Just a little thankyou…Recently I have been trying to think of what a new post to write when I just thought I’d write a post about how thankful I am to have the people I have in my life. The people who have to put up with me and my moods and constantly listen to me go on and on and on.

First my dad to be honest my dad has made me the person who I am today he such a hard worker and has always told us that we have to work for where we want to be in life when growing up I have always been a daddy’s girl, and with what went on with my mam, my dad has always been there for me and my sisters and brother. he has been through so much and even through all he’s been through he still comes out smiling, he works so hard and he works so hard for us. he is the best dad anyone can ask for, he always puts us first before himself he makes sure we are all happy. He’s such a fighter which is why look up to him so much, he has a patience of saint having to deal with me and my two sisters. Whenever I’m feeling down or anxious I always know that he is just a phone call away and he makes everything so much better, not living near him makes it so hard but I know when times are tough he will come down to me without a doubt. The way he is to my niece and nephew is just the cutest I see the way Aran and Kerry look up to him and they are his world. We have all done quite well so far and its all thanks to my dad. And I don’t say it enough to him but I’m so thankful for everything he has given me and just brought me up to be the person I am today.

My sister tara is a person I look up to so much she is such an inspiration she has gone so far in life and has conquered so much and is the best mum to Kerry and Aran, they have turned into such happy little people and she has worked so hard in life to give them everything they need. I know when times are tough for me she is always there for me she is one of my best friends ad she is always giving me advice and listening to my problems and telling which path to go down.

My best friends, sometimes I don’t know how some of you put up with me cause I’m constantly going on about things and overthinking but thank you for being such great friends to me and putting up with me and always there for me no matter what. I cant describe how grateful I am.

My housemate Sasha and Kurt who also are part of my best friends I think you have to put up with me the most as you see and deal with me everyday but thank you both for always being there for me especially when I’m at my lowest, I always know your always there for me and ye always try to cheer me up when I’m down, and I’m sorry when I’m in my moods but what gets me through it all I know that you never judge me think I’m a freak lol. But I can’t thank you enough, living with you both the last year has made me into a new person and I feel I’ve changed so much in a good way but its all thank you both.

I think when you’re at your lowest you think you have no one but when you actually think about it there are so many people around you that care for you. You just have to open your eyes.

If you like reading this please have a look at my other blogs thanks, xx

http://aprilmaher.ie/living-with-a-parent-with-a-mental-illness/

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This is my biggest fear ever. I’m not as bad as I was before but I still hate it. I just get so anxious having to stand up in front of people and speak, like it doesn’t matter if I’m presenting to two people or 50 people when my anxiety strikes I just can’t deal with it. I feel like everyone is judging me and my heart starts beating so bad and I start getting really warm and my palms get sweaty. I recently read an article online about strategies for managing public speaking anxiety. Mark twain has been a professional speaker and communications coach for over 20 years. So he knows all about public speaking and the fear you get when public speaking. In his article he has 3 strategies which are as follow:
Exercise that morning.
The positive stress of exercise makes cells and structures and pathways within the brain so that they’re more armed to handle stress in other forms.” Rather than use the morning of your big presentation to reflect and freak yourself out, spend at least a half hour working out.
Memorize your first three lines.
The hardest part in public speaking is actually getting started, in my experience, I always think of what could go wrong. Try to memorize the first 3 line in what your presentation is about. This will then shift your brain out of panic mode and into memory mode.
Plan a dialogue rather than a monolog.
Would you rather do make a presentation in front of a group of people or engage conversation with a group of people? Most people would rather be engaged with the topic, rather than worrying how will you memorise all the content deliver it flawlessly and just remember to breathe. Plan to speak for the first minute of your presentation that requires a response and then ask your audience a question that requires an answer or even show a quick video and get some feedback. At least it’ll give you enough time to have a quick breather.
These 3 steps are actually quite interesting and I think for my next presentation I’m going to try them.
If you like what you read, please have a look at other blogs post I’ve written thanks x

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it’s no secret that we’re all working that little bit more, that little bit harder.

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Coping through my eyes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzpky0zQSOk

This video is so helpful if you suffer from anxiety or if you’re ever just having a bad day. Usually, when I’m having a bad day I just love to hide away from everyone and everything and just stay completely quiet, but recently I’ve realized that doesn’t do me any good at all. your best off to fight your demeans and just get out there, do something that scares you because after you do it, you’ll thank full to yourself that you overcome your fear. My biggest fear is to do a presentation I absolute hate public speaking and people staring at me. But as I’m doing digital marketing I need to get over my fear, a friend of mine told me to just stop caring what other people think and you’ll get far in life, which is so true why should i care what people think i should just stand up and do the presentation, i shouldn’t care  what people have to think but then with anxiety it makes your mind go overboard. like i would worry about something so small but yet in my head it’s a big deal. Just as I thought things were getting a lot better but the last few days haven’t been  good. The last few days I haven’t felt my self and it’s really getting me down. When I usually feel like this I usually do as I always do just run away from my problems and go home and yes on this occasion that’s what I did. I usually go home when I feel things are getting a lot for me. I feel being home is like a comfort zone for me. Other ways I cope is music I love putting earphones in and listening to music to try not let what’s getting me down. Music is a great therapy you can be in your own little world and tings can get so much better just after a few minutes with the earphones in.

