Tag: happiness

The Quiet Progress You Might Be Overlooking

On By RosemaryIn Alternative Therapy, meditationLeave a comment

By Soul Essence, New Eltham, London, UK.

In a world that often celebrates big wins and loud success, it’s easy to feel like you’re not doing enough. We’re told to aim high, move fast, and show visible results. But what if some of your most important progress isn’t loud at all?

The truth is, much of our growth happens quietly. It shows up in the way you respond differently to something that once upset you. It’s found in the moments when you choose rest over rushing, or when you speak kindly to yourself after making a mistake. These changes might not be flashy, but they matter deeply.

You might not have ticked off every goal on your list this year. That’s okay. Progress is not always about reaching the finish line — sometimes it’s simply about how you move forward, one gentle step at a time.

Signs of quiet progress to celebrate:

  • You’re more aware of your feelings. You notice when you’re stressed or overwhelmed, and you pause instead of pushing through.
  • You set better boundaries. Saying “no” used to feel hard, but now you’re learning to protect your time and energy.
  • You’re kinder to yourself. The voice in your head is becoming more encouraging, less critical.
  • You keep showing up. Even when things are tough, you’re still trying — and that alone is a form of strength.
  • You ask for help when needed. Reaching out isn’t a sign of weakness — it’s a sign that you trust and value support.

Quiet progress is often invisible from the outside. You might not even notice it yourself, especially if you’re comparing your journey to someone else’s highlight reel. But over time, these small changes build something powerful: resilience, self-trust, and inner peace.

Here’s a gentle reminder:

Just because no one clapped doesn’t mean it wasn’t worth doing. Just because it’s quiet doesn’t mean it’s not important.

This July, take a moment to reflect on your own journey. What have you learned? What have you let go of? What have you faced that once felt impossible?

You might be doing far better than you think.

Try this: write down three small ways you’ve grown in the past six months. Don’t worry about whether they “count” — if they’ve made your life feel lighter, calmer, or more meaningful, they absolutely do.

Progress doesn’t always look like a finished project or a perfect plan. Sometimes, it looks like patience. Like healing. Like beginning again.

So keep going, quietly and proudly. The progress you’re making matters — even if it whispers.

🪞 Reflection Prompt:

What quiet progress have I made this year that I haven’t fully acknowledged?

Take a few moments to sit with this question. You might consider:

  • A mindset shift you’ve experienced
  • A habit you’ve started or stopped
  • A challenge you’ve handled with more calm or confidence
  • A boundary you’ve gently put in place
  • A way you’ve shown up for yourself or others, even when it felt hard

Write freely and without judgment — let your reflections honour the quiet, steady ways you’ve grown.

Receive one of my e-books free about Chakras, Meditation Tips, Inner Child or Skincare

If you want to join a meditation group, Soul Essence runs small groups. There are fortnightly online groups on Tuesday evenings and face to face groups on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday evenings.

From September, the monthly Friday morning meditations will be back at 11 am.

Contact Rosemary for more information.

July Joy: Finding Happiness in the Here and Now

On By RosemaryIn Alternative Therapy, meditationLeave a comment

By Soul Essence, New Eltham, London, UK.

July is a month full of sunshine, warmth, and long, golden evenings. Nature is at its peak, flowers are in full bloom, and the days feel full of possibility. It’s the perfect time to pause, breathe, and remind ourselves of the joy that can be found in everyday life — right here, right now.

Too often, we get caught up in waiting for happiness. We tell ourselves, “I’ll be happy when I finish this project,” or “I’ll feel better once the holiday comes.” But joy doesn’t always live in the big moments. More often, it’s hiding in the little ones — a cool breeze on a hot day, laughter with a friend, or a quiet cup of tea in the morning sun.

This July, try something simple but powerful: practise noticing the present moment. You don’t need anything fancy or new. Just slow down and become aware of what’s already around you. What can you hear right now? What can you feel on your skin? What small thing can you appreciate in this moment?

When we bring our attention to the present, we often find that joy is much closer than we thought.

