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One of my favourite things to do is run a training course, specifically on building confidence and assertiveness skills. It’s something I’ve been doing for years and it still surprises me how much I enjoy it, as I still consider myself to be a little bit shy and quiet – certainly not a natural extrovert. When I talk to people about becoming more confident and assertiveness, many are afraid of being brash, loud and bolshie. Yet true assertiveness and confidence can be very quiet states, not shouty and mulish at all. Assertiveness is not about you winning, but it is about finding a win-win situation. It’s a real skill to navigate a true compromise that takes everyone’s needs into consideration. And it is possible to be assertive while still being quiet. I’ll be running the course on building confidence and assertiveness skills in June in Berkshire. Let me know if you’re interested and would like to know more. 
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How long do you spend each day trying to find lost things, trying to remember important stuff, or trying to plan? It takes up valuable time, but most crucially, it is quite stressful… which obviously has an impact on health and well-being. One of the quickest ways to well-being is to get organised. It sounds so easy, but it is just like all the simplest things – it’s often the last thing that people think to do, often because their logical brain (the left pre-frontal cortex) is not switched on, as is usually the case in stressful or anxious situations. Getting organised, putting affairs in order, finding a place for everything: all of these measures can really help improve your well-being, as they create healthy patterns for your habit-loving brain. No one ever forgets where their toothbrush is because it’s always in the same place. It can be that easy with other parts of your life too. How do you become more organised? As with most things, it’s different for each person. Here are some general tips that might help: 1. Do one small thing each day that will help you become more organised, like putting a container for your keys near the front door or keeping your work kit in one place. You don’t need to fix all problems in one go. 2. Rank jobs in order of importance and do the most difficult or time-consuming one first. Then all the other, smaller jobs will be done in a flash. 3. Find a system that helps you, like writing things down on lists, or repeating important information to a song tune so that you remember it more readily. 4. Keep doing things that work well and eliminate things that don’t work well. 5. Remind yourself (notes to self, reminders on phones) that you have a system and stick to it.  Do you ever feel overwhelmed by all the thoughts in your head? That the ideas, the plans and the exciting enthusiasms feel like they need to bust out? You are not alone. Half the internet is awash with people trying to make sense of everything in their brains, while the other half claims to have the one-stop-shop answer to all problems. Over the years, I’ve found myself going back to the same old solution to ‘overwhelm’: writing it down. According to neuroscientists, writing everything down helps you externalise thoughts. Put simply, this frees up mental space so you can think more clearly and concentrate better. You don’t have to waste valuable energy remembering everything nor do you have to endure the same thoughts circling around your head. Instead, your life is captured on the pages of a notebook, diary or journal. And this means you can be more present and at ease in the moment without worrying that you’re forgetting something, that your latest amazing idea will be lost to the sands of time. Taking it a step further, research shows that taking time to self-reflect, appreciate what’s going well, and create a vision for your future boosts well-being. And writing by hand engages multiple senses — visual, kinaesthetic, and tactical — which helps commit tasks to memory. It also signals to your brain that your goals are important, making you more likely to follow through. As with most things that work, it’s very simple: pick up a pen and write it down. I’m running a bullet journal workshop this Saturday in Caversham Park Village, where you can learn how to track the past, plan the future, and organise the present – all with copious amounts of stationery and inspirational ideas to fire your creativity. Everyone is welcome! Details and booking here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bullet-journal-workshop-tickets-54449933216.  It’s feeling more and more Spring-like every day at the moment, which puts me in the mood for a Spring clean and having a good clear-out: getting rid of old stuff and to allow fresh air and space in (not necessarily new stuff as a replacement). For me, it’s also important to apply this to our minds. Getting rid of out-dated thoughts means that ‘messy’ and destructive ideas have no room to flourish, and we can gradually eliminate cynicism, negativity and unkindness. This can have a fabulous impact on our sense of well-being too. How about you? What does Spring inspire in you? I’d love to hear. I’m running a couple of events this month: - A Bullet Journal workshop on Saturday 16th March, 9.30am-12.30pm: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bullet-journal-workshop-tickets-54449933216 - Building Confidence and Assertiveness Skills on Wednesday 20th March, 1-4pm: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/building-confidence-and-assertiveness-skills-course-tickets-54922224853 There are limited places at each so book soon to secure your spot.  |
AuthorHi, I'm Joanna from Clean Well-Being. Archives
January 2022
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