Finding Happiness

REFRESH YOUR ENERGY

Your body is filled with a very complex nervous system that is always trying to regulate itself. Many things can have an impact on your nervous system, depleting your energy and affecting how you feel, often without us consciously realising it (doom scrolling through instagram for example).

One of the first steps to refreshing your energy is to first identify what your ENERGY DRAINERS are. What are the things in life that make you feel depleted, low, sad or exhausted?

The next step is to identify your ENERGY GIVERS. These are the things in life that feed your soul, make your cup feel full, make you happy and give your energy a boost.

Take a moment now to look through the below lists and see what your ENERGY DRAINERS vs ENERGY GIVERS are. You can then start adjust yourself accordingly - doing less of the drainers and more of the givers.

ENERGY DRAINERS

  1. Lack of Sleep

  2. Too much screen time / being on your phone too much

  3. Social media

  4. The news

  5. Feeling stressed or anxious

  6. Overworking or burning out

  7. People pleasing

  8. Overthinking

  9. Dehydration / not drinking enough water

  10. Not eating enough / not nourishing your body

  11. Eating too much junk food

  12. Fear and self doubt

  13. Ruminating over the past or overthinking the future

  14. Spending too much time around: bullies, people you can’t be yourself  around, really negative people, people who are really judgemental, people who have a big ego, people who gossip a lot, complainers, people who expect  perfection, people who are abusive, people who are fake

  15. Unprocessed anger, bitterness, or resentment

  16. Not exercising or physically moving your body

  17. Family

  18. Fixating on your imperfections

  19. Focussing on what you don't have

  20. Wearing a mask / hiding or suppressing emotions

  21. Comparing your life to others

  22. Doing a job that you hate

What else drains your energy? Remember that we are all different. Only you will truly know what your ENERGY DRAINERS are. Write out your list and then you can see what things you need to do less of or what changes you may need to make.

ENERGY GIVERS

Energy Givers

  1. Meditation

  2. Good quality sleep / rest

  3. Breathwork  / deep breaths

  4. Nourishing food

  5. Setting healthy boundaries with toxic people

  6. Therapy – talking to people

  7. Water / hydration

  8. Being out in nature

  9. Sunlight

  10. Playing with my kids (parent specific)

  11. Love and intimacy

  12. Meaningful connections

  13. Responding to your body’s needs/emotional needs

  14. Tapping

  15. Positive Affirmations

  16. Learning something new

  17. Cooking / Reading

  18. Art / Being creative

  19. Exercise / moving your body

  20. Play! Doing something with no particular outcome - just for the fun of it.

  21. Hot baths, massages

  22. Watching movies that make you laugh

  23. Dancing / listening to music that you love

  24. Journaling

  25. Doing a job you are passionate about

What else gives YOU energy? What feeds your soul and makes you happy? Write out a list and start to do more of the things in life that GIVE you energy.

Tapping is a great way to refresh your energy when you’re feeling a bit depleted because it physically brings your nervous system back into balance AND helps to rewire your brain to think differently. Watch this video now to see how easy it is to do.

For more support on nurturing your wellbeing please get in touch kim@happyheads.me I would love to hear from you xx

TAPPING ON BEING BULLIED

Have you ever experienced bullying within the workplace? If you have, then you’re not alone. Recent studies show that 47% of UK workers have observed bullying at work and 1 in 10 people have experienced being bullied.

It’s something that can deeply impact your mental health, isn’t always obvious to spot and affects thousands of people every day. Unlike bullying at school which may be more overt, bullying within the workplace can be subtle with passive aggressive communication and gas lighting.

I experienced this myself 7 years ago and it’s not something I’ve ever spoken about. It had a huge impact on my mental health and the burnout it created took years to recover from.

You can listen to one of the things I experienced in the workplace with a female boss here:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CxItGLUoV-F/

Comments like this are deeply damaging to an employees mental health for a number of reasons:

1) it’s a personal attack on the employees personality and has nothing to do with their role .

2) They are using an umbrella term ‘everyone thinks’ rather than owning their personal opinion.

3) These types of comments are a form of emotional abuse, used to put a person down.

4) Language like this is used as a form of control in order to make a person feel small.

