National Storytelling Week

by Kate Beddow | Jan 23, 2023 | Uncategorised

National Storytelling Week

Next Monday (30th January 2023) sees the start of National Storytelling Week, a week devoted to celebrating the art of story telling. Children in schools will focus on stories and do lessons around key stories and people of all walks of life with take time to think about the power of storytelling.

We know how powerful storytelling is; whether it is the power to send a small child to sleep or to keep a tribes traditions alive. It is through telling stories that we are able to impart wisdom, share lessons that have been learnt through the generations and, perhaps most importantly, how we stay alive. While ever someone is telling our story we will always be here. Our energy and our wisdom will continue, long past our physical existence.

When we allow our story to be told we not only keep ourselves alive in the hearts of others, but we also ensure that others, who may have a similar story, don’t feel alone. When children listen to stories about other people feeling scared, alone, upset, they realise, often unconsciously, that the way they feel is ok and other people sometimes feel that way too. When someone who is grieving or seriously ill reads or listens to someone else telling their experiences of that, or a similar situation, they feel seen and understood in a way no other experience can.

Storytelling as a healing process

Of course writing your story, or any story, is an incredibly healing process in itself. Even if that story is never shared with anyone else, writing down your experiences or imaginings can be a powerful and therapeutic process.

I read articles every day about celebrities who have written autobiographies or musicians who have written a particularly personal album, and the dramatic impact it has had on them.

You really can change your life with the power of words.

How can you celebrate National Storytelling week?

1. Read a story you have been wanting to read for a long time.

We all have stories that on some level we know we want to read, but it might be a bit long, or not a very uplifting story. Perhaps you just haven’t got around to buying or borrowing a copy yet. Get that book and read it this week. Your future self will thank you.

2. Talk to someone from an older generation and discover part of their story

It can be easy to assume that the older generation don’t have anything interesting to say, especially when we are younger. We often assume that because they don’t go out very often now that that has always been their life. In reality of course they were once a vibrant twenty year old or an adventurous 30 year old. Why not find time this week to invite someone to have a cuppa and some cake and talk to them about their youth. I guarantee you will find out something magical.

A few months ago my mother in law had a get together for the jubilee and invited a few friends and family members and her neighbour and good friend, Doris. Doris is almost 96 years old and the most amazing lady you can imagine. She is always immaculately turned out and incredibly well spoken. I have always had a soft spot for her, but life is busy with two children and everything else I juggle and I don’t spend as much time with her as I would like. This particular day she dropped a couple of bombshells into the conversation; “When I saw Richard Burton in Stratford” and “It reminds me of when I went to Vegas!”. Because there were so many people in the room she didn’t elaborate, but I was desperate to ask her more about it”. Maybe that will be what I do during National Storytelling Week.

3. Write your story

Think back on a particularly positive period in your life, perhaps a holiday or trip, a particular job you have done or when something significant happened. Grab a pen and paper or your laptop or phone, and start writing about that time. Write down everything you can remember from that time; your feelings about what was happening, what you remember seeing, eating, watching onTV… Make it as detailed as you can. You may never write any more or you might be inspired to write a full memoir or autobiography. Whatever you decide the benefits of revisiting a time in your life when you were really happy are immense.

4. Read a story to someone else

If you are a parent chances are this is part of your day or week anyway, but if you don’t have children or they are grown up, you probably don’t often read aloud. We experience stories very differently when we read them out loud, and the person listening also has a profoundly different experience. My parents often experience books this way. My Dad has a problem with one of his eyes so he finds it tiring to read for long enough to read a book. So they find books they both enjoy and my Mum reads them out loud to him. It is a really lovely routine and they both get different benefits.

5. Watch a film about a famous storyteller

There are some wonderful films about many of our most cherished writers. From “Shadowlands” to “Miss Potter” and “Goodbye Christopher Robin”. Why not take the time to watch one of these wonderful films this week and remind yourself about the magical lives many of our favourite authors lived.

Keep those stories alive

However you decide to celebrate National Storytelling Week, I hope you will find the experience of immersing yourself in stories an enjoyable one. It is something I love to do all year round, not just for one week a year. Stories have power and can truly change the world so let’s make sure that future generations value them too.

