I want to start by telling you a bit about ‘Joe Bloggs’, well in a nutshell, this stands for ‘typical or everyday’ person, and that’s exactly who I see myself as. My whole book is centered around being a ‘normal’ typical lad, with a normal upbringing, but unfortunately for a period of time I found myself battling with poor mental health (mainly being career related) which led me to diving headfirst into self-help to try and help myself, which also led me to becoming a little bit obsessed.
The Book That Became My Counsellor
I am open and honest when I say I am not reinventing the wheel with the techniques I discuss in my book, they are what I believe to be the best bits from everything I read and listened to (which was a lot!) and applied to my very own circumstances, which is what most of the self-help industry is anyway (but unfortunately, it’s not always sold like that). Anyway, given I have a word limit to stick to, and I can get carried away talking about this topic, I am going to select three tips from the book which I feel will positively serve your wellbeing.
1 - Journal – In my book I describe journaling as ‘taking my brain to the tip yard’ and for someone like me who is a self-confessed overthinker, this has been a blessing. It has allowed me to visually see my thoughts and concerns and reflect on them much more constructively. It has allowed me to jot down some of my biggest inspirations and creative ideas. When I was first suggested the idea of journaling, I immediately dismissed it as I felt it questioned my masculinity, however, now I am trying to make it as normal as I can for people from all walks of life, because I honestly believe it is a hidden gem when it comes to boosting wellbeing.
2 - Establish a morning routine – As I say in my book, this is not a lecture about ‘how you need to be awake at 4am in order to succeed’, far from it. I personally do not get up until around 06.30 am, but I have found that starting your mornings right is a sure-fire way to lead into the rest of the day. Does this mean that the whole day is going to go perfect? Absolutely not, however, for me there is something great about attacking the morning. This does not have to be jam packed morning routine and in my experience such a method can have the opposite effect, for me, it can an early morning walk with the dog and a positive podcast, followed by working out for half an hour, and more recently I have jumped in on the cold shower craze which is certainly a way to wake you up! Find something that works for you, even just thirty minutes extra time on a morning to do something positive can have a massive impact on your wellbeing.
Never stop learning – As stated I am just an ‘everyday guy’ and certainly not a philosopher, however, I have found that learning new information has become a huge tool for wellbeing. For you, it could be learning a new skill, for me it has involved learning about myself. I have become fascinated with self-development and I love learning the theories and concepts within the field. I must stress it does not mean that every day is now unicorns and rainbows, but I have most certainly seen the value in learning new information and the joy that it can bring and I feel everybody else can also take value from never-ending learning and improvement.
Here I have listed only three examples, although I hope you have taken some value. In my book there are many more methods which I suggest can have a positive impact on you. You can also find our Joe Bloggs page on Facebook and Instagram and follow our blog at www.joebloggstalks.com, as well as find our podcast on Apple and Spotify.
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Family, friends and colleagues were intrigued by why I decided to convert to Judaism. It wasn’t simply that I’d met a man I wanted to spend my life with. It was much more than that. I had already been looking for a sense of spirituality in my life and through Marnin, my husband, I became drawn to Judaism. I could offer no short answer to the complex question of ‘why’ I decided to convert, so I began to write down my thoughts. The more I wrote the more I realised that there may be a book in this....
