I have a question for you. And it's a question I will often ask in  sessions. "How are you feeling right now?"
 
I'm curious about what comes to your mind.

Some people, quite a few people actually just have no idea. It's like, I'm feeling good, I'm fine.  
 
If you're one of the many people who have difficulties with this, you're not alone.  

​There are many reasons why you may not be able to easily identify what you are feeling - including the fact that many people actually don't really care!  But this article is about YOU knowing how you are really feeling.  This is a part of living a more mindful life and  taking responsibility for your overall self-care .  Below are five things that might be getting in the way for you, and then what you can do about it.  I do not discuss trauma in this article, or anxiety and other mental health conditions that can cause difficulties in accessing emotions.  The five I have chosen are behaviours and habits that everyone can fall into with realising it.  
 
The first is DISTRACTION. There are so many things that distract us and take us out of ourselves on a day-to-day basis, not the least being, the 24 hour digital world we live in.  Whether it be social media, watching YouTube videos, Netflix or Foxtel, there's so much you can tune into any second of the day and never have to be alone with yourself, your thoughts and your feelings.  Distraction is a huge blockage that can get in the way of knowing how you really feel.
 
If you experience the distraction of this 24 hour digital world and would like some help in switching it off, I have created a 7 Step Digital Detox Program to help you create some time and space for yourself where you can get rid of one of those distractions.  Did you know that the statistics around how often people pick up their phone is amazing.  It’s about once every five or 10 minutes. And the number of people who, the first thing they do in the morning is not check in with themselves, but check in with what random people are doing on Facebook or Instagram.  Hands up if you can relate to either of these things.  I know I definitely get hooked into this from time to time.

Ok, the next three obstacles I’m grouping together and calling them REASONS.  This covers justification, explanation and blame.  In these situations you can identify what you are feeling but you fare stepping into your logical mind instead of allowing yourself the experience.  

For example.  “Oh, I'm feeling pretty tired, but I didn't sleep real well. And you know, maybe if I've gone to bed early or I wouldn't feel quite so tired” or “I'm feeling okay today, but you know, I had time to myself and I was able to go for a walk and unlike other days where I don't get that sort of time”. 
 
Blame is when you are attributing your feelings to what someone else did.  For example, “I'm feeling really angry and it's your fault because you cut me off” or “it's your fault because you didn't do the dishes”. “I'm feeling really frustrated because they didn't ring me when they were supposed to”. So your emotion is all about what someone else did to you. 
 
I'm not saying some of these things didn't happen and some of them might not have contributed to your frustration or your anger or your happiness or whatever you're feeling. However, allowing yourself to go down this train of thought is taking you away from what you are feeling right now and interfering with your ability to experience that emotion fully. 
 
So why does that matter? Why is it important to experience that emotion fully?  We'll come back to that because we've got one more thing of the five things that get in the way of you answering that question. How you feeling right now? The fifth one is SHAME.

Journaling can help you find and connect with your authentic self.

Have you ever felt lost?
​
Like me, have you felt that somewhere along the way you took a wrong turn, veered of the path, or just became bamboozled with what life threw at you?

It can feel like a battle to create your own space in a world that is often driven by consumerism, material success and 'progress'.

However, there is a growing movement of people who know that tapping into personal and universal energy can create a sense of oneness and wholeness that transcends the artificial.

Welcome to my corner of the world, where you can find practical ways to claim your own space.

And you don’t have to claim this space in a huge way with lots of trumpets blaring.

Confidence can be found in the quiet determination and focus actively connect with and pursue what is important to you, erect your boundaries and live your calm.

When you actively move to discover what is most important to you and live a life of integrity and authenticity, you become part of the movement that is aiming to heal the world.

Now, that’s exciting.

There are many ways to actively connect and pursue what is important to you. Counselling, coaching, manifesting, prayer, meditation, visualisation, goal setting, intention setting, to name a few.

One way of reconnecting with your authentic self is through writing, or journaling. If you have never tried tapping into the thoughts and emotions inside you in this way, I encourage you to give it a go.