Here are a few gentle ways to find joy in the now:

  • Start your day with gratitude. Before you get up, think of three things you’re thankful for. They can be big or small — what matters is that they’re real.
  • Take a mindful walk. Leave your phone at home or in your pocket. Notice the sounds, smells, and colours around you. Let yourself be fully there.
  • Savour your simple pleasures. Whether it’s an ice lolly in the sun, a good book, or watching the clouds drift by, give yourself permission to enjoy it without distraction.
  • Connect with someone you care about. A short chat, a kind message, or a shared laugh can lift your spirits more than you expect.
  • Celebrate your progress. July marks the middle of the year — take a moment to recognise how far you’ve come, even if it doesn’t feel like much. You’re still going, and that matters.

Joy doesn’t have to be loud or overwhelming. Sometimes, it’s soft and quiet, asking only that we notice it.

So this month, give yourself the gift of presence. Let July be a reminder that happiness doesn’t need to be chased — it can be found, right where you are.

Here’s to finding joy in the present moment. 💛

Receive one of my e-books free about Chakras, Meditation Tips, Inner Child or Skincare

If you want to join a meditation group, Soul Essence runs small groups. There are fortnightly online groups on Tuesday evenings and face to face groups on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday evenings.

From September, the monthly Friday morning meditations will be back at 11 am.

Contact Rosemary for more information.

Gratitude Attitude: Exploring the Road to Happiness and Contentment

On By RosemaryIn Healing, meditationLeave a comment

By Soul Essence, New Eltham.

In the pursuit of happiness and contentment, we often overlook one of the most powerful tools at our disposal: gratitude. Gratitude is not just a fleeting feeling of appreciation; it’s a fundamental mindset that can transform our lives in profound ways. By adopting a gratitude attitude, we embark on a journey towards greater happiness, fulfilment, and overall well-being.

At its core, a gratitude attitude is about shifting our focus from what we lack to what we have. It’s about recognising and appreciating the abundance in our lives, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. When we approach life with a grateful heart, we cultivate a sense of contentment and satisfaction that transcends material possessions or external circumstances.

One of the key benefits of adopting a gratitude attitude is its ability to boost our overall happiness levels. Numerous studies have shown that regularly practicing gratitude can lead to increased feelings of happiness and life satisfaction. By focusing on the positives and counting our blessings, we train our brains to seek out and savour the good things in life, leading to a more optimistic and joyful outlook.

Moreover, a gratitude attitude can also have a profound impact on our mental health and well-being. Studies have found that practicing gratitude can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, improve sleep quality, and enhance overall psychological resilience. By cultivating a mindset of appreciation, we become better equipped to navigate through life’s challenges with grace and resilience.

Furthermore, a gratitude attitude can foster deeper connections with others and strengthen our relationships. When we express gratitude towards those around us, whether it’s a heartfelt thank you to a loved one or a gesture of appreciation towards a colleague, we not only uplift their spirits but also deepen our bonds with them. Gratitude has the power to foster a sense of connection and belonging, creating a ripple effect of positivity that spreads throughout our communities.

Additionally, adopting a gratitude attitude can lead to greater levels of personal growth and self-improvement. When we approach life with a grateful heart, we become more open to learning and growth. We recognise the value in both our successes and our failures, viewing each experience as an opportunity for growth and development. By embracing a mindset of gratitude, we become more resilient, adaptable, and better equipped to navigate through life’s twists and turns.

In conclusion, a gratitude attitude is not just a fleeting emotion; it’s a way of life that can lead to greater happiness, contentment, and overall well-being. By shifting our focus from what we lack to what we have, cultivating a sense of appreciation for the abundance in our lives, and expressing gratitude openly and authentically, we can embark on a journey towards a more fulfilling and meaningful existence. So let us embrace the power of gratitude and cultivate a gratitude attitude, knowing that the road to happiness and contentment begins with a grateful heart.

Receive one of my e-books free about Chakras, Meditation Tips, Inner Child or Skincare

Interested in affirmations and the course of thirty meditations incorporating affirmations to boost your mental health. Click here for more information.

Bring Back Happiness in your Life Doing These 10 Things.

On By RosemaryIn Natural HealingLeave a comment

How do we keep happiness in our life?

How do we define happiness? Psychologist Tal Ben-Shahar defines it as “the overall experience of pleasure and meaning”.  Meaning gives you a sense of purpose in life, and pleasure gives you a sense of joy and wellbeing in the present moment.

Therefore, to keep happiness in our lives, we need to add pleasure and meaning to it. This allows you to increase your happiness in the moment and in the future.

