Tracy Smithers. Step By Step Counselling.

01/05/2026

Word of the Week..

Trust.🙂💖

30/04/2026

SLEEP!! How many of you struggle with not being able to sleep? In yesterday's blog post, I referred to sleep being helpful when struggling with anxiety. However, I am aware that sometimes anxiety can disrupt our sleep patterns.

Tracking our sleep patterns and what impacts them can really help us IDENTIFY why we aren't sleeping and help put some COPING STRATEGIES in place to help us gain a better night's sleep, and enable us to wake up feeling REFRESHED. Keeping a SLEEP DIARY can help with this.

Today I am sharing the link to a SLEEP DIARY I created, which is available as a FREE PDF DOWNLOAD on my website.

29/04/2026

BRAND NEW BLOG POST!! UNDERSTANDING ANXIETY AND WAYS TO MANAGE IT?

Feeling anxious isn't uncommon, although I wonder how many of us would actually admit to feeling anxious? Anxiety can manifest in many different forms. Perhaps it's a brief feeling of anxiety, or maybe it's intense, all -consuming, and impacting all areas of our lives and relationships.

Having experienced anxiety myself at many different stages in my life. I understand what an impact it can have on our mental health and emotional well-being.

In today's post, I share a range of strategies and techniques that can help you reduce and navigate your feelings of anxiety more easily.

https://stepbysteptherapies.co.uk/2026/04/28/understanding-anxiety-and-ways-to-manage-it/

28/04/2026

LET'S TALK!! Achieving your dreams. Carrying on when things get tough. Pushing through the blocks. Take a different route to get there and being PROUD of your achievements whatever challenges, difficulties or obstacles you might face. 😊

HOW MANY OF YOU WATCHED THE LONDON MARATHON ON SUNDAY? Or perhaps you have followed the news or social media stories. I've been struck since Sunday of the different personal stories of some of those that ran. One of the stories that struck me most was of the lady who came last , yet she still felt proud. To me anyone that not takes part but commits to everything a marathon involves deserves to be proud.

If you have been following this page for a while you might be aware in 2017 I did a walking London marathon. I was one of the last ones home but it's still one of my proudest achievements.

I had always wanted to do a marathon but due to health issues wasn't able to run. So I looked at other ways to do one and did.

To anyone else who has dreams or aspirations, I want to say there are many ways to achieve them. It doesn't matter how or the result. Its about the journey , the experience, how you feel. The biggest reward isn't always the medal or finish time. Its the experience, the growth and that proud moment you experience at the end.😊

27/04/2026

24/04/2026

Word of the Week..
Pause.🙂❤️

23/04/2026

BRAND NEW BLOG POST!! Does life sometimes feel like just too much to deal with? Does it feel physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausting? If so, today's blog post might be for you!

Todays blog post offers 20 top tips on how to manage when life feels too much. 🙂 I hope you find it helpful.

Sometimes life can be difficult, challenging, and overwhelming. Perhaps there is one thing that leads you to feel that way, or maybe it’s a combination of things that creep up on you over time. Whatever ‘stuff’ is calling you to feel this way, it can be both mentally and physically exhausting ...

22/04/2026

Thoughts for today. 🙂

*If you are looking for the Wednesday blog post, I will be sharing one tomorrow.

21/04/2026

LET'S TALK!! Waiting. Overthinking. Filling the Void.

Someone I know is waiting for a date for an operation. I will be supporting them afterwards and I am aware I too am waiting. I know it's happening but there isn't a date yet. I feel in limbo at the moment, carrying on as usual, unable to fully settle until I know the date. There is no definite date yet and this element of not knowing, not being able to plan, or make adjustments I find difficult.

How many of you have experienced this before? A situation where everything hinges on that one thing. Perhaps like me it's a date, perhaps it's exam results, moving dates, leaving dates, or something else. There is this void of time of unsettled ness.

I realised at the weekend, although I think I have always been aware of it. I'm not good at being in that void of time. I tend to overthink, get in to the what ifs, and spiral into catastrophising into what might happen.

A thought then struck me.. How can I feel the void? I'm still working on that one! But one of the things that did help this weekend was a lovely walk I went on. Please see the photographs below.

So, today if you like me are waiting, I invite you to consider how are you going to fill your void, while you wait?

If anyone has got any ideas, I would love to hear them.

Take care of yourselves if you are currently navigating the void or whenever you find yourself in that space.

©Tracy Smithers. 2026

17/04/2026

COUNSELLING APPOINTMENTS TAILORED TO SUIT YOU....

✔️ I have 20 years experience working with a range of different issues
✔️ I work with both adults and children
✔️ Appointments are available in both Carlisle Ainstable near Armathwaite
✔️ Saturday morning appointments available in Carlisle
✔️ Weekly, fortnightly, monthly and one off appointments available
✔️ Reduced rates available for those experiencing financial hardship
✔️ I am a member of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society
✔️ I am DBS checked and insured