that residence, but once you have moved, that negativity is sure to cease.  

Too Much Responsibility  

It may just be that you seem to do almost everything at your home despite not owning it, and not having the ability to decide on aspects of the house. It may be much better to just move out so you then have the same responsibility in your own place.  

General Attitude To Move 

Or simple enough, you may just want to move out to start your own life with your own family someday. It doesn’t always have to be a negative situation that forces you to move out. Especially after university, or working, as you will have the mentality, experience and money to move out yourself someday!  

How To Move Out 

You can move out by using multiple sites online, like: 

Or even local estate agents which will almost always have places on display in windows. 

Usually, one-bedroom places would not be a lot of money but always make sure you have enough money to pay the bond and rent before applying to them. You don’t want to be caught by surprise expenses.  

A furnished location will generally be suitable for someone without a lot of money but it means you don’t exactly own the furniture so you need to be more careful. 

It may also take quite a heavy impact on your bank account due to having to furnish the location, if the location you apply for is unfurnished, with whatever you like but it will be worth it in the end. 

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

The Housing Association  

This is an association you sign up to and they will find a place suitable for you to live. It isn’t a guaranteed place but over time they will ask you to go to viewings and they may decide to let you move in there or not.  

It is a council-funded residence so it will be cheaper than a normal location from an estate agent but the drawback is the long waiting list.  

Gathering Supplies 

The thing about moving out is that you can bring whatever you like but don’t forget the essentials; usually, you bring a lot of clothes, a bed, and sort out the basics like electricity, gas and water before moving in. Some people may want to move out ASAP to not have to deal with living at home any longer and some may choose to wait it out for a couple of weeks to get it all set up. It is entirely up to you! 

Mentality to Move 

Mentality is key to being able to happily move out, it’s important to look after it when moving out for the first time. You may not feel 100% ready and that small inkling of regret or overthinking may creep up on you while you are thinking about it. These feelings are normal. It is just your brain realising that things will change once you move out and it can be scary but in a way hopeful.  

Your new home will be yours, and everything within it will be based on you. You may have new routines, and more freedom but obviously, more responsibility within the house in terms of cleaning.  

You have got to learn that every story starts somewhere, instead of you being part of someone else’s story, you are now in control of your own story. Being in control is healthy for your mind and soul.  

Read Now: How to Overcome Your Negative Thoughts 

Only move once you are ready.

 

Positives and Negatives to Moving 

Obviously, there are both positives and negatives to moving out.

Positives:

  • freedom
  • make your own routines
  • no distractions
  • independence
  • privacy

Negatives:

  • rent
  • bills
  • loneliness 
  • responsibility
  • household chores 

Even though these may seem outweighed, it is great to keep these in mind for when you are thinking about moving out or not.  

Don’t blindly jump into the deep end but analyse how you can deal with keeping yourself afloat and getting out of it eventually. 

Other Residents (Pets, Roommates) 

Luckily, there is a workaround for the con of loneliness; This is fixed by moving in with someone, or something. You can move in with a roommate, a partner or a friend as well as bring pets if the residence allows it. It is always great to have friends, and people around you to not feel alone in your thoughts.  

Someone else around the house can also help cheapen the bills, and help with housework but you share the house. So, choose who to move in wisely! You don’t want to end up back at square one. 

Read Now: Why Friendship is Important for Your Health 

Animals are a great morale booster no matter how small or big.

Conclusion 

Hopefully, now you can deal with the thoughts of moving out easier and know that you aren’t alone in your thoughts. People go and have gone through the same situations as you almost every day. It is normal to feel like you are attached to your home and can’t leave but eventually, you need to start your journey into life. 

If you have any further queries, then please contact us here at Ceed today! 

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 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. 

Why Friendship is Important for Your Mental Health

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Friendship is a magical chain that binds and bonds us as humans. 

It’s one of the most important aspects of your mental and social life and influences quite a lot of your life. With the countless advantages of friendships, it isn’t something you should take for granted or lose.  

YouGov reported that in 2019, Millennials were the loneliest generation, with 22% of participants believing that they have no friends. This statistic stands out as showing how important friendship can be for our mental health.

