A woman holding the sign Joy in her hands on the Journeyofsmiley blog

Four Tips to Find Joy in the Journey: Dealing With Struggle – Salt + Sparrow Guest Post

The past few months have been incredibly hard for us again. At the start of the summer, we found out that my mother-in-law, Mum as I used to call her, had cancer. We didn’t, however, expect that we would lose her just three months later. This was heartbreaking. ‘Why, why again?’ I started to question. …

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Several photos on a desk with words such as SAD, Lonely and Seasonal affective disorder on the Journeyofsmiley blog

SAD: What Is Seasonal Affective Disorder and How to Combat It?

October is Depression Awareness Month, and the first week of October is Mental Illness Awareness Week. Whilst it is important to regularly and openly discuss mental health conditions, the week is intended to bring everyone coming together and help raise awareness of mental illnesses. Depression is one of the mental illnesses that receives the most attention. After all, it …

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Portrait of a woman with ginger hair on the right side and on the life side an inspirational quote on the PTSD: My Story Project on Journeyofsmiley

Conversion Disorder: Is Anxiety Attacking My Body?

Conversion Disorder: Is Anxiety Attacking My Body? by Susanne Kooijman | PTSD: My Story Project #014 Trigger warning I decided to participate in the PTSD: My Story Project and share my experience with conversion disorder in hopes that someone can relate to it and find comfort in knowing that they too, can overcome their worst …

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A white pebble stone with the writing Gratitude on it and on top of it is written Genuine Ways to Express Gratitude on the Journeyofsmiley blog

Alternative Ways to Genuine Gratitude Practice in Challenging Times

Gratitude has helped me enormously since my accident two and a half years ago. During this time we have been practising gratitude each night before going to sleep. It has helped me to see the light in the darkness of tough times. However, after receiving heartbreaking news from my husband’s immediate family, we found ourselves …

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Portrait of a woman with blond hair on the right side and on the life side an inspirational quote on the PTSD: My Story Project on Journeyofsmiley

“You Are Not Alone,” Comforting Message From a Nurse by Valentina Mirto

“You Are Not Alone,” Comforting Message From a Nurse by Valentina Mirto | PTSD: My Story Project #013 Trigger warning I have chosen to participate in the PTSD: My Story Project because I am constantly exposed to people suffering from trauma due to being critically unwell. Sometimes trauma can be a silent enemy. And the …

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Sunset over the sea and the title Relax and Restore on Journeyofsmiley.com

How to Relax Your Body and Mind Without Feeling Guilty – ReelChat Guest Post

Summer is starting to knock on the door, a time of holiday, rest and relaxation. Or at least it should be. However, how many of us remember an occasion when a holiday turned into a nightmare rather than being the period of peace and tranquillity that we hoped for? It is, however, possible to prevent …

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Green background and in the middle with capital letters written Anxiety on the Journeyofsmiley blog

PTSD and Anxiety – Anxiety Hacks Podcast 

May is National Anxiety Month and Mental Health Awareness Month in the States. And this week is also Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK. The theme for this Mental Health Awareness Week is Anxiety. Given my PTSD diagnosis after my accident, anxiety isn’t an unfamiliar term for me. I have been learning to manage …

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A woman in the nature, lake ahead of her, trees in the background, woman standing with her hands up towards the sky and the title is Meaningful life without children on Journeyofsmiley blog

Living a Meaningful Life Without Children – Tutum Journal ‘Joy’ Issue Guest Post

Life doesn’t always go in the direction we want or imagined that it would. But who said that we can’t discover the purpose and meaning of life whilst pursuing plan B? When a friend of mine told me that after several unsuccessful attempts to conceive a baby they were giving up, I could hear the …

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