Author: Kate.Purcell

If there is one thing I have learnt over the past few years is that it’s so important to have balance in your life. When life becomes out of balance… illness follows in some way; whether it be your physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual health… something will flounder.

I know, for me, that because I have such a serious mental health diagnosis, I need to take extra good care of all aspects of my health… to stay well, and to keep thriving in life.

I have been through quite the learning curve recently… I had to change up my medications which was difficult for me mentally. Once that was sorted out, I felt better initially, but I have been up and down since this time. Things have been a struggle… not every day, but enough to make me feel disheartened and totally fed up.

The reason I have been struggling, is no doubt, like I said, because I have had little balance in my life in terms of my lifestyle. In other words, eating and drinking too much on the weekends and not getting enough sleep or exercise. As soon as you start doing anything is excess… this is what happens! I should know this by, now right?
*sigh*

Why does this happen? How do I let it happen? I think it is partly because I have trouble setting boundaries… in other words I should tell friends and loved ones that I need to get a certain amount of sleep and exercise on the weekends or my health deteriorates. I need to be able to say no. I also need to say no to excess alcohol… and eating unhealthy food. It’s just easier to go along with the crowd sometimes I’m sure you’ll agree.

This imbalance may also happen because I have not enough will power! It’s silly because I am such a strong, resilient person… but for some reason when it comes to indulging on weekends after a long work week…. I can be as weak as water! I’m sure you can relate to this to some degree, in some area of your life. Being vulnerable and easily swayed is part of the human condition after all!

So today, I have made the decision once again to re-balance my life. I need to be healthy in body, mind and soul, in order to enjoy life and thrive in life. I’m sick of just “doing ok” or struggling through the working week.

For me, I need to get a lot of rest… during the week AND the weekends…. Because a tired Kate is an unwell Kate.

I need to exercise every day and if possible, connect with nature at the same time!

I need to limit alcohol to one or two drinks at any given time… and keep this mainly to weekends!

I need to eat a healthy and balanced diet in order to feel good and keep my weight in check.

I also need to practice mindfulness and yoga, to keep a sense of peace within my whole being (lessen any anxiety) … and to keep connected to my spirituality.

I would also like to get back into reading self-development books, because this brings with it, learning, wisdom and awareness.

I am going to stick to this for the next month and then write another blog so I can reflect on the difference of being unbalanced…. And in balance 🙂

I urge you to ask yourself… Where is there imbalance in your life? And what can you do to bring balance and harmony back into your world

Good luck!

Love Kate

Sometimes it’s necessary to take a step back and smell the roses.

We are so busy, constantly bombarded with stimuli…. Were at work, were on our phones, on Facebook, listening to music…. And if you’re like me, whenever there is lack of stimuli… I tend to get bored and restless. So, last night I decided to take some time to meditate….

And I don’t mean sitting in lotus position chanting or anything like that… because to be honest, I’m not really into that kind of thing.
I simply mean taking some time to reflect on my life, reflect upon what is important to me, reflect upon what path I am wanting to go down next; and, taking time to reflect upon what I want to manifest in my life. This is so important, because if we are running on autopilot, we are not being intentional in the way we are living, we are not moving towards anything, consciously.
When we are running on autopilot, we are running on old unconscious patterns of thought and behavior. This means we end up with the same result, again and again. And if we are wanting to change our lives in some way, living unconsciously just won’t cut the mustard.

If you no longer want to run on autopilot, and you instead want to live with intention, and purpose, I suggest taking some “mindfulness time” every day to simply reflect, be silent and still. I found that when I woke up this morning I felt so much more peaceful yet focused… and I felt a sense of very real, effortless gratitude. All I did last night was take a good half hour to light some candles and use some aromatherapy to relax and reflect, and write.

I always talk about being grateful, but I don’t think I’ve ever really mastered the art of it… as I am always stuck in my head, constantly on the go. I’m going to be intentional about having more “soul time”. Part of this will involve spending some more time down the river bank in east Fremantle, because nature helps us to be mindful and grateful.