This article will show you the advantages and help that come with the power of friendship. 

Friends can come in many shapes and sizes, but the importance is all the same!

 

Physical 

Having friends comes with being able to physically hang out with them and see them in person. This also comes with losing that physical loneliness in your head, as you have always got someone to rely on with your feelings. This then further helps you emotionally, and mentally.  

Venting to your friends also has huge benefits for your mental health. Having someone that listens to your problems will lift your mood significantly and lets you lose this sort of darkness in your head.  

This provides boosts such as: 

  • Reducing Depression 
  • Reducing Stress 
  • Motivation 
  • Reducing Sadness 
  • Improving Happiness 

It’s not only you who gets to have these feelings; your friends will also feel these for themselves, so a great bond between us allows us to feel happy to be with other people. Having other people can allow you to become the best you can be, it can push you and drive you to succeed. 

Read Now: Can you be Content and Happy as an Introvert

Emotional 

Emotionally, knowing you have friends who rely on you, and like you, can divert away feelings of self-hatred and loneliness. If you remember you have always got people to watch your back and be there for you then you will ultimately be at the peak of happiness.  

A friendship is bonded mostly by being emotionally attached, this will make you care more for your friends when things are going well, or bad and expand your support. This can help you assist them when they need help. It feels almost like having friends is the equivalent of having a mechanic fixing your brain.  

Being alone isn’t healthy and can damage you internally in your mind. It is better to have people around that you can rely on. That could be a pet, family member or a stranger on the internet. This will push your mental health to healthier lengths.  

Even if you don’t see your friends physically in person, you can still always talk to them over the phone, on the internet, or facetime and harness the same effects. 

Mental 

Mental health is very important, and if it gets too unhealthy it can cause serious problems for us that can damage us permanently.  

As you can guess, having friends also has a big advantage to your mentality; although sometimes this can be a bad thing if you are more lenient to “copy” or be influenced by people a lot more. This can cause a really bad effect if your friends aren’t the most “well-behaved”.  

A strong mental fortitude allows you to have a circle of friends that are all different and unique without you ending up becoming more like one or the other. A sense of self-uniqueness is important depending on the friends you have; it allows you to avoid adopting any bad habits that may cause a loop in your mental health. 

This loop can push you down a dark abyss of mental loneliness that can be very difficult to get out of and can pull you away from your friends. 

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

Gaining Friends 

You gain friends from just general connection towards each other, maybe you have a lot in common or you just enjoy each other’s company. It can be very daunting to find friends after you have completed education as there aren’t generally a lot of opportunities out there to find them. 

However, there are quite a few places, and scenarios to find them: 

  • Online 
  • At Work 
  • Pubs 
  • Nightclubs 
  • General Entertainment Venues 

It can be very scary to approach people to become friends but usually, after spending a small amount of time together you end up realising if they are friend quality or not. All you need is a bit of confidence and courage to be able to approach.  

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You can meet friends anywhere! All you need is courage! 

Conclusion 

In conclusion, the importance of friendship is very valuable to your physical, emotional, and mental fortitude. Having friends makes you a much better person. You no longer are alone in a prison of your mind; friends free you from this. 

Hopefully, this article helps you see why your friends are more valuable than you think. They are always there for you and help you in so much more than you think.  

If there is any further help you need regarding friendships and mental health, then feel free to contact us here at Ceed today.  

A Beginner’s Guide to Meditation: Less Stress & More Peace

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With the advancement of technology and the impact of covid, it’s easier than ever to become disconnected from ourselves. So, it’s important to find time to centre our emotions, and look inwards to create positive changes in our mindset. 

Meditation is a tried and tested method of looking inward and understanding ourselves. Used for centuries in religious and spiritual practices, it provides space to increase self-awareness, and redirect negative thoughts.   

Meditation uses wellness and mindfulness techniques to enhance our outlook on life. It’s often used to reduce stress, help sleep patterns and increase pain tolerance.  

