Six Solutions - a recipe for a happier life

It’s so easy to feel overwhelmed. And not just by our emotions. Often, it’s the unrelenting pace of life that can catch us out; the barrage of sounds and sights and demands that all compete for our attention. Even after recovery, even when equipped with the calming benefits of mindful awareness, the world can leave your head spinning. This morning was one of those occasions. The alarm woke me earlier than I would have liked and I was still tired as I hobbled down stairs. The dogs followed me, fussing me for attention both eager to get out into the garden for some early morning air. I should have taken their hint. Yet instead, I switched to autopilot and even before I’d flopped onto the sofa, I was reaching for the TV remote control. Without thinking, I turned on the TV and instantly filled a corner of the lounge with sounds and images. I was still trying to fully wake up, yet already my brain was having to work hard to absorb the noises and decode the flashing images. Although I co...

Have you noticed how sometimes, we can be our own worst enemies. I certainly can! I’m a huge fan of 80’s music. I was a teenager back then and the intoxicating sights and sounds of the music from that era can transport me back to those exciting and energised times: Wow, I thought I could do and be anything back then. The world seemed to pulsate with magic and possibilities. However, as much as I love the sounds and memories from those years – the opening bars of songs quickly transport me back to teenage nights out, first holidays abroad, new jobs, fascinating new people – they were once also a huge source of fuel for depression. Without knowing how to stop it, my mind would compare those days to now; weigh one set of feeling against the other and use those as weapons with which to attack me. You might understand how that works. You might even have a mind that does the same. Your mind can sometimes use your own memories against you Back as a teenager, my levels of hope and antici...