Archives 2022

How Gratitude Can Help You Find Your Ikigai – We all have moments in our lives when we feel lost and uncertain of our purpose. But what if there was a way to find guidance and direction? According to Japanese philosophy, there is a way. It’s called ikigai, and it can be found at the intersection of what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can get paid for. And gratitude may be the key to finding it.

What Is Ikigai?

Ikigai (pronounced ee-kee-guy) is a Japanese philosophy that centers around the idea that everyone has a reason to wake up in the morning. In order to find your ikigai, you must first answer four questions: What do you love? What are you good at? What does the world need? And what can you get paid for? Once you’ve answered these questions, your ikigai is waiting for you at the intersection. For example, my ikigai is writing. I love writing, I’m good at writing, the world needs stories, and I can get paid for writing them.

How Gratitude Can Help You Find Your Ikigai

Gratitude helps us focus on the positive.

When we’re feeling grateful, we’re automatically thinking about the good things in our lives. This positive focus can help shift our mindset from scarcity to abundance, which is essential for finding our ikigai. When we believe there is enough good to go around, we open ourselves up to new opportunities and possibilities. We start to see the world—and ourselves—in a different light. And that’s when the magic happens.

Gratitude helps us connect with others | How Gratitude Can Help You Find Your Ikigai

Gratitude also helps us connect with other people. When we’re grateful for what we have, we’re more likely to want to share our good fortune with others. We become more generous and compassionate, two qualities that are essential for finding our ikigai. Why? Because our ikigai often has everything to do with making a difference in the lives of others. When we cultivate gratitude, we set the stage for making a positive impact on the world around us.

Gratitude helps us stay present.

Last but not least, gratitude helps us stay present in the moment. When we’re caught up in worry or stress, it’s difficult to see all the good that’s right in front of us. But when we’re grateful, we naturally become more mindful of our surroundings. We start to notice the little things—the things that make life worth living. And that’s when we begin to get clues about what our ikigai might be.

Your ikigai is out there waiting for you. It’s the intersection of what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can get paid for. And gratitude may be the key to finding it. When you’re feeling lost and uncertain of your purpose, take a step back and look at all the things you’re grateful for. This could be your family, your friends, your health, your job, or anything else that brings joy to your life. Once you start looking for the good, it’s easier to see all possibilities in front of you—including your ikigai.

If you find that you’re feeling stuck more than often, or you’re noticing that your anxiety is especially high during the fall season, know that you’re not alone, we encourage you to reach out. Our counsellor here at Bliss Counselling & Wellness Centre have experience working with anxiety, stress, grief, trauma, depression, and so much more. We offer both in-person and online services. To learn more, reach out to us at 431-302-8803, or go here and fill out an online form!

About the Author
Emem Iniobong, is a Brandon MB, Canadian Certified Counsellor who is an EMDR trained and helps children, teens, young adults, parents, and families in dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, parenting support to live a more fulfilled and bliss-full life.

Why Anxiety and Depression Can Get Worse in the Fall – While fall is the favorite season among many people, others struggle with it because of how it affects their mental health. You might be one of the unlucky people who have a hard time with your emotional state in the fall, dealing with worsened anxiety and depression. Here is more information about why this might be happening and what you can do about it.

What is Autumn Anxiety?

The first mental health change you might notice in the fall season is with your anxiety. Many people have noticed that their anxiety seems to peak around the time fall begins – but why? This is sometimes referred to as autumn anxiety, a type of anxiety that is triggered by the fall season. This is because the change between summer and fall can often feel like a drastic one. Your days get shorter, the weather changes, your routine is different, holidays are coming up, and it just feels like everything is different and more stressful.

Dealing with Seasonal Depression | Why Anxiety and Depression Can Get Worse in the Fall

You might also be someone who has worsened depression in the fall, which can happen for a number of different reasons. However, the most common reason is from seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. SAD is often the result of the seasons changing, particularly with the gloomier, darker weather you get in the fall and winter. If you live somewhere with a lot of rain and cold days in the fall, then you are likely to get it this time of year.

It can give you all the same symptoms as other forms of depression, including mood changes, low energy, lack of motivation, lethargy, and simply feeling blue.