You can include meditation as part of a daily routine, use it as a quick stress reliever, or a way to centre emotions. You don’t need loads of time to meditate, as it can be adapted to suit you and your needs. 

Meditation has many physical, emotional and mental benefits.

How Do You Meditate? 

There are many different forms meditation can take, and each has its own benefits. The form that is most suited to you depends on what you hope to gain from meditating. 

  • Guided meditation includes a teacher to help you through the steps of meditation, explaining how the mind works and how each step is beneficial to you.  
  • Mantra meditation works by focusing on a specific mantra, such as a word or sound, to let the subtle vibrations create positive change and help you reach a deep state of meditation.  
  • Mindfulness encourages awareness of your surroundings by engaging and focusing on all of your senses without judgment. 
  • Qi gong is a Chinese practice that opens energy pathways in the body called meridians, helping the energy flow through and heal the body.  
  • Yoga is a physical practice of movements that strengthen your nervous system, helping you to relax your body and relieve tension. It promotes physical balance, which helps with mental balance.  

Read Now: Practising Yoga: Combining Mindfulness and Fitness for Healthier Living  

What are the Benefits?  

Meditation has been heavily studied, and has been proven to have a wide array of benefits. Whether you want to become stronger physically, mentally, or emotionally, meditation can assist in improving your lifestyle and mindset. So, what exactly can it do? 

Reduce Stress 

When you experience stress, it increases the hormone cortisol, which can impact your sleep, cause depression and increase fatigue. Meditation can help to reduce this response, and instead create a relaxed response that calms your body. 

This means it can help stress-related conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome and post-traumatic stress disorder. By reducing the stress hormones in your body, it reduces pressure and can calm anxiety.  

It also helps you redirect your negative thinking patterns, which are often a large contributor to stress. 

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

Improve Sleep 

Meditation can help those who have sleep disorders like insomnia manage their symptoms, and as a result get better sleep. Mindfulness meditation has been found to help those who suffer from chronic insomnia. It can also improve the sleep of those without existing sleep problems. 

Meditation can help relax your thoughts before bed and calm your mind, which creates a more restful environment to sleep in. As a result, it can also reduce daytime fatigue, giving you more energy throughout the day, and deeper sleep at night.  

Meditation before bed can improve your sleep quality.

Enhance Self-awareness 

When you meditate, you create space to understand yourself, which helps you learn how to grow and improve as a person. By focusing on self-awareness, it becomes easier to recognise any harmful thoughts you may have, and learn how to challenge them.  

This process of redirecting negative thoughts shows you what your emotional triggers may be, and how to best combat them.  

It can also increase self-awareness by helping you realise and focus on the positive parts of yourself. Through meditation, you can approach your emotions without judgement, and as a result you can learn to accept both the positive and negative aspects of who you are.   

Read Now: Better Your Brain Through Neuroplasticity and Positive Thinking  

Promote Emotional Health 

Meditation can lead to an improved self-image and create a more positive outlook on life. By focusing on the things around you and your own thought processes, you can reduce negative thoughts and appreciate the positive aspects of your experience.  

It can also decrease levels of the inflammatory proteins cytokines, which can contribute to depression. Meditation is sometimes used as part of a mental health treatment plan as the benefits can help reduce depression and anxiety. 

Meditation can improve your emotional health!

Control Pain 

Many types of physical pain are linked to stress, and our perception of pain can be increased significantly when we are in stressful situations. By learning to manage our perception of stress, it becomes easier to control our pain responses. This in turn decreases the level of pain we feel. 

Whilst it won’t completely rid you of any pain you are in, it helps to manage pain and decrease levels of stress that often enhance it. 

Meditation can also reduce strain on the heart by decreasing blood pressure. Stress can often cause high blood pressure, which can potentially lead to a heart attack or a stroke. Reducing stress can alleviate the pressure on the heart and relax nerve signals.  

To Sum Up… 

Meditation is a varied and adaptable way to improve your day-to-day life. It has benefits for everyone, whether you meditate for five minutes or five hours! A little can go a long way, and daily meditation has the power to really impact your life for the better.  

