Chatting with Ashley Nichole'

Let me tell you, it has been a JOURNEY keeping my cheese on my cracker.

Oh, y’all never heard of someone’s cheese sliding off their cracker?!?!! What about “her elevator doesn’t go all the way to the top”? Or how about “his lightbulb isn’t screwed all the way in”? Yep, a whole bunch of ways to say “They need help”!  It’s making sense now?

Well, fortunately, I’m an open book when it comes to my journey in dealing with mental health & I am okay with sharing the work that I do to keep my cheese on my cracker! I know that I am not alone and that’s where you come in. Here’s your chance to share the story of your mental health journey. Share as many or as few stories as you like! I cannot wait to hear from you and  I am excited about all of the people we will help!

Living your "best life" is one of the latest mantras. Some may take the “fixing yourself” method to begin to. With all of the buzzwords, you can get lost when searching for ways to get from who you are, to living your purpose.

Some popular "change" methods are vision boards, new year resolutions, One Little Word (OLW), self-care & self-help books, networking brunches & mixers, professional organizations, mentors, coaching, and the list goes on as far as ways to get to your own nirvana.

In this week’s episode, Ashley touches on some things that can help us to be on the way to living our best lives!

Life Audit Tips -

• Make a list of your “life details”
• Separate items by life areal - career, family, health, etc.
• Ask yourself the following for each of these points:
  - Do I enjoy this?
  - How does this line up with my values and vision?
  - How does this help me achieve my mission?
  - What do I gain by doing this?
  - What would I gain by not doing this?
  - Will it help to give more time/energy into this?
• Determine if anything needs to be moved/added/removed.
  

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Anger is that thief in the night, seeking to steal, kill and destroy. But NOT TODAY! Here are a few tips to effectively managing anger and prevent its nasty effects. 

1. Take a deep breath. Actually, a series of slow deep breaths, focus on deep inhales and deep exhales. The goal here is to calm down. 
2. Paint a mental picture. Think of something or someplace that makes you happy. Focus on that instead of whatever is happening that is causing anger. 
3. Think about what is making you mad. Why is this thing worth your energy and health? Are you reacting to what’s making you angry or as a result of it? 
4. Own it. Take responsibility for how you’re feeling. Taking accountability allows you to begin to resolve the root of the anger if it’s something that can’t be relieved by thinking through it. 
5. How can this be fixed? If it is a person - do THEY know that they’ve done something that angered you? Addressing the issue can clarify the possible miscommunication and possibly relief 
6. Of course, seek help. If you need assistance thinking through the situation, a therapist visit or a chat on any of the mobile therapy apps should provide some clarity.

At the end of the day, we have all got 24 hours. For me, being angry takes control of those hours away from me. Whether it slows down or speeds up, I’m 100% ineffective if my energy is invested in being angry/mad.

Story of my life! Finding a way to make it daily, despite what is going on in life. However, sometimes I pass by and end up spending a good amount of time in Sadcity USA, so I decided to give you all 4 things that I do when I find myself slipping into a rut.

• Admit/accept how you're feeling
• Avoid 4 C's (comparing, competing, criticizing, complaining) 
• Find motivation
• Get help 

I want to thank you all for taking a few minutes to come over and listen to me. If you aren’t already, c’mon over to Facebook and like the page. Once you’re there, get comfortable - join the chat and connect with us! I’d love to hear how you avoid and get out of your ruts. Sharing is caring!

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