However, many people find there is a slight problem with this.  

Maybe you have experienced putting aside the time, sitting down to write....and then

....your mind goes blank.

You know that your mind isn't actually blank.  In fact you have 10's of 1,000s of thoughts each day.  

What is probably stopping you is not getting it right.  

Maybe you're worried about your spelling, or handwriting.  Maybe you think that what you have to say is not important.  Maybe when you were at school you were criticised for your writing.  

I encourage you to write whatever comes into your mind.  Even if it is 'I can't think of anything to write', or your shopping list, what you dreamt last night, your school memories, what you would do if you won tattslotto,  Set yourself a timer of 5 minutes and keep writing until it comes off.  

The most important thing when you first start is to create the habit of writing.
 
To help you get started, I have created a 14 day Self-Connection journal, specifically to kickstart your journaling process.
​
Your 14 day Self-Connection journal contains a carefully selected quote and complementary prompt for each day.
You can find out more about it here https://positiveyoungminds.vipmembervault.com/.../view/9.

Do you feel the weight of expectations at Christmas?  if you do, you are not alone!  

This week I share 18 gift tips that can help with that weight, and my Creating Connections that Matter podcast provides some practical strategies to help you choose how you want to do Christmas this year (albiet within appropriate COVID guidelines. 

18 GIFT TIPS
🌟 It is experiences that contribute to our happiness. Not stuff! Here are 18 tips for reducing the stress around buying gifts at Christmas. 
🌟The simplest way of making gifts easier is to reduce the number of gifts you buy, and the number of people you give gifts too.
 
General Tips

1. Make a list of everyone you feel you should buy for.
2.  Have a look at the list. Why do you feel you need to buy for this person? If it is a coach, a teacher or someone you want to thank, thank them! Either yourself or your child can thank them. Depending on the age of your child they could make a drawing or write them a letter, or write inside a home-made Christmas card. This will be something they treasure.
3. Have another look at your list. How many of the people left on the list to do you buy obligation presents for, and how many are people who are never pleased with what you buy them? Don’t turn yourself inside out trying to please them. Either strike them off your list, give them a pig (goat, chicken, fresh water) from an aid organisation such as World Vision, or buy them something inherently practical. Have a look at this website for ideas https://hereandtheremakers.com. (I can personally vouch for the produce bags.)
4. Who is left on your list? Can you remove them?
5. Can you do a Kris Kringle? There are lots of variations on this *
6. Buy everyone the same thing.  Think a beach towel, movie tickets, itune voucher
7. Remember think reduce. No-one needs more clutter and very few of us need more stuff. 
8. What experience can you give? E.g. A baby sitting voucher, movie tickets, bowling games, a cooking class, bicycle or car maintenance? 
9. Is there something you can make? E.g. Homemade granola, a pot of lavender, a mini herb garden, a chopping board. 
10. Buy from local craft markets.  
11. Buy consumables.  Homemade sauces, jams, theatre tickets etc.
12. Stick to a budget.
13. Keep the receipt.
14. Do you have friends who would be open to putting a challenge on the gift that it has to be second hand, either something you already own or bought from a charity or second hand shop?

 
Tips just for kids

1. Reduce children’s gifts. What does your child need? Very young children do not really need much at all, and if you set the tradition early that Christmas is not about how much you get, but about what you do, it won’t be such a big deal as they get older.
2. Don’t buy something electronic, or if you do, don’t make it the biggest gift.  Why?  You don’t want to be the parent when the gift doesn’t work, and have to line up in JB-HiFi to replace it on Boxing Day, only to be told that they are out of stock.
3. If you are buying something with batteries, provide rechargeable batteries as part of the gift, and if possible try to test it beforehand.
4. So what do you do with all the ads on tv and the demands for the latest and greatest? Set the limit, say that Santa/or mum and dad brings three things per child – E.g. a game, a toy/sporting equipment, a book. And stick to it! You may choose to do a stocking with some practical things such as undies, socks, hankies, soaps etc. 