If you want to learn more about how to make small changes to improve your lifestyle, contact us at Ceed today! 

The Valuable Mental Health Benefits of Cold Water Swimming

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Cold water swimming, especially in wild locations, comes with a variety of physical and mental health benefits. 

The colder the water, the better it is for you, whether that be in the sea, a lake or a river. Cold open-water swimming has been linked to:  

  • Pain relief 
  • Improved circulation 
  • Reduced inflammation 
  • Better concentration 
  • A significant positive effect on chronic low-mood and stress. 
Cold water swimming is good for your mental and physical health!

Inducing the Stress Response 

These health benefits come from inducing the body’s natural stress response. Through cold water swimming your body learns to self-regulate and overcome the stress induced by the water. 

The human stress response is an instinctive survival mechanism that reacts to your environment. So, any sudden change in your metabolic rate, like a change in temperature, will trigger a stress response. 

During this process your brain floods the body with stress hormones, which create a state of shock. This then triggers the parasympathetic nervous system which works to regulate your metabolism. Once regulated any physiological sensations and emotions fall back into equilibrium and you will feel calm again. 

By regularly inducing a stress response in your body through cold water swimming, you train yourself to be more efficient at regulating stress. So for those with anxious thoughts or panic attacks, cold-water swimming can help to train your body to overcome anxiety. 

Start cold open-water swimming today!

Immersing your face in cold water is key, as this stimulates the vagus nerve. This helps to slow your heart rate, relax the body, and activate metabolism. 

By submerging your face under water you trigger the mammalian dive response, which is where the somatic nerves of the facial muscles react to water and causes your heart rate to slow and muscle tissue to store more oxygen. 

Cold water swimming can also have a positive impact on your physical wellbeing. When the body is exposed to cold the blood vessels constrict, restricting blood flow and as a result reduce inflammation. So, if you have aches and pains that never seem to go away, cold-water swimming could be the answer.   

Read Now: How to Get Out of a Funk 

Mindfulness 

Mindfulness is the practise of being fully engaged in the present moment, aware of where we are and what we’re doing and not focusing on any distractions. To be mindful is to be fully present in the given moment.   

Cold water swimming and being in nature provide the perfect conditions to keep you present. It’ll be hard to focus on anything but the physical sensations you experience. 

When you’re in the water, it’s important to focus on your breathing and your movement through the water. You’ll disengage from any worry or stress in your life and find yourself completely present. 

Swimming in cold water takes courage, just the act of going and having the discipline to stay in the water can improve your sense of self-worth. It’s not an easy feat to be a cold-water swimmer. 

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

How to Start Cold Water Swimming 

To begin your cold-water swimming journey its best to start small. It can be daunting to go out into nature and plunge into the cold. Instead try starting with something less intimidating. 

You can simply reduce the temperature of your morning showers, taking it one day at a time until you’re not using heat at all.  

As you ease yourself into cold water immersion be mindful of your breath and don’t allow yourself to tense up. Take deep breaths and relax. Essentially, you’re training yourself to be comfortable in the discomfort that comes with the cold.  

Another great option to try before taking the plunge is spending time outside in the cold. If you wear light layers this can trigger the same stress response cycle in the body without the intensity of cold-water swimming.  

When you feel ready to swim in the wild you can find your local swim group online. 

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

Be Safe When Cold Water Swimming 

If you’re wanting to give cold open-water swimming a try, it’s important to do so safely. When swimming remember to:  

  • Tell someone where you’re going and what your plan is. 
  • Swim with other people who are familiar with the area you’re swimming in. 
  • Be aware of your surroundings, keep in mind entry and exit points of the water. 
  • Enter the water gradually and allow your body to acclimatise. 
  • Ensure you’re visible in the water, either with a bright float or swim cap.  

For further advice on lifestyle changes to better your mental health, contact our experts at Ceed today.  

How to Tap Into Neuroplasticity in Your Daily Life

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We all know the feeling of being stuck in a rut, far from reaching our full potential and feeling held back by repetitive, anxiety-filled thoughts. 

