Zelly Jordan's Blog

Hey all,

Hope each and every one of you is well and happy and had a wonderful Easter? Can you believe we’re already in May??? Time really does go faster the older you get.

I have some EXCITING news today!

It’s kind of nerve racking for me as I’ve never really put it out there on the www in any big way but I’ve decided to do it because it may help my beautiful friend Kelly.  

If you’ve read my previous post, you’ll know that I’ve set up a Go Fund Me Fundraiser for the Pace Dance Academy so that the kids of Stockton, California don’t lose their beloved studio. Please read about it here if you’re not familiar with the situation -: 

https://gofund.me/afe470ef

Kelly is the amazingly talented and generous choreographer/owner of the studio and needs all the support that she and her students are so deserving of.  And because they are,  I’ve decided to offer something rather special and unusual to anyone who would be kind enough to submit a small donation to the fundraiser.  But I’ll admit, I’m kinda nervous ( kinda very) about it.  

Why, you ask????

Well, it’s one thing to have my local community, friends and family know about my Tarot reading but it’s quite another to announce it here, on the net, where my followers/readers come from all parts of the world.  The thought was rather daunting and I hesitated for a long, long while over whether to do it. But in the end, I decided I would because this fundraiser and the cause behind it mean a lot to me. So I really really hope you guys will get behind it.

So what is this offer?

In a nutshell…… make a donation based on a set figure and I will do a tarot reading for you!!!  You’ll find the details below but simply……. make a $20 USD donation and you can ask two questions on any personal topic you wish – be it about love, relationships, jobs, etc etc, whatever you want to know about.

I thought long and hard about the logistics of how I could even do this given that people deal with different currencies all around the world. How could I simplify the process so that it’s accessible to everyone? How can it be tied into the fundraiser?  How to get the reading across to the donor?  

Ultimately it worked out easier to chose one currency as the donor’s bank will do all the converting and I don’t have to worry about trying to do it. (I can’t even imagine the massive headache that would bring on .) As for the rest, all I really need is an email address to send the recorded reading and voila! 

And so……….. Yes, I read tarot. Yes, up until now, I’ve mainly read for local people and family/friends and yes, I’m nervous about doing this – not because I’m unsure of my abilities but because I want this Offer to really help the Pace Dance Academy.  There’s nothing in this that benefits me financially in any way as all the donations go directly to Kelly, in FULL.  (And I’m not charging my usual fee for a reading,  just my time and effort and I’m very cool with that.) 

So please click on the link above and it’ll take you directly to the fundraiser. Then send me the email that contains the details as laid out below. 

A special enormous thank you to the lovely Toni for making the pretty flyer below; for the time and effort she took in creating it for me – it’s so appreciated. She’s the one that dubbed me Ms Zelly which I find so cute and fun.

I hope you will support me in raising lots of funds for the Studio and please accept my heartfelt thanks in anticipation.  And of course, once it’s all over, I will be in touch with your readings!

As always, much love,

Zelly309

Hey there everyone,

I hope you’ve all been well in these turbulent times? Funny how it’s not only many peoples’s personal lives that are quite turbulent these days but it’s also chaos on the global front.  Massively chaotic times, in fact. But we can and will carry on with hope and positivity for us all. This I will always pray and strive for.

I had an entirely different blog post topic planned for this go-around – planned and mostly written – when I was quickly sidetracked with something far more important than my inner ramblings and updates.

You see, through a text conversation I was having with a very special and dear friend of mine, I discovered the true extent of her current circumstances.  I’d been so worried about her online silence that I was kind of nagging her to get in touch. When she finally did, I managed to drag the “story” out of her and immediately knew I had to do what I could to help her. Not only because she’s a dear and trusted friend but because she’s been there for me, over and over again over the decade of our friendship. She’s been an enthusiastic and relentlessly supportive energy to me in every endeavour and circumstance. A true friend that gives unconditional love and I’m incredibly blessed to call her my friend. (I’m actually very lucky and extremely grateful to have several people on my list of Forever Friends). She never asks for help for herself so I’m going to. 

I’m going to ask all of you who follow me, who like my books and blogs; all of you that know me personally and those of you that don’t; those of you that love and support dance and artistic expression and those of you that support children’s advancement, particularly the less fortunate kids – I ask you all to please do anything you can to support this fundraiser. Please read the attached GoFundme link below. Then share it everywhere; email it to all your contacts and post it on your socials. Share it far and wide!!!  Then, if you can, please post a donation….no matter how small, every dollar will help. 

