Finding A Restored Life

Finding A Restored Life We are dedicated to help you find the kind of life that you have been looking for by helping you on

01/28/2022

I am re-launching this page because I believe it is so needed with all that is going on in our world today and how it is affecting so many people.

ANXIETY EXERCISE:There are 5 steps to take to help create progress towards finding symptom reduction and/or relief. Taki...
05/17/2020

ANXIETY EXERCISE:
There are 5 steps to take to help create progress towards finding symptom reduction and/or relief. Taking these 5 steps might not be overnight magic but can significantly help reduce symptoms of anxiety, trauma triggers, and other unwanted emotions or thoughts. With any type of trigger, emotion, or thought that needs coping skills, it is important to always remember the breath! Like in yoga, slow, deep, long breathing can help maintain a sense of calm or help return to a calmer state. Start with deep breathing as the introduction to any coping skill. Breathe in for 5 seconds, hold the breath for 5 seconds, and breathe out for 5 seconds. Continue this pattern until you find your thoughts slowing down or until necessary. I suggest at least 5 rounds of these sets but more is of course allowed and encouraged. After you are able to find your breath, go through the numbers in order to help ground yourself in present thinking through external factors:

5: Acknowledge FIVE things you see around you. Maybe it is a bird, maybe it is pencil, maybe it is a spot on the ceiling, however big or small, state 5 things you see.

4: Acknowledge FOUR things you can touch around you. Maybe this is your hair, hands, ground, grass, pillow, etc, whatever it may be, list out the 4 things you can feel.

3: Acknowledge THREE things you hear. This needs to be external, do not focus on your thoughts; maybe you can hear a clock, a car, a dog park. or maybe you hear your tummy rumbling, internal noises that make external sounds can count, what is audible in the moment is what you list.

2: Acknowledge TWO things you can smell: This one might be hard if you are not in a stimulating environment, if you cannot automatically sniff something out, walk nearby to find a scent. Maybe you walk to your bathroom to smell soap or outside to smell anything in nature, or even could be as simple as leaning over and smelling a pillow on the couch, or a pencil. Whatever it may be, take in the smells around you.

1. Acknowledge ONE thing you can taste. What does the inside of your mouth taste like, gum, coffee, or the sandwich from lunch? Focus on your mouth as the last step and take in what you can taste.

RESCUE PLAYLISTSOne of the tools that I turn to when I feel emotionally down or discouraged or when anxiety seems to be ...
05/17/2020

RESCUE PLAYLISTS

One of the tools that I turn to when I feel emotionally down or discouraged or when anxiety seems to be rising - is music. Music can often change your mood. You can manipulate you mind by the music you choose. Brain research supports this. Listening to happy music is reported to increase brain activity in the brain’s left hemisphere which is the part of the brain associated with happiness and motivation. But it needs to be brain boosting and building music. The most powerful music in activating the emotional circuits of the brain is instrumental music. Vocal music can be more distracting and sometimes the lyrics can actually negatively impact your brain depending on the lyrics.

There are three types of music that can best stimulate and activate the happiness part of your brain – classical, easy listening without lyrics and inspirational music with lyrics. The best inspirational music is Christian worship music especially when they are filled with hope and the assurance that you are not in this alone and that there is a power greater than yourself that can help you find the hope and happiness you are looking for.

If you really want to boost your mood, try looking at beautiful art or photographs of nature while you are listening to music. The visual stimulation can turbo boast the effect that music can have. If you are struggle with anxiety or depression right now – I would plaster my screen on my phone, tablet or computer with beautiful nature scenes.

Do you have a premade “go-to” emotional rescue playlist when you feel discouragement, depression and anxiety begin to raise their ugly heads. Maybe it is time for you to create one. Not sure where to start – let me give you a few suggestions from my playlist.

Classical Music:
Music without lyrics is the best source of activating and boosting the emotional circuits of your brain. Maybe you have a negative opinion of classical music or you have never listened to it and don’t know where to start. Here are some suggestions:
• Clair de Lune – Debussy
• Adagio for Strings – Samuel Barber
• Gymnopedies – Erik Satie
• The Magic Flute – Mozart
• Eine Kliene Nachtmusik - Mozart
• Canon in D Major – Pachelbel
• Piano Sonata # 17 in D Minor – Beethoven

Easy Listening:
This is a more contemporary version of music without lyrics. Often more contemporary and familiar songs are arranged instrumentally. These songs can also be very effective in boosting the happiness circuits of the brain. You can find easy listening suggestion on YouTube, Sirius Radio and often your cable TV package will come with some of these channels. You can also download these using your music streaming service on your device.

