Welcome to the Final Session!

You made it! Congratulations. Take a second to be super proud of yourself. Self-change is a long-term project which requires bravery and commitment and you've shown it.

Before we begin how have things been?

Last week we looked at Challenging Root Beliefs and Identifying Themes.

This week we’re going to look at Self-care. We’re also going to finish off Bazaar with a reflection on the last eight weeks and then begin planning for the future.

Before we go any further let’s do our Drill Review for last week.

- Did you recognise any patterns in your thoughts and investigate whether you have any additional Root Beliefs that you were unaware of?
- Did you manage to come up with three positive Root Beliefs you hold about yourself?

Movement and Physical Exercise

Exercise doesn’t have to mean hours spent sweating away at the gym. Great, if that’s what works, because aerobic exercise has been shown to improve mental health and overall wellbeing.

But don’t forget, exercise includes going on a walk, stretching your body, jumping on a trampoline, taking the stairs instead of the lift, dancing in your room to your favourite music or even hoola hooping! The more enjoyable, the better. Regular physical exercise is good for just about everything.

Do you do some form of exercise at least three times a week? How does your body feel when you exercise? Are there any exercises you used to practice regularly and now miss? Or are there any exercises you would like to try? Discuss with your mentor.

The food we consume can have a huge impact on our overall well-being.

To practice good nutrition is imperative for a healthy brain and body. Eating whole, unprocessed foods including lots of fruit and vegetables will keep us feeling our best. Eating a lot of sugar, refined carbohydrates, and other highly processed foods will hinder both our physical and mental health.

Are you satisfied with the kinds of foods you typically eat? Are there changes you can make to the food you eat which will compliment all the work you have been doing about your thoughts and emotions?

Discuss with your mentor.

Sleep. Sleep. Sleep.

It’s so important! Sleep and emotional health go hand in hand. Solid, restorative sleep energises our minds and bodys and poor broken sleep does the complete opposite.

How would you describe your sleep in general? Is there anything that routinely disrupts your sleep? What, if anything, would you like to change about your sleep? Discuss with your mentor.

Life isn’t just about taking care of our responsibilities. We need downtime to recharge and enjoy the fruits of our labours through recreation and leisure.

What are some of your favourite things to do in your free time? Does your daily life leave you with barely any time to relax? Discuss with your mentor.

Looking back over the past 8 weeks…

Remember the three goals you set during week 1? Well now it’s time to reflect on these and see how far you have come in the past 8 weeks. Spend some time now with your mentor evaluating and reviewing your goals from week 1.

Here is the opportunity for you to revise your goals from week 1. Think, what do you want from your life next? Is there anything you want to change or keep the same? How can we strive for better results this time around? Choose your final 3 goals.

It’s important to note that goals don’t need to be perfect, the same as life is not perfect. What counts isn’t perfection, but incremental progress.

We know that 8 weeks of Bazaar is just the start to building your approach to addressing life’s worries and turmoil. But you can be confident that with determination and consistency, you can use the tools you've developed from completing the programme to respond better when adversity arises.

Think back over the programme. What has worked? What have you enjoyed about this programme? What has not gone so well? Is there anything in particular that is still in your way? How do you carry on striving for greatness? Please take some time now to reflect on what you have taken from the course and how you can use this going forwards.

Setbacks.

Knowing how to deal with setbacks can help make us more resilient in the long-term.

When you have a setback, what will you do? Have a discussion with your mentor.

We can see overcoming issues as like climbing a mountain. Ideally, we want to begin at the bottom and make our way to the top. More likely, there will be some obstacles, challenges and hurdles which make it slightly more difficult. This makes the sense of achievement when we reach the top feel even greater.

If you experience setbacks, what can you do?

- Refer to your journals from the course
- Don't be afraid to ask for help
- Support groups: see if there are any support groups or like-minded interest groups near to you
- Write down your reasons for changing
- Be kind to yourself - remember to practice self-compassion

Boundaries and Limits.

It is helpful to identify what, who and where makes you feel bad and what, who and where makes you feel good. On your worksheet you will find some tips around creating healthy boundaries.

Knowing how to Respond to and Manage Conflict can have a massive positive impact on your mental health. On your worksheet you will find some tips for this.

Planning for the Future

When life presents us with an opportunity, remember to make the choices that your future self would thank you for today.

Congratulations for finishing the programme! You have already achieved so much through commitment and determination.
We are proud of you.

Continue to make decisions and resolutions that not only serve you well in the short term but point you toward the future you want to have.

Be mindful that the choices we make today create our tomorrow.

Well done! Now that you have reached the end of the course, please write a brief letter to your former self, to yourself before you started this programme. What would you recommend to your former self with the new knowledge you have learnt and in what way could your former self improve in terms of mood and well-being based on how you feel now?

Remember to refer back to your worksheets! The programme has been designed to give you skills, knowledge and understanding that you can take with you and practice throughout your life. Your worksheets bring all of the key information together and is yours to keep.

Session Summary

This week we covered self care including physical health, exercise, nutrition and sleep management. We also reflected on the past eight weeks and how far you have come before we finished up with planning for the future.

What are you grateful for?🙏
Write this down now.
✍️

❤️ My future is dependent on me, not my past. I am capable of anything.