There’s many people that I call my Beloved Beasties that will be reading this right now who will remember how giving and supportive Kel-Pac was in our worldwide group, who will remember the time and effort Kelly put into supporting our efforts online to advance our favourite show; who will remember how creative and artistic her posters were and how much work she did for the group. We couldn’t have done the things we did without Kelly’s contributions. And we’ll be forever grateful to her for that alone, at the very least.  She’s like that still – always willing to help out to the best of her ability and never asking anything for herself in return. 

My dear readers and friends, I ask you all to help make this fundraiser an outstanding success.  There’s nothing in it for me, not one red cent, just pure love and respect for this amazing Woman/Choreographer/Dancer/MamaBear/Friend and Inspirational Being, Kelly Pace. 

Let’s do this!!! 

Click this link: 

https://gofund.me/afe470ef

As always, much love

Zelly309 [image error][image error][image error]

Hey all,

Happy Chinese New Year !!  Happy Lunar Year and Happy 2025 too!

I hope you’ve all settled into the new year smoothly? Doesn’t January always fly by in a blink? We have several family birthdays in January so it always gets a little busy in my neck of the woods.

Todays blog post is gonna be a short one – I’ll do a proper blog soon but for now I just thought I’d share with you that my book Unveiled has been entered into a Book Cover of the Month contest for February and I’ve made it through the First Round! 

Yay me!

The competition is being run by an Authors/Book site so there’s plenty of contenders and it runs through four Rounds, each lasting a week. You can only vote once a week so I’m going to ask in my most polite beseeching voice to please please vote for my book cover.  I designed it and a tech-savvy good friend (Hi Karen ) did all the Tech Magic to bring it to life so I’m very proud of it.  (I designed both of my existing books, actually).

All you gotta do is click here and it’ll take you to the voting page. 

https://allauthor.com/cover-of-the-month/19048/

I’m going to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who votes for me over the next three weeks and who’s already voted till now.  You have no idea how much I appreciate it!  A million kisses and hugs to you all. XOXOXOXOX

If you want to keep up with how the competition is going and to be reminded when the next round starts, follow my Facebook page…..it’ll be easier to get updates there than it is on my blog.

http://www.facebook.com/zelly309

Wish me luck!!

As always, lotsa love,

Zelly[image error][image error][image error]

Hey all,

In my part of the world, it’s just about to turn into the last day of 2024 – and all I can say is “thank God it’s over.”  It really did not turn out to be the best of years for me personally and for so many around the world.

However, we shall leave all that dark, dense and dreary energy behind in ‘24 and slide our hopeful and trusting way into 2025 with the optimistic and joyful heart of a newborn soul, fresh and glowing with brightness, hope and love.  And THIS energy, my dear friends and readers, this is what I wish for you all – along with never-ending peace, health and blessings. May the New Year bring you eternal smiles.

Happy 2025!!

Much love, as always,

Zelly 

Hello one and all,

I hope you’ve been well?

It’s been awhile since my last blog and there’s a very good reason for that – I’ve been extra busy learning some new tech skills to update the look and feel of my site. You may be seeing the results of that learning right now as you read this post, lol.  It’s most definitely a Work-in-Progress but I am learning things and there’s no actual hurry to get it done by any specific timeframe – which is a good thing because I would have failed that miserably! Digital and technical stuff has never been my strong point so any progress is better than none, no matter how slow, right?

Have you looked around the site yet? Can you see how pretty and smart it all looks now?  How different from before?

The major work that you see has been done by a super-skilled,  generous and kind person that I’m very privileged to call my friend. She did all the heavy lifting when it came to instigating some changes and has had the extreme patience to teach me how to do some of it myself (for future use. I now have to live up to her belief in me, so wish me luck, please.) 

I’m truly thrilled with how good the changes look and couldn’t be more grateful to her.  I HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND that if you need any kind of website work, that you please get in touch with Issy from GoWild Media…..you’re going to love her work and creativity – she is an absolute marvel !!  Please tell her I sent you. She deserves so much recognition and praise so let’s send her lots of business.

Her link is https://www.gowild.media  (don’t forget to switch to English)

I’d love to hear your feedback on the new look – what do you think, friends??  Do you like it? Maybe you even have some suggestions? Anything you’d like to see?

For me, I’d really like to advertise other businesses and authors here. Perhaps there’s some of you that would like to do some reciprocal marketing for each other? Or maybe you’re a fellow author that’s looking to collaborate in some way?  If so, please get in touch. Maybe we can achieve some magical things together in the New Year?

