Three Good Things: Day Two

Three good things: Jot down three things that went well for you each day and give an explanation as to why these good things occurred
 Day Two.... not much to write today, going to do my best though!

1. I've been debating about a kindle for a while and finally settled on getting one this evening. Will probably buy tomorrow, it's nice to make up my mind
2. Actually enjoyed seeing family today, was good conversations to listen to
3. Enjoyed wearing my new jeans and cardi, made me feel good- not something that usually happens

E xx

Three Good Things: Day 1

Three Good Things
So I figure, why wait until new year? I am hoping this resolution might make things a little easier.
I found a good link today about increasing your happiness in the new year... 7 New Strategies for Happiness in the New Year
I've decided to go with... Three good things: Jot down three things that went well for you each day and give an explanation as to why these good things occurred

Day 1:

1. I was able to motivate myself to do some revision; I have exams in January and have been feeling so low I haven't even had the energy to open up a text book or even glance at my lecture notes but today as I helped my sister revise I managed to do some of my own, yes it took a while and I don't remember much of the things I wrote but its a start, and I am quite proud of it if I'm honest
2. I gave my rabbit a Brussel Sprout to try and he loved it, he played with it and was munching on it for ages, it made me smile
3. I got out of my pyjamas and got dressed. Yes simple for any other normal human being but not for me at the moment, was at 3pm but I still managed

I guess for me what may seem like normal activities are actually great obstacles for me to conquer although every step I make, no matter how small, will eventually add up and make things easier.... that's what I'm hoping anyway!
E xx

Resolutions

When I think back to last year a lot has changed. I had just left CAMHS for good, was still at school and had just entered the horrors of the adult system. I remember vividly telling all the girls in my support group that my new years resolution was to 'find myself'.... I certainly don't think this has happened yet.
I've got plenty of ideas for resolutions this year, although I know they're not "healthy" ones... more exercise, doing every-other-day full detoxes, only eating raw foods.... the list is endless. I'm telling myself no though at the moment, trying to ignore them. It's not even as if I even have to make a resolution, I guess its a way to cover up things I want to do anyway.

For anyone else out there thinking of making resolutions, here is a good link... 8 Tips for Setting Nourishing New Year’s Resolutions, I'll try to think of some 'healthy' ones myself.

Hope you had a good Christmas, Ell x

Words of Wisdom Part 2

 

 

 

Words of Wisdom Part 1

Edward Monkton creates really cute designs, here a few of my favourites...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edward Monkton: Love Monkey

Edward Monkton: The Pig of Happiness

numb

Tree of Happiness

Young Minds a UK Charity working with young people with mental health difficulties did a survey to find out what made people happy. The larger words are those that were said most often, Friends rating the highest so far.

I have created an image of my favourite things too.....guitar, reading, drawing, photography, walking, sunset, stars, movies, music, rabbit, church, train, fresh bed, libraries, charity shops, giving, dancing, singing, tea, socks, fruity smells, organising, home, hugs, tbbt (the big bang theory), glee, sunshine, beach, smiles, candles, purple, caring, peace, sleeping, conversations, pyjamas, family, quotes, flowers, freebies, art, fridays....

From Carlos Santana's twitter...

Divine identification
Is the new foundation
For living with light and love
To hold on to the feeling
With clarity of knowing
That we are;
The Holy Spirit
State of grace
The light
The truth
...

And the way.
Because Christ consciousness
Lives and is in everyone
We are made in the likeness of the supreme
May we arrive at remembering
That illumination is not a condition or place
But a surrendering, discarding
And stop investing emotionally on the illusion
Of distance and separation
From our effulgent core
We are the light
See the path, walk the path, become the path
Light and love is the flow of grace our lungs breathe
Peace,

Christmas Lights

I'm not a fan of this song and I'd really hate to live across the road to these people but I think this is something everyone needs to see.... Christmas lights to the MAX.......!!!

Mindfulness

Hi Everyone,

I have recently seen a blog post about staying Mindful over the Christmas Period. Just in case you're not sure what mindfulness is....

Mindfulness is a way of paying attention to the present moment, using techniques like meditation, breathing and yoga. It helps us become more aware of our thoughts and feelings so that instead of being overwhelmed by them, we're better able to manage them.

Practising mindfulness can give people more insight into their emotions, boost their attention and concentration and improve relationships. It's proven to help with stress, anxiety, depression and addictive behaviours, and can even have a positive effect on physical problems like hypertension, heart disease and chronic pain.