Inspirational:
Inspirational songs usually have uplifting, motivating and positive lyrics that can speak directly to what you are experiencing emotionally. For me, I turn to Christian worship songs as my go to source for this music. One my inspirational playlist are songs like:
• It Is Well – Bethel Music
• Do It Again – Elevation Worship
• I Am Not Alone – Kari Jobe
• What A Beautiful Name – Hillsong
• Overcome – Elevation

If something Christian is not in your worldview, there are other easy listening songs that are motivating and brain stimulating. Songs like Granted and River by Josh Groban would be those types of songs.

If you don’t have a playlist right now, let me encourage you to start to make one. It might mean listening to more songs than you would put on the list but even in that process it will take your mind off you struggle and onto a project that could help you in the struggle so many of us share.

KEEP A JOURNALI have practiced journaling for the past 35 years. I write something in it almost every day. I have foun...
05/17/2020

KEEP A JOURNAL
I have practiced journaling for the past 35 years. I write something in it almost every day. I have found it one of the most beneficial tools in my emotional health tool box. I have dozens and dozens of journals that cover more than half my life. I don’t use anything fancy. My go to are inexpensive spiral note books. I share this with you today because I will refer back to my journal and the practice of journaling so many times as I share more tools with you.
When someone first suggested I try this very valuable practice, like so many people, I was very reluctant and resistant to doing this. I had a whole host of excuses like, “I’ve tried this before and I wasn’t consistent” or “I don’t know what to write” or “What if someone reads what I have written” and a whole lot more. What excuses might you have?

Then my mentor (another key post for another day) suggested that I discipline myself to do this for forty days straight and then decide whether I wanted to continue doing it or not. So I went out and bought a notebook and took up the challenge. After the forty days, I was hooked and have never stopped since. I don’t do it perfectly and I miss days along the way, but it isn’t about doing it perfectly it is about making progress while doing it. Over the past 35 years, I have come to realize just how important my journaling is and why it is so beneficial.

The benefits of writing in a journal are as follows:
Release – When you write in a journal, when you put your thoughts down on paper, it releases many of the locked up thoughts that keep swirling around in your thinking. Those who suffer with anxiety and depression know so well about those negative thoughts that keep spiraling around in your mind and always move downward to a darker and darker place. Writing out these thoughts can release them from the downward spiral. I have opened my journal in the middle of the night when sleep was nowhere to be found and experience enough release that I could find some sleep afterwards. There is something very cleansing and healing when we write down our thoughts and a freedom that comes with it. I don’t know how it works – I just know that it works.

Reflect – I like to go back and reflect over the journey of a previous month. My journal allows me to do that. The reflection helps me to see the growth I have made, the changes that I have made and also whether I have been stuck in a rut or not. It is a rear view mirror look at the road I have travelled and there is a lot of benefit to this – even if it hasn’t been the most positive road. But, when growth and change happens and you can see it, even if it is in small increments, there is something helpful and encouraging about that.

Reveal – When I reflect it reveals the changes that I have made, the victories that I have achieved, the battles that I have won, but also reveals the things that I am still wrestling with and the changes that I still need to make. Self-inspection is so important to growth and this is a great tool to be able to do that with clarity. It also reveals why I am experiencing some of the emotions I am feeling and what are some of the triggers to the negative emotional reactions and responses I am having.

Refocus – After I have reflected and seen what it has revealed it allows me to refocus moving forward. It helps me to focus on what I need to do, where I need to go, what changes I need to make and what goals I need to set.
Journaling is about processing your thoughts. It is about making sense of some of what you are thinking and feeling. Putting it down on paper is so important to health and freedom.

There are so many benefits to journaling, but too often we wonder how do we get started. I am good at it now because of years of practice but I started by using a simple plan that I have used for most of my journaling life.
I use at least a single page for each day even if I write only a small paragraph. I put the date at the top of each page. If I miss a day (which all of us do) I don’t put that date. That would only lead to a bit of self-shaming.

I then write the word YESTERDAY. I reflect on the prior day. What were the wins, what did I achieve, what were some of the challenges and what might be a regret. I then write the word GRATEFUL and write five things I am grateful for. I then write down prayers that have been answered and then the negative thoughts I have been battling with.
I then write the word TODAY and right below that I write a list of the things that I am praying for. I use my journal for pray and write them out the key things I am praying for and the people I am praying for. As part of my prayer journaling I do list the key things I am thankful for. I then write out some positive thoughts I need to reflect on for this new day. Mine are usually some passage of scripture or something I have read devotionally that I want to reflect on during the day. The I make a short list of one or two steps of healing and improvement that I need to take. Sometimes I write the same steps for weeks and weeks because they need to be small steps in order to make progress. Finally, I write out any other thoughts that I feel need to be written down to be remembered.