It might be difficult to see how making small changes like exercising, meditating or positive thinking could make a difference. This is because our current state of mind feels so fixed. 

It should come as great news then, that the scientific consensus today is that the structure of the brain is plastic. It can shift, rewire and adapt constantly. This phenomenon is otherwise known as neuroplasticity.  

Shake up the brain with neuroplasticity!

We now know that within our brain, neural pathways are constantly shifting and changing routes with new experiences. This means that our sense of self, happiness and the way we think are constantly changing.  

This also explains why we can never reach the elusive ‘end point’ where we are happy and contented, living our ‘best life’ under perfect conditions. Instead, our brain is constantly changing and adapting as we move through life. 

How Does Neuroplasticity Work?  

The benefits of modern behavioural therapy and wellness trends such as mindfulness, manifestation and positive thinking can all be understood by looking closely at neuroplasticity.  

By ‘working’ certain parts of our brain – returning to particular thought processes again and again – these parts of our brain develop just as a muscle would.  To be more specific, the neural pathways that make these thought processes grow physically stronger through use. This makes these thoughts easier to access next time we think of something related.

The more we encourage neuroplasticity in our brain, the more plastic our brain becomes. If the conditions of our life and our experience remains the same, so do our neural pathways and our thoughts. By giving our brain new experiences we can: 

  • Develop new neural connections 
  • Actually grow gray matter 
  • Guide our thoughts in a direction of our choosing – to be more positive, creative, proactive or efficient.  

Using Neuroplasticity in Your Daily Life   

There are two key aspects to tapping into neuroplasticity: shaking up the brain’s experience and conscious mental reframing.  

Conscious mental reframing allows you to shift your perspective on life and works best alongside shaking up your brain’s experiences. This puts your brain in a more plastic and flexible state of mind.  

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Our brain physically changes with new experiences! 

Shaking up the Brain  

The first step to taking advantage of your natural neuroplasticity is shaking up the brain with changing sensory input. All of the following are great ways to introduce something new to the brain, calling on little-used neural pathways and forming brand new connections.  

  1. Try Something New  

Trying new things throughout your life is the most helpful change you can make to boost neuroplasticity. The more you can immerse yourself in different environments and new experiences, the better for you and your brain. 

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes! It’s actually incredibly healthy for your brain and is a key source of learning. It doesn’t need to be way out of your comfort zone to be effective. Trying something new could as small as taking a different route home from work or listening to a new genre of music.  

  1. Form  a New Habit  

Adding a brand-new habit to your schedule is a great way of disrupting your brain’s daily experience and strengthening new neural pathways.  

This can bring a new perspective to other activities in your day as different parts of your brain wake up and neural pathways start firing. But don’t worry! If your newly formed habit doesn’t stick, feel free to drop it and instead categorise it under ‘trying something new’.   

  1. Learn a New Skill  

Learning something new, such as a language or an instrument, has been successfully shown to boost neuroplasticity. It increases the density of gray matter in the brain and creates abundant new neural pathways in the process. This leaves your brain in a better position to learn even more skills, take on additional fresh information and understand new ways to perceive the world.  

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Learning something new lights up new neural pathways! 

Read Now: Practicing Mindfulness in Nature: Sticking to the Present Moment 

Choosing the Brain’s Direction   

Next comes the second part of tapping into neuroplasticity: nourishing helpful neural pathways. By implementing structured, active positive thinking, you can make your brain more joyful, dynamic, productive and creative.  

The methods you could use to form more joyful neural pathways are endless, but some simple ones include:  

  • Practicing gratitude 
  • Reframing frustrating situations 
  • Finding and repeating positive affirmations you really believe.

Enhancing Neuroplasticity  

Our minds are constantly changing thanks to neuroplasticity. However, sometimes we need to be the ones to push for this change.

You’re already one step closer to unleashing your brain’s potential. If you’d like to take advantage of neuroplasticity and experience the positive impact it can have, it could be worth speaking to a professional about what tools are available to enhance your life.  

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For more professional advice about lifestyle changes, contact us at Ceed to speak to one of our life coaches.  

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