I am going to be intentional about manifesting romance in my life…. And the best way to prepare for this is by becoming more comfortable in my own company, to practice being content and happy, rather than creating a negative view of where I am at – this will only attract more negativity, and keep me stuck living with unconscious old patterns of thinking and behavior and therefore manifesting the same old, same old.

I am going to create an environment that is uncluttered and comfortable, and simplify my life a bit. This will hopefully create the space for more good things to enter my world 🙂

I will keep you posted with how things progress!

I have recently found out that I have some people in the outskirts of my life that are being quite critical of myself and my life endeavors. And I am not talking about constructive criticism here, which can be useful… I mean awful, degrading comments are being made… and part of the problem here is stigma, I feel.

Criticism will always be there to some degree… It doesn’t matter who you are, and what you do, you will at some stage have to overcome criticism from others. Myself in particular should expect it from some, as I put my whole self and my whole experience of life, out there for everyone to see. I am transparent and I like being this way, but it can be difficult. I feel that it is a risk worth taking though, as the positives of sharing with others greatly outweigh the potential risk of being criticized.

It certainly does leave a bitter taste in your mouth though, knowing you have “enemies” in this world. But all you can really do is stand strong – in terms of the person you are and what you believe to be true. Integrity is important here. Also, know that harsh/unfair criticism indicates shortcomings in your critic rather in you.

We all make mistakes in life, we are not perfect because we are human. People that judge a whole book simply by seeing one chapter, are missing out on getting to know who people really are… and they certainly set themselves up, to look bad themselves. I know i would much prefer to be the person that is being criticized and standing in a position of integrity – rather than be the person who criticizes, standing in a position of disgrace.

I have made peace with criticism because it will always be there in the background of my life, I’m sure. We must make peace with it and remain detached from it (always take a step back from the situation) … rather than get upset or angry about it. This would simply bring you down to the level of those people who are doing the criticizing. Be the bigger person, always. Also, consider the source…. Do you really value this person’s opinion… is it worth worrying about?

The absolute most important thing, in regards to dealing with destructive criticism… is that you mustn’t become your own worst critic… you mustn’t take on what the others are saying… you must remember that unfair, harsh criticism can be simply insignificant in your world if you want it to be. You mustn’t give the criticism more energy than it deserves.

We cannot go through our lives trying to please everyone, because this would be utterly impossible. So, embrace the fact that there will be nay-Sayers out there. Just remain grounded and clear in your thinking… remain calm and if you must respond to the criticisms, do so in an assertive manner, do not criticize back, become defensive, or stoop down to their level.

One last note: if you believe in Karma, which i do… then find comfort that these destructive people will inevitably get dished up a plate of Karma soon enough!

Stay strong and don’t succumb the unfair opinions of others!

Love Kate xx

“We are all on separate journeys. We just need to stay in our own lanes. Trust in yourself, trust that you are doing the best you can, and never let another’s lack of security steal your own.”

My name is Kate and I am 32 years old at present.

When I asked loved ones to describe me some of the words that were used include, positive, resilient, hopeful, quirky, courageous, kind and passionate.

I work in mental health and have done for four years. Getting into the mental health field is single handedly the best thing I have ever done, and I just love it so much. I started off doing PSW and then became a mental health advocate at Alma street and FSH. I’ve recently left this role and have now gone back to doing peer work fulltime at RUAH community services – and I’m very excited about this!

My passions (aside from working in mental health) include, writing and speaking – in relation to mental health recovery, personal development, and reducing stigma in society. I also love seeing friends and family and I like to have fun and laugh a lot!

I have written a memoir that is in its editing stages at the moment… and hopefully will be published soon! I write blogs and I also write presentations. My presentations are generally about one or several of the following topics: my lived experience story, my recovery journey, different recovery concepts such as hope and resilience, and reduction of stigma and self-stigma.

I am telling you all this information so you can start to form a picture of who I am, at this time. Generally, the picture that people form is quite a positive one… and this is important, because when I go on to talk about my experiences with mental illness, peoples vision of me can get clouded (when stigma tends to set in).

