Over the past year we've done a lot of work on our thinking but I felt like we'd neglected a little, our body awareness. In this episode, I talk you through a full body scan meditation.  Feel free to pause the podcast for longer to allow for breathing and feeling.  You can go through this exercise anytime you need too! See you for Season 2! Rhona 😊

It's been a tough year for all of us thanks to the global Covid-19 Coronavirus pandemic.  We've had ups and we've had downs but throughout it all there have been a pool of people who have supported us and kept us going.  Not only have we called on them for help, support, laughs and tears but we have also called upon our own personal reserves to see us through.  Now is the time to celebrate all of that! Despite everything, you are grateful for ... What big lessons did you learn this year?  What small ones? What in your life made you who you are, in a positive way? If you were to live your life as a once in a lifetime joyous celebration, what would you be and do differently? What and what most needs celebrating right now? Thank you to each and every one of you for making my first year of podcasting so enjoyable and worthwhile! Don't forget to like, share and subscribe! www.rhonabarton.co.uk Take care, Rhona 😊

Hands up if you find it easy to forgive and then never think about the incident again! Anybody?  Nope?  No, me neither!  Forgiveness is hard.  Forgiving ourselves is probably harder than forgiving other people.  It's not impossible though. To move forward towards our goals and desires takes work.  Along the way, we are likely to make mistakes and end up having to try again a few times until we get things right.  That's life in general!  We get knocked down and when we get back up again, we try a different way to get to the goal.  It doesn't mean that we brush off the negative experience and never think about it again.  We try to learn from our mistakes but sometimes, we are our own worst critic and we forget to forgive ourselves. What are you still holding onto/. What have you not yet forgiven? What are the impacts to you of not letting go of these issues? How do you benefit by hanging on to these issues?  What do you get to stay feeling? If you were to let go of _____, you would feel _____ Remember, we're aiming for progress, not perfection and forgiveness takes work!  You can do it though.  You've done it with many of the other topics we've discussed so why doubt yourself now? Thank you to all of you who listen and who have purchased my book or a notebook (www.rhonabarton.co.uk/publications).  I appreciate each and every one of you! Until next week, stay safe, Rhona 😊

NB:  If you are feeling overwhelmed and have been having thoughts of self-harm or suicide, please seek professional help and do not rely solely on the information in this episode.  Some places which may be able to help and support you are: Samaritans (UK tel: 116 123); NHS UK (www.nhs.uk); Mind (www.mind.org.uk).  Should you be experiencing bereavement please also reach out to: Cruse Bereavement (www.cruse.org.uk).  It's important to remember that you are not alone and you don't not need to go through this alone. Stress can come in all shapes and sizes and it can impact everybody differently.  It can be useful to know your own signs of stress so that you can identify when stress may be taking you over.  Learning to put in contingency plans for these situations can go a long way to helping lower your stress levels and allowing you to live life on your terms. What are your signs of stress? How could you learn to spot your signs of stress earlier? What are some easy tings you could do when you notice you're stressed? In this episode, I've talked through the top 10 most stressful life events and looked at some ways in which you may wish to try to tackle your own stressors.  I'm an advocate for positive mental health and I fully back the work being done by the likes of Pillar Kincardine (www.pillarkincardine.co.uk) here in the North East of Scotland. I know that meditation doesn't work for everybody, if you'd like to try it (or if it works for you!), then don't forget that Episodes 35, 40 and 47 of this very podcast, are all Guided Meditations. Please like and share this podcast and don't forget to check out www.rhonabarton.co.uk Speak to you next week! Rhona 😊

I had forgotten, until I started recording this episode, that I have trouble saying No from time to time!  Sometimes it's because I don't want to hurt the person's feelings, sometimes becauseI haven't properly listened to what is being asked!  Whatever, the reason, I thought that if I'm having trouble, then some of you may be in a similar situation! What do you like about saying, "Yes"?  When does saying, "Yes" impact you in a negative way? What are you afraid of when it comes to saying, "No"? What gets in the way of you saying, "No"? I'm sure we all know that "No means No" regardless of the situation but some people will be persistent in their asking of you.  It's great to be able to say "no" without feeling guilty so get some practice in! Stand in front of your mirror and just practicing saying "No" over and over until it begins to feel more natural.  You don't have to say it in an aggressive way but you also don't need to whisper it.  Practice until you feel more confident. Remember - PROGRESS NOT PERFECTION! Don't forget to like and share the podcast please and, if you've run out of room in your notebook, visit www.rhonabarton.co.uk/publications to pick up another! I'm off to re-prioritise my week and I'll catch you in the next episode! Rhona 😊