5) Statements like this don’t allow the person to really respond (what can you say to something like that) and is another way to assert control.

6) Derogatory comments in any form can negatively impact a persons self esteem.

It’s important to remember that while you control other people, you can always control how you react.

It may not feel like it at the time but you have a choice as to how much of someone’s toxic energy you take on.

Tapping is the perfect way to calm your nervous system and give that toxic energy back so watch the video above to help you nurture your mental health and process beeing bullied.

If you are going through it now, know that you are not alone. For more support please get in touch kim@happyheads.me I would love to hear from you.

Kim xx

TAPPING TO BOOST SELF LOVE

Self Love is a term that is often talked about but many people still struggle with it. How do you cultivate self love if you've been speaking negatively to yourself for a long time?

This is where tapping is hugely powerful because it helps you to literally change the way you think - transforming your inner narrative from self criticism to self compassion and loving kindness.

  • Do you struggle to speak kindly to yourself?

  • Do you you find it hard to give yourself a compliment?

  • Do you often want to reject the term ‘I love myself?

  • Do you struggle to be compassionate to yourself?

  • Do you find it hard to say words of loving kindness to yourself?

  • Are you often self depricating?

If you answered YES to any of the above then this tapping process is exactly what you need right now! Watch the video above to boost your self love and kick start the path to thinking differently.

For 1:1 support please get in touch kim@happyheads.me I would love to hear from you xx

TAPPING TO PROCESS ANGER

Anger is a normal human emotion but it's often not something that we know how to process in a healthy and safe way. Quite often anger is the proceeding emotion that covers up what we're really feeling inside (scared, lost, rejected, unsafe, sad, abandoned, betrayed, lonely).

This illustration called the Anger Funnel gives a clear description of how anger can be the blanket emotion for other feelings:

Anger shows up when we feel the need to defend ourselves. It’s a sign that something is wrong and needs our attention and consideration. Neither acting out in anger nor holding it in produces a desirable result. Anger demands our attention, as it buries our more authentic primary emotions, and prevents us from seeing ourselves and our situation clearly, and understanding what is happening within ourselves.

Unprocessed anger can wreak havoc on your mind and body. Watch the video above to see how you use tapping to help you process your anger and free your nervous system of negative tension.

If you would like more support dealing with your anger please get in touch kim@happyheads.me I would love to help.

Big Love

Kim xx

5 MINUTE TAPPING MEDITATION

Do you struggle with traditional meditation?

Do you find yourself constantly distracted?

Do you find it hard to sit still and breathe?

Do you often feel stressed and anxious?

If you answered YES to any of the above then you should try tapping. Emotional Freedom Technique (Tapping) is a REALLY powerful tool for meditation because the physical tapping and movement help to focus your mind and energy.

Watch this video now to try a 5 minute tapping meditation that will help reduce anxiety, improve your focus and calm your busy mind.

If you would like some 1:1 support to help nurture your wellbeing please get in touch kim@happyheads.me I would love to hear from you.

Big Love

Kim xx

CULTIVATE HAPPINESS DAILY

A negative mind will never give you a positive life

We have over 6000 thoughts per day so if you're always thinking negatively, it's easy to see how it can quickly consume and overwhelm your mind. For a lot of people, thinking  positively doesn’t come naturally - especially when you’re experiencing a  difficult time or big transition in your life. The good news is, your brain is soft wired not hard wired, so you can change the way you think, you just need to give your brain the loving attention that it needs.

Life can be hard and stressful but if you learn and grow from the difficult situations you’re faced with - you’ll go with the flow of life and find it much easier to tap into your inner happiness and contentment.

It only takes 66 days to create a new neural pathway, which isn’t long in the grand scheme of life. Reframing your mind to think positively and being grateful for what you do have rather than focusing on what you don’t, is an invaluable tool for nurturing your wellbeing.

You control your happiness and you control your thoughts. Tapping is a great way change the way you think - try the Tapping Video above to boost your mood and kick start neuroplasticity .

THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING

Scientific studies have been finding that happiness can make our hearts healthier, our immune systems stronger, and our lives longer.