 
*Kris Kringle
A Kris Kringle is when each person buys a gift for just one person in a group, hence reducing excess and cost.  There are many variations.  Names can be drawn and allocated (Secret Santa) or it can be pot luck – everyone brings a gift.  If it is pot luck , here are three variations of how to distribute the gifts.

1. Put the gifts in a row.  If there are 10 gifts write the numbers 1 to 10 on pieces of paper and put them in a hat/bowl.  Everyone draws a number.  People then take turns to choose a gift depending on the number they received in the draw.  So if you drew number one, you go first.
2. The person whose turn it is has a choice of choosing a wrapped gift or taking an already opened gift from someone (pays to go last in this variation!).  ps I would only recommend this option if people are going to have fun with it, and not be upset when someone takes ‘their’ gift.  Christmas Day is not really the day to lecture people about resilience.
3. Put a number on the gift and match it up with the number drawn from the hat.

Of course, gifts are not the only potential stress at Christmas, maybe the Christmas Tree presents a dilemma for you.  I've got that covered as well - with Three Tips to Reduce Christmas Decoration Stress.

CHRISTMAS NEW YEAR HOURS
This year I am having a break from the 18th December to the 11th January.  I encourage you, if you haven't already, to book your appointments prior to Christmas here.  There are still places available.  

A REMINDER.
If you haven't already visited - this is the Creating Calm, Connection and Confidence Hub.  There are a number of free, or very low cost resources here.

Each year leading up to Christmas when we ask ourselves what we want for Christmas, I find is an inspiring time to actually look at what I have.  We know that if you are looking to increase the happiness in your life that putting time and energy into experiences rather than things is the way to go. 
 
However, things have a way of accumulating.  Whether you have bought them with good intentions or whether they have come to you as gifts or through other means.  And before you know it even things you love can just become part of ‘stuff everywhere’! 
 
Sitting back and looking at your stuff can be a great way of reconnecting with what is important to you.  By curating your stuff you can creating an environment that supports your current stage of life, your current interests and is uplifting.  
 
Let’s start by looking at books.  
 
Growing up we had a set of World Book encyclopedias.  I loved them.  You could open up at any page and learn something new about the world.  Looking at them gave me a sense of wonder and thirst for knowledge.  I probably loved my fantasy books (Enid Blyton anyone?) where I went into worlds where anything and everything was possible.  
 
It’s the promise contained in books that I love.
 
As I grew older my relationship with books became a bit more complicated.  Books I had to read – school novels, reference books.  Books I thought I should read – parenting books, self-help books.  And instead of being always about pleasure books also became a mirror reminding me of things I didn’t understand, couldn’t learn or highlighted my inadequacies. 
 
Do you love all your books?  Do you smile when you see them, refer to them regularly and rejoice in their wisdom?
 
OR
 
Are their books on your bookshelf that taunt you with reminders about your failures?  Cookbooks full of recipes you haven’t tried.  Self-help books with exercises you haven’t completed.  Novels you haven’t read.  Parenting books that seem to mock you.  Reference books you don’t use (or are way out of date). 
 
Why are you holding on to them?
 
Marie Kondo speaks of holding things to see if they spark joy.  And it’s an exercise I do every so often.  
 
You take the books down from the shelves and hold each one.  How does it feel?  Do you feel inspired when you hold it?  Or do you notice creeping thoughts such as I ‘should’ read that, followed by a sigh or accompanied by a self chastising ‘well that was a waste of money’. 
 
(If you have electronic books that you’ve downloaded, although you can’t hold them you can look at the titles and notice what thoughts and feelings arise.)
 
From here you have two choices. 
 
If you feel inspired, warm, joyful when you pick up the book - make the recipes, do the exercises, read the novels.  Reconnect with the reason why that book is on your shelf in the first place.   
 
OR
 
If you feel nothing, or the weight of the ‘shoulds’, move the book on.  Acknowledge your intentions when you bought the book.  Thank the book for the hope it inspired, acknowledge and release any guilt or disappointment in yourself.  Depending on the book you could donate them, give them to friends etc.  Notice how you feel when you do this.  
 
