Hello and welcome to the first blog post from Happy Healthy CBT!
With so much information on metal health, what to do, what not to do, who to speak to and different types of therapy it can all be a bit confusing, especially if you are already feeling overwhelmed. So, my aim is to write short blog posts that will bring you insightful information on mental wellbeing and inspiring food for thought. Most of my blog's will probably focus on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Mindfulness as this is what I am trained in and probably what brings you to my page. However, CBT and Mindfulness Meditation are also what I find interesting and it's pretty hard to write a good post if you don't believe in what you are saying!
During my time as a CBT Counsellor at Mind I often worked with clients on different types of written work as forms of self development in-between sessions. These varied but every client found keeping a weekly journal was helpful and enabled them to notice thoughts, emotions and behaviours that were often unhealthy. Writing is a great creative outlet and very personal but it can also help you to process information and recognise healthy and unhealthy patterns that we have, unknowingly, woven into our daily life.
Hundreds of thousands of people blog/vlog about their mental health issues, despite it being scary and intimidating. However if you read a lot of these blogs they all sing the praises of writing as a way of improving mental wellbeing. Writing a blog, a letter or even a story requires you to schedule time, make a commitment and build focus - a lot like CBT! It can be the reason for getting out of bed when you are depressed, it's a way of making new friends and sharing experiences to know that you are not alone in your struggles but it's also just a really great way of getting your busy thoughts out of your head and in a place for you to reflect back on them.
For me, writing these blogs will be another way of helping more people live a happier, healthier life.
Holly x