In the last of our "Relationships with Self, Life & Others" I'm talking about Friendships. "There are big ships, there are little ships, but the best ships are friendships!" - that what my offshore office buddy told me once and it made me giggle - right before we went back to trading insults or book recommendations!  But you know what, he was right.  Friendships can help our mental health and give us such a rich life experience.  What qualities do you love most in your friends? Who loves and accepts you, flaws and all?  Who do you love and accept? When did you last stop and truly appreciate your friendships? As we begin to regain some of our freedoms following the pandemic lockdown restrictions, are you going to go back to all of the friendships you had before?  Now is a great time to make changes, if you want to.   Why not have a think about who you really want in your life to help you grow and develop your goals?  There's no shame is moving on from relationships, especially if they are toxic. Speak to you next week! Rhona 😊

There's so much to be grateful for in our daily lives that sometimes we forget to stop and take stock.  That's what I'm asking you to do in today's episode.  Stop and think about all of the things/people/experiences you've had in life up until now, that you are grateful for.  Take some time to write them down or record them in some way so that you can truly appreciate all that you have. What stops you from being thankful or grateful? When you fee thankful, how do you feel differently about yourself/life/the world? On your bad days, how could you still be thankful? How could you express your gratitude to those around you? How could you cultivate a larger habit of gratitude and thankfulness in your life? Have you run out of room in your notebook to fit all of your responses?  Fear not!  I've got you covered! Head over to www.rhonabarton.co.uk/publications and take a look at my new range of notebooks!  All are 50 pages of writing space with glossy covers in A5 size. 😊 Take care and speak to you next week! Rhona

They don't want to suck your blood but they will go after your energy reservoir!  You know the people I'm talking about.  The ones that, when you get within their vicinity, you feel yourself draining and the happy high you were on when you arrived, is slowly leaked out of you. Do you have these people in your life?  Do you feel like you're stuck with them? With pandemic lockdown restrictions slowly being relaxed (in the UK at least), now is the perfect time to consider who you want to reintroduce to your life. Who energises you in your life?  How could you spend more time with them? What drains or minimises you?  How could you spend less time with them? How do you allow people to deplete you? How does it help you to remind yourself that toxic people are in pain themselves? What steps do you need to take with toxic people for your own esteem and peace of mind? Let me know what you intend to do to take this forward! Rhona 😊

I'm very fortunate to have been born and raised in a country where my innate freedom has been a right for me since I took my first gulp of air.  Society, family, friends, education have all allowed me to explore my freedom in the ways that work best for me without breaking any laws.  I've been fortunate enough to travel to other countries and learn about their beliefs and freedoms and, whilst I haven't necessarily agreed with all of them, I've been allowed to express my opinion without fear of reprisals.  Freedom, for me, is a state of mind.  Even though I'm free to live my life, there have been times in the past when I have felt trapped by my beliefs or surroundings. What does freedom mean to you? Even though you know you are free, are there areas in your life in which you feel trapped? How could you free yourself and what would that feel like? Is what you're seeking really "freedom of the heart"?  What does that mean to you? Get your thinking cap on and put in the hard work here.  How are you continuing to work towards your goals whilst aligning to your own core values? Let me know what you think and I'll be back next week to discuss energy vampires i.e. toxic people! Rhona

Being along and being lonely are two different things.  Some people can feel lonely in a crowded room when surrounded by friends.   How do you feel when you're alone with yourself? How would it be to use solitude to renew your energy and reconnect with yourself? When were you last alone with yourself to reflect on your life and nurture your soul? If you were to put 10 mins aside each day to be alone with your thoughts and feelings, how long would it take you to tell if you were living your life in line with your values and goals? As we begin to emerge from Lockdown and the Covid-19 restrictions in your area, why not consider adding 10 mins into your day, every day, to reflect on what you want and where you're going? Let me know what you think over at rhonabarton.co.uk or via [email protected] Speak to you next week! Rhona 😊