[Lifestyle] Little Penny Thoughts founder Annette Kelly gives her top tips to kickstart 2021 with a positive mindset

[SliCeR]

After the year that was 2020, it's little wonder people are so keen to kickstart 2021 on a positive note, things can only get better eh? But despite maybe wanting to start the year with great intentions, it can sometimes be hard to find that motivation. We caught up with Personal Development Coach Annette Kelly, who founded the brand Little Penny Thoughts, an online community which started out as a simple positive wellness page, but has now grown into a major brand helping people through their toughest days and weeks. The Co Tyrone native has spoken openly about her own battle with anxiety and depression which set her on this journey, and now Annette uses her own experiences to guide others on their path to a positive and happy life. For those out there who may be struggling right now, regardless of the fact that we have started a new year, Annette, a former teacher, believes the healing has to start from within. "For anyone out there who is struggling right now, my number one tip is just to be so gentle with yourself because you are already being incredibly hard on yourself. Sometimes a lot of depression and anxiety can stem from within, in our own thoughts and feelings about ourselves so just be gentle with yourself and slowly but surely you will be able to overcome your current obstacles but it does take time. "Even though you may feel at present that it won't get better, it can and it will with the right support and help." She continued: "My whole concept is wellness from within, maybe years ago I would have searched for outward things to try and make me happy but when I did the internal work for me my game changer in life was Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), it is something that I would highly recommend to people to research and you can get referred through your GP." "Knowing that you deserve to be happy and knowing that you deserve to live a fruitful life and you don't deserve to be crippled by your thoughts. Because mental health is so broad some people want to just get out of a rut while others are seriously suffering at the hands of their mental health and my overriding message to people is don't suffer in silence." "I'm still very keen to break the stigma around mental health which is why I'm so keen to talk about my own mental health journey to maybe empower others to speak about theirs or to seek support. Just normalise the conversation around mental health, a lot of people talk about getting their body fit for the New Year, but also think about getting your mind fit."Asked what her top tips to starting 2021 on the right note, Annette had this simple advice. "As well as CBT, self care was also a big thing for me, learning to say no, and also pursuing my passion and my career and eliminating that self doubt that can sometimes hold you back. "I do believe in the mantra talking one day at a time, especially in uncertain times because it is all we can do, you get through one day and then it's on to the next. If you focus on the day at hand it definitely can lead to less anxiety in my opinion. "One of my favourite quotes or sayings is, 'pressure is for tyres' and it's true, eliminate the pressure that you need to be doing this or achieving that. I am all about goal setting and having ambition but what I am not about is people putting serious pressure on themselves to achieve certain things." The 31-year-old also believes the world of social media can have a huge positive but also negative affect on our lives if we let it. "The whole online world as well plays a big part, people think they have to keep up with the Jones' and I believe comparison is the thief of joy, so try and not compare and just focus on your own wee grass. "It's so unhealthy and obviously social media is a huge part of my work but I have deleted lots of the apps apart from Instagram so I have to access the others on my desktop and it has really helped me. It's just trying to reduce my screen time as well, just getting the balance between screen time and real life. I do believe the best moments in your life happen beyond the end of your phone. "Be aware of who you're following online as well, check your news feeds and ensure you're following accounts and people who uplift and inspire you instead of maybe triggering you.