Various studies have shown that positive thinking is good for both your physical and mental wellbeing. Here are just a few benefits of being happy:

  • Happiness predicts lower heart rate and blood pressure

  • Strengthens your immune system

  • Combats stress

  • Fewer aches & pains

  • Combats disease & disability

  • Lengthens our lives

ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE

Being happy doesn't appear with a magic wand, it's something that you cultivate daily and make a conscious choice about how you view your world. Everyday you are faced with situations that you can either view positively or negatively. If you continually default to a moan and groan you're not experiencing the benefits of an optimistic outlook. Of course this isn't always possible but if you continually TRY to look on the brighter side, your brain will be much happier. Instead of being pessimistic, ask yourself...

  • What would the positive perspective of this be?

  • What could I learn from this experience?

  • How can this teach me?

  • How can I grow from this situation?

  • Does it serve me any purpose to think negatively about this?

WAYS TO CULTIVATE HAPPINESS DAILY

  • Gratitude is an amazing way to overcome negative thinking. At the beginning and end of every day, write down three things you are grateful for. You can keep it simple and say - I am grateful for my health, the blue sky, my breath...

  • Process your emotions by regularly tuning in to see how you feel then naming your emotion (name it to tame it). This helps reduce the intensity of any difficult emotion that may want to overtake your happiness

  • Remember that you don't need to be happy all the time - that would be weird! Take the pressure off yourself and allow yourself to be human. We have a whole spectrum of emotions and happiness can sit by the side of your other emotions.

  • Drain your brain of negativity by journalling your stream of consciousness. All you do is write down your thought as they pop into your head. What's on the page won't make sense, this is a great way to get rid of any negative thoughts that have been building inside your mind.

  • Positive affirmations are a powerful way to reframe negative thoughts. Simply use the affirmation that is the exact opposite of your negative thought. For example if you keep thinking 'i'm not good enough' keep saying (during meditation or writing it down) I AM good enough.

  • Reframe your negative thoughts by using Tapping. Emotional Freedom Technique is a powerful tool at helping you change the way you think. Watch the video above to give your mood the boost it needs.

This is a guided meditation called Loving Kindness. Listen to the link above to increase your self love and cultivate happiness daily.

If you would like more support to nurture your mind please get in touch kim@happyheads I would love to help.

Big Love

Kim xx

TAPPING TO NURTURE YOUR INNER CHILD

“Hold the hand of the child that lives in your soul. For this child, nothing is impossible.”

~Paulo Coelho

Your childhood forms the foundation of your mental health. It creates a blueprint for who you believe you are and how you see the world around you. Some memories will be positive and some will be difficult and challenging. Your inner child is that part of you that for whatever reason maybe didn’t have their needs met as a child.

When we have a strong emotional reaction to something we’re reacting to the present moment because of our past and it’s often your inner child that’s been triggered.

For example, let’s say your boss criticises you for a project you worked really hard on and you feel flooded with emotion - this may be triggering your inner child and your limiting belief ‘I’m not good enough’.

You may be able to access some core memories to help understand your emotional reactions but most will be completely unconscious.

“Your “inner child” is a part of your subconscious that has been picking up messages way before it was able to fully process what was going on (mentally and emotionally). It holds emotions, memories and beliefs from the past as well as hopes and dreams for the future”

No parent is perfect, even the most loving parents make mistakes and of course childhood can be tough in many ways. Nurturing your inner child is a powerful way to bring inner peace to your internal world and give your mental health the boost it needs.

Tapping is a great place to start. Watch the video above to start the healing process.

PREVENT BURNOUT

BURNOUT

"A state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion, caused by prolonged and excessive stress" 

Burnout is a very real and very scary thing to experience. I had it myself over 7 years ago now and in the space of 6 months in the toxic work environment I was in, I completely lost my mental health to the point I had severe anxiety which lead into depression. Overcoming burnout and learning how to nurture my mental health and wellbeing was one of the main reasons I retrained as a Tapping Practitioner, Meditation Teacher and started Happy Heads.

Anytime you feel stressed or anxious your amygdala (brains fear response) has been triggered and your nervous system goes into high alert (also known as the fight and flight response). Your body fills with cortisol which is the stress hormone, adrenalin races through your body, your digestive system slows down, heart races, muscles tense and your thinking brain goes off line - your body is primed to fight what it perceives as a threat.

