Resources

Garden for Happiness

This is a very simple yet extremely effective way of winding down, relaxing and re-focussing. Although it is best practised in a garden, it works equally as well in any situation - a busy bus, a crowded street, a warm, sandy beach...

Try it... notice what you notice... Enjoy!

To start with make yourself comfortable and begin to take notice of your surroundings.

First look around and slowly name to yourself

5 things that you can see...that could be anything, for example, your shoes, a tree, a shadow on the ground, a flower, a passing bug...

Secondly, begin to listen out for sounds, and name to yourself

5 things that you can hear: e.g. – birds twittering, the wind in the trees, a passing car, someone talking, a distant train...

Thirdly, take notice of 5 things you can feel: e.g. – the sunshine on your skin, your feet on the ground, a breeze, how your hands rest, your own breath...

Now repeat the process naming:

4 things you can see (different than before is better, but the same as before is OK)

4 things you can hear...

4 things you can feel...

Then continue the process going down to 3 things, then 2, and finally 1 thing that you can see, hear and feel, by which time you should be really relaxed.

Apart from achieving a peaceful, relaxed state, doing this exercise often helps people to notice things of beauty or interest that they have perhaps forgotten about or have not noticed before.

Practise this regularly and

notice how differently you will feel

about where you are...

User Thoughts

If you find yourself plagued by worrying thoughts that just won't go away, try thinking in a different way...

This is a useful technique borrowed from a cognitive behavioural framework to try out when you are being troubled by troublesome thoughts. Basically it's a series of 4 questions which you must answer honestly - if you don't you are only fooling yourself!

U - Is this thought useful?

S - is this thought sensible?

E - Is there any evidence to support that this thought is correct?

R - Is this thought realistic?

If your answer to any of these questions is 'No' you owe it to yourself to change this negative thought into one that is more positive.

If you're still not achieving the peace of mind you'd like to enjoy

why not call me for a free intital telephone consultation.