by Suzy Reading | Oct 6, 2013 | article, blog
Despite the best laid plans, life tends to throw us inevitable curve balls. At one time or another we are all bound to be tested and really, there is no buffer against it. What we can do is learn to cope better during these tough times. I’ve discovered and road tested a few good strategies and that’s what week 7 is all about – the psychology of coping.
Your first strategy is to look for the silver lining of suffering. To learn a little more about Post-Traumatic Growth, take a look at my article here, think of the most stressful event you’ve faced in the last 5 years and try out the exercise in your Vitality Journal.
Stay tuned every day this week for a different coping strategy. Add these to your toolkit and you are sure to bounce back better the next time there’s a bump in the road.
Love to all,
Suz xx
by Suzy Reading | Aug 19, 2013 | article, blog
There are no surprises here – time is a fixed entity. So what you’ve got is what you’ve got. The good news is that you have plenty of power over how you conceive it and then parcel it out. Here are my 12 top tips to get the most of your time:
1. Use the 4 D’s:
- Do it now – it is important and it must be done by you.
- Defer it – you need to do it but it can wait. Schedule it for later.
- Delegate it – it is important, but someone else can do it. Give yourself permission to use this one!
- Dump it – it actually doesn’t need to be done… (more…)
by Suzy Reading | Aug 13, 2013 | article, blog
We live in a caffeinated, adrenal world with competing demands placed upon our ‘bodymind’ for most of our waking hours. We’re all aware of the frequent drive to achieve in every realm of modern life – work life, home life, family life, and social life. Often there is little space left for us to pause and top up our depleted systems. We really need time where there is an absence of striving and a complete absence of ambition.
People regularly say to me that they just don’t have time to nurture themselves… but soon enough your system will falter and it’s more that you can’t afford NOT to take the time out to rest. If you leave yourself open to fatigue you become susceptible to burnout, illness and injury. Chances are your enforced rest will come at a time of even less convenience!
So give yourself permission to rest and it will allow you to give more to the pursuits in your life and to actually enjoy them more. Self-care is not selfish! It is not a luxury. It is essential so that you can keep giving and keep going. End of sermon.
Without decent R&R, this is what you miss out on… (more…)
by Suzy Reading | Jul 17, 2013 | article, blog
How is this for life changing – normal psychological functioning is not an absence of unhelpful thoughts! It is normal to experience anxious, depressed or disordered thinking at times. They are just thoughts, and it doesn’t necessarily follow that you are then “anxious” or “depressed”- (although you might be and it would then be a different kettle of fish). So, here is the life changing bit – it is ok to stop trying to suppress or eradicate negative thoughts, feelings and sensations!
Your mind is meant to think, just as your eyes are designed to see. We don’t get angry or upset with our eyes for seeing unpleasant images, so why should we get upset with our minds for thinking unhelpful thoughts? (more…)
by Suzy Reading | Jul 11, 2013 | article, blog
A week before the birth of my little one, my Father suffered a breathing failure, beginning a long battle with what was posthumously diagnosed as a rare form of motor neurone disease. He survived another 15 months, spending over 7 months in intensive care. Whether it was grief, stress, sleep deprivation or post natal depression, or a combination of all, I really struggled. The piece of advice that really stands out in my mind was to “put a ring around it”… (more…)