What You Can Do About it

While it can be difficult getting through the fall season with anxiety and/or depression, you are not alone, and there IS help available to you. Here are some ways to get relief from your anxiety and depression this season:

• Light therapy for SAD – If you suffer from SAD, one of the best options for you is light therapy. SAD typically occurs in the fall and winter because of the longer nights, darker days, and gloomy weather. Naturally, light therapy, called phototherapy, is the way to go. There are light boxes you can use indoors that give you bright light to reduce those depression symptoms.
• Writing in a journal – Journaling is a simple daily practice that can help with both anxiety and depression.
• Practicing your breathing exercises – Breathing exercises help with anxiety the most, allowing you to be mindful for a few minutes, and focus on relaxing your mind and body. They are also fantastic for getting through a panic attack.
• Seeking professional help – Please do not hesitate to reach out to a doctor or therapist if you need medication or talk therapy. There is so much they can help you with when your anxiety or depression is too much to handle.

If you’re noticing that your anxiety is worse in the fall, know that you’re not alone. This is a common experience for many people. However, it’s important to understand why this happens and how to manage your autumn anxiety. If you want more information about autumn anxiety or any other type of mental health concern, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We would be happy to help you get the support and resources that you need.

Therapy in Brandon

If you find that you’re feeling stuck more than often, or you’re noticing that your anxiety is especially high during the fall season, know that you’re not alone, we encourage you to reach out. Our counsellor here at Bliss Counselling & Wellness Centre have experience working with anxiety, stress, grief, trauma, depression, and so much more. We offer both in-person and online services. To learn more, reach out to us at 431-302-8803, or go here and fill out an online form!

About the Author

Emem Iniobong, is a Brandon MB, Canadian Certified Counsellor who is an EMDR trained and helps children, teens, young adults, parents, and families in dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, parenting support to live a more fulfilled and bliss-full life.

EMDR and Anxiety – If you suffer from anxiety, you’re not alone. In fact, anxiety disorders are some of the most common mental health conditions in the United States, affecting 40 million adults each year. While there are many treatment options available, one that has shown promising results is eye movement desensitization reprocessing (EMDR). But what is EMDR, and how does it work? Let’s take a closer look.

What Is EMDR – EMDR and Anxiety

EMDR is a type of therapy that was developed in the 1980s to help treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Since then, it has been found to be effective for treating a variety of other conditions, including anxiety.

EMDR therapy consists of eight phases:

1. History taking: The therapist will ask you about your medical history, symptoms, and any traumas you have experienced.
2. Preparation: The therapist will explain the EMDR process and help you develop coping skills to deal with any distress that may arise during the session.
3. Assessment: The therapist will identify specific events that trigger your anxiety and help you develop positive beliefs about yourself.
4. Desensitization: The therapist will use bilateral stimulation (usually eye movements) to help you process the negative emotions associated with your trigger events.
5. Installation: The therapist will help you reinforce the positive beliefs you developed in phase three.
6. Body scan: The therapist will help you become aware of any physical sensations you experience in your body when thinking about your trigger events.
7. Closure: The therapist will help you develop coping skills to deal with any residual distress from the session.
8. Reevaluation: The therapist will assess your progress and determine if additional sessions are necessary.

How Does EMDR Work?

It’s believed that EMDR works by helping you process and integrate traumatic memories into your existing schema (i.e., the way you understand and make sense of the world). When we experience trauma, our brain doesn’t process the event like a normal memory; instead, it gets “stuck” in our limbic system—the emotional center of our brain—and becomes unprocessed sensory data. This can lead to difficulties down the road, such as sleep problems, flashbacks, anxiety, and depression. EMDR appears to help “unstick” these memories so that they can be processed normally and integrated into our schema .

This theory is supported by research showing that bilateral stimulation helps reduce activity in the amygdala—the part of the brain responsible for fear response—and increases activity in the hippocampus—the part of the brain responsible for memory formation . In other words, EMDR may work by helping to reduce fear response and improve memory formation . However, more research is needed to confirm this theory .                                                                                                                                                           

If you’re struggling with anxiety, know that you’re not alone—anxiety disorders are some of the most common mental health conditions in America today. Thankfully, there are many treatment options available, one of which is EMDR. EMDR therapy has shown promising results for treating anxiety and other mental health conditions. If you think EMDR might be right for you call or send an email about getting started with therapy .

The power of gratitude – We’ve all heard that old saying, “Count your blessings.” It turns out there may be some truth to that. A growing body of research suggests that gratitude may have a powerful impact on our mental health, can reduce stress, improve sleep, and increase overall well-being. Let’s take a closer look at what the science says about gratitude and mental health and how gratitude can improve your mental health.