I have battled with mental illness for the majority of my life.

Diagnosis’ from beginning to most recently include anorexia nervosa, obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety disorder, social phobia, depression, psychosis, mania and schizoaffective disorder. These span from roughly the ages of 14 to 26

The important thing to remember about me, is that despite going through almost all mental illnesses under the sun, I have made an amazing life for myself. One that I am very proud of and excited about. In other words, remember that recovery from serious mental illness, does happen! And remember that people with serious mental health diagnosis’ are capable of living amazing lives!

I have purpose in my life now, to prove the nay-sayers wrong… to help society see that we (people with mental illness) can strive and thrive in life… to help society see how awful mental health stigma is, how unnecessary it is, and how much it can affect people’s ability to recover and move forward in their lives. So, say no to stigma!

Luckily, I didn’t succumb to the negative stigma, although I did battle with it and still do at times. I remember back when I was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, my GP told me to go onto the disability pension because he figured I wouldn’t be able to work ever again. I remember when I first got diagnosed my “best friend” at the time, cut me out of her life entirely (I was going to be her maid of honor at her wedding, but after this I wasn’t even invited to attend).

I got over all this eventually, but the recovery journey was slow and arduous at first (and stigmatized ideas about schizophrenia probably had a lot to do with this). Now I am absolutely open book with everybody in my life… the more superficial friends fell by the way side, and I have been left with an amazing bunch of friends, work colleagues, and family, who know everything about my past, and who love me for who I am. They are all amazing; they are understanding when I have an off day and always encourage me to do my best and to strive for greatness.

Most of my recovery I would say was helped by my willingness to push myself out of my comfort zone, consistently. I can say with certainty that I would not be where I am today, if this wasn’t the case.

When I was diagnosed with the schizoaffective disorder I had very little in my life. I had a roof over my head and my immediate family… and really, that’s about it. Now I have my own gorgeous little place in east Fremantle, many wonderful friends and colleagues, a wonderful job, an extensive resume, including being a key note lived experience speaker at the very first WAAMH conference in 2016. I have a life full of passion and purpose and meaning, and I am motivated to keep striving and thriving – always moving towards my ultimate dreams and aspirations – personal and professional.

Some of my milestone decisions include – (in relation to pushing myself out of my comfort zone) :

• Making the decision that I wanted more for my life – rather than staying stuck in fear and isolation and on disability pension.
• Making the decision to start internet dating (was terrified)
• Making the decision to apply for a retail job (also terrified).
• Making the decision to start socializing again with 2 friends – and then the decision to go to a party that I was invited to (terrified x 1000).
• Making the decision to tell my partner about my diagnosis
• Making the decision to apply for a job in mental health
• Making the decision to do my first talk in public – and every other time after that!
• Making the decision to take up writing – specifically writing my book (which was confronting to say the least!)
• Making the decision to write blogs that upload to my Facebook – which means sharing my whole self with everyone on my Facebook

And the list goes on….

The thing to remember here is, if you’re not pushing yourself, if you’re not a little bit uncomfortable in your life… you’re not growing, and if you’re not growing, you’re not really living…

If there would be three things that you take from my talk today… hopefully they would be:

1. Recovery happens! It can take a long time….and requires patience and strength… but it’s important to never, ever give up…. because you just don’t know what may be around the corner!
2. Change can be uncomfortable, but pushing yourself out of your comfort zone is necessary for real, life changing recovery to take place.
3. Don’t judge a book by its cover, or in other words, always look to see the person behind the diagnosis…

One final note:

Yes, it may be difficult at times to understand what is going on for someone effected my mental challenges, but don’t let that separate you from those people. Like me, those people are human beings, with families and friends and hopes and dreams. Don’t give up on them…

Believe in them, and they will better believe in themselves….and this is key!