Negativity is hardwired into our brain, to help us be aware of threats, problems, and stressors in our environment. This bias has helped us survive over the centuries. However, we also need to wire some positivity and happiness into our brains, so we are not ruled only by our negativity.  Happy experiences and thoughts help us to grow new neural circuits in our brains. These neural pathways provide you with inner strengths such as resilience, gratitude, enthusiasm, and happiness. 

The following ideas will help you keep happiness in your life.

If you are suffering from depression or serious anxiety, you may need more than these tips. Please continue with any medication or therapy you have been prescribed. If you would like to work we me as a therapist, please get in touch.

  1. Taking a deep breath – by taking deep breaths, we can turn off our “fight-or-flight” response, and feel calm and more relaxed, helping our confidence and happiness. Taking this one step further, and learning meditation is another great way to help your happiness grow.
  2. Gratitude – Find things in your day that give you a feeling of gratitude. Examples are, I have a job, I have a loving spouse, I have time to engage in my hobbies. Let that feeling of gratitude sink in, by continuing to plant positive experiences in your thoughts it will begin to embed them into your brain.
  3. Focus on the positive things that happen – my car got through its MOT, I didn’t get angry with anyone today, these are similar to the above, but help you programme your thoughts to be positive to help create happiness.
  4. Smiles are contagious – the deliberate decision to smile activates happiness-inducing chemicals too. When someone smiles at you, often we smile back even if it is a complete stranger. Make yourself happy and someone else with smiling.  
  5. Consciously swap a negative thought or emotion with a positive one immediately. When we feel sad, helpless, or anxious, try to remember a situation, you were happy and focus on that memory.  This will change the brain from the emotional part to the thinking part, which will help you feel more in control.
  6. Posture – studies have shown slouching can cause you to experience more bad moods, lower self-esteem, and less confidence than people who sit upright. Good posture helps physical wellbeing, also prevents neck, shoulder, and back problems. All this will help with you feeling happy.
  7. Appreciate the small pleasures of life – good experiences; however, small help our feelings of happiness. Focus for a few moments on the small, pleasant experiences you have like, “I have completed one item on my to-do list”, “I have chatted to a friend”, “I have had a relaxing bath”, “going for a walk and seeing wildlife”. The more you can reflect on good experiences and let them become your thoughts, your happiness will slowly increase.
  8.  Appreciating yourself – Begin by listing things you have accomplished today, examples; – written an email to a friend, made an important phone call, or finished a project. Bringing your attention to all your strengths will lift your spirits.
  9. See the positive in your setbacks – Remember we all have setbacks when a problem arises and blocks a project you are working on, or something is cancelled at the last minute. Instead of getting upset and angry, look at it as a challenge, not a failure or block. Think of ways to move forward, a new opportunity.
  10. Positive screensavers and wallpapers – seeing pictures of happy experiences regularly throughout the day can help us focus on our happiness. These can also be inspirational quotes, there are many screensavers you can buy which give you a new quote each day. Looking at pictures and enjoying nature or a quote can help promote a healthy life, lowering our stress, blood pressure and increasing our happiness. Changing the pictures regularly, so you do not get used to one picture is a good idea.

What is your excuse for why you can’t meditate?

On By RosemaryIn Healing, meditationLeave a comment

Examples of excuses and reasons that you can meditate.

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My mind is too busy – don’t worry, while you are sitting meditating you will become aware of your busy and chaotic mind, which meditation will help to unwind. You will experience lots of thoughts, feelings and possibly emotions.  It doesn’t matter how you feel whilst meditating, concentrate on how you feel after and for the rest of the day.

I get too fidgety – you don’t have to sit still, you just need to be comfortable, if you fidget do so it will lessen the more you meditate.

My anxiety kicks in – while all your negative thoughts are coming up that would be normal. Meditating and learning breathing exercises will calm you.

Sitting still is my worst nightmare – then consider going for a walk in the park or woods, without earphones in, listening to nature. You could learn yoga, Qi gong or tai chi where you meditate moving. The art is to just “be” not always “doing”

I don’t like it – if you have tried one type of meditation and it was not for you, there are other types out there.  Here are a few transcendental, mantra, breathing, visualisation, guided and there are many more.

I am too busy – How much time do you waste looking at Social Media, watching TV, playing games online? You only need 10 to 20 minutes a day to start to feel the benefit.Candles, Orchid and Some White Pebbles