The Science of Gratitude

A number of studies have found that gratitude is associated with greater levels of well-being. In one study, participants were asked to keep a weekly journal in which they recorded their thoughts and feelings about various life events. The findings showed that participants who wrote about things they were grateful for were more likely to report higher levels of well-being than those who did not focus on gratitude.

Other studies have found that gratitude may also help reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep quality, and boost self-esteem. One study even found that gratitude may help protect against depression. Given all these potential benefits, it’s no wonder why so many people are interested in incorporating gratitude into their lives.

The Benefits of Gratitude | The Power of Gratitude

Giving thanks has been shown to have a number of benefits for mental health. For example, gratitude can:

• Reduce stress: In one study, participants who wrote about things they were grateful for had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
• Improve sleep: Another study found that people who kept a gratitude journal slept better and felt more rested in the morning.
• Increase overall well-being: Research shows that gratitude is linked with increased feelings of happiness and satisfaction with life.

How to Incorporate Gratitude Into Your Life

If you’re looking to add more gratitude into your life, here are a few suggestions:

• Keep a gratitude journal: Every night before bed, write down three things you’re grateful for. This can be something as simple as “I’m grateful for my bed” or “I’m grateful for my family.”
• Write thank-you notes: Whenever someone does something nice for you, take the time to write them a thank-you note. This can be an email, text, or even a handwritten letter.
• Express gratitude to others: When you see someone doing something kind or helpful, tell them how much you appreciate their act of kindness. A simple “thank you” can go a long way.

Gratitude is more than just saying “thank you.” It’s an emotion that can have a powerful impact on your mental health. If you’re looking to reduce stress, improve sleep, and increase overall well-being, try incorporating some of these suggestions into your life. You may be surprised at how much difference it makes! For more info on how to incorporate gratitude to your routine call now

Are you feeling a bit overwhelmed and stressed now that summer is over? If you are, you are definitely not alone. This is when you head back to work, kids go back to school, and productivity increases. You might be stressed about changing your schedule, focusing on your routine, or even the holidays which are coming up fast. Luckily, there are some easy ways to reduce stress in the fall season.

Declutter Everything | Reduce Stress and Enjoy Your Autumn

Think of the fall season as the second spring of the year, and use this as an opportunity to declutter your home. Take a little time to clean your home and really declutter your workspace, bedrooms, and living areas. Clutter can create a chaotic and stress-induced mindset, which is the last thing you want.

Switch Up Your Daily Routine

If you want less stress during this season, it helps to refocus your daily routine and make some changes appropriate for the time of year. You already have daily routines, whether you realize it or not. This includes the same things you tend to do at certain times of the day. You can make small adjustments that really reduce your stress, such as waking up 20 minutes early to write in your journal before getting ready for the day, or adding in a little extra reading time with your kids before their bedtime.

Exercise with the Family

You probably know all the great benefits of exercising, from helping to manage your weight and give you more energy, to boosting your mood and helping you become more fit. But there is no reason to exercise along; in fact, getting the family involved can help reduce everyone’s stress in the fall.

This can be riding your bikes at a nearby park, spending a Saturday going on a hike, or staying in to have a dance party on a rainy day.

Plan Some Fun Activities | Reduce Stress and Enjoy Your Autumn

This fall season, you can lower your stress by planning some fun activities for the family or friends, but make sure they focus more on relaxation. Instead of trying to fill your schedule with as much as possible that requires a lot of effort, think about fun and relaxing activities like going apple picking, enjoying a local fall festival with your family, or having a girl’s night with friends.

Start Using a Daily Planner

Now is a great time to look at your goals and tasks, and make a schedule that shows exactly what to do and when. How does this help with your stress? It can keep you from getting too overwhelmed, and actually see that you can get all your tasks completed in a reasonable amount of time, without feeling like you are going non-stop.

Get a daily planner you love, that hopefully includes different layouts, like daily, weekly, and monthly calendar pages. This allows you to fill out your schedule, create to-do lists, and see what you have going on each day and week.

Need more info on how to reduce stress this autumn, call us today.

Affirmations are an amazing tool when you want to be happier and more optimistic, get the right focus, and improve your mental attitude. You get to choose what affirmations to use, whether writing them down or saying them out loud. Here is some more information about using affirmations in the fall season.

Benefits of Daily Use

Why should you incorporate daily affirmations into your routine? There are actually a few great reasons to use them, and several ways to add them to your routine. Here is a rundown of the main benefits of positive affirmations:

It promotes a positive attitude and change in your mindset. This is definitely one of the best reasons to use daily affirmations. They are always positive statements meant to put you in a right mindset. It helps you throughout the day when you start your day with more positivity and kindness.

