Hello friends, my regular readers will have noticed I didn’t post a blog last week, the reason being I just wasn’t ‘okay’.  This was due to an accumulation of physical and work worries that resulted in my feeling drained.

I find it strange that sometimes in life we just soldier on ignoring what is happening to us physically and mentally by suppressing our emotions, until someone close to you, perhaps a friend, colleague, or family member asks if we are okay and waits for a response that is more than just “I’m good thank you” – often followed up very quickly by the person being asked, and “How are you?”

It only takes that one person who cares enough to allow you to say out loud; “I’m not okay” which then allows you to free your mind to new possibilities and allows you to take action.

Without going into detail, I wasn’t okay and the moment I felt I could take a deep breath, admit to myself that some things needed to be addressed, and proactively started to take action was the only thing that needed to happen.

For me, this quickly turned into a referral to a physiotherapist and a visit to my GP. I also had to address my work situation and decided to take some time to slow down, focus on myself and recover.

We cannot and should not deny ourselves the right to not be okay because all emotions are valid and need to be paid attention to.  The more we try to ignore or suppress them the stronger they become, whereas sitting with them and recognising them is where true strength lies.

So I  would like to suggest that if you see someone you care about struggling, really take the time to listen and understand rather than denying them those emotions and say this instead; “it’s okay not to feel okay right now” or “take your time, I am with you and I am listening”, or simply acknowledge that the person’s feelings are valid. This in turn should free the other person up to take some time to reflect and think about their situation and start to make changes.

I hope this resonates with you and that you can take some time to assess if you really are okay or check in on the people you care about.

Other noteworthy things that have caught my attention this week:

Not surprisingly, I took to my bookcase to see what could give me new perspectives this week and I’ve picked up the best seller; The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson. I look forward to sharing insights from this as I make my way through the book.

Regular readers will know, I find getting lost in activities like reading or painting is where I can really relax and free my mind and this week was no exception. Coupled with a special family birthday I took to my watercolours which really allowed me that time to focus on something mind-freeing.

Photo of the Week

I sincerely hope this blog has helped others, bye for now. Jackie