In other news, while all this tech work has been going on, life has been quite challenging this last five/six months or so.  (Stories for another time). Sadly, it seems especially that way on a global scale, doesn’t it? So much negativity and turmoil in many parts of the world that it’s been difficult to comprehend at times. It’s as if the world turned topsy turvy in different aspects and we were left gobsmacked at the events unfolding around us.  A lot of my expectations for this year were a complete no-show and I know many people who have all said the same thing – that they’d been hoping this year would be an improvement on the previous couple of years but it really hasn’t been. Not in the slightest. If I had a dollar for every time I heard or read someone say they were “tired” of the crap going on, well………I’d have many many dollars.

However, there are those who believe that we as a planet are moving into the Age of Aquarius and into a Divine Feminine Energy and this is why we are currently going through such turmoil – a kind of chaos as the world fights the last throes of Divine Masculine Energy and moves out of the Age of Pisces. This isn’t something I can claim any kind of expert knowledge of as I’m not an Astrologer but I can say that I have felt the pull of these conflicting energies and it’s quite exhausting.  It’s certainly added layers of unexpected stress to my own daily life and I imagine it may have to yours as well. 

Nevertheless, we will get through this celestial transition as it’s inevitable and things will eventually calm down for us all – this I believe wholeheartedly. We just have to hold on for awhile longer. 

Meanwhile Christmas is just around the corner and no doubt, we’re all madly preparing for the festivities and likely spending way too much money on gifts, decorations and food. (Every year I tell myself I’ll go easy the following year but it never happens – can you relate?) And so, no matter what faith or tradition you embrace over the holiday period,  I pray that you and your loved ones will be safe, healthy and happy.  

Until next time, much love as always,

Zelly

For the first time EVER!

My ebook UNVEILED will be on Sale this 12th & 13th July!!

Mark the date.

Available across Amazon worldwide, this will be your only chance to score this EBOOK for only $1.

DON’T MISS OUT!!!!

Amazon USA : https://tinyurl.com/y6asx54x
Amazon AU : https://tinyurl.com/y6bsuskq
Amazon UK : https://tinyurl.com/y4pm36h8
Amazon Canada : Amazon.ca : Zelly Jordan

and European Union Countries!

As I mentioned, this is the first time I’m doing a sale so please help me make this an AMAZING success!

These make a wonderful gift for some special someone and at this price, you can purchase it for lots of your friends and family!!

So, don’t forget to mark it in your diary …..

12th and 13th July!!!

Much love as always,

Zelly309

PS: if you have any purchasing issues, please get in contact with me through my email zellyjordan@gmail.com

Hey everyone,

Honestly I don’t know how the year has gone so quickly. It’s July already!! I swear it was April just last week. There’s an old saying that the older you get, the faster time goes. And it’s true, dammit. I’m getting older.

In fact, in honour of a milestone birthday upcoming for me in September, I’ve gone and done something that I’ve been wanting to do for a few years now. Something that I thought would be fitting for a birthday number that ends in “0”.

Can you guess what I did?

No, I didn’t jump out of an airplane. Or bungy-jump off a bridge. I’m not that silly. Or that gutsy. However, I did get a tattoo!!! Yep. I got inked for the first time. Yay me!! For the longest time I didn’t know what I wanted. I only knew that it had to be meaningful to me because what’s the point otherwise? A small spark of an idea eventually came to me and from there I was able to come up with the entire concept. What had started off as “I think I’ll get a small tattoo” evolved into something much “bigger” and “grander” – at least for me, the Tatt Newbie.

With no-one close by to recommend an artist, I went on the hunt for someone I could connect with, that could accurately and beautifully draw out what I envisioned and I was lucky enough to find “Chook” – a heavily drawn and pierced dude with the friendliest personality in town and nicest smile gleaming behind his bushy beard. He instantly understood what I was going for and enthusiastically included my own handwriting in the artwork, thereby making it ultra personal. I hadn’t even thought that was possible but once I’d shown him my website logo (which I’d drawn in my own hand) he immediately wanted to incorporate it. That was quite thrilling for me, I must say.

The idea behind the tattoo is based on a few things…….

My greatest achievement (my son); one of my favourite proverbs/saying which I try hard to live by; the feminine Lunar energy representing intuition (learning to trust it) and my own personal strength and resilience in a life filled with heartbreak and challenges. Basically this tattoo represents and honours what I’ve survived and learned so far in this life and my beautiful son, the greatest joy and fulfilment I could ever have been blessed with. It also reminds me to always trust my instincts, to let intuition be my guiding force.