Find out more:

Activities for National Storytelling Week

Be the hero of your own story

Journal All The Way!

by Kate Beddow | Dec 5, 2022 | Uncategorised

Christmas can be a stressful time of year…

There are so many pressures from outside forces, whether that is social media, family, friends, the media generally, to create the perfect Hallmark worthy Christmas. We increasingly feel the pressure to have the perfect decorations, piles of presents under the tree, matching Christmas pyjamas, hot chocolate stations, elf on the shelf… the list is never ending.

While all these things are wonderful, if that’s what you strive for, they are far from what this time of year is all about. If you ask most people, they will say that it isn’t about the presents or the decorations, it is about the people you spend time with, about enjoying quality time together. Instead we often spend days dashing around making sure everyone is properly dressed and sitting in the perfect festive scene. None of that matters.

What can you do to support your mental health at this time of year and make sure that everyone enjoys this festive time?

Well, the most important thing is to focus on the important things. As long as you have something to eat and you are together then that is the most important thing. It is important to keep this focus. Everything else is a luxury.

Making sure that you take time to breathe, even if you are basting the turkey or peeling potatoes while you do, will help you to keep your stress levels manageable too. There are lots of things you can do to be more mindful, you can read more about those here, but in for now I want to talk about how journaling can help you at this busy time of year.

I know what you’re thinking; “the last thing I need is something else to do!”, and I get it, I really do. But believe me, you can spend just 5 minutes a day journaling and the difference it will make to your day is mindblowing. It is honestly worth every minute.

There are so many journal prompts you can access, so you don’t have to go into this habit without support. I send out a prompt with my newsletter every week, I also have a Pinterest board with lots of Journal prompts that I have saved, which you are welcome to look through.

So now you know where to find a prompt, what do you do with it?

How do I journal?

Journaling is just a type of writing. So you will need something to write with and something to write on. It can be a brand new beautiful journal and your favourite pen, or the back of an envelope and one of the kids’ twistables! The important thing is that you are writing. If you prefer to use a digital writing form that’s fine too, although there is research that shows that your brain processes things differently when you write by hand, so if at all possible, please try to handwrite your journaling. Once you have chosen your prompt you can get started. This is how I journal and I find many people benefit from using these rituals too.

Before I start I make sure that the place I’m sitting is comfortable and that I am warm enough (which often means a blanket and fingerless gloves at this time of year!). Then I light a candle. There is something magical about candle light and I find staring at a candle helps to calm me ready for writing.

Then I just sit and look at my candle’s flame and I take a few deep breaths and really ground and centre myself. I find this really helps me to write meaningful things. Without this step my journaling often becomes a to do list of things I need to get out of my head. Which is ok, and sometimes that is a necessary thing to do, but if you know that you have a lot of things on your mind and you need to write a to do list, sit and do that before you start journaling.

Now you are ready to write. Read through the prompt you have chosen and write it at the top of your paper. Then, and this is the important thing, you are just going to write whatever comes into your head. No filtering, no stopping. Don’t worry about spelling, grammar, handwriting, just write.

If you are short of time set a timer before you start, but otherwise I would recommend writing for at least 5-10 minutes (longer if possible). If you run out of things to write, just write “I don’t know what to write” over and over until it is replaced by something else. It is after this point, when you think you have written everything you can think of, that the real magic will begin to appear on the page.

When you write without filtering your brain is able to tap into thoughts which you may not consciously have acknowledged before. It can be a very profound experience and very healing.

Of course when you work with a journal therapist, they will encourage you to dig deep and use this writing time to really explore those thoughts and writings. If you would like support with your journaling practice please do get in touch, there are lots of ways to work with me, depending on your needs, time and budget.

The act of sitting and writing is in itself calming and lowers your blood pressure, but when you journal in this way, it is proven to benefit your mental health. Interestingly, it is also proven to boost your immune system, what more could you need at this time of year?

Grab a notebook and pen and get writing. You won’t be sorry and your family will thank you.

Autumn Reflections

by Kate Beddow | Nov 21, 2022 | Uncategorised

Autumn is my favourite time of year.

I love everything about it. The colours, the smells, getting my jumpers and boots back out of storage and of course the food. There is nothing more comforting than a stew or warming ginger cake. This year has been no different. I have enjoyed weeks of kicking my way through crunchy leaves and using candlelight to write my morning journaling sessions. It isn’t all pumpkins and pleasure though.