 

For more information on mindfulness check out http://www.bemindful.co.uk/

 

The Christmas period is notoriously difficult for many people whether they be suffering from depression, eating disorders or any other type of mental illness. Practising Mindfulness might be a way to therefore cope with some of the difficult feelings and situations that could come about in this holiday period.

 

Nourishing the Soul has some great tips on staying Mindful over Christmas.....

 

In the spirit of all that is merry and bright, here are five simple ways to practice mindfulness this holiday season.

1. Sip your peppermint mocha mindfully. With the deluge of savory and sweet treats around the holidays, it’s easy to start engaging in mindless eating or overeating. Our office staff room always quickly fills up with goodies starting around Halloween, and by New Years most of us couldn’t tell you the difference between a macaroon and meatball. With all of the amazing dishes, it’s a great time to practice eating mindfully by taking one slow, delicious bite at a time. See this primer for how.
2. Take a walk in the winter wonderland. For people who struggle to sit and chant “om” for an hour, a walking mediation is often a great way to connect with the present and develop a sense of peace. Try taking a quiet walk (leave the iPod at home) and observing the sights, sounds, and smells of the outdoors.
3. Start a gratitude practice. The holidays can pull for us to get caught in the past, longing for people, places, and traditions long lost, and in the future, longing for more (more attractiveness, more friends, more stuff). What’s goes missing then is appreciation for the present. The holidays are a wonderful time to start a gratitude practice, whether that involves daily recitation, journaling, or some other creative endeavour.
4. Make a holiday craft. Creating something beautiful around the holidays is a great way to engage your attention and senses, and can serve double duty as a low-cost gift for your great aunt! Check out Pinterest for awesome ideas.
5. Hang your stockings with care. Try turning holiday decorating into a mindfulness practice by taking the time to notice the details in each decoration. Observe the way that each ornament reflects the twinkling lights and the smell of mothballs pulling out the stuffed snowman. Notice the way the flames on the menorah candles dance and the sound of the rustling leaves on the wreath as the door opens and closes. You can even turn this into a game, challenging yourself to make at least ten observations for each of the five senses.

 

I hope that this may help some of you that may be struggling this time of year.
Give it a go and let me know what you think.

 

Much love, Ellie xxxxxxxxx

Big Bang Moments (Part 2)

Big Bang Moments (Part 1)

A few of my favourite moments from The Big Bang Theory...

ELLIE

Type in 'ELLIE' on a google search engine and you get approximately 106,000,000 results.
On Google Images a selection of pictures come up like this...

So technically I know what 'Ellie' can be pictured like, what about written-wise.
What does Ellie actually mean?

The Urban Dictionary defines 'Ellie' as ....  Ellie is the most amazing friend in the world.
She can make you happy just by smiling, and she is a very pretty girl.
Ellie means Golden Sunshine, and thats exactly what she is, cause she light up a person's
everyday. If you need a good and true friend, go look for an ellie!

Thinkbabynames.com says Ellie derives from Alice (Old German), Elaine (Greek), Ella
(Old German), Ellen (Greek), Eloise (Old German) and Helen (Greek).
The meaning of Ellie is "noble, exalted; sun ray, shining light; foreign: famous warrior"
Interstingly Ellie is a very popular first name and can be used as a surname, but this is rare.

Babywizard.com says 'The meaning of Ellie is shining light or most beautiful woman'
I like the extra sentence on nicknames; Elle, Ellbell, Ellers, Venellie, Jellie, Elly-Belly


It does make me wonder though if there is so much literature out there about 'Ellie'...
why is it that I just can't seem to find her?

Recent Distractions

 

Useful Distraction Techniques I'm using at the moment...

 

• Paint nails
• Dust room
• Put make-up on (to treat yourself, not for anyone else)
• Wander around town
• Browsing on Facebook
• Make playlists of videos and songs on youtube
• Watch Films
• Catch up on missed TV (enjoying Educating Essex especially)!!
• Organise sock draw
• Organise files and papers
• Write a long email to someone
• Read
• Play some guitar/any other instrument
• Practice singing for choir
• Put on some music and have a jiggle/sing-along
• Sort through purse for receipts
• Go through albums on computer and organise them/delete unwanted photos
• Go through saved 'Favourites' on laptop and see if I still want them/organise into folders
• Have a shower with nice Body Shop products
• Do some washing-up
• Make a cup-of-tea because tea makes everything better :-)