Believe that you are God’s artwork and that you do not have to compare yourself to other people, especially to those younger than you. No matter what your age is, it does not matter as long as you know that there is still time for you to flip things around and there is still time to live your dream.
Continue reading Age Does Not Matter When You’re Living Your Dream (Time To Change Perspective)
All of us are looking for happiness, but most of us look for it in the wrong places, in the wrong person, in the wrong perspective.
Continue reading Finding Your Happiness By Keeping The Faith
Caring is a positive thing and can be your strength. It gives you the ability to have empathy for others. It will allow you to enjoy and grow in your relationships as you learn about others and yourself. Happiness can sometimes be found in your ability to care for others.
Positivity is gaining that much popularity in recent years, especially among the millennials, developing the tendency of having an optimistic attitude.
Some of us get happiness from our green friends. Watching something grow from our own backyard can be more than fulfilling, especially for those who love home. There are some who don’t run out of ideas on transforming their house into wonderland, and they just love plants all over.
Continue reading 5 Ways For A Happier And Healthier Gardening
Japan’s shinrin-yoku is making waves in the Western World. How do we do forest bathing the American way?
Continue reading Kicking Stress, Anxiety Out With Forest Therapy
When you were young, your family told you that you could be whatever you want to be, and you believed it. However, as time passed by, you cannot help but think that maybe there will be times when you cannot pursue what you want to do.
There will be times when reality will glare at you and slap you with the realization that your dreams are not practical. After what you have been through, you might also think that you are not good enough for those dreams. These realizations continue to be one of the most hurtful things in the world.
However, as people would say it, having a dream is not supposed to be easy. It is supposed to hurt, and it is supposed to challenge you. Only then can you be deserving of that dream.
So what can you do to attain your heart’s desires?
Be Aware Of Your Dreams
“Self-love is not simply a state of feeling good. It is a state of appreciation for oneself that grows from actions that support our physical, psychological and spiritual growth.” Deborah Khoshaba Psy.D. said. With that, you have to acknowledge your hearts’ desires. You can do this by examining yourself. Sometimes, this part comes naturally. Becoming aware of your dreams gives direction to your life because it is what gets you out of bed every single day. Your passion is what moves you to be a better version of yourself. However, it can also be the reason why you will feel powerless, especially at times when reaching for your dreams seems futile.
Embrace Your Emotions
Afraid? In doubt? These emotions will not leave you, especially when you are doing something that makes your heart race. So, what you can do is to embrace those emotions. You have to do it while being afraid and while being in doubt of your capabilities. After all, you can only be brave and muster your courage in times of fear. When you learn to embrace these emotions, which once seemed intimidating, you will start to feel powerful.
Take Action
You cannot conquer your dreams merely by thinking about them. You need to act on them. They do not turn into reality through daydreaming. You have to make a lot of sacrifices to turn your dreams into actuality. It may seem daunting, but you need to convince yourself that you are strong and that you can do anything, especially when it brings you closer to your passion.
Learn From Failures
According to counselor Monte Drenner, “No one likes to fail, but some people take it harder than others.” Accept that there will always be failures along the way . However, it is not enough that you accept them; it is more important that you learn from them. Always remember that going after your dreams has a price. But after all those difficulties and failures, tell yourself that those experiences are all worth it: you grew, and you became a better version of yourself. You will thank yourself for not succumbing to failures.
Understand that you do not need to follow these steps strictly; these are just guides for you, a starting point. In Dr. Nikki Martinez, Psy.D. blog, she says, “If you are struggling with low self-esteem, it is encouraged that you seek some type of help and support to work through this issue, and to help you be the best version of yourself that you can be.” Ultimately, you will be the one who will craft your success story. So, we wish you luck and lots of courage in fighting for your dreams!
They say happiness comes from within. By some means, I believed it.
My Dreams, My Journeys
It was writing all along that made me feel the congruity in my thoughts. The satisfaction gives me as I put those ideas together and precisely express my longing dreams into words. It is the voyage – the journey that is in my mind in having to give an abstract entity, a life in an ordinary piece of pen and paper.
A Piece of Me In My Writings
The very thing I love about writing is that it gives me the opportunity to express myself in words. It helps me to let go of the illustrative thoughts forming a sense inside of me. According to Lindsey Pratt Psychotherapy, LMHC, “it’s not only the benefit of catharsis in the moment of writing that makes journaling so effective – It’s also reviewing what you’ve written.”
Trust me, writing that deeper part of yourself feels like you just pulled out an arrow piercing your heart, emotions you have been longing to convey. Some studies show daily writing to lessen the chances of having depression and anxiety. Writings boost your mood into a more positive and happy one.
Writing Your Legacy Is Happiness Overload
Writing comes from experiences or information you want to offer with a just degree of accuracy; topics which you want to give and expressions you want to leave the reader behind. The power of writing gives you the essence and wisdom of past or future generations. Learning about things new to you as you write sometimes brings you your very own happiness. “Happy people make healthier choices,” explains Scott Glassman, PsyD. And I believe that.
By writing and expressing your own words while having to create a structure of your unique thoughts, you obtain great satisfaction that you have accomplished something. This accomplishment establishes a sense of success which leads towards your own happiness.
