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Tag: self help advice

How to Overcome Fear of Failure

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“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas Edison 

Failure is something that everybody goes through at some point in their life, whether it impacts them a little bit or a lot. The feeling of failure that flows through you after making a mistake can have a huge effect on you in the long term if you dwell on it.

Fear of embarrassment and shame can make you fear failure.

People can even develop a fear of failure known as “atychiphobia”, which will make you hyperaware of and afraid of failure and the shame it might make you feel.  

Whether you accidentally dropped a glass you were carrying for someone, or you got some negative feedback on a project that you spent a long time on, it isn’t wrong to feel this emotion. It isn’t the end of the world, either, failure can build you up stronger mentally and physically. 

Even the most successful people went through failure at some point. Some key people are:  

  • Steven Spielberg 
  • Oprah Winfrey 
  • Dr. Suess 
  • Michael Jordan 
  • Colonel Sanders.

Here is some advice to help you overcome that fear and help you to see the better side of these negative feelings:

Failure is the Key to Success 

Failure happens to the best of us. It’s better to have failed than not tried at all. You have to fail to understand how to improve your situation – it builds you up stronger mentally, and pushes you to be the best you can.  

Keep this thought in your mind:  

Failure is necessary for success to happen.  

It’s normal to experience failure at some point in your life, but it is understandable how people develop a fear of failure. What follows failure is a embarrassment and sense of shame – sometimes so intense that it envelops your mind – but it is never the end of the world. The more you experience these emotions, the more used to them and stronger you will get. 

You can learn from your failures to better yourself for next time around. You have not really failed but are just finding alternative solutions until you get it right.  

Reflection 

Reflect on your failure; how did you fail, and what can you do to prevent it for next time?  

Confront your own mistakes and figure out a way to improve upon it. Don’t just distract yourself from the mistake, or even “cut corners” to get around the problem. You won’t learn anything if you don’t admit to it.  

There are many ways to reflect on yourself; one of the easiest ways is to just ask for feedback on what you did wrong. People are always willing to give feedback.

Some feedback can be brutally honest, some might not be as honest. However, all in all this reflection on yourself will give you motivation to do better. 

Focus on Your End Goal

When you fail, you might start to punish yourself by dwelling on the failure. This can cloud your mind from anything that you are currently doing. Dwelling on your failure can occupy your mind for a day, a month or even longer depending on your idea of its severity.  

This can cause various issues within yourself, but the main one is that your passion for the situation will decrease in fear of failing again. Is putting the work in worth it? You end up giving up and losing your motivation and passion. 

Push yourself to your limits every time you can. As long as you can stand back up then nothing can knock you down. You’ll thank yourself in the future when you finally achieve something that means a lot to you.  

Overcome fear to feel like you can do anything!

Focus on what you want and know that you won’t get it right the first time without practice. If you keep trying over and over again, fixing mistakes each time, one day you will get it right.  

You must come to realise that failure is just a rite of passage for everything you accomplish.  

Conclusion 

Overcoming fear of failure is great for productivity and a healthy workflow, as well as improving everyday functioning. Don’t allow yourself to be brought down by mistakes. Everybody in the world fails at something at some point. A world without failure would be boring and success would mean nothing. Learning to motivate yourself on the journey to success is a much better feeling than being successful every time. 

Keep pushing yourself and keep getting back up, for failure is just a small obstacle in the grand scheme of your success.

Related Articles

Struggling to overcome your fears? We got you, check out our other articles for help and advice, and feel free to contact us here at Ceed for anything further we can assist with.  

How to Deal with Procrastination and Executive Dysfunction

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Everyone procrastinates from time to time – sometimes it’s more appealing to watch another episode of your new favourite TV show than it is to get started on a daunting piece of work.

But for some, procrastination goes far past avoiding tasks you’re worried about. Instead, it can make it difficult to do anything, even things you want to do. To be able to combat procrastination, it’s important to distinguish it from its more severe counterpart: executive dysfunction. But how can we tell the difference between the two? 

Are you distracted because of procrastination or executive dysfunction?

What are Executive Functions? 

To understand executive dysfunction, we first need to understand what executive functioning is itself. Executive functioning is the process of the mental abilities that help people to achieve actions. 