In short doses being triggered in this way is fine as you quickly come back into rest and relaxation but when you are being triggered constantly (which is easily done in a stressful work environment) your body is flooded with too much cortisol, which has a damaging effect on your nervous system. This creates anxiety, which can then lead into severe anxiety and that can easily lead into depression. Ultimately your nervous system becomes completely frazzled and  your brain can't function properly.

Watch the video above to see how you can use tapping to process your burnout and bring some much needed calm to your over worked nervous system. No matter where you are in your burnout journey, I promise you, the way you feel right now WILL NOT be how you feel forever.

TIPS TO PREVENT BURNOUT 

DON’T look at your phone first thing in the morning, you’ll be flooding it with information that it doesn’t need. Instead connect with your breath – your superpower!

MEDITATE every morning to set your brain up for the day. Regularly tuning in and processing your emotions ensures that things don’t become overwhelming and deep breathing engages your parasympathetic nervous system (rest and relaxation).

SET a clear working day for yourself and be really strict with it. Don't look at your emails outside of working hours!

TAKE BREAKS throughout the day to be fully present in the moment with your breath and body. This helps to reduce anxiety and strengthen your neurological pathways.

RELAX your mind before you go to bed. Don’t look at a screen at least an hour before bed and do something relaxing instead (meditating, journaling, hot bath, listen to music, calming smells…) the brain needs to unwind after a busy day.

WRITE your 'to do' list the night before and never write more than 3 things you absolutely have to get done - everything else will then be a bonus!

REDUCE your intake of the news and social media. The news is inherently negative and social media makes you compare your life to others.

TAPPING is a powerful tool for overcoming negative thoughts. Use Emotional Freedom Technique every day to make sure you are regularly reframing your negative thoughts.

AFFIRMATIONS are a great way to overcome your limiting beliefs. So if you keep thinking 'I'm not good enough' repeat 'I AM good enough' or if you keep thinking 'I'm not clever' reframe to 'I AM clever'.

Sleep is the foundation of your mental health but it's often easily disrupted when you're experiencing burnout. Listen to this meditation before you go to bed to help calm your busy mind and improve those much needed ZZZZ's.

“I contacted Kim while in chronic burnout desperate for tools to support myself mentally. From the initial chat she listened, put me at ease and reassured she could help. The programme was hugely insightful and expertly led by Kim, by the end she had delivered on all aspects from our first conversation and much more. I can not thank her enough for giving me new found confidence, resilience and excitement for what the future holds!”
— Kristina

HAPPY HEADS BURNOUT PROGRAMME

f you would like more support The Happy Heads Burnout Programme has been specifically designed to help you:

  • Overcome burnout, bringing calm and peace to your frazzled mind

  • Improve your mental and physical wellbeing

  • Release negative energy from your nervous system thats built up in the workplace

  • Rebuild your confidence and self belief

  • Bring your nervous system back into balance (after being under constant stress)

  • Reduce anxiety and stress held in both body and mind

  • Bring you back to yourself once again!

  • Improve your sleep & Focus

  • Empower you will a whole toolbox of calm that you can use at home or in the workplace

I always send out some pre questions first and then from that I tailor the programme to your exact needs. 

Each private session includes breathing techniques, guided meditation, and a full round of Emotional Freedom Technique (tapping). EFT is a powerful tool at helping you release negative tension held in both your body and mind and help you overcome any anxious, negative thoughts that you might be having.

I always offer a FREE 20 minute phone consultation so please get in touch kim@happyheads.me I would love to hear from you xx

PROCESS YOUR BIRTH - 2 DAYS TO GO!

Giving birth can be a magical experience but for some women the opposite may be true. For many different reasons birth can be traumatic having a lasting impact on their mental and physical wellbeing. The spectrum of trauma is a wide one and can range from PTSD (when maybe a mother nearly lost her life during childbirth) not feeling heard, feeling helpless, having things done without consent, emergency c section, unexpected complications or interventions, long painful labour or anything else that a birthing mother finds traumatic.