What is it that keeps us going when times get rough? When everything seems to just fall apart…and when you struggle to maintain a sense of hope in your life…. I ask this question because these past few weeks have been a struggle for me…. I have had moments of wanting to give up…and moments where I think it’s all too hard. For those of you that know me though, you will know I never will give up, I never will succumb to negativity, I will never cease to strive for anything less than amazing, because I know that this is what I deserve.

This next stretch of road may be a little rocky for me… but I know I will get through it. The reason I will get through it… is the same reason I am writing this blog. That reason…. Is friends and loved ones. No matter what I am going through at any given time, I feel so blessed, because of the wonderful people in my life. For so many years I was isolated, too unwell to really connect with friends or family.

Now my life is full of amazing individuals…. you all know who you are… I want to say thank you to those special people, who light up my life when my internal light starts to waver. You mean the world to me, and I am so grateful.

When the human spirit connects to another human spirit, the connection creates hope within us…it creates strength; and it creates that feeling of warmth. It is what life is all about. When I go through times of struggle, this truth always resonates with me. At the end of the day, it is nice (and necessary) to have hopes and dreams… it is nice to have ambition, and it is nice to earn good money, to sustain a life of good quality. But if all of that were to cease…. The one thing that would remain…. And the only thing that really, truly matters, is the relationships we have with other people in our lives… it is the kinship that is created when two people connect, authentically.

If we are to have one goal in life, it should be to love others and to allow yourself to be loved in return. If we are to have one goal in life, it should be connection; it should be to have that love and laughter that can only be found within the relationships of kindred souls.

So, if you are struggling in your life, for whatever reason, remember how lucky you are to have other people in your life… remember how lucky you are that you are not alone. Just hold on…. Pain ends; and in the meantime, take refuge in the fact that you are loved, and can love in return. This is what truly matters. This is what makes life worth living.

Always reach out to others, be honest and authentic, because this is what will save us, in the end.

And to those special people in my life, I apologize if I am not at my best in the coming weeks…. I will be back on top of everything as soon as possible; and ready to kick some serious ass.

Love Kate xxx

I have been on quite the journey in regards to my thoughts…. I’m going to use a bit of a timeline to talk about the different kinds of thinking that I experienced from around the age of 13 up until now.

When I was going through anorexia, my thoughts were very negative and obsessive (as you can imagine). There was a kind of depression that came along with this illness, as life just seemed to be a constant struggle and full of hopelessness…. It wasn’t until I went to Hollywood clinic that I really started to become aware of my thought patterns… and it was a very slow process of changing the constant barrage of negativity in my mind and soul. It was only when I saw a glimmer of hope, that I finally started to feel as if I could rise up above my negative thoughts. I believe that in recovery from an eating disorder, it is vital to do some work on thought patterns…. Because essentially thoughts are what keep us stuck in the darkness.

When I was going through anxiety, depression and social phobia after my drug taking days, my thoughts were all consuming at times. And they were slightly disjointed or disconnected. When my doctor sent me off to a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy course, it didn’t work at all. I wasn’t in the right place, mentally, to fight my demons. So, CBT can be great… if you are in the right place mentally. The one strategy that I adhered to… that kept the anxiety from getting out of control, is that I used to “feel the fear and do it anyway”.

This is a powerful way of changing thought patterns. If you succumb to the fear, the more fearful and negative and afraid you will become. However if you act, despite being afraid, this creates thoughts of empowerment and it actually lessens the fear, ultimately. I use this strategy to this day, and it has worked wonders for me. Faking it until you make it isn’t always easy, but the result is 1000 times better that if you stay stuck in fear.

Whilst I was going through my psychosis, there was little I could do about my delusional, grandiose and negative thoughts. This is where medication comes into play. With illnesses like schizophrenia, or psychosis in general, there first needs to be a normalizing of thoughts with medication…a movement back to reality. Then once this has occurred, you can start to work on your thoughts and move further forward.

So, when I finally was diagnosed and medicated… I was on the road to recovery. It was at this time, that I could finally start to change my thoughts, and consequently, change the course of my life.