Executive functions control your working memory, your self-control, and your cognitive abilities. They are vital for everyday life, helping with processes such as:  

  • Productivity 
  • Memory 
  • Flexibility 
  • Scheduling 

Executive dysfunction is essentially the opposite of executive function: it is the inability to control such mental processes. It is often caused by a mental disorder such as depression or ADHD, stress, a traumatic brain injury, or a form of addiction. These are not the only causes, but it is more likely that someone with an underlying condition would also struggle with executive functioning.  

So, is it Procrastination or Executive Dysfunction? 

The main difference between procrastination and executive dysfunction is intent. Procrastination is a form of avoidance through delaying or putting off a task for as long as possible, usually because it can be daunting, or can induce anxiety.

Executive dysfunction often occurs as a symptom of another disorder. In this case, it stops you from completing tasks that you have no reason to avoid, as it becomes difficult to transition between activities.  

In this case, you aren’t ignoring it in the way you might when procrastinating. Instead, you just can’t make yourself do it.

Whilst it is normal to be a bit forgetful, or to lose focus on a boring task, this does not mean you necessarily struggle with executive dysfunction. It becomes an issue when it impacts your life on a day-to-day basis.  

Procrastination can make it difficult to stick to schedules!

So how do you know if you are just procrastinating, or if it is something more? Whilst there are overlaps, there are some signs that suggest you may be experiencing executive dysfunction instead: 

  • Regularly losing concentration  
  • Difficulty with time management  
  • Inability to stay on one task  
  • Trouble regaining focus after being distracted  
  • Problems with organisation  
  • Struggling to set and stick to schedules.

Fortunately, there are a number of ways you can combat both procrastination and executive dysfunction, many of which overlap. 

Read Now: Overcoming Procrastination: Breaking a Bad Habit 

How to Overcome Procrastination  

Forgive yourself 

Everyone procrastinates at some point, so there is no reason to beat yourself up over it. By removing the guilt associated with procrastination it removes the negative feelings that arise, making it easier to move on from a period of procrastination. 

Read Now: How to Overcome the Fear of Rejection  

Use chunking methods 

Divide your workload into manageable chunks. Sometimes a task can feel too daunting to begin, so by breaking it up into chunks it becomes more manageable. Focus on completing one chunk at a time, and you will feel more motivated as your goals are more achievable. Five to ten smaller tasks can often feel easier than one large task. 

Set rewards  

Giving yourself rewards when you complete a task helps to keep you motivated. It gives you something to work towards, and creates a positive association with completing work, which in turn makes it easier to focus.  

Use apps  

Anti-procrastination apps and websites like Cold Turkey or Forest help to create a focused environment. If you are the kind of person that likes having your phone with you, but constantly gets distracted or side-tracked, these can help you stay on task by blocking leisure websites for a specified time. This allows you to focus on the task at hand. 

Apps are a useful way to help avoid distractions.

How to Combat Executive Dysfunction 

Create a workspace  

Have a clear area that is separate from relaxation areas like your sofa or bed. It will put you in the right headspace to complete a task when you separate work from comfort.  

It is all too easy to work from your sofa and end up watching tv, or work from bed and fall asleep. By separating these areas, your mind will begin to associate your workspace with productivity, and it might even help you sleep better when your bed is only associated with resting. 

Read Now: 5 Essential Habits to Help You Stay Organised  

Use the 5-minute method

Starting a task is often the hardest part. By committing to doing it for just 5 minutes, it makes it less daunting. By the time 5 minutes are up, it’s likely that you will be able to keep going as you will have found a flow.  

Even if you do not feel motivated after 5 minutes, you still will have made a start, and that’s already progress! 

Reframe your thinking about deadlines 

The phrase ‘deadline’ can be quite scary, and it can lead to a lot of anxiety about finishing a piece of work. It is hard to find motivation when there is so much pressure surrounding the date it is due.  

Try referring to deadlines as ‘finish lines’ instead – it is a goal you want to achieve but not the be all and end all, and it can create motivation. Deadlines are terrifying, but finish lines can be exciting and rewarding. 

Reframe ‘deadlines’ as ‘finish lines’ instead!

