One of my favourite quotes is by Anne Frank “Paper is more patient than man”. This is especially true for people who try journaling as a way to declutter the mind. Journaling means picking up paper and a biro, and writing out whatever problem is cluttering up your mind.

Many people find that writing about stressful events helps you come to terms with them. When the mind is cluttered up, writing out or brain-dumping thoughts on paper helps to gain clarity. This helps us to know ourselves better, reducing stress and solving problems more effectively. Through your writing you’ll discover that your journal is an all-accepting, non-judgmental friend. This may provide the cheapest therapy you will ever get.

There are many different journaling techniques and topics. The technique I use the most is brain-dumping. This means writing out your thoughts as they come to you, forgetting about spelling and punctuation. Nobody is going to see this but you. Many people burn their journaling after so no one can read it. Write quickly, as this frees your brain from “shoulds” and other blocks to successful journaling. The most important rule of all is that there are no rules. Start with the first words to enter your mind – such as I’m tired, or I feel funny writing in a journal! Let your train of thought take you on a journey on paper!

To find out more about journaling, meditation and yoga classes visit www.relaxfromstress.ie, contact Tracy on 086-2202734 or email tracy@relaxfromstress.ie.

Published in the Connaught Telegraph on 29 Nov 2016

“For breath is life, and if you breathe well you will live long on earth.” ~Sanskrit proverb

One of the biggest surprises clients get is how actively slowing down their breathing can calm them down. Consciously taking a slow, long, and deep belly breath does wonders for actively calming and quietening the mind.

When we feel stressed or anxious, it can feel like we are short of breath or shallow breathing from the chest and not the lower lungs. This is the body preparing for fight or flight, an in-built and ancient stress response system in the body. This can happen from the busyness of life on a normal day when you’re trying to get the kids to school on time and get yourself to work. When we’re rushing daily from pillar to post, the body doesn’t understand the it’s not a life-threatening situation and responds the same way it would in a dangerous situation.

With deep breathing, we counteract the stress response with the relaxation response.

By engaging the abdominal muscles and diaphragm through deep breathing instead of the muscles in the upper chest and neck, the body starts relaxing. This is turn helps the mind to become calm and focused.

To calm your mind, simply close your eyes and spend a minute actively breathing into your belly, slow, long and deep. Simply notice the difference it makes.

To find out more about meditation and yoga classes, visit www.relaxfromstress.ie, contact Tracy on 086-2202734 or email tracy@relaxfromstress.ie.

Published in the Connaught Telegraph Newspaper on 22 Nov 2016

Do you ever feel like life picks you up, shakes you around and drops you somewhere else? This new place might look like home, but something has changed.

Every week in my practice, I meet people who are going through change and they're trying to go back to normal. Change is tough, whether it’s good or bad. It happens through bereavement, relationships breakdown, job loss and financial difficulties. Change happens when we start romantic or friend relationships, have kids, start new jobs and experience financial security after struggling for so long.

Whether the change is good or bad, one thing is certain...there's no going back. Even if everything outside us returns to exactly how it was in the past, you've changed! Inside you have become stronger, you've grown.

When change happens, we need to create a new normal. We need to take baby steps each day getting to know our new lives, and our new selves. Change is scary and how well we cope boils down to our attitude. It's easier to cope when we look for the joy in each day.

Keeping a daily joy list is a fantastic way to notice all the little and big things in life to be joyful about.

Noticing the joy, even if it's as simple as the perfect cup of tea, gradually helps to create a new normal after change.

To find out more about meditation classes and other ways to manage change, visit www.relaxfromstress.ie, contact Tracy on 086-2202734 or email tracy@relaxfromstress.ie.

Published in the Connaught Telegraph Newspaper on 15 Nov 2016