Creativity In Many Forms
There are many types of writing whether to inform or explain the subject to a reader, writing to show your opinions and influence a part of him, telling stories and writing imaginatively to paint a picture to the reader.
In any case, starting to write benefits you to a great extent, for your fulfillment and the wholeness of your being – the mind, body, and soul working as one.
Mindset Of A Writer
For some, writing can be a hard task. A person who says writing requires hard work and great inspiration is not the proper mindset if you want to write anything. Starting to write can be easy as eating a pie; you just have to give time and dedication to begin your work on a series of minute-by-minute progress. This can mean having your own moment in a day just to write.
There is always a joy when you start to write. Not only it makes you happy but it also rests your mind. Andrea F. Polard, PsyD says, “Mind resting usually doesn’t mean to have no thoughts, but to slow down thoughts and give each thought less meaning.” It is still productive even if it is one word at a time on a day-by-day basis. You can begin by writing about your daily activity, and experience how fun and easy it is.
Happiness in writing is when you get to enjoy what you are writing about and imparting your thoughts to the world. It is when you can veraciously communicate your deep 3-am thoughts into letters, sentences, and paragraphs into a blank sheet of paper.
The feeling of gladness when I have written something unordinary or new to me is just one of the best feelings I have in writing. Tell me yours.
Do you often cry just by watching romantic movies? Do you usually burst into tears of joy? Or are you the type who holds everything in and break down in one go? Whatever you are feeling, you might need a good cry from time to time.
Many people regard shedding tears as a sign of weakness and fragility and something to be ashamed of in public. But crying is, in fact, good for most of us. Here are the reasons why.
Source: pexels.com
Impact Of Crying On Your Feelings
Geriatric and family mental health expert Dr. Timothy Legg stated crying is a healthy response to humans’ sorrow and frustration. If left unchecked, stress can have negative health implications physically. These may include increased risk of cardiovascular disease, brain damage, digestive issues, tension headaches, and other health issues. It is a good thing crying proves to be beneficial in reducing stress.
Studies show there are other physical benefits of crying apart from being stress relief. It can help in lowering pulse rate and blood pressure immediately after therapy sessions. It also reduces the body’s manganese level, which affects your mood. Elevated levels of the said mineral can be associated with anxiety, irritability, and aggression.
Australian psychologist Christine Bagley-Jones explained emotional tears contain more of some hormones. These direct the human body to release the stress hormone called cortisol. It is responsible for looking after you when you are in trouble or need extra energy. If you do not process cortisol, it can manifest in serious health issues. These can include heart palpitations, hyperventilation, and panic attacks.
Source: pexels.com
Pouring out your emotions through tears also helps communicate the strength and nature of our relationships. It can be used as therapy if you face difficulty in expressing your feelings. Dr. Jackie Chan at the Hong Kong Psychological Counselling Center asserted crying does have a soothing and relaxing effect. It can improve your mood, make you feel better after an emotional ride, and help you gradually calm down. “It does have a soothing and relaxing effect,” he explains. “When we cry, our heart rate and breathing slow down a little and we start to calm down. We might even experience a mood boost after a good cry. Crying is useful for helping people release and express their suppressed or repressed emotions.” Dr Jackie Chan said.
Acknowledgment By Organizations
Respected institutions have acknowledged the benefits of a good cry to people’s overall health and well-being. Some schools, businesses, and government organizations have opened crying rooms for staff and visitors.
British police in Nottinghamshire established crying rooms for their female officers and staff going through menopause because they identified mood changes are often associated with menopause. There is also a so-called “cry closet” in the library of the University of Utah in the United States. It is for students studying for their final examinations and searching for a safe space to release stress.
Controlling Your Emotions Well
On the other hand, anything that is too much has always been harmful. Frequent crying, especially at inappropriate times, can be exhausting for the people around you and your loved ones. It may indicate a lack of emotional regulation. People may get weary of you or, worse, may see you as manipulative and attention-seeking. Clinical psychologist Erica Martinez explains “Some people were trained to hold back the tears since childhood (hearing ‘big girls don’t cry’ and such), but that becomes an unhealthy and incongruent response.”
You might find yourself crying most of the time or for no absolute reason. It might indicate a severe mental health issue like depression. When this happens, it is best to get professional help to figure things out and sort your emotions.
Source: pexels.com
“Allowing yourself to be sad and cry means you are not numbing those emotions that you perceive as negative emotions. When we numb selective emotions, we are actually numbing all of them. Allowing yourself to cry will allow for you to experience joy, happiness, and all of the other emotions we are meant for.” says Erika Miley, M.Ed, LMHC. Crying is a means to express your feelings. You are free to cry if you need to, but you must learn how to deal with your emotions well. The most important thing is to let it all out and not hold back.
As a child, our happiness appeared to be much simpler. A happy meal, a trip to the park, or a good game of “hide and seek” was all it took. As an adult, however, the concept of being happy is much more complicated. Certain aspects of life can heavily influence how we feel. Psychologists and therapists have determined 5 of the most significant factors that do so. Let’s take a look.
Physical And Mental Health
Continue reading Therapists Have Identified Five Factors That Affect Your Happiness