There are a few strategies I use now which help me remain positive and keep my thoughts positive. Firstly, it was the right time to go back to CBT. I did a two-week course at Perth Clinic, to really help me become aware of my unhelpful thought patterns. Things like black or white thinking, or catastrophized thinking were helpful to become aware of. This course gave me the positivity and more importantly the confidence, to make positive changes in my life, such as changing career paths into the mental health field (which was the best thing I’ve ever done.
Also, I believe faith and hope are integral to remaining positive in your thinking. Trusting and having faith that things will work themselves out, is so important…. Hope creates a sense of positive expectation… which ultimately helps with feeling resilient and helps to attract positive things into your life.
Gratitude is another big one for me. When you are consistently thankful and grateful for things that are part of your life, it also creates an underlying stream of positivity in your psyche. The key here is also to be grateful for the challenging things too… see challenges and setbacks as learnings, and you will again, be more open to attracting more positivity into your world.

Stay positive

Kate xxx

Speaking from a place of authenticity opens the door to honest, authentic, friendships and relationships – and this is how I choose to live, every day.

So, the saying goes, “if you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.” So, it is then, when you are truly authentic, you don’t have to think about what to say…it just comes out…as if from your soul, not your mind. It is this so called “soul speak” that gets me through the day without exerting too much effort… and this is how I choose to connect with others. The moment I try to put on a mask, or try and “be” a certain way… or fit a certain mold… this is also the moment when I get socially anxious or awkward. It is truly amazing the difference that authenticity makes in my life, on a day to day basis. I simply cannot be active in a friendship with someone, if I don’t show them the all of who I am. There is always a certain awkwardness whenever I try to have superficial interaction with someone…when there is a sense of ‘hiding’ the so called ‘imperfections’ that lie within me… but as soon as I allow myself to be free… to be honest…and real… there becomes a beautiful connection, and once there is a connection, you don’t have to worry about what to say or what not to say.

Authenticity truly starts in the heart. And again, this is why, when my heart is involved in my communication, my words flow and I could talk forever. When my heart is not engaged in a conversation, for instance, I have very little to say… I become pretty quiet. This kind of communication I tend to see as “ego speak”…. Where you are speaking from a place of ego.

Why am I telling you all of this? I suppose I am telling you this because it is itself, a way of communicating authentically with you. I am so open to building new friendships, based on the truth of who I am, and generally I find, that people appreciate the authenticity. An authentic conversation, feeds the soul, after all. I also urge others to relate in this way, to their social circle or networks. It is a way of enriching your life. I think people who only relate to people on a superficial level tend to be lonely… because it is to a degree… meaningless.

Yes, Authenticity takes courage, but often you don’t reap the rewards of something until you put in a little hard work. Hard work at first…. But then it becomes second nature… and this is a beautiful way to experience life… and the only way to experience relationships.

True, authentic relationships are in my mind, the most important thing – period.

So speak the truth – always.

They say we should care less about perfection – and more about authenticity …. However, I in fact believe that authentic people are uniquely perfect in their own special way.

Love Kate xxx

Self-care, above everything else, is a way of showing you that you are worthy of love and nurturing.

If you struggle with self-esteem and self-worth issues, engaging in self-care practices is a great way of starting to love yourself. If you ask me, we are on this earth for a few good reasons: to follow your hearts greatest desires (or in other words to follow your dreams and aspirations), to love others and to experience great love and great joy ourselves.

Part of experiencing great love, is to love and care for ourselves. And this is just as important as showing love and care to those around us. At times, we must be selfish, and do things…. Simply because they make us happy.

So, self-care isn’t a one fits all prescription… because what makes one person happy might be completely different to what makes another person happy. You need to write a list of things that make you feel good… mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. And then…. You simply must make these things a priority in your life. Of course, we have responsibilities in our lives that require us to think outside of ‘what makes us feel good’…. We must go to work, we must care for our families and friends, we must keep a clean and tidy environment. But you simply must take time out for ourselves. Even if its 30 minutes a day… or 10 minutes a day…. make it a priority.

Without self—care, we burn out, we become stressed, and unhappy.