If you find this interesting please have a look at other post I have . Here is a link to one I have about living with mam and her mental illness and the struggle we had to go through .

http://aprilmaher.ie/living-with-a-parent-with-a-mental-illness/

Thanks so much for taking your time to read my blog post as I said before I’d love to just help someone out there . " class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />

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Researchers have shown that exercise is really good for the mental health, it doesn’t matter what your age is. studies show that making time for exercise provides some serious mental benefits. In my own experience I hundred percent agree with this, when I got to the gym or even for a walk I feel so much better mentally. Exercise reduces stress, when you have a rough day at work try walk or go for a quick workout. One of the most common mental benefits of exercise is stress relief working up a sweat can help your mental stress. Doing exercise can help boos happy chemicals. Studies have shown that exercise ease symptoms among depression. Working out can help improve self-confidence which is good for the mental health. When you’re feeling confident you feel a lot better for your self.

1. Reduce stress. Rough day at the office? Take a walk or head to the gym for a quick workout. One of the most common mental benefits of exercise is stress relief. Working up a sweat can help manage physical and mental stress. Exercise also increases concentrations of norepinephrine, a chemical that can moderate the brain’s response to stress. So go ahead and get sweaty — working out can reduce stress and boost the body’s ability to deal with existing mental tension. Win-win!
2. Boost happy chemicals. Slogging through a few miles on the treadmill can be tough, but it’s worth the effort! Exercise releases endorphins, which create feelings of happiness and euphoria. Studies have shown that exercise can even alleviate symptoms among the clinically depressed. For this reason, docs recommend that people suffering from depression or anxiety (or those who are just feeling blue) pencil in plenty of gym time. In some cases, exercise can be just as effective as antidepressant pills in treating depression. Don’t worry if you’re not exactly the gym rat type — getting a happy buzz from working out for just 30 minutes a few times a week can instantly boost overall mood.
3. Improve self-confidence. Hop on the treadmill to look (and more importantly, feel) like a million bucks. On a very basic level, physical fitness can boost self-esteem and improve positive self-image. Regardless of weight, size, gender, or age, exercise can quickly elevate a person’s perception of his or her attractiveness, that is, self-worth. How’s that for feeling the (self) love?
4. Enjoy the great outdoors. For an extra boost of self-love, take that workout outside. Exercising in the great outdoors can increase self-esteem even more. Find an outdoor workout that fits your style, whether it’s rock-climbing, hiking, renting a canoe, or just taking a jog in the park. Plus, all that Vitamin D acquired from soaking up the sun (while wearing sunscreen, of course!) can lessen the likelihood of experiencing depressive symptoms. Why book a spa day when a little fresh air and sunshine (and exercise) can work wonders for self-confidence and happiness?
5. Prevent cognitive decline. It’s unpleasant, but it’s true — as we get older, our brains get a little… hazy. As aging and degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s kill off brain cells, the noggin actually shrinks, losing many important brain functions in the process. While exercise and a healthy diet can’t “cure” Alzheimer’s, they can help shore up the brain against cognitive decline that begins after age 45. Working out, especially between age 25 and 45, boosts the chemicals in the brain that support and prevent degeneration of the hippocampus, an important part of the brain for memory and learning.
6. Alleviate anxiety. Quick Q&A: Which is better at relieving anxiety — a warm bubble bath or a 20-minute jog? You might be surprised at the answer. The warm and fuzzy chemicals that are released during and after exercise can help people with anxiety disorders calm down. Hopping on the track or treadmill for some moderate-to-high intensity aerobic exercise (intervals, anyone?) can reduce anxiety sensitivity. And we thought intervals were just a good way to burn calories!
7. Boost brainpower. Those buff lab rats might be smarter than we think. Various studies on mice and men have shown that cardiovascular exercise can create new brain cells (aka neurogenesis) and improve overall brain performance. Ready to apply for a Nobel Prize? Studies suggest that a tough workout increases levels of a brain-derived protein (known as BDNF) in the body, believed to help with decision making, higher thinking, and learning. Smarty (spandex) pants, indeed.
8. Sharpen memory. Get ready to win big at Go Fish. Regular physical activity boosts memory and ability to learn new things. Getting sweaty increases production of cells in hippocampus responsible for memory and learning. For this reason, research has linked children’s brain development with level of physical fitness (take that, people who hate PE!). But exercise-based brainpower isn’t just for kids. Even if it’s not as fun as a game of Red Rover, working out can boost memory among grown-ups, too. A study showed that running sprints improved vocabulary retention among healthy adults.
9. Help control addiction. The brain releases dopamine, the “reward chemical” in response to any form of pleasure, be that exercise, sex, drugs, alcohol, or food. Unfortunately, some people become addicted to dopamine and dependent on the substances that produce it, like drugs or alcohol (and more rarely, food and sex). On the bright side, exercise can help in addiction recovery. Short exercise sessions can also effectively distract drug or alcohol addicts, making them de-prioritize cravings (at least in the short term). Working out when on the wagon has other benefits, too. Alcohol abuse disrupts many body processes, including circadian rhythms. As a result, alcoholics find they can’t fall asleep (or stay asleep) without drinking. Exercise can help reboot the body clock, helping people hit the hay at the right time.
10. Increase relaxation. Ever hit the hay after a long run or weight session at the gym? For some, a moderate workout can be the equivalent of a sleeping pill, even for people with insomnia. Moving around five to six hours before bedtime raises the body’s core temperature. When the body temp drops back to normal a few hours later, it signals the body that it’s time to sleep.
11. Get more done. Feeling uninspired in the cubicle? The solution might be just a short walk or jog away. Research shows that workers who take time for exercise on a regular basis are more productive and have more energy than their more sedentary peers. While busy schedules can make it tough to squeeze in a gym session in the middle of the day, some experts believe that midday is the ideal time for a workout due to the body’s circadian rhythms.
12. Tap into creativity. Most people end a tough workout with a hot shower, but maybe we should be breaking out the colored pencils instead. A heart-pumping gym session can boost creativity for up to two hours afterwards. Supercharge post-workout inspiration by exercising outdoors and interacting with nature (see benefit  number 4). Next time you need a burst of creative thinking, hit the trails for a long walk or run to refresh the body and the brain at the same time.
13. Inspire others. Whether it’s a pick-up game of soccer, a group class at the gym, or just a run with a friend, exercise rarely happens in a bubble. And that’s good news for all of us. Studies show that most people perform better on aerobic tests when paired up with a workout buddy. Pin it to inspiration or good old-fashioned competition, nobody wants to let the other person down. In fact, being part of a team is so powerful that it can actually raise athletes’ tolerances for pain. Even fitness beginners can inspire each other to push harder during a sweat session, so find a workout buddy and get moving