You start to appreciate more, and get disappointed in less. Affirmations not only show you what you want or how to feel, but they help you appreciate what you already have. They are written in present tense, such as “I am healthy today”, where not only are they positive and great for your mindset, but they help you appreciate the small things.

You are more aware of the power of your own thoughts. Affirmations teach you that just your thoughts or how you talk to yourself can make a large impact in your entire life. It improves your quality of life, makes you feel more positive, and actually helps you reach your goals.

It helps provide motivation where you need it the most. Sometimes you need to manifest motivation into your life with positive affirmations. They work wonders for this.

How to Choose Your Affirmations

What should your affirmations be? You can definitely choose from the ones other people enjoy using, but you might also want to create your own for specific situations in your life.

To write your own affirmations, here are a few tips:

Keep them positive. Affirmations should always be positive from beginning to end. If you have a negative thought or attitude, write an affirmation that switches it to something positive. For example, if you are dealing with stress about a big change in your life, try “I am capable of adapting to any situation”.

Write in present tense. You also want to write affirmations in present tense, as if what you want has already happened. If you want to achieve a goal, you write it like “I am working hard towards my goals” or something similar that is relevant to you.

Be grateful in your affirmations. Instead of talking about what you want, write your affirmations as if you are grateful for something you have (or want) in your life. For example “I am grateful to work on my goals today”.

Remember also to keep your affirmations brief so that they are easy to remember and repeat as often as needed.

Affirmations are a powerful way to change your mental attitude and focus in a positive direction. When used correctly, affirmations can help you achieve happiness and success. If you want to learn more about how to use affirmations for your personal growth, please call or email us for more information. We would be happy to assist you in using this valuable tool!

Fall Eating: Seasonal Foods to Add to Your Diet – When it comes to following a healthy diet, it isn’t all about calories and restrictions. You can still eat your favorite foods, but instead focusing on adding in more healthy options. This is easy to do when it comes to eating seasonally. For the fall, try to incorporate more of these fall superfoods into your diet.

Greens – Fall Eating: Seasonal Foods to Add to Your Diet

Fall is the perfect time to add more greens to your diet. There are many greens that are considered superfoods in the fall season, starting with turnip greens. If you haven’t tried them before, now is a great time. They are loaded with nutrients, like vitamin C and vitamin A, as well as a lot of vitamin K. You can also get calcium in turnip greens. These are a little bitter, so combine them with a citrus-based dressing.

Another green that is king of the show in the fall is kale. Start making some kale salads or add it to your smoothies, and you will be getting lots of the same vitamins – A, C, and K. It also has an excellent amount of antioxidants.

Veggies – Fall Eating: Seasonal Foods to Add to Your Diet

In addition to greens, there are some other veggies that are in season during the fall. While you can find these year-round, getting them while “in season” will mean more affordable produce, and often higher quality. This includes:

• Sweet Potatoes – Who doesn’t love a good sweet potato? You are probably used to enjoying these in the fall, where you get a slight sweetness with this complex carbohydrate. Make a healthier baked potato, slice it up into fries, or enjoy it mashed with some grass-fed butter.
• Cauliflower – Cauliflower is all the rage these days, since it is not only a taste most people can get behind, but because it is a low carb vegetable with a lot of versatility. It also happens to be in season during the fall.
• Brussels Sprouts – Brussels sprouts are also a fall superfood, and they contain some amazing nutrients, including fiber, folate, vitamin C, vitamin K, and antioxidants.
• Pumpkin – Pumpkin is one of the most popular vegetables in the fall, and for good reason. Not only is it delicious, but it can help increase your vitamin A and vitamin C.

Fruits

Fall is also a great time to add fruits to your diet! Some of the best fruits you can eat are in season during the fall, including:

• Apples – Fall is the perfect time to start eating apples if you haven’t been already. They are more flavorful and often more affordable as an added bonus. Try to look for apples that are firm, without bruises.
• Pomegranate – Pomegranates are a source of fiber and antioxidants, plus provide a slightly tart and sweet flavor in the fall season.
• Pears – Another great type of fruit to enjoy in the fall season is the pear. Pears are sweet and very versatile. You can eat them on their own, dipped in peanut butter, or even on a sandwich or topped on waffles for breakfast.