We must be our own best friend in life, and this is the way it should be for every single person on this earth. We cannot rely on others to make us feel better all the time. We must take ownership and rely on ourselves primarily.

Part of your self-care routine would include things like sleeping well and eating well, it may also include down-time like watching a favorite TV show. But the things that I find to be really helpful, include being able to say no to something you don’t want to do, or on the flip side, saying yes to something you really want to do! Also, being able to ask for help and support, is important.

I already mentioned self-care being great for people who lack self-esteem or self-worth. I also believe that people with mental health issues, are in great need of self-care also.  It is in fact, imperative, that you take extra good care of yourself, when living with mental illness. Mainly because having mental illness, can tend to go hand in hand with self-esteem and self-worth issues, because of all the negative stigma surrounding ‘labels’.

Also though (for me anyway), it is important because I find that I need to have more self-care tools on hand for when my mental health starts to decline or if I am triggered in any way. I know if I start to struggle; I cannot just ‘soldier on’. If I notice that I am struggling, the one thing I know I can do to bring me back up again, is to engage in self-care practices. I’m telling you they can work a treat!

If I have had a bad day, I go home, exercise (increases endorphins), then cuddle up with a funky blanket and pillows, light some candles and incense, and relax whilst I watch something funny on DVD. I always have comedies on hand… things that are guaranteed to make me laugh.

This is just for me, some people like to meditate, or listen to music…. There are countless things you can do… it just depends on what you like and what makes you feel good!

Here are some great ideas for self-care:

https://tinybuddha.com/blog/45-simple-self-care-practices-for-a-healthy-mind-body-and-soul/

I’m truly flabbergasted (that’s a word, isn’t it?) at just how fortunate I am in my life – at this time in particular.

There has been so much change of late… and if you know me at all, you’ll know that I love change. I embrace change and always see changes as blessings in disguise (even if something happens that could be considered “bad”, it always works out for the best – I am a big believer in this!)

A couple of months ago I was feeling a little bit stressed about finances…. I absolutely loved my mental health advocate role but I wasn’t getting enough work so money had been very tight. I started a gratitude journal around this time and I made a point of everyday, still being happy with what I had…. I made a point of everyday, still being grateful for everything in my life – because things could always be worse, and I know this from my life experience!

Perhaps a week or two after starting my gratitude journal, I hear about a job possibility through a friend… and then within another two weeks I had myself a new permanent fulltime position at a mental health organisation in Fremantle… and I didn’t even have to be interviewed for it. It was basically given to me on a silver platter.

I was gob-smacked at just how quickly the universe had answered my prayers. The perfect job for me right now; perfect location and it is a job that I am truly passionate about (helping people on their journey to recovery).

It was also at this time that I had the misfortune of having some problems with my housemate. This could have been seen to be a negative turn of events, and it did create some stress around my future accommodation options… however in the nick of time the universe came through with the goods again. I decided to look for another apartment to live in by myself (now that I could afford to with the new job). On my first look at the REIWA website, I see the perfect little apartment in east Fremantle, just around the corner from my current home…

It was bright, it was open and it was cute to boot.

It was perfect… and I know I will be so happy there. And the address?

111 ******* street. Perhaps another sign from the universe? (if you believe in that kind of thing)

I put an application in straight away.

So within the same week that I was offered my new job, I was offered a lease agreement…

AND… Within that same week I was to hear from Heidi (92.9 morning show) in regard to recording a podcast with her. And THEN I hear about my TedX application having made the shortlist!

I also received a couple more speaking opportunities with WAAMH in September, and met some nice new friends (which is always a bonus).

The thing that amazes me more than anything, is this.

When I had a manic episode back in 2010, all I wanted was to get a job in Fremantle and rent my own apartment in east Fremantle (this is because I was in love with a particular spot along the river in east Fremantle – right near the left bank). I wanted a brand-new Hyundai at the time too.

Of course, none of this panned out for me at the time…. As I was unwell…I hadn’t completed my journey through illness to the other side. I still had many lessons to learn (persistence and patience being two of them!)