Autumn can be a very difficult time of year for many. It is the season we are most likely to succumb to those seasonal sniffles and other bugs. It is also a time of year when many people have anniversaries, some happy and joyful, others less so.

Autumn is certainly a mixed bag.

When I think of Autumn I immediately smile. I think of pumpkin picking with my children, of hot chocolate while snuggling under blankets watching Hocus Pocus or Harry Potter. I think of the joy on my daughter’s face when she was little when Strictly Come Dancing started again. We called it “Pretty Ladies” for years, because she couldn’t remember what it was called. My husband worked as a commentator and videographer for the football when she was very little so Saturdays were almost always Mum and daughter time. I would buy snacks and we would cuddle up on the sofa ready to watch the dancing. It was a big treat because it was after her bedtime really, but she loved it, and I loved those special times.

New autumn traditions

This year for the first time, I have had to create new traditions. Strictly started the year she was born and she has always been with me while I watch it. My daughter is away at University and isn’t even able to watch Strictly, this year. I sit watching it with my husband, and remenisce about those times when she was younger. As I do I realise just how many things are going to be different from now on. So many things she won’t be here for and before I know it it will just be the two of us at home, thank goodness we have a five year age gap between the children, but even that will no doubt fly by.

Life moves on, things change. People come in and out of our lives. This year, was the 15th Anniversary of my pituitary surgery too, and that has brought up a lot of emotions. It is also the anniversary of my Gran, my Grandad Joe’s and my husband’s Grandad Beddow’s passing at this time of year, and both his Nan and my Grandma Mary would have had birthdays in November. So there are many thoughts of our loved ones who are no longer with us as the weather gets colder and the nights draw in. This year, that was emphasised by us losing my husband’s Auntie Wendy. Wendy was a very special lady, and as she was mum to my college friend, Helena, I knew her well, many years before I even met my husband or his family. You see Ian and I met at Helena’s wedding, so I had known Wendy and her little family for 6 years before I met my husband. She was one of the kindest, most welcoming people I have ever met, she truly had a heart of gold and she will be missed by everyone who knew her.

I love that we are able to save up so many memories to reflect on during our quieter times at this time of year. Whether it is watching a familiar film or TV programme, looking through old photos or meeting with loved ones, we store up our memories like the animals hoard food for over the cold months. These remembrances get us through the darker days like the squirrel’s nuts get it through the cold, hungry days of winter.

Autumn achievements

There have of course been other new memories, this autumn, such as me doing my first TEDx Talk. I will definitely never forget that. The worry that I wouldn’t get my voice back in time will stay with me for a long time. I am so relieved that I managed to get through it, and I learned so many lessons along the way too. I learned to release so much that week, just like the trees are releasing their leaves at this time of year.

All in all, autumn can be a bit of a rollercoaster, not just for me, but for many people. It is a time of reflection, of introspection. A time for self care and nourishing our physical and emotional needs. I know I am grateful for the darker evenings and a feeling that it is more acceptable to huddle inside with our loved ones and not be quite so sociable. I find this time of year nourishing.

Some days are incredibly productive and I haul up in my office and immerse myself in my writing, or clean out a cupboard. Other days, I just want to sit with a book or watch a film and cocoon myself. That’s ok too. Just as the Autumn Equinox has equal length day and night, life is about balance.

With a little self care and a focus on the turning of the year, appreciating that this is how we are meant to behave, we get through to the lighter days when I have to put my boots and chunky jumpers back into storage, and enjoy the return of the leaves on the trees and the green is so bright it fills our hearts with joy.

One thing I know for sure, is that as much as I love autumn, I am so grateful that I live in a part of the world where we have seasons and I can embrace each and the lessons it has to teach me.

Find out more:

Kate, the “Princess Fiona” Years – a tale of acromegaly

Autumn reflections

Can gratitude really change your life?

by Kate Beddow | Nov 14, 2022 | Uncategorised

Gratitude has become a bit of a buzz word over recent years.

We hear all the time how important it is to have an “attitude of gratitude” in order to live a fullfiling and happy life. But how true is that? Is there any science behind it?

Well, I would argue that it is true, and yes there is science to back it up for anyone who thinks this concept is a little too out there for them.

What is gratitude?