That is as simple as it gets. When you use key words as a structured approach it really works – at least for me. If you are not structured, just go with the flow and write whatever feels like it is helpful.

If you are to sure about this, do what I did – try it for forty days and see if it helps. Why not get a spiral notebook today and begin the forty day journey.

GRATITUDEResearch indicates that the practice of expressing gratitude can improve your emotions, health, relationships a...
05/17/2020

GRATITUDE

Research indicates that the practice of expressing gratitude can improve your emotions, health, relationships and your outlook. Gratitude can increase and improve so many areas of your life. It can improve or increase your:
• Happiness and well-being
• Mood
• Self-esteem
• Reduce self-centeredness
• Productivity and goal achievement
• Perseverance and resilience
• Decision Making
• Positive Thinking
• Attitude
• Vitality and energy

When you wake up in the morning, when you jump (okay crawl or fall) out of bed, what difference would it do to the rest of your day if you said out loud as your feet hit the floor, “This is going to be a great day”? What if you choose to start and end each day being grateful to God for the many blessings that he has given to you. Even when life is tough, there are still so many things to be grateful for.
I am a big believer in keeping a journal. In fact yesterday’s tool was all about the practice of journaling. As part of my journaling, I often will use an “I’m Grateful For” heading and then I write down at least five things that I am grateful for that day. I try not to simply repeat those same five every day. In fact, it is part of my reflecting on the previous day. It is amazing how that can change the way you feel and can affect your attitude for the rest of the day. I am going to talk about the practice of noticing as part of my next post, but if you knew you had to write five things you were grateful for from the previous day, it would make you more alert to the blessings you actually enjoy.

What are some of the things that you are grateful for? If you wrote down in a journal, five thing you were grateful for from the previous day and did that for a month, by the end of a month you would have a list of more than 150 things you are grateful for. If you reflected on that list at the end of the month – it would amaze you at how blessed you are and it would change your attitude and your mood and improve so many other areas of your life.

There are other ways to increase your gratitude. You could write a simple thank you card to someone who has made a difference in your life over the last few weeks. You could send a text to someone telling them how grateful you are for something they have done. You could keep a blessing list at the back of your journal and read it often as you continually add to it.

You also need to be thankful about you. Maybe in the back of your journal you have a page where you list the things you have accomplished, all the good things you have done and all the people you have been blessed. Too often we are grateful about what other people do, but we are not grateful for who we are and what God has done in us and through us.

We also need to be thankful to GOD. For all the blessing he has given. For the gifts he has enabled us with. For the people in our lives. For the tangible things like food and clothing and shelter and reliable transportation – basically thanking him for meeting our needs but also for the special extras GOD bestows on us.

Our minds naturally gravitate towards negative thinking. That often increases our anxiety and stress. One of the best antidotes to negative thinking – it is to be grateful for all that we have and all that we have been blessed with.

You have a choice when you wake up each day. Will you give into negative thinking or before your feet hit the floor with you thank GOD for another day and declare it is going to be a blessed one? It will make a big difference to the day you experience.

05/14/2020

Imagine a Restored Life…

That has meaning and purpose – where you can make an impact and find a sense of calling.

Where there is hope – no matter how bad things are right now, no matter how bad you struggle, it can always get better.

Where there is freedom from addictive behaviours and choices.

Where you can find freedom from the guilt and shame and regret from past choices.

Where you can deal with the hurts and wounds of your past and find freedom from them.

Where you can forgive those who you once thought would be impossible to forgive.

Where there is relational stability, resulting in intimate and loving relationships.

Where there is contentment and satisfaction and freedom from always wanting more.

Where there is internal happiness that is not driven by the pursuit of possessions, pleasure or power.

Where there is discernment – the ability to choose wisely – to know the difference between right and wrong.

Where you can be genuine and honest and transparent.

Where you can have the faith-based confidence to face your fears and doubts head on.

Of simplicity, generosity and gratitude.

Filled with passion and joy and excitement.

Where the key questions of life get answered.

Where you can have a spiritual encounter with Jesus that is not bound up in religion.

Where you love God with all your heart, where he is continually restoring you and you want to share your story of restoration with others.

Address

Brantford, ON

Telephone

+15198208000

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Finding A Restored Life posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Finding A Restored Life:

Shortcuts

Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share via Email
Share on WhatsApp Share on Instagram Share on Telegram

Category

Imagine a Restored Life

Imagine a Restored Life…

That has meaning and purpose – where you can make an impact and find a sense of calling.

Where there is hope – no matter how bad things are right now, no matter how bad you struggle, it can always get better.

Where there is freedom from addictive behaviours and choices.

Other Health & Wellness Websites in Brantford

Show All

You may also like