How To Find The Laughter In Your Life

When it comes to self-help, there are a plethora of treatments to choose.  Acupuncture, reflexology, reiki, massage, crystals, meditation, art therapy, homeopathic remedies - the list is endless.

Some of these therapies will cost you money, and others can be done with little or no cash.  Meditating, for example, is free, and one of the best gifts you can give yourself.  Another activity that will cost you nothing but boost your wellbeing is laughter.

I am fortunate to be a half-full personality type and together with my positive attitude I also have a tendency to see the funny side of life.  Think about Peter Kaye for a moment, he uses everyday activities and stresses to build up his act, with hilarious results.  Sarah Millican uses her own weight issues to reduce her audience into fits of giggles.  Learning to laugh at yourself can help you to view life with less negativity and emotion.

 

How Crafting Can Help With Wellbeing

A hobby, good book, or even a jigsaw can all soothe the soul when we are searching for a little calm in the swell of our day.

Crafting has, for a long time, been one of the go-to interests for creating the balance we crave.  Just look at the rise in popularity of the adult colouring books on the market.  I subscribe to Art Therapy, a weekly magazine packed with images waiting to be coloured in and displayed around the home.  As an avid meditator, this activity is perfect for me.  I can lose myself in the attention to detail and any disorder in my mind is replaced with a quietness that I can’t find anywhere else.

It’s not just colouring-in that can give you this release.  Take a look at the Stitch Links website, the home of therapeutic knitting since 2005.  They advocate the ‘use it or lose it’ strategy.  A belief that our brain, as well as our muscles, needs to learn something new to stay active.  When we learn a new skill we increase connections within our brain and this in turn can help strengthen our brain against such diseases as Alzheimer’s, depression or chronic pain.

Why We All Need A Cheerleading Squad

As an outgoing and fairly confident woman, I have recently found myself hiding away and sulking – yes, sulking – over a health issue that has taken me by surprise.  I thought only kids had the sulky genes but apparently not.  It appears that I can sulk with the best of them. 

Any health problem can cause anxiety to arise.  Even a common cold will make everything you do seem that much harder. When your body begins to tell you to slow down, you need to listen – I didn’t. 

I have always taken on any task, challenge and goal with enthusiasm, but I’ve also taken them on alone.  It’s a trait that gets me into trouble with my friends and family, as they are so eager to help, and yet we all do it.  Asking for help can sometimes be harder than the actual challenge itself.  Why is that?