Wellness Wednesdays #21: Chicken Soup for the Soul Review - Think Positive for Great Health

Chicken Soup for the Soul - Think Positive for Great Health: Use your Mind to Promote your Own Healing and Wellness --- when I first received this book, I wasn't very excited about it. Time kept passing by and I knew I had to read it for a review. I read it at the right time. For the past 6+ months, I've been struggling with depression, triggered by family issues especially with my daughter. Now that we've overcome a lot of those challenges I've been doing a lot better and trying to find ways to get out of this mentality again.

I started to read this book and many of those answers they talked about I already knew, but definitely needed to hear again and in different ways.
One story was about how important it is to take a break. The one girl would always end up getting sick the same time every year because of all her school work and stresses. Made me think how important it is as a mom to get time to myself, away from the kids whether it be doing errands by myself or going to a girls' night. Otherwise I become crazy mommy. =)
Other parts in the book aren't stories, but help ideas from Dr. Brown. One part was about the different stages of change. I found it helpful to figure out what stage I'm in. It's so hard not knowing what changes are needed in your life, at least for me. Wish I had my own shrink or more friends around to bounce ideas off of.

Another great story in the book was about doing the mundane: laundry, dishes, etc. over and over again. I thought this was my problem, but I think more of my problem is learning to deal with or unique schedule to keep up with the mundane since it's not a schedule I chose. My husband won't ask to get it changed yet because he's the only one who does the later shift. I should be used to it though and follow this advice in the story, "You can either be miserable when you do your chores, or you can slap a smile on your face when you do your chores. You decide." These type of stories always remind me of a fireside I went to as a youth in my church about choosing to be happy and grateful. At church on Sunday we sang the hymn, Count your Blessings. Then some ladies were talking about a past talk in church about instead of saying, "I'm fine/good," saying, "I'm great!" I told them it's about faking it until you make it. Choose to smile, to say those things and soon it will become second nature, easy.

This is a book I'm now really glad to have because it will be a book I can turn to when I'm stuck in a rut and can't remember how to get out of. It shares about all aspects of health: nutrition, exercise, attitude, stress, mental health, and more. Overall it's about us taking charge of our health. We can do it =)

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