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What is anxiety? Anxiety is a general term for several disorders that cause nervousness, fear, apprehension, and worrying. I have suffered from anxiety for a good few years. 

Anxiety is no fun for anyone. Most people don’t actually understand what it’s like or what you have to go through unless you’ve suffered it yourself. Anxiety attacks come without warning and sometimes without a reason. So through my eyes, this is what I experience. most of the time I’m constantly worrying about things, everything would be fine but in my mind would tell its self to worry about stupid little things. I think with all the stuff I went through with my mam this made it a lot worse, if you haven’t read my other post my mam suffers from bipolar and having to deal with her just brought me down so much. And because I don’t talk about things I just bottled everything up. I remember my aunty saying to me go talk to someone because in years to come this will affect you. I just ignored what she said, it wasn’t till I went back to college where I noticed how bad it got. 

Nearly every night I would lay wide awake thinking I couldn’t breathe and my heart was racing 90. And even at that I just ignored it, and because I wasn’t sleeping at night this would my make my anxiety a lot worse, during the day I couldn’t function with trying to concentrate in college. Every day I would pretend that everything was grand but it wasn’t, it was getting a lot worse.  I used to be anxious about everything, especially meeting new people. This is my biggest fear. I just overthink things so meeting new people I just couldn’t deal with, I used to hate knowing that I was going somewhere where there be so many new people who I don’t know. It takes me so long to get comfortable around people I don’t know. So my first impression to people is that I’m so shy and don’t say a word, but I don’t choose to be like that, it annoys me so much that can’t talk straight away my mind just takes over and makes me overthink everything, even now I’m still like that. I just can’t deal with new people my nerves just get the best of me.

Anxiety does take over my life sometimes especially for college some days I’d rather just stay at home than go to college I feel like being at home I’m in my comfort zone where nothing bad will happen.  Last year I went to doctor about my anxiety and was prescribed tablets. I hate that I have to take tablets but they give me control over my anxiety. I do still have bad days but they don’t last as long as they did before. I still don’t talk about things but I feel doing this blog will give me a great relief from everything. If any of you are like me please talk to someone about how your feeling there is no point feeling so alone when you don’t need to. xx

below is a video which i thought explains so well what it is like to have anxiety

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