Chook was taken aback by my reaction when he first put the needle to my skin. I had blurted out – “Is that it?” – surprised at how little it hurt as I’d been expecting it to be very painful from the get-go and it wasn’t initially but boy, did I speak too soon! By the end of the two and half hours (!!) I was very very sore and very very red. But he and my son both praised my bravery, as they rightly should – I WAS brave, I reckon.

My child took to calling me “Gangsta Zee” for a little while but I put a stop to that as I think “Gangsta Mum” sounds better. However that lasted only a week and now I’m back to plain ole Mum.

Two very odd things happened straight after I got it done. The first one is that I immediately felt I was always meant to have this tattoo. I’d lived all these years without one and figured I’d feel odd whenever I looked at it, that it would take some time to get used to it. But that didn’t happen at all. This beautiful piece of art on my arm feels completely normal and natural, like it’s always been there. Maybe in a past life, I was tattooed?

The second odd thing that happened just two days after getting it done is that I won a raffle and the prize was a $500 Tattoo Parlour Voucher!! I kid you not! I’d entered the raffle thinking “wouldn’t it be funny if I won this prize because I’m booked in to get one done this week” and Boom!! I win!! I laughed so hard when I got the news, in absolute amazement at how life works. I was definitely meant to get this tattoo and join the ranks of the beautiful inked people of the world. It was destined.

And so, that’s my big adventure…..far safer than skydiving for me. Lol. (Cartoon Mini-Me up there has no problems however).

Do check out the fantastic work of the lovely folks at Bishops Domain Ink and Tattoo and if you’re ever in Melbourne, I can highly recommend them. (Links below)

You’ll also find a picture below of a poster I designed and made of that favourite proverb. The imagery I used in creating it inspired my tattoo in parts and I believe wholeheartedly in its message and try to live by it daily.

Which of you have tattoos? Anyone game enough to show me? I’d love to see them! Or maybe you have other milestone adventures? Anyone braver than I? (Dozens of hands just shot up, I’m sure) They say that tatts are addictive, that once you get one you want more. I can actually see how that would happen but I’m not sure if that’ll happen to me – I guess we shall wait and see. In the meantime, I’ve had a lot of fun shocking the pants off friends and family. No one expected me to do this. Not one person. And if they did, not one this big! The coolest ones were proud and impressed with my “badass-ness” but the conservatives ones (and there’s too many of those) were gobsmacked! I’m still not certain if they understood the meaning of it and actually liked it or if they were just being polite. Doesn’t matter though because I love it.

Did you notice the similar colours to my website logo? Yep, that teal colour is one of my favourites and now it’s forever on my skin, an ode to my writing achievements in many ways. And funnily enough, Chook suggested that tone before he’d even seen my logo. Isn’t that wild? Another sign from the Universe, in my opinion.

Speaking of writing, I’m making slow but steady progress on book three and I’ve even begun writing something that’s vastly different from my usual genre. Hopefully when I’m done with it, I can show you and see what you think. And fingers crossed, one day, I’ll figure out what to do with my original fan fiction which is still lurking out there in cyberspace. Sigh.

You might remember from my previous blogs that I’ve had some challenges and disillusionment in the last couple years with the publishing industry so I’m treading very cautiously with any decisions I make. Even the simplest of tasks such as figuring out SEO’s on this site (endless thanks to @issy for that) becomes a big issue for me as I always need help with technical and marketing stuff. Those things are definitely not my strong suit. And after being burnt a few times, it takes a fair bit to earn my trust in these matters. So there’s progress but if you’re reading this and have marketing/digital skills and talents, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

On another topic, I’ve never wanted this blog to be only about writers and writing. There’s many, many authors out there who are far more qualified than I to teach about grammar, storytelling, editing etc and have wonderful blogs dedicated to that. My blog started off years ago being only about my books’ progress but it’s evolved into talking about things and events in my life and now I hope to continue and even expand in that vein. I have no idea what I’ll be talking about in future blogs as it’s going to be dictated by whatever is on my mind but one thing I’m sure of is that I will NOT be following the advice I was given when first approached to publish my debut novel. I was told (by the publisher) that I shouldn’t be controversial and opinionated and to stick to author “subjects”.

Pfft. I’ve done enough of that. Time for a change, I reckon. Time to spout off some opinions and discussions, controversial or not. Who’s with me?? I figure you’ll either love me or hate me for those opinions but I am what I am and that’s all that I can be.

