Atkin and Thyme

TREND SPOTTER

Wall Panelling is Everywhere, But How Can This Current Top Trend Best be Styled? “Mixing wood tones and textures against wall panelling will give a continuity to your scheme. Contrast country style board and baton panelling or traditional moulding with metallics and marble to balance the look and add some luxurious, contemporary flair.” - Victoria Atkin of Atkin and Thyme - www.atkinandthyme.co.uk

Berkeley Marble Drinks Cabinet £699

Greenwich Vintage 7 Drawer Chest £799 Coco Bedside Drawers £249

El Capitan Media Unit £499

LIGHT AND AIRY LIVING

A fusion between mid century and scandi , the Jade Marble Bedside Drawers are part of a wide, coordinating collection that would effortlessly inject tranquility into the home, £379 Also shown: Apollo Table Light with Shade, £99

Stylish, practical and in keeping with the rounded edge trend, the Flute Marble Drinks Cabinet has been crafted from stunning acacia wood and hard wearing white marble, £699

With an outstanding design that speaks for itself, the Jumeirah Sideboard captures us within its art deco charm and antique brass finishing touches, £649

Balance Counselling and Coaching Ltd PUT YOUR LIFE IN BALANCE

By Kathryn Taylor

LIVING A HAPPIER LIFE

Happiness is a state of mind that at times can be difficult for us to achieve. Sometimes we can find that just recognising and noticing what's good in our lives can be a struggle.

We often find that it's easier to focus on what's not going right or what we've not achieved than taking note of what's really happening in our lives.

An example of this could be where we say we've had a really bad day but if we break it down into what really happened and the amount of time that it related to, we can see that proportionately the day has neither been good or bad. That just a small portion of it relates to something that's not gone the way we expected it to.

For Example, if we worked in customer services, we may have one call where the customer is extremely rude or angry about something and they take their frustrations/ anger out on us. If we focused on this call and allow it to affect our mood it can overshadow how the rest of the day really was. This could mean that despite the fact you may have taken 20 calls in that day that were all good we ignore it and see the day as being a bad day overall.

Putting a pause into a thought process allows us to examine the reality of the situation.

Our past informs our present, from events that have happened, relationships we have had and the way we think about things. Understanding this means that we can with practice retrain ourselves to look at things from a different perspective.

10 THINGS WE CAN DO TO HELP US LOOK FOR AND NOTICE THE POSITIVE THINGS IN OUR LIVES AND ACHIEVE HAPPINESS

1Everyday write down three positive things that have happened. As this builds it forms two uses. It starts to force us to look at the things that happened in a day and recognise those things that's are positive. It also gives us something to look back at to remind us about the positive things in our life on the occasions when we're having a bad day.

2Even when things go wrong for us in life there is usually something positive we can take from the situation. Ask yourself- What was good about this event happening? - What did I learn? - How did this help me? - What would I do differently next time?

3Research shows that it isn't achieving the goals that increases are well-being it's about focusing on what we want and taking steps towards them. Set the goals that you want to achieve, breaking them down into smaller tasks and then ensure you recognise when you complete each step what you have achieved to move towards your desired result.

4Fake it until you make it. Whilst this may seem difficult, at times the act of behaving in the way you do when you're happy actually helps convince the brain that's how you truly feel. The way you behave when you're happy also influences the behaviour of people around you which helps make the interactions you have with them more positive. To do this think about the way you behave when your happy, how you walk, talk, stand, sit, interact, smile etc and force yourself to behave in that way.

5Take note of the things that make you happy and have a positive effect on your mental health. Recognise that doing things for yourself that improves or sustains your mental well-being does not make you selfish but enables you to feel stronger and support people in your life in a better way.

6Addressing situations as and when they happen rather than letting them build into bigger issues can mean that we don't allow then to become something bigger and overwhelming in our heads. We often don't speak up about things because we see them as being minor, but then as they repeat over time, they build into bigger issues that become more difficult to address, as are emotions around the situation increase. An example of this could be as simple as your partner not putting dirty clothes in the laundry basket and leaving them on the floor. If the first time it happened, we asked in a calm way that they place them in the basket then the situation could be resolved there and then. By deciding it's only a small thing and not speaking to the other person this can create a situation that continues. Overtime our frustrations build and when we choose to address the situation, we might find we express it in a more aggressive manner causing emotional upset to both you and the other party.

7Doing something for somebody else gives us a sense of satisfaction and well-being. Carrying out random acts of kindness is a way to help increase our happiness levels. This can be as simple as making a colleague a cup of coffee as we notice they have been busy or paying somebody a compliment. 8Spend time with the people in your life who make you feel happy, who make you smile and who make you laugh.

9Build-time into life to do the things that make you happy and that you enjoy. This may be through spending time doing some of the below things-: a. Hobbies b. Being creative c. Playing an instrument d. Playing or watching sports e. Spending time with family and friends f. Learning new things g. Going for massages h. Going to the gym or fitness classes i. Or just taking time out to focus on your own self-care. 10Acknowledge and take time to remember the things that make you smile. 1. Children's laughter 2. Sunrise or sunset 3. Trees blossoming 4. Silly jokes 5. Treasured memories 6. Loved ones 7. Smells/sounds that remind you of people and places you love 8. Warm sunny days Only you can control the way you feel. Just by taking one small step today you can change your state of mind. What actions are you going to take today to start improving your own happiness levels?

If you like the inspirational quotes included, they are from my ‘Moments of Inspiration’ card deck available from my website.