The COVID-19 pandemic has no doubt been one of the biggest global crises in generations and has had severe and far-reaching repercussions for health systems, economies and societies. As people have struggled under the weight of this impact, their mental health has been widely affected. Plenty of us became more anxious, while a great number of people have reported psychological distress and symptoms of depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress. Plus there have been worrying signs of more widespread suicidal thoughts and behaviour, including among healthcare workers. Now the masks have fallen and we are out and about again, there are still a lot of people dealing with the repercussions of the pandemic. After staying at home for such a long time, many still feel discomfort spending time at mass gatherings and would rather stay at home or spend time out in nature, or on their own. Our way of living changed for a long time. We all went against our social nature and stayed away from one another for weeks at a time. We had to experience and explore life in a different way. Although we were not allowed to leave our area, my husband and I were lucky. We live in the countryside, so we explored the local surroundings and found places and walks we didn’t even know existed. Our life got quieter. We had more time just to be, instead of charging around like headless chickens. We learned a different way of being. Living our lives for over a year in a different way changed us all. The fact is: life is evolving and we are constantly changing. You might find you now prefer a different way of being, but then comes the judgement: “I used to like going out” “Why don’t I want to go to a party, to the pub or a concert?” “I used to like to be surrounded by people” And then you add more judgement: “There must be something wrong with me” Maybe others question you and judge your behaviour too? You might criticise even more of your behaviour and feel down about it. First of all, I want you to know that you are ok, whatever your trauma was before or during COVID. You are ok right now in this moment. The reason you suffer today is because you keep revisiting your past. There is no need to judge yourself, to see your past still as real in this moment or to criticise the way you are. We are so loving and kind with others, but we can be so hard and judgemental with ourselves!  In fact, the key to letting go of your past is very simple. The secret is to know it is just thought! Your experience of the world is created by your thinking in the moment. This means that your mental health is not determined by external circumstances, or people or your past, but rather by your internal state of mind. Thoughts can create feelings of stress, anxiety, or depression but also happiness, joy or excitement. All you need to remember is that your experience is constantly changing and thoughts are constantly passing through. One moment you think about the past few years and you feel burdened, the next you think about a joke you recently heard and smile, then you think about an event coming up and you feel anxious, and then you read a book or watch a film and you are in a different world! Thought is the illusion you live in. It can take you into the past, or future, under the water or up the highest mountain. What we do is get lost in thought and think ourselves away from the present moment. When you can see that your experience is created via thought 100% of the time, you are free. You have been experiencing everything via the neutral power of thought, since the day you were born. The neutral power of thought is guiding you through life, but you are the artist of the picture of your life. How incredible that you can create that paint that picture in any way you want!

There seems to be a strong belief that happiness is a place to get to, that other people make us happy, and that there is work to be done to achieve happiness. We search for it in other people, our ideal partner, buying one thing after the other - some even travel the world to find it. So what is it that really makes us happy? In this blog we will look at how we may be looking in the wrong place to be truly happy, and where we might want to look instead.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing bad about wanting to do things and achieve things in life, but the tough part is that we get too attached to the outcome.

Understanding that your feelings of overwhelm are coming from how you experience life will leave you to find more clarity, peace, and moments of creativity in the middle of what seems to be an overwhelming day.

Is hard work the way to success? Is it not that when we have fun, we get far more done?

When life feels overwhelming and there aren’t enough hours in the day, making time for yourself and what you “should” be doing to take care of yourself can feel impossible.

The people who want to lose weight may reach their goals by going on a diet, or exercising more, but this ‘regime’ they put themselves on rarely lasts. They often end up right where they started.

You are a bundle of cells, all working in perfect harmony, trying to heal yourself 24 hours a day. Your body is your constant support. We are conditioned to think that the answers to our health and well-being are external, but they are and always have been within us.

What are your eating habits over Easter? Are you addicted to chocolate? If you eat a bit of chocolate once in a while, you’ll be fine. Just not over-indulge, if you can, and let your body get it out of your system afterwards.