Anyway, for now, here’s a couple of pictures that show how red my tattoo was when first finished. See? Brave indeed!

Until next time,

Much love as always,

Zelly309

https://www.instagram.com/chooks_life?igsh=MW9jaDMwZWhqZWFldA==

https://www.instagram.com/bishopsdomaintattoo?igsh=MTVsaGhwYWN5ejdvNg==

Hey everyone.

Hope you are all doing well?

I thought I might do something a little different and fun today. I was doing some digital decluttering a little while ago (pc files, photos and random things clogging up my computer and iPad – you know how it is) and I came across an old piece of writing that I did at least ten years ago, maybe even more. This is well and truly before I even thought about writing anything, let alone a book or two.

You see, at the time, I was trying to find some sort of work that I could begin to do from home as I had been diagnosed with a debilitating condition that I knew was going to eventually take me from the workforce. I was self employed at the time and with the knowledge that I would have to close my business down at some near-future date, I began looking for work from home opportunities.

Remember Agony Aunts? The “Dear Abby” style columns where you would write in with your problem and get advice, usually placed in newspapers and magazines? I don’t know how I came across an application form for this type of work but I did and figured, why the hell not? I was already used to people coming to me for advice in real life so I thought I might be good at it. But to apply, you basically had to write answers to a whole lot of pretend questions along with writing an original article piece on depression/anxiety, within a specific word count limit. Some questions were crazy and outlandish. Example: Help! I think my boyfriend is an alien – what should I do? (An everyday problem, for sure! ) But some were quite serious and required great thought and consideration. So, as I’m a rational, logical, sensible human () I answered them with great care and sensitivity, even the ones where someone’s uncle looks like a goat and they want to encourage plastic surgery to them. (Another nutcase pretend question, I “kid” you not.) To be honest, I had a nagging suspicion that this process wasn’t fully legit, that they most likely stole the answers applicants put through but I couldn’t really prove it and it was just a “feeling” so I dismissed it. (I know now not to ignore my intuition, being older and wiser).

The article on depression/anxiety that I submitted, in my humble opinion, was pretty good. Looking back on it now though I can see all the errors and places I could have expanded and written with much more finesse but at the time, I was pleased with it. So, I’m attaching it here, in all its original glory, errors and all !And I’m going to kindly ask you to rate it out of 10 for “good” advice.

“0” means it’s absolute hogwash.

“10” means I’m a genius.

Tell me honestly – how did I do? Would I have made a good Agony Aunt, based on this advice? Would you have hired me???

And so……what happened with all this?

Absolutely nothing!! Zilch! Zip! Never heard back from them!

Mind you, they did say that they receive thousands of applications constantly so maybe mine just got lost in the shuffle a mystery never to be solved. However, I take comfort in the knowledge I’m still the one friends and family come to regularly for a balanced viewpoint. I’m a Libran – balanced viewpoints are my thing.

Looking forward to your scores!!! Have at it!

As always, with love,

Zelly

PS: If any of you have a real problem you’d like me to tackle, just write to me….let’s see how I do!

P.P.S. Ms Mary Hall……please check for emails and get back to me!

HOW TO COPE WITH ANXIETY.

I wish there was one simple answer to this question – it would certainly make life easier for many people. But there isn’t, as it will depend on different factors such as how anxiety manifests in you and what works for you.

Anxiety can manifest in different forms such as nervous twitching, insomnia, compulsive behaviour, phobias and many other things. As someone who suffers with anxiety and depression, for me it manifests itself in insomnia and a very slight compulsive behavioural change.

There were some very distressing events that lead to my anxiety, events that brought about a fear and uncertainty over my ability to keep a roof over my family’s head and some major health issues. I didn’t change from being a secure and calm person one day and wake up the next morning full of nervous tension – it was a gradual thing. The more uncertain my circumstances became, the more anxious I became in response. Naturally this brought about new challenges on top of existing ones, which in turn made me further unsettled and soon enough I was sinking further into depression and was put on antidepressants. It added sleep deprivation to my troubles and also, little compulsive behaviours like double checking that I’ve locked the door, double checking car doors, or checking things two or three times.

I’ve learnt that these little habits I developed were a sign of my lack of security – that double checking things is my attempt to control the little things whilst the big things in my life were out of control. This made absolute sense to me. It’s highly unlikely that a person who feels secure, validated and in control would feel anxiety. It can happen, of course, but not as often. We’re anxious as humans when we feel threatened or insecure, invalidated or fragile. That’s how anxiety and then depression developed for me. Your own story may be very different or it may be similar.