As you remove the stuff (and fluff) from your life that no longer matters, you make space for reconnecting to what is really important to you.  
 
If you do this I would love to know what you discover.  You can email me at kimdunn@positiveyoungminds.com.au.

As students are going back to school, some of the are running there and not looking back.  Others are refusing to go back, and others are going back but struggling to get through the day.

Wherever your child fits into the picture, they are facing change.

Changes to school structure - including drop off and pick up procedures, hygiene practices and how they interact with their friends.

Changes from having you around more often to not seeing you during most of the day.
Changes from leisurely getting out of bed, to having to be out the door by a certain time.
Changes from perhaps only to do focused work for a short period of time and then having fun/computer time, to back to being highly regulated in their activities.

And change, as you know, can be difficult and worrying.

One of the best ways you can help them manage this change is through providing some individual quiet time, particularly if they are used to having your attention during the day whilst remote learning.

For some questions to help with conversation and some recommendations to help with calming them after school click here. 

If you have ever wanted to improve your mental health you are not alone. 

But how?  Today, I focus on busting one unhelpful myth.

THE MOTIVATION MYTH 
If I could just feel more motivated I would be able to achieve more/look after myself better / (insert your own saying).
.  
Motivation can be defined as an internal process that directs and maintains behaviour. 

It is thought to be what causes you to move towards your goals. 

How many times have you said “I’m unmotivated”? Which translated means – I don’t feel like doing it. 

I’ll let you in on a secret, you may not know - 

Your brain sees change as scarey. 

Anything that disturbs your environment and is different, your brain processes as a potential threat. It then takes mental energy to work out whether it is a threat or not. 

So let’s say you start with a great idea that you would love to change your life so that you were braver, calmer, fitter, healthier. You can see yourself and all that you’d be doing when you achieve that goal. And that involves change. Changing your mindset, changing your schedule, changing up your habits.

So, is your brain going to take all this change lying down?

NO.

As much as you stand there encouraging your brain – we can do this, we’ve got this, let’s go – it ain’t going to come easily. (imagine a toddler, in the supermarket aisle, not wanting to move).

So, what do you do?

You need a bridge.

A well constructed bridge to take you from here (frazzled, overwhelmed, exhausted) to there (in control, calmer, confident).

I can tell you one thing – that bridge is not going to be motivation.

It may have some motivation in there – but to work it’s going to need structure, processes, knowing how to create habits that stick, knowing what obstacles are going to pop up and what to do about them, support from friends, family and/or an accountability buddy, a clear understanding of why this change is important to YOU, an understanding of the change process and self-compassion.

This is why when I teach people how to improve their mental health – to get from here to there – it’s not just one session on motivation, dust my hands and say ‘you’ve got this’, and walk away.

NO. 

I provide education, understanding, structure and fierce support.

Improving your mental health requires a considered structured approach. It takes your time, your open mindedness and your commitment. 

So ask yourself. 

What is important to you? 

What really matters?

Give yourself permission to invest in yourself and get support to create the bridge.

Until next time, take care of yourself,


Kim xx

​Of course, if you are experiencing significant distress please contact your GP, therapist or 000.

For resources that can help see - https://positiveyoungminds.vipmembervault.com

Emotions are complex.  Feelings can scare you so much you can shut them down and walk through life feeling numb.  Or may you live your live feeling trapped by anxiety or depression.  Or spend your time chasing the euphoria that comes from happiness, and by trying to create it, miss the moments where it actually exists.  
 
The following three factors are paramount in your emotional self-care:
1. Awareness and acceptance of your emotions;
2. Being able to express emotions in a healthy way; and,
3. Doing activities that cultivate joy/happiness.  
 
Let's talk briefly about these three factors.
Very young babies communicate first through their emotions.  Babies cry, scream, laugh ... way before they can talk.  It is how they let others know that they have desires - for food, comfort and sleep -  that need to be met.
 
