Once I was severely stressed, anxious and sleep deprived, tormented by screaming night terrors.
Parents at my school harassed and stalked me to the brink of insanity …and Beyond.
I developed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and severe bipolar disorder. Police incarcerated me into a psyche ward, not to be released until I agreed to take medication.
How did I find my Happiness?
I survived the gloom, scribbling down what was happening to me, making sense of my intense confusion. When I accepted my diagnosis and treatment plan, I became well.
Writing became my cathartic outlet to express myself, to get in touch with my emotions, to seek answers and trial wellness and coping tools, empowering my Recovery.
I wrote my gutsy memoir ME & HER: a Memoir of Madness. Read #20 FREE Pages here. 
I’m now happy and well balanced, sharing my repertoire of positive mental health strategies with everyone.
#10 Secrets to finding your Happiness
1. Be grateful for all the amazing people in your life. Give thanks to the universe.
2. Meditate every day. Take slow deep breaths, concentrating on the rhythm of your breath. Meditation restores balance, focus & creativity.
3. Laugh out loud. Smile. Tell jokes. Have fun. Fake it until you make it.
4. Exercise first thing in the morning with a brisk walk. Lifts your mood for the whole day.
5. Set S.M.A.R.T. goals for your personal and work life. Goals that are: Specific. Measurable. Achievable. Relevant. Time-lined. Move forward with your goals.
6. Pamper yourself with ME time. Relax with your favourite music. Indulge in a soothing massage. Rejuvenate your body, mind and spirit with activities communing with nature.
7. Follow a simple healthy lifestyle. Eat a natural unprocessed diet enriched in legumes, fruits, veggies, fish & nuts.
8. Empower yourself with resilient coping skills. Control your response to stressors.
9. Help other people in the community. Reach out to your neighbours & friends.
10. Engage in positive self-talk. You ARE what you think.
FREE eBook
I’m offering all readers a Free eBook *Top 30 Tools for Wellness* Healthy Mind, Happy Day. 30 Mental Wellness tools to help you feel Happier, Healthier and Mentally stronger.
Fill in the opt in form here on the TOP right panel of my website ^ ^ ^ Please go check your inbox for your FREE eBook.
Every day I realize my True Happiness, combining my two all-consuming passions, writing and mental health.
Writing is my creative outlet, a way to share my Recovery story with the community, helping others to develop their own unique wellness plan.
Everyone needs their own Wellness Plan to keep happy, healthy and mentally strong.
How do you find your Happiness?
What do you do each day to keep YOU happy?
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I agree with all that you say. I have been stuck in the mental health system for many years.It seems like I am getting worse not better, but I do know it is because of my unwillingness to follow the advise. I have a stubborn rebellious personality.Have resentments toward the system that I perceived has failed me and many others. I have made some progress as of late by going 12 step meetings
Hi Georgia,
Lovely to “meet” you here. I’m thrilled you’re making progress with the 12 step meetings.
I took responsibility for my Recovery and developed my own wellness plan, trialling treatments and coping skills that worked for me.
Good luck on your recovery journey … Karen 🙂
I am interested in your PTSD…as an infantryman in Vietnam I was not only involved in the full range of infantry activities (bunker assaults, ambushes, carrying out and burying the dead) but badly owned myself inside a Vietcong bunker complex; spent more than a year in a full body plaster; stabbed twice in the back; bashed three times including once with a steel bar; as a high school teacher, the usual range of student misbehavior towards teachers …,yet I don’t manifest any symptoms of PTSD…..strange hey?
Hi Don, Thanks for sharing your personal experiences.
We all have our different breaking points. My PTSD was brought on by a two year period of dealing with my husband’s life-threatening illness & daily psychological & verbal abuse at school. It later became a legal case. I was told not to talk about it amongst the staff. I refused counseling and instead bottled everything up. Two years on, my stress turned into screaming night terrors. I then refused to go to sleep and became severely sleep deprived.
You can read the first #20 pages of ME & HER: a Memoir Of Madness here. http://lnkd.in/BmuVR7
Cheers,
Karen 🙂
I like the ‘be grateful’ tip. We all need reminding about this. And is doesn’t involve exercise. 🙂
Cheers
Steph
Facebook page: Read-Write Gold Coast
Hi Steph,
The gratitude tip is one of my favourite too. I combine that positive self-talk with a morning brisk walk as it lifts my mood and promotes a positive outlook for the day