So, how do you cope? I believe it depends on you as an individual and on how it manifests.

For example, if you don’t suffer with insomnia as a symptom of your anxiety then a sleeping-better suggestion for you is useless and won’t work. If you do have sleeping problems, however, then you might find that some of these suggestions help you :

-having a drink of warm milk before bed time or a calming herbal tea such as chamomile

-NOT taking a nap during the days (if you’ve been doing so because you’re so sleepy )as having a little snooze then will possibly hurt your chances of getting a good sleep later at night.

-talking to your doctor about possible sleeping tablets. There are many different natural and pharmaceutical products available and perhaps through trial and error you can find some that works for you

-meditation. This might sound like such a cliche and in fact I thought so myself but I find this actually works for me. It took a few tries to get the hang of it because one of the things anxious people suffer is a brain that just won’t “shut down”. I would lie awake at night with my mind racing over all my problems and all that did was make me tired. I didn’t solve any of my issues this way. I had to learn to shut my brain down and by doing so, I became calm which lead to falling asleep.

If you’ve never meditated before, I’d suggest trying it the first time by finding a nice quiet comfortable spot, maybe turning on some low soothing music – or not, whichever you prefer. Close your eyes and take several deep breathes, in through the nose, out through the mouth and if you like, in your mind, picture a place that for you is calm and serene, making a favourite place by a river or lake, under a tree, or laying in a hammock. It doesn’t matter what it is as long as it’s a relaxing scene to you. Try to imagine yourself there in the comfortable spot, while you take deep breaths. If you find thoughts sneaking in, then gently push them aside and visualise the scene again. Do this for at least 10 minutes to start off. You might find it difficult to stay 10 minutes straight initially but the more you do it, the more you’ll improve.

I find that doing this while I sit or lie in bed, really works for me. It might help you too.

Whether or not you suffer sleeping difficulties, here’s a few other suggestions that may prove useful in dealing with anxiety.

-Finding hobbies and activities that relax and fulfil you : there is something to be said about doing the things that truly make you happy. If you can find a way to do this on a regular basis, you may find this keeps anxiety levels down. Whether it’s something creative that you enjoy, or doing a fun activity such as dancing or walking or simply reading – whatever it may be, the very fact that you enjoy that activity will release calming hormonal responses in your body.

-talking to someone : whether it be a professional counsellor, your doctor or your best friend, talking about your issues can help you in many ways. The input from the other person could be very helpful in resolving issues as they can perhaps give you some clarity. Also, just sharing a burden or worry can half the weight of it in many cases.

-exercise. For some people, exercise is how they cope with anxiousness. They might find the exertion of physical exercise can tire them out sufficiently to sleep well and also keep calm. Therefore finding a suitable exercise, whether it be running, swimming, boxing, or dancing, is important because you want to be able to do it regularly AND enjoy it.

These are just a few simple suggestions. However, the most important thing I can recommend is to share your anxiety with someone. Don’t keep it to yourself and try to disguise it, pretending that all is well when it isn’t. Tell someone, talk to someone – you may be surprised at how much support and help will come your way. When I opened up to friends about my anxiety and depression, I discovered a wealth of care and concern from people who genuinely cared about me.

Try some or all of these suggestions to find which work for you. Or maybe you’ve thought of something entirely different. The key is not to give up if one doesn’t work, keep going and keep trying. Talk to someone… And breathe!

HOW TO COPE WITH ANXIETY.

I wish there was one simple answer to this question – it would certainly make life easier for many people. But there isn’t, as it will depend on different factors such as how anxiety manifests in you and what works for you.

Anxiety can manifest in different forms such as nervous twitching, insomnia, compulsive behaviour, phobias and many other things. As someone who suffers with anxiety and depression, for me it manifests itself in insomnia and a very slight compulsive behavioural change.

There were some very distressing events that lead to my anxiety, events that brought about a fear and uncertainty over my ability to keep a roof over my family’s head and some major health issues. I didn’t change from being a secure and calm person one day and wake up the next morning full of nervous tension – it was a gradual thing. The more uncertain my circumstances became, the more anxious I became in response. Naturally this brought about new challenges on top of existing ones, which in turn made me further unsettled and soon enough I was sinking further into depression and was put on antidepressants. It added sleep deprivation to my troubles and also, little compulsive behaviours like double checking that I’ve locked the door, double checking car doors, or checking things two or three times.