From birth individual differences are apparent in how intensely babies feel and express their emotions.  Some are born screaming at the top of their lungs - ever notice that some babies don’t just cry a little bit when they are hungry, need changing or tired, they scream at the top of their lungs.  Whereas others are much more contemplative and seem to take it all in their stride.  .  
 
Over time as a baby learns that people will respond to their cries; as they begin first to use movement as communication, and then speech, their emotional response tends to reduce in intensity.  

However, the ability to express emotions varies.  

Emotional overwhelm (meltdowns) may occur when speech language development is delayed, when children are exhausted from not getting their needs (both real and perceived met) and/or when they are coping with high levels of stress.

And so it is with adults.  Have you ever noticed how much easier is to be calm and rational when you have had a full 9=8 hours restful sleep?
 
And lastly a quick look at doing activities that cultivate happiness.  To help you do this I have put some prompts below.  I invite you to actively journal and write down some of your responses.
 
Prompts
🌼When was the last time you felt happy?
🌼In whose company do you feel comfort?
🌼In what activities do you ‘flow’?
🌼When do you lose a sense of time and space and feel that you just 'are'’?
🌼Do you have something to look forward to?
🌼What excites you?
🌼Have you planned to do activities / made time for things that make you smile?
🌼Do you know when people are happiest?
🌼Have you planned to do activities / made time for things that are important to you?

Research indicates that doing what is most important, pursuing a meaningful life may be the true key to happiness.  It also shows that being present and fully in the momebt, regardless of what you are doing is also linked to happiness.. Based on your experience, what do you think?  I'd love to know.

If you would like to look at this further, and are curious about mindfulness, I invite you to be a part of my upcoming, and last one for the year, Introduction to Practical Mindfulness mini-course starting on the 10th October - World Mental Health Day.   

Until next time, take care of yourself

​Kim xx

Yesterday the roadmap was delivered to Victorians.  As a Victorian living in Metro Melbourne, the roadmap was worse than I had anticipated.  
 
Worse both personally, and for the larger community.  
 
I am looking for strong forward sustainable leadership in regards to future town planning which maximises the resources available in each person’s 5 km bubble.  Maybe that’s coming, but it wasn’t there yesterday.  
 
I am looking for leadership that supports family connection, and that wasn’t there yesterday.  There are at least 7 weeks before I can see my parents, or any member of my family again.  And at least 11 before we can come together as a whole family.  None of my family are within my 5km radius.
 
There are at least 7 weeks before my children can look at resuming a proper education – ranging from High School to University.
 
So, yep it sucks.  
 
So yesterday I wallowed, a little bit.  Something clicked in my brain and I slipped into self-sabotage mode.  To me this is often a combination of not doing anything and over eating – not a healthy combination – and getting angry.
 
If I am to name my anger, it would be disappointment, fear (the above will only happen if certain parameters are met), some envy and resentment.
 
There will be no grand final meet up with family.
 
If I’m going to be stuck in a 5km bubble, I want a better 5km bubble!  I want a beach, or a forest, or a river walk, and/or some family!  I have a lake .2 km out of my bubble.  Do I risk it?  
 
In crisis it becomes the gap between the haves and the have nots - geographically, financially, emotionally, and socially becomes so apparent.  

In a crisis, this gap becomes a chasm.

There are many of us who don't have friends who check in on us and who take the effort to make our iso birthdays something special.  
 
There are many people stuck in worse 5km radius than me.  Those who don't have the money to indulge in Netflix, Foxtel, online purchasing, take away meals, or other distracting behaviours.
 
There are many who don't have the resources or energy to get dressed each day, let alone create and finish any sort of project.
And of course there are those stuck in a loveless or abuse relationship, unemployed, detoxing, the list goes on.  

The above, and more contribute to the anger I feel.  
 
So what, if anything, is the antidote to this anger?
 
Do we just wait it out the best we can?
 
Well, yes there is that but, here are a couple of things that may help
 
Awareness first.  
You know those thoughts and feelings going around and around in your head, perhaps sabotaging you the way mine do?  Get them out.  Write them down, talk them aloud, acknowledge them, show them in the light and own them as yours.
 
