healing

A heart on a tree trunk with the sign For all those we have loved and lost on the Journeyofsmiley blog

20 Inspirational Quotes for Dealing With Grief and Loss

Grief recently entered our lives again. It turned up like an uninvited guest without announcing its arrival. But then, grief does often come unexpectedly. And it seems to be able to find us, no matter how hard we may try to hide from it. Coping with grief and loss is a journey that often calls …

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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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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

“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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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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Pink background with a rose on the right side of the image and a closed notebook with a pen next to it on the title on the notebook Journaling Heal and Grow on the Journeyofsmiley blog

Journaling: What Is It and How to Use It for Healing?

After publishing a blog post about how writing can help with our healing from trauma and pain, I was invited to join an online summit to talk on this topic. Since I have had several people contact me, wanting to know more about journaling for healing. I, therefore, decided to write more about this technique. …

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Flower on a piece of paper and on the paper is written Writing for healing on Journeyofsmiley blog

How to Use Writing as a Healing Tool for Trauma and Pain

Trauma and pain can take their toll on our health and well-being. In the aftermath of my traumatic event, I have had to deal with both physical and mental injuries. Writing has helped me enormously in my recovery and it is something I have been recommending to others since I embarked on my healing journey. …

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