I’ve learnt that these little habits I developed were a sign of my lack of security – that double checking things is my attempt to control the little things whilst the big things in my life were out of control. This made absolute sense to me. It’s highly unlikely that a person who feels secure, validated and in control would feel anxiety. It can happen, of course, but not as often. We’re anxious as humans when we feel threatened or insecure, invalidated or fragile. That’s how anxiety and then depression developed for me. Your own story may be very different or it may be similar.

So, how do you cope? I believe it depends on you as an individual and on how it manifests.

For example, if you don’t suffer with insomnia as a symptom of your anxiety then a sleeping-better suggestion for you is useless and won’t work. If you do have sleeping problems, however, then you might find that some of these suggestions help you :

-having a drink of warm milk before bed time or a calming herbal tea such as chamomile

-NOT taking a nap during the days (if you’ve been doing so because you’re so sleepy )as having a little snooze then will possibly hurt your chances of getting a good sleep later at night.

-talking to your doctor about possible sleeping tablets. There are many different natural and pharmaceutical products available and perhaps through trial and error you can find some that works for you

-meditation. This might sound like such a cliche and in fact I thought so myself but I find this actually works for me. It took a few tries to get the hang of it because one of the things anxious people suffer is a brain that just won’t “shut down”. I would lie awake at night with my mind racing over all my problems and all that did was make me tired. I didn’t solve any of my issues this way. I had to learn to shut my brain down and by doing so, I became calm which lead to falling asleep.

If you’ve never meditated before, I’d suggest trying it the first time by finding a nice quiet comfortable spot, maybe turning on some low soothing music – or not, whichever you prefer. Close your eyes and take several deep breathes, in through the nose, out through the mouth and if you like, in your mind, picture a place that for you is calm and serene, making a favourite place by a river or lake, under a tree, or laying in a hammock. It doesn’t matter what it is as long as it’s a relaxing scene to you. Try to imagine yourself there in the comfortable spot, while you take deep breaths. If you find thoughts sneaking in, then gently push them aside and visualise the scene again. Do this for at least 10 minutes to start off. You might find it difficult to stay 10 minutes straight initially but the more you do it, the more you’ll improve.

I find that doing this while I sit or lie in bed, really works for me. It might help you too.

Whether or not you suffer sleeping difficulties, here’s a few other suggestions that may prove useful in dealing with anxiety.

-Finding hobbies and activities that relax and fulfil you : there is something to be said about doing the things that truly make you happy. If you can find a way to do this on a regular basis, you may find this keeps anxiety levels down. Whether it’s something creative that you enjoy, or doing a fun activity such as dancing or walking or simply reading – whatever it may be, the very fact that you enjoy that activity will release calming hormonal responses in your body.

-talking to someone : whether it be a professional counsellor, your doctor or your best friend, talking about your issues can help you in many ways. The input from the other person could be very helpful in resolving issues as they can perhaps give you some clarity. Also, just sharing a burden or worry can half the weight of it in many cases.

-exercise. For some people, exercise is how they cope with anxiousness. They might find the exertion of physical exercise can tire them out sufficiently to sleep well and also keep calm. Therefore finding a suitable exercise, whether it be running, swimming, boxing, or dancing, is important because you want to be able to do it regularly AND enjoy it.

These are just a few simple suggestions. However, the most important thing I can recommend is to share your anxiety with someone. Don’t keep it to yourself and try to disguise it, pretending that all is well when it isn’t. Tell someone, talk to someone – you may be surprised at how much support and help will come your way. When I opened up to friends about my anxiety and depression, I discovered a wealth of care and concern from people who genuinely cared about me.

Try some or all of these suggestions to find which work for you. Or maybe you’ve thought of something entirely different. The key is not to give up if one doesn’t work, keep going and keep trying. Talk to someone… And breathe!

Hey Guys,

How are you? Hope you’ve all been well and happy wherever in the world you may be. And safe too!!

Well, the Giveaway is over and done and the winners of the competition have been drawn!! Is your name on the list? We shall see in a second……

First I wanted to remind you of this very simple thing……..

As you can see, it’s pretty darn easy to enter any competition I run! Which is why I encourage you all to get your friends, family and fellow book lovers onto my email list so they don’t miss out next time. I can do lots of announcements, blog posts, reminders and tweets etc, (Sorry, not sorry, Elon, but X is a dumb name) but you, my dear friends/readers are far, far better at spreading the news around – “Word of Mouth “ has always been the best form of advertising. So, have at it, guys! Let’s make the next Giveaway even bigger than this one was!

