Quote Anon

The weeks are flying by, and the temperatures in the UK are cooling down, winter is around the corner and whilst images of pumpkin lattes and Christmas trees makes me feel warm and fuzzy, often the winter months can be some of the most mentally challenging. We tend to hibernate a little more, the weather is often grey and cold, we can become lethargic and not as productive, as a result this can leave our mental health in poor condition.

What can we do? We can focus on what we do have, this is a skill that I’m alway in pursuit of / attempting to maintain. I know it works and have had many successes from it but I also know that when you are feeling low it can be hard to focus at all, let alone alter your mindset to a positive perspective. I really enjoy thinking about the things I’m grateful for, this helps me reflect on what I have achieved, what I do have and not on the endless ‘to do list’ or concerns of looming bills and costly house projects that quickly become essential when you ignore them for long enough.

If listing your gratitudes seems out of reach then I’d like to share a writing practise that I’ve recently adopted.

You can do it at the end of the day before sleep or reflect first thing in the morning on the day before. I found the practise on Instagram and have found it useful for raising my vibration. I prefer to write in the morning as it sets me up for the day ahead.

The first question is: ‘Name three moment of kind did you show to others or experience from other people?’ This question makes me appreciate all the small things that the people around me do and also encourages me to do/ share more kindness to others. After doing this for a few weeks it surprised me how often it’s strangers that show kindness.

The next question is: ‘Name 3 joys from yesterday’ again, this requires me to reflect on my day with a positive perspective and often it’s the small moments that give me the biggest boost when I write them down.

The third question is: ‘Three things you did well?’ Firstly, when I went to do this I was taken back, apart from the odd office impact narrative, I haven’t stated what I do well since I was a child, certainly not in writing and it was really challenging. After a few days I noticed that my inner voice had become a little more of a cheerleader and less a self saboteur.

Focusing on the good doesn’t stop the bad happening but I do believe it helps to balance out your perspective and often helps you to find solutions quicker. It also often means you attract other positive people and that can also help raise your collective vibration. The world is hard enough at times without surrounding yourself with opinions that drain you. If you give the questions or journal prompts a go, let me know in the comments below. Perhaps much like the lessons I’ve learnt from the journal prompts – it’s a little daily practice that may help your mental health and well-being hugely.