Now this is not denying that other people may have it worse.  This sort of comparison does not help. 
 
This is acknowledging your hurt and your loss and all the reasons you may be feeling anger.
 
From here there are a few options.
If you have uncovered a sense of loss, hurt or suffering you may like to look at the Three Steps of Self-Compassion.
 
You may like to channel the energy of that anger into something you can control, that fits with what is important to you.  It might be writing a letter to your MP, starting a home construction/demolition project, going for a run, dancing to loud music, actively contacting (or recontacting) everyone you know in isolation to see how they are doing.

Or you may wish to reconnect with a passion, a person, a therapist, a positive habit.


Me?
 
I’m taking stock (again) today.  Looking at doubling down on exercise, doing something in the garden, taking pressure off myself to complete work projects and slowing down a little bit, spring cleaning the house.  I’m also going to keep connecting with the people I care about and…find a new Netflix series. Vampire Diaries you’ve served me well, but you’re almost over.

And, I’ve had one week off since March and am about to go and schedule in a couple more weeks when I finish this. Because, yes you can still burn out in isolation, in fact it can be even easier to do so.  

Where ever you find yourself day, take time to reflect on how you are really feeling, what you are really thinking and then act upon this feelings.  If you would like some support with that I’m here for you.  Whether that’s through self-care coaching, supervision, mentoring…simply email me at kimdunn@positiveyoungminds.com.au and we can talk about your next steps.

Until next time, take care of yourself

Kim Dunn xx

​

My eldest turns 21 today.  He is having a birthday in isolation.  That means no -one over to celebrate, not going out with mates.  He's stuck with me and his brother! 

It was today 21 years ago that I became a mother (yes that's me and infamous baby who didn't sleep all night until he was 5)....

I'm so proud of him today and I've shared that on Facebook, but your children's birthday's are also a time for personal reflections.  

I look at this photo and I see how young and beautiful I looked.  I was 32.  

Nowdays I am not so young or beautiful, but I am younger and probably more beautiful than what I'll ever be again.

When I was much younger, I loved going out and dancing. Connecting, and just being with the music and the friends and strangers around me. Whether it be ‘sock hops’ at school, listening to pub cover bands, or going to bushdances. It was fun!!

Then for a while, the music stopped. With the unrelenting fatigue that accompanied the jump into motherhood. 

There was no more dancing and the isolation of motherhood became real.

The only dancing was the swaying that happened trying to soothe the babies, or the bouncing and rolling around on the Swiss ball as they were jiggled off to sleep.

And then the babies grew and even the swaying disappeared….

The music changes when you become a mother, well it did for me. Suddenly you have children who depend on you, who trust you implicitly (until they become teenagers anyway) and look to you for guidance in everything they do. And often, we don’t have all the answers, we can’t fulfill all their needs, we can’t even fulfill our own needs of sleep, and that sense of failure to be perfect can lead to isolation and times of despair.

So, although I had my mother and my family, and friends, I lost the music. 

So how do you get the music back? You start by giving yourself permission to hear it. 

When you embrace your imperfections, your authenticity, and follow your life rhythm you find others who resonate with you, who will support you, challenge you and join in your dance. 

You may find as I did, when you make a commitment to embrace your vulnerability, you create space to make new soul connections with your family, your friends, each other. 

It's OK, it's normal to lose the music, to get overwhelmed, to reach out for guidance and support. I've been there, swaying in the corner, waiting for it to change. 

I get it.

​Remember we are all connected, and although you may feel it at times, you are not alone. 

The music, the dance, the connections are there. Sometimes we just need a little help to rediscover them.

And then you become older and the music and dance, and often connections, change yet again.  It's time now, for  me again to rediscover what the sound and the movement are for me, in this next stage of my life.

Until next time, take care of yourself.


Kim  xx

ps….  And I totally love my children, and always wanted to be a mother, and I will always be their rock and their comfort.  They make my heart sing, even when I can't always hear the music.