And it really was big. So many entrants! Thank you so so much to all who entered. I’m truly grateful you decided to join the fun and I look forward to hearing from you over the course of our adventures together.

And so……Announcements!

Let’s start with the 3rd prize winner. Drumroll please………

Eugenio Solda! Congratulations! You’ve won an Amazon Gift Card valued at $5 USD that you can spend on anything that your heart desires. (Maybe even on my books.) Great win, Mr Solda.

And the 2nd prize winner of a Zelly Jordan large size Scratch Tote Bag, a unique and fun quality item available through my merchandise store on Redbubble….( http://www.redbubble.com/people/zelly309) is……….. drumroll………Ms Mary Hall wooohooo! Congratulations, Mary! Hope you love it.

And finally, the 1st prize winner of an autographed paperback copy of Unveiled, Book Two of The Unbreakable Series is…………...…………Ms Adeline Bronner!!!

Yayyyyyy!!! Fantastic win, Ms Bronner! I’m so happy for you.

Of course I’m happy for all three winners and I really hope that this news bring a little happiness and surprise into your day.

I’ll be emailing each of you individually to arrange delivery of your win but if you read this before I’ve had a chance to do so, then by all means, email me at zellyjordan@gmail.com. Oh, and do check your email trash/spam bins in case it lands there.

Once again, thank you ALL so much for participating in this Giveaway. I appreciate it more than I can express (ironic for a writer, I know).

For now,

Much love as always,

Zelly

Hey everyone

Hope all is well and safe in your part of the world? In my part, we are having some crazy weather at the moment with extreme heat and gusty winds…the kind of weather we don’t like in Australia as it’s so dangerous and fire risks are high. So I need everyone reading this to do some rain dancing for me please. How good a dancer you are is irrelevant – it’s the energy and enthusiasm that counts.

So…..about the heading of this post…..”I cried so it’s giveaway time.”

Last night I was watching some telly (television for the non-Aussies) which is something I just don’t do much of anymore but I had to see the outcome of an English series I accidentally watched last week and lo and behold, I cried!

Yes! Actual tears filled my eyes and I had to wipe some away! It took me a moment to register what had happened but when it did, I cried a little more from sheer relief and joy!

Now, if this is the first blog post of mine you’ve ever read, you may be thinking “what’s the big deal??” But if you’ve read my previous blog post, you’ll know how momentous those tears were. The Weight of Nothing.

Because it meant I was healing – the numbness and cotton-wool existence I’d been smothered under for so long was finally, finally dissipating. I could feel again – at least a little – and I was on the way to finding my emotional equilibrium again. To finding some of my old self.

Thank you Universe, thank you Angels and Praise the Lord! The relief was enormous and I went to bed with a smile.

Mind you, I woke up with a headache but that’s neither here nor there….lol……I still can’t figure out why that happens to me – not a lot but enough times to be a nuisance. Anyone have any theories on this they’d like to share?

Anyway, to celebrate this wonderful life-affirming event, I wanna give stuff away.

HERE’S THE DETAILS

Start Date……………right now.

End Date………………16th March, 2024

Open to…………………Worldwide.

1st Prize………………. autographed paperback of

“Unveiled” ( Book 2 )

2nd Prize……………… Zelly Jordan Tote Bag (see below)

3rd Prize……………….$5 USD Amazon voucher

Rules of Entry.….…..sign up for email notifications on my website. Click the FOLLOW button if you’re not an existing follower. You MUST be on my mail list to be entered into the Giveaway as it’s the only way I have of contacting the winners.

So please, please, share this Giveaway with everyone you know. Even those that you don’t! In fact, why not stop people in the street and tell them to be in on it!! The more the merrier of course but truthfully I would love to see many of you entering this competition simply as an affirmation of the goodness of life and the Power of the Positive to turn any situation around.

Oh, but please don’t forget to make sure you allow emails from me to come to your mailbox. There was a time, a couple of years ago that two winners in a Giveaway I ran didn’t allow for emails despite signing up and I couldn’t contact them to announce they’d won!! Every email I sent went unread and so they didn’t get their winnings. Don’t let that happen to you.

One last thing…..I’m thinking of posting a short story I want to write here….one that isn’t a romance or blog/life related. Would anybody be curious to read something that is different to my normal fare? Do let me know.

For now, have a wonderful day or night wherever you are and I can’t wait to hear your feedback. Take care!

With love, always,

Zelly 309