You may feel disappointed that childbirth was not the experience you were hoping for. Or you might feel angry with the medical staff if you felt that the delivery wasn't handled well. Your experiences may also make you feel anxious about having another baby in future, in case you have to go through a similar experience during birth. - Mind

Trauma is different for everyone so it's important to reflect on how birth effected you both physically and mentally. Even if you had a planned c section, your body is still experiencing a trauma from being cut open. You may have had a good experience but still wish some things had been handled differently. Perhaps there were times you didn't feel like you were being listened to, patronised or ignored - these are all things that have a lasting impact.

Join me on 23rd March at Midday for my 1hr workshop 'Processing Birth'. It's been specifically designed to:

  • Create a safe space for all mothers to process their birth.

  • Empower you with tools to calm and ground your energy whenever you need (even when with your baby / children).

  • Allow your nervous system to emotionally and physically process your experience.

  • Improve the quality of your sleep (the short amounts you do get).

  • Reduce stress and anxiety connected to motherhood and everyday life.

  • Make you feel seen, heard and validate your emotions.

  • Improve your confidence as a mother and overcome any fear of birthing again.

  • Nurture your mental and physical wellbeing.

During the 1 hr lunchtime workshop you'll learn:

  • Insight into birth trauma, birth PTSD what is it and how it can affect people's mental health.

  • Breathing Techniques - to calm and ground your whole nervous system.

  • Guided Meditation - to help you identify, process and release any parts of your birth you found challenging.

  • Emotional Freedom Technique (Tapping) - to help bring your nervous system back into balance and overcome any anxious, negative thoughts you might be experiencing.

The workshop is only £20, click below to book or you can email kim@happyheads.me. It will be recorded for anyone who can't watch the live session so you can watch in your own time.

I can’t wait to see you all there.

Big Love

Kim xx

WELLBEING RETREAT - 1 DAY TO GO!

TRANSFORM YOUR MIND, BODY & SOUL…

“The happy heads retreat was the perfect reset button for me. The retreat was a brilliant combination of self help tricks, reflection and goal setting. Kim is a truly wonderful facilitator who draws on her own experiences and struggles to help her clients rationalise and work trough theirs. I would highly reccomend this retreat to anyone, those with specific areas they want to work on, or those who want to book in and just get a life MOT, it’s a fantastic course I would love to do all over again." Liz

Only 5 days until the Happy Heads Wellbeing Retreat begins! It's been specifically designed to help you transform your mental and physical wellbeing enabling you to kick start 2023 feeling calm, grounded and empowered.

"I got so much from the retreat with Kim. I learned some really effective ways to control my demons and make the day-to-day more manageable. And the guided meditations gave me a beautiful introduction to the practice. Kim has the most open, comfortable and kind presence - it was a real joy. Would highly recommend."

Toby

To make it easily manageable the retreat is set across 4 lunch time sessions.

Each Wednesday @12pm there will be a 1.5hr LIVE online workshop that will help you delve deeper into what you really want from the year ahead and overcome any self doubt that may be holding you back. Every workshop includes insight into the brain and topic, breathing techniques, guided meditation and Emotional Freedom Technique (Tapping).

4th January - Self Love & Set Intentions

11th January - Overcome Negative Beliefs

18th January - Manifest the Life you Want 

25th January - Step into your Power

"The Happy Head’s retreat came at the best time possible for me. The retreat provided the perfect pause for reflection.I would definitely recommend."

Doula

After the workshops you’ll receive a support email that has all the key insights from what you learnt, a meditation recording for you to use, tapping videos to follow and a weekly (easily doable) practice to help you integrate the tools and techniques into your day. Each one will be recorded so if you miss one you can always catch up.

"That was AMAZING Kim thank you. I cried the whole way through it!"

Rachel

It’s been designed to completely reset your mind, body & soul. Spaces are limited, to book on click the link below or you can get in touch kim@happyheads.me.

The whole retreat is £110, spaces are limited don’t miss out!I can't wait to see you all.

Big Love xx

“I have just finished the Happy Heads Retreat and really cannot recommend it highly enough. As someone with a chronic neurological condition I have suffered with worry, self-doubt and anxiety most of my adult life. Kim delivers the sessions in a very calm and gentle manner and she has such a reassuring way about her which really helped me to believe I could achieve what I wanted to. The retreat left me feeling truly empowered. If you want to make a change in your life then I urge you to try it for yourself."

Vikki