The Positive Habit Weekly Blog – 11th December, 2017 – Ride the Waves of Life with Self-Compassion
Hello Dear Positive Habit People,I hope you’ve had a good week and of course welcome to the many new subscribers – I’m really thrilled to have you with us. Regular readers will know that I like to share something from my own life each week and then ask you to consider an idea or approach to improve your own mental health. The Positive Habit is all about that – creating the habit of being positive.
“We first make our habits, and then our habits make us.”
John Dryden
One of the techniques I learnt recently to help people with physical cravings such as emotional eating or drinking too much alcohol is to surf the urge. This is a very empowering practice that can be applied to both physical and mental bad habits. We often think of habits as things that we do but what about the habit of thinking? This is, after all, the most important habit of all and forms all our other habits.
If our thoughts create our world then it follows that healthy, positive thoughts will lead to healthy positive habits.
On Monday I was being interviewed on the Dermot and Dave show for Today FM (link to the podcast below) and was talking about acceptance being a crucial step in dealing with an anxious thought. Dave made a good point that most people are not even aware of their thoughts and this is unfortunately true. How can we change our negative/anxious thoughts to positive ones if we are not even aware we are having them? Being aware is therefore the first and most important step. This week I would like you to observe yourself with love and kindness. If a negative thought or feelings of irritation and frustration or the urge to comfort eat/drink arises try surfing the urge. The steps involved are as follows:
- Become aware of the thought
- Accept the thought
- Surf the thought and let it pass; do this by deepening your breath and if it is a physical craving imagine it is like an itch that you don’t scratch.
- Show self-compassion towards yourself for having the thought in the first place.
You will be amazed at how, by practising this, you can train your brain to make it automatic over time. The positive habit of being kind to yourself then overrides the negative habit of giving yourself a hard time. The brain behaves as a muscle does and requires proper exercise which you can give with consistent care and love.
On Wednesday I bit the bullet and started the Christmas shopping and on Saturday we got the Christmas tree so I am beginning to get ‘set’ for Christmas! When I was in town shopping I could feel the stress of my fellow shoppers and the exhaustion of the shop staff; one shop assistant described it as “the nightmare of Christmas!” I had to work hard not to get caught up in the frenzied stress. At this time of year it is even more crucial to cultivate your internal calm and to maintain a vital sense of perspective. If you feel challenged by the build up to Christmas please read an article I wrote last year for Bressie’s wonderful mental health site, A Lust For Life, ‘Have Yourself a Conscious Christmas’.
Thanks again for reading and please do share this post with your friends and family and let the positive vibes uplift those you care about.
If you are interested in the Love Yourself Well workshops please note that early bird tickets (€115 as opposed to the full price of €130) are on sale until January 6th, 2018.
Fiona with Dermot and Dave in Today FM on the Mind Yourself Now mental health slot. To listen click here.
The Positive Habit Christmas Gift Vouchers
Perhaps you have gifted yourself The Positive Habit Program and perhaps you think someone you LOVE could also benefit from a positive mindset so that they too can feel calm, confident and joyful this Christmas.
Gift Vouchers now available.
Keep spreading the positive energy & make someone TRULY happy this Christmas.
The Positive Habit continues to help people all over the world.
The Maintenance Program is now also available and is a wonderful way for people who have completed The Positive Habit to sustain their positive shift.
2018 Workshops
Dublin – 17th February 2018
Cork – 3rd March 2018
Early Bird until January 6th 2018 is only €115.00
Full Price Ticket is €130.00
Presented by Nutritional Therapist Elsa Jones & Clinical Hypnotherapist Fiona Brennan, ‘Love Yourself Well’ is a unique mind-body weight management program that deals with both the physical and psychological components of weight management, providing you with tools that will lead to lasting weight loss success.
At Love Yourself Well, we invite you to attend a one-day masterclass workshop where you will be given a set of uniquely effective tools help you manage your weight & health for life. You will then have the option to become a Love Yourself Well member where you will have access to a private online support group and have monthly live webinar sessions with Fiona & Elsa (inc. Q&A) to help you stay on track & reach your health goals.