 

Try Cognitive Behavioural Therapy  

CBT can help to treat executive dysfunction by finding out what triggers it. A therapist can create personalised methods of coping by addressing and changing thought patterns. It can target executive functions, and help you adjust your behaviour, which can lead to an increase in focus and motivation.  

To Sum Up… 

Whether you struggle with procrastination, or find yourself dealing with executive function, these tips and tricks can help to give you some control over your workload. Remember, the sooner you start that dreaded piece of work, the sooner it is over!  

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If you’d like more help dealing with procrastination or executive dysfunction, please feel free to contact us at Ceed today.  

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. 

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!  

How to Stop Being Obsessive Over Things

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Our minds are an enigma. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to learn new things, solve problems, or even feel emotions. We’d never feel happy, sad, angry, surprised, scared, or disgusted by an event that has just taken place before us. 

Emotions are a powerful thing, and they influence our actions and reactions. A common response to an unexpected circumstance is to begin obsessing over it, as we might feel out of control. Different people can obsess over different things depending on the individual, such as: 

  • Something work-related – perhaps we made an error and want to improve ourselves 
  • Someone in our life – a friend, family member or even a celebrity 
  • Hobbies and interests – collecting certain items, travelling, watching certain films or TV programmes

The key here is that we know we’re being obsessive, whether we know this ourselves or have been told so by someone else. An obsession can be addictive and difficult to overcome. Here are five ways for you to try and stop obsessing over things. 

1) Work Out What You’re Obsessing Over 

Any given obsession has a reason behind it, even an obsession as simple as something cultural like a book series. The key to figuring out why you’re obsessed in the first place is to determine the root of it and why you feel inclined to ruminate over it. 

It’s likely that there’s one aspect of your obsession you’re holding onto the most. This is likely what triggered the obsession in the first place. When it comes to a series of books, a person may become obsessed with it because of certain plot threads, characters, or the overall quality of the writing. Finding the part of your obsession that holds the most interest is useful when trying to let go. 

Try to pinpoint what attracts you to obsessing over something!

2) Write Things Down 

This doesn’t just go for those who have difficulty expressing their feelings. This seemingly basic solution is more effective than you might imagine. By simply jotting down any thoughts you have relating to your obsession, it will clear your mind of them and shift your focus elsewhere. 

As you begin to write down those thoughts and feelings, you’ll find that things become clearer. One thing will lead to another, culminating in an understanding of how and why you’ve developed this obsession. This can bring a sense of fulfilment and leave you with an answer! 

3) Distract Yourself 

As we all know, obsessions can become rather intrusive. We might find ourselves thinking about whatever it is we’re obsessing over day-in and day-out, hour-by-hour. Whether it’s something we really like or is a problem that we need to solve, we can’t help but constantly think about it. An obsession can become a distraction from important matters like our careers and family life, so the distraction needs to have a distraction for it! 

There are various different ways you can distract yourself from your obsession. Physical exercise will make not just your body, but your mind to focus on something else entirely. Don’t try simple walking or running, but instead aim for things like a team sport or rock climbing. Different media forms can also serve as a distraction, so try watching films and TV programmes, listen to music, or even play video games.

4) Look For New Interests 

This may sound like an obvious, clichéd solution, but the truth is it can actually work! A new interest, whether it’s a skill, a type of media you like, or even a hobby can wake up your brain. This can move your perspective away from your obsession and help you out of the doldrum you’re stuck in. A change in routine can help as well. 

Picking up a new hobby can help distract you from an obsession!

You might even try an activity that is the polar opposite of your obsession. This will feel like a breath of fresh air and a step in a different direction. Remember – variety is the spice of life! 

5) Distance Yourself From the Obsession 

Undoubtedly, it can be difficult to get over an obsession if the source of it is within arm’s reach, making it impossible to concentrate on any other topic or subject. This is why you should place a physical distance between yourself and the source, which will eventually lead to the mental distance that you’re really after. 

Obviously, this will be difficult at first, but your obsession will gradually weaken and you’ll find yourself no longer interested in it anymore. If the obsession is something physical, such as a person or a book you’ve been reading, keep them out of your sight altogether. 

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These were just five ways to help you put an end to an obsession that you might have. If you want more advice on making lifestyle changes, contact us at Ceed today. 

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