As the leaves start to change colours, it’s time to switch up your diet too! Add these seasonal fall foods into your meals for a boost of nutrition and health. Need more info on how to add colour to your diet, call us today.

In today’s hectic world, it’s easy to become bogged down in all the things we can’t control. From the never-ending news cycle to relationship drama, there’s always something vying for our attention and stressing us out. It’s important to remember, though, that we can’t control everything. What we can control is how we react to and deal with the things life throws our way. Here are a few tips on how to focus on what you can control to improve your mental health.

Take Time for Yourself Every Day – Focusing on What You Can Control

One of the most important things you can do for your mental health is to take some time for yourself every day. Whether it’s reading your favorite book, taking a relaxing bath, going for a walk outdoors, or anything else that brings you joy, carve out at least 30 minutes each day to do something that’s just for you. This will help you relax and recharge so that you’re better able to deal with whatever life throws your way.

Focus on Your Relationships

Another important aspect of mental health is focusing on your relationships. Spend time with loved ones, reach out to old friends, or join a club or group where you can meet new people. Nurturing your relationships will help you feel connected and supported, which can be crucial when times are tough.

Take care of Your Body 

It’s important to remember that your mental health is intrinsically linked to your physical health. Make sure you’re eating healthy foods, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep. Taking care of your body will help improve your overall mood and well-being.

Asking for Help – Focusing on What You Can Control

It’s easy to get caught up in what we can’t control and let that affect our mental health. While we can’t always control what happens to us, we can control how we react and how we take care of ourselves. Asking for help is a great way to focus on what you can control and improve your mental health. When we ask for help, we’re taking charge of our lives and our wellbeing. We’re choosing to reach out and get support from others. This can be a really important step in taking care of our mental health. Asking for help shows that we’re willing to do what it takes to improve our mental health and wellbeing. It’s a sign of strength, not weakness. So if you’re feeling overwhelmed or struggling, don’t hesitate to reach out for help. You deserve it.

Remember that you can’t control everything in life, but you can control how you react to and deal with situations. By taking care of yourself, focusing on your relationships, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and asking for help, you can improve your mental health and wellbeing.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a relatively new form of therapy that has shown promise in helping people who have experienced trauma. This approach uses bilateral stimulation, such as side-to-side eye movements, to help the brain process information more effectively. EMDR appears to be particularly beneficial for those who have difficulty discussing their traumatic experiences or who struggle with symptoms such as nightmares and intrusive thoughts.

EMDR has been shown to be effective in treating childhood trauma. EMDR therapy helps children reprocess and integrate traumatic memories, which reduces the trauma’s impact on their lives. This can be an extremely helpful treatment for children who have experienced abuse, neglect, or other traumatic events.

It was developed by Francine Shapiro, PhD in the late 1980s. Although the mechanism by which EMDR works is still not fully understood, research indicates that it may be an effective treatment for PTSD and other psychological conditions. In this blog post, we will discuss what EMDR is, how it works, and some of its benefits. We will also provide information on where to find more information on EMDR if you are interested in learning more.

How It Works

EMDR is an evidence-based treatment approach used to help people process and heal from trauma. EMDR therapy helps individuals reprocess distressing memories using bilateral stimulation (eye movements, hand taps, or sounds). While the mechanisms underlying how EMDR works are still being explored, research suggests that it can be an effective treatment for a variety of issues such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, and phobias. EMDR has also been shown to be helpful in reducing symptoms related to chronic pain. If you’re interested in learning more about this approach or considering it as a potential treatment option, connect with me!

EMDR Treatment

EMDR treatment can be used for children and adult. Children can be resilient. They are often able to bounce back from difficult experiences and move on with their lives. But what happens when kids can’t seem to shake off the pain and trauma of their past? Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR, may be able to help. EMDR is a relatively new treatment that has been shown to be effective in helping people process traumatic memories. It involves eye movements that help the brain to reprocess information more effectively. While EMDR is still relatively new, there is growing evidence that it can be helpful in treating a variety of issues, including trauma, anxiety, and depression.

EMDR has been shown to be an incredibly effective treatment for a variety of issues. If you are struggling with any of the problems we’ve listed, or have another issue that EMDR could help with, please call us or send us an email and we would be happy to discuss whether EMDR is the right treatment for you.

Emem Iniobong, is a Brandon MB, Canadian Certified Counsellor and EMDR Trained Counsellor who helps children, teens, young adults, parents, and families in dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, parenting support to live a more fulfilled and bliss-full life.