Finding the positive place

Sunshine, trees, grass, my hobbies, "me" time, anywhere peaceful, family, grandchildren etc.

Moxeyns that's so therapeutic.
I tend to sit on our rocking chair watching Escape to the Country or doing Sudoku or reading. It works best when I have the house to myself

I've practised Shotokan karate for twenty three years. I train and teach three times a week. Our training sessions are ninety minutes long and I can honestly say that, for ninety minutes three times a week, I think of nothing but karate, no matter what else is going on in my life. It's very restful. If I'm finding it hard to sleep, I practise a kata or two in my mind. It really helps. Karate is a brilliant activity. It's physical exercise, both aerobic and anaerobic, but it's also mental exercise because you never stop learning and refining, so you don't get bored, as you might with the gym or with other mindless exercise e.g. aerobics or zumba. Karate is also sociable. Everyone is like minded and friendly. You can go at your own pace too.

So, my advice is to look for an absorbing hobby, preferably something you can learn and practise with others but also independently, something that requires concentration. It doesn't have to be physically demanding. You can get that by other means. It's the commitment to something you can learn, and keep learning (for twenty three years and more!) that helps to exclude negative thoughts.

Be creative.
Learn a language (there are free on line courses at FutureLearn and a 'community')
Learn to paint or sculpt.
Learn to sew, knit, crochet, throw pots, screen print... (Eye test and glasses of necessary!)
Volunteer.

Yes, I understand that ann and gilly, its where I am at the moment. The things that did work somehow don't now, I need space for a re-group and a couple of days to just focus on myself. Sounds very selfish doesn't it? It can't happen at the moment for a number of reasons, life eh? Be as kind to yourselves as you can everyone.

That’s exactly what I do HappyAmI

I lie and think about how things will be different in my next life . I will still have my lovely children and grandchildren but everything else will be much nicer. I can always walk through woods and lie on a sunny beach in my imagination .

I really need help to find one.
I am worn out mentally and physically.

Me too annsixty but for very different reasons than you. Please be kind to yourself you have such a lot to deal with, it’s not fair xx

My happy place is in my mind. At the end of the day before I go to sleep I think about the home that I will have in the future when my circumstances change and I am able to move.

Keeping busy doing thingsI like and not worrying about what I can't control. Facing the inevitable is not worth thinking about, it's inevitable.

If possible, get out of the house, visit a coffee place, restaurant or Coffee Morning and don't be afraid to get into conversation. It works wonders.

Getting up each morning with a purpose ..... and heading straight off to a yoga class or a spinning class as my No.1 priority to me before anything else bogs me down or takes over my time!

When I get back home around 10.30 am I feel positive, energized and good about myself and the world around me. At 76 I am grateful and thankful for my life and my surroundings.

Reading anything by M C Beaton - the Agatha Raisin novels are my fave. I've read nearly all of them and there's not one that's been a duffer. And Agatha has loads of faults so I find it dead easy to identify with her!

So that makes me feel positive.

It sounds horribly Pollyanna-ish - but I keep a Joy Jar. Anything that makes me smile, or gives me joy in any form, gets written on a slip of paper and put in the jar; so that on bad days, I can dip in the jar and remember, say, seeing 7 hares boxing on a field, or remembering a compliment someone paid me on a new brooch.

An E reader with a tea or coffee is my salvation when south west weather prevents me from a walk on the beach or getting out to my garden which is in dire need of attention.

Has to be the right book, Gonegirl. Georgette Heyer Regency romance is a good group.Re-reading some of those is a positive place. Elly Griffiths detective books with Dr Ruth. I like spending time with the people in those books. Sorothy Sayers, Peter Wimsey ones are good too. Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache ones all seem to happen in a perfect place and I like those people too.

Keeping away from negative people!

GrannyMosh

GrannyMosh

Dear Grannymodh Welcome home!

I'm in my positive place! Came home from hospital after 7 weeks, dreadful reaction to my first session of chemo for breast cancer, followed by sepsis, kidney failure, and dialysis. Am much better, should have had two more sessions by now, but deferring it until after the operation at the end of next week, not giving the darned thing any more time to grow! The look on my tiny granddaughters' faces when I got home was heart-melting. Yes, definitely my happy, safe, positive space!

bellringing. I would recommend anyone who is reasonably fit, and by that I mean can raise their arms over their head and climb 20 or so stairs, to give it a try. Great people, mentally challenging and enormously satisfying. Get out there and make a joyful noise! Next time you hear the bells at your church ring, go and say hello. Everyone will be thrilled to see you.

annsixty You beat me to it. My bathroom is being replaced so my flat is full of gritty dust. The plumber has put the handle to the cistern on the left hand side (facing the tank) so I have to speak to him about that and I have no idea when the builders are coming back and what is happening.
In addition my neighbour broke her windows yesterday and the police were here for hours persuading her to go to hospital. They had to break in her door but at least they didn't smash it up this time, just broke the lock. I swear that the building itself felt tense. She has been keeping us awake every night. She was ram rodding the security door at 3 am. Something happened somewhere else though because the police were here the day before talking about a search warrant and she was shouting at them for a couple of hours.
At least we can sleep again for a little while but then I feel guilty for thinking that because she was in a dreadful state. I'm too tired to go out and my flat is too grotty right now to relax in it. I definitely need a happy place. My anxiety disorder is having a field day at the moment. I'm just trying online shopping therapy.

Being invited to my Grandaughters primary school today for Grandparents to plant some seeds and doing some weeding in the school garden with the children then afterwards tea and cake. Sure Bliss.

I love comfort telly too watching born and bred at the moment and like old time favourite heartbeat.does it for me.

Google Earth, I can go home to Aberfan ,see the family home, the homes where extended family use to live, the streets , rows of houses .

Being around people that want to be around.