But now… 7 years later, here I am with absolutely everything I wanted back then…. Except it is even better than I ever could have imagined. I am truly blessed to have received so many wonderful gifts in my life. I am so grateful.

So the lesson here is this. Never give up on your dreams…

…If you have the courage to pursue them, life and the universe will do everything it can to make your dreams come true. It may have taken me longer to get what I wanted, but that’s OK because that is the journey I was meant to go on. If I hadn’t gone on that journey all those years ago, I wouldn’t be the passionate, resilient, compassionate person I am today.

Everything. And I mean everything. Happens for a reason.

I just wanted to say one last thing… specifically in relation to manic experiences.

I believe that if you have a manic episode, sure you need to recover from this to move forward with your life in a healthy, balanced way. But you can take away something very valuable from your manic experiences…. I believe that the way someone is when they are manic, gives a big clue as to what they are destined to become. In a way… it allows you to see someone’s full potential, it allows you to see into the very depth of a person’s psyche. For me…I still see my manic episode, as much more than simply mental illness. I see my manic episode as a preview of what may be to come…

But only IF you have the courage and the persistence to follow your heart and follow your dreams!

DEFINITION – the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.

If there is one thing I am sure of in this life, it is just how important gratitude is…

It is that gratitude makes everything a little better and makes things a little brighter, in the midst of darkness. It is something that I practice regularly, and by doing so, it builds my resilience and my feelings of hope. Challenges seem smaller somehow, and it opens doors of possibility.

I am so well practiced at being grateful, because of the journey I have been on for countless years. When I struggled from the ages of 18 to 26…I would constantly give thanks for all the good things in my life, even when I had a constant cloud over the top of me, in the form of mental illness. I chose to focus on those things that made me smile, and feel good. At times there wasn’t a lot that made me smile, but I was thankful for the little things, all the same.

I remember writing a poem in my creative writing class at university when I was about 22. I reflected on all the things in life that nurtured the child in me. This is a powerful way to really lift yourself up when you are feeling overwhelmed by the things you cannot control. The sorts of things that I would constantly give thanks for were things like:

Having a good belly laugh

Drinking milk through a curly straw

Enjoying a cup of tea

The roof over my head and the bed that I slept in

A smile from a stranger

Sunshine and nature

Now days, so from the ages of 26 to now, my gratitude is on an entirely different level… Because I am well and because I have my health… and this is the most important thing for me. Every day that I feel mentally well, I thank the universe for making it so. And when I have days where I struggle a bit, I am thankful for my family; my friends; my work; the opportunities I have had and continue to attract into my life.

I am thankful for the clothes on my back, the food in my cupboard and the laptop that I spend so much time on 🙂  But most of all, I am happy just to be alive.

I urge you to start making time for a practice of gratitude – even 5 minutes a day. You will be amazed at just how much you can come up with. This will lift you up when you are feeling down, and it will help you to attract more good things into your life. It is key to manifesting more of what you actually want, into your life. It is important to remember that if you focus only on what is going wrong in your life, then you will only attract more of what you don’t want. So always, always, focus on the positive.

If I can do this… with the challenges I faced and continue to face every day, I believe anyone can.

One final reflection about gratitude… when I was younger, when I suffered from anorexia nervosa… in hindsight I still had much to be grateful for (such as a loving family). The thing with anorexia nervosa though is that there is only one focus, and that is food and weight. With 110% focus on these things alone, there was no room for gratitude, and therefore no feelings of hope and very little resilience. This is why I still say to this day, that going through a severe eating disorder was the most difficult thing that I had to overcome – and the most painful thing to go through. It is like living in distress 24/7. Darkness only attracts more darkness. In recovery from my eating disorder, I found a glimmer of light… and this allowed me to see the good in things again…. And this allowed me to feel grateful; and hopeful…. And I am thankful that now it is my second nature to see the good in things… and I feel this has been the key for me to move forward in life, to grow and learn and attract new and wonderful things into my life.

I am truly grateful every day and I am blessed