As a society, we have become obsessed with wanting to feel good, all of the time. We are bombarded with adverts for products and services that give us the promise of happiness and taking away our feeling of sadness and anxiety.

It's no wonder we are caught in a "hampster wheel" of trying to feel happier to feel good enough.

"You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to the things you don's want to feel..." Anon.


Resources:
The upside of stress, Dr Kelly McGonigal, ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00RWKN8T6

TED talk: Kelly McGoniga - How to make stress your friend
https://www.ted.com/talk/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

Given our human tendency to seek pleasure and avoid pain, it makes sense that we seek out some emotions and avoid others.

It has been said we have twice as many unwanted emotions as we do wanted ones. A small difference can make a huge difference in our lives if we atrat labelling our emotions wanted or unwanted. Let's explore in some more depth...

We oftten take what our minds tell us as 'gospel'. We say things like "I wouldn't be able to do that" to justify backing out of actions that may bring us closer to to who and where we want to be.

We make decsions based on what our mind tells us at that time rather than what matteers to us or our lived expereince. This is because our minds are trying to keep us safe. However, following a safe mind can lead to an unfulfilling, uneventful life at one end of a spectrum, or an overwhelmingly, overscheduled and unmanageable life at the other end...

Let's explore some 'thinking traps'.....

STEP Change Mental Wellbing Resources
https://www.stepchangeinsafety.net/annual-themes-2022-q4/

From the moment we are born we can't exist alone. We are 'primed' to connect with others and instinctively we connect with our primary caregiver - normally our mother who feeds us and bonds with us so our emorional selves so that we can be nurtured. Connection is essential for survival.

As adults we don't stop needing connection - both socail and emotional. A study following Covid found that isolation was detremental to a person's health and wellbeing.

Most of our behaviours are driven by the need to avoid social exclusion. We do this by trying to gain social approval in big and small ways...

We explore small zechnage ways of moving towards authnticity in relatioinships.


Wellbeing Checker link
https://jimbennett.global/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Wellbeing-checker-EAP-poster-interactive.pdf

Have you noticed that many people you speak to seem to be overwhelmed. It can feel that the goalposts are always shifting. We are being asked to do more with less and less time, energy and resources.

Ther are small yet effective tools and strategies that can help us break down any overwhelming situation and decipher what would be the most effective action to take at this volatile time. This is what we will share with you in this next series of podcasts,

We start with examining our our current Landscape, our environment and the 'rules by which we live by...'

Increasingly, the West is looking to Eastern philosophies and therapies to complement, expand and counterbalance its own traditional views. In the Chinese book of wisdom, the Dao de Jing (6th or 5th century BC), the author Lao Zi describes how everything is made from nothing.

The energy that flows between yin and yang is known as qi (alternatively spelt ki or chi). In Chinese and Japanese medicine, qi is believed to flow through all things, both animate and inanimate.

Although many people remain sceptical about unconventional medicine, we should remember that Eastern methods have been successfully practised for centuries.

For a copy of the workbook that accompanies this series of podcasts please follow this link:
https://jimbennett.global/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/ZeEnergy-Toolkit.pdf

One of the deepest false beliefs that we inherit is that we can control other people. Becoming upset at another person, whether they are five feet or five thousand miles away is a demonstration that we are trying to control what we cannot control.

It is a deep illusion that sets up a powerful behavioural pattern. And then we use all kinds of rational explanations to justify our upsetness and our self-inflicted failure. The truth is, we can influence others but the more we try to control them the less influence we will have.

The secret of success in all relationships at work and at play is entirely based on self-control.....

"Shakespeare was dead right - all the world's a stage and YOU are on it" - we explore the realisation of our Goals. When we understand that our power comes from withing, and no the other way around we have a new found freedom and break old self limiting habits.

Underpinned by powerful affirmations we "fly" with new found freedom....

The Alphabet of Change is about Awareness, Belief, Commitment and Dicipline. Following that bt 'breking hold of your routines' - questioning the living patterns of our week.

The following the rules of attraction - being alert to opportunites that satisfys our buoyand vision of life...

Have you had a significant Life Even in the last year? Here is a little Life Event Quentionairre to explore and set your compass for future happiness.

Have you ever asked yourself if you're happy? Wondered properly as to why you are happy? It's something I have done - although I felt happy when I asked the question I began to doubt the answer soon enough. Let's explore together and see what contentment looks, sound and feels like....

Questionairre
https://jimbennett.global/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Life-Stress-Questions.pdf