Well, put simply, it is just being thankful for what you have, being grateful for your life and everything and everyone in it.

It’s so easy to drift through life and stop noticing all the things that are really wonderful in your life. We are all guilty of it. We take things, places and people for granted and just expect them to always be there. When we practice gratitude we make an effort to notice and to write down all those things we are thankful for, but also to let those people know that we are grateful for them, that we appreciate them.

How can you practice gratitude?

Well, there are lots of ways to practice gratitude. My favourite is to have a gratitude journal. I keep mine by my bed. Every night you write down all the things you are grateful for. Some people suggest you write three things, but I think most days that is too easy and doesn’t exercise your gratitude muscle enough, I would say to aim for between 5 and 15 a day. The more you write down everything you are grateful for, the more reasons you will find to be grateful.

Of course you don’t need to write it down, you can just think it or say it to yourself. I find that writing it down helps to keep me accountable though because I can see if I missed a day or two.

Some people prefer to use a jar and every time something wonderful happens to them they write it on a slip of paper and pop it in the jar, then take things out to read either when they need a lift, or at the end of the year.

Something as simple as saying thank you to someone, maybe sending them a little card, is all part of practicing gratitude though.

What’s the science though?

Well, the sience is pretty conclusive actually. You see we know now that our brains are constantly forming new pathways and changing how we go about things based on our habits and routines.

Evolution taught us to pay more attention to dangerous and scary things, because we needed to survive. As a result, we tend to notice and remember all the bad things that happen much more easily than we do the good things. It makes sense. Those of us who survived to tell the tale were the ones that remembered that if you ate that berry you died, or that you mustn’t get too close to bears. However, now most of the things that cause us stress are far less life threatening.

When we have a job interview, or we’re worrying about how we’re going to pay the bills going into fight or flight mode and committing that feeling to memory isn’t going to keep us safe. It is going to keep us trapped in fear and negativity.

When we begin to make an effort to focus on the positives in life though our brain begins to reprogramme itself. We begin to notice more of the positive and magical things in life and everything feels happier.

Something as simple as writing down 5-10 things that you are grateful for every day could actually begin to make you feel happier and more satisfied with your life. Don’t get me wrong, I know that times are hard for many people at the moment. Harder than I can remember in my life time. So many people are worried about the cost of living and whether they can afford to put the heating on this winter. I’m not suggesting for a minute that writing down the things you are grateful for will make all those issues disappear completely. But if for example, you are reading this, then you have a phone or other smart device which allows you to read it. If you are worrying about heating your home, then you have a roof over your head. I know it isn’t always easy, but trying to see the bright side, may not remove the issues, but it may make them feel more manageable and when you are feeling more positive, you are better able to find solutions because you begin to relax.

Do you have a gratitude practice? Do you believe gratitude is helpful for supporting your mental health?

Find out more:

Plan and Dream

How gratitude changes you and your brain

Winter Writing Calendar

by Kate Beddow | Nov 11, 2022 | Uncategorised

Mindful Journaling Advent ebook

I love a chocolate advent calendar as much as the next person, but at this time of year I start to reflect on the past year and make plans for the coming year.

I love to journal about all the things I have achieved this year and things I have done and then create a vision board of all the things I want to achieve in the coming year.

If there is one thing I have learned it is that if I enjoy something then there are other people out there who do too.

Yes! I want my mindful journaling advent ebook!

What is a mindful journaling advent ebook?

Every day you will get a writing prompt to help you explore many different aspects of this festive time of year. You will also have a poem, seasonal passage or mindfulness technique to help you explore winter wellness and how writing can help you to support your wellbeing at this challenging time of year.

You don’t need any previous experience to take part, just something to write with and something to write on.

Yes! I want my mindful journaling advent ebook!

You might choose to treat yourself to a new notebook or use the back of envelopes. You can add it to your existing yournal if you have one or write it on your phone notes. The choice is yours.

You can spend 5 minutes a day or 50 minutes a day exploring the writing prompts and if you have a busy day you can catch up whenever you have chance, this is an enjoyable activity not a chore.

Writing can often seem like a solitary process but it is so much more fun when we share our writing and talk to other bibliophiles. Why not follow me on social media for more healing writing tips?

If you love words and would like a gentle journaling prompt to brighten up every day of advent get your copy now.

Find out more