The pressures of the festive period Many of us feel different or exaggerated pressures over the Christmas and New Year period. The pressure to eat more, drink more alcohol, socialise more and spend more. Last year we focused on the need to spend more, while this year we’ll focus on drinking, although all strategies discussed …
The relationship between stress and physical health Historically the connection between mind, body and environment was accepted, honoured and nourished. As western medicine has developed so has dualism; the idea that our bodies and minds are separate. Similarly, as mental health has come to be explored and destigmatised we have started to understand it using …
What is self-esteem? Self-esteem is how we view ourselves and the opinion that we hold about ourselves. People can have an overall low or high self-esteem or a mixture for various aspects of themselves, for example, a poor self-image relating to their bodies or a low sense of their own capacity to achieve. Tackling …
Common retirement challenges Retirement is a major life transition and one that you may have looked forward to for some time. There are a lot of well-discussed positives to retirement including more time for family and hobbies, however, there are some less-frequently discussed challenges. Some common challenges include: A smaller social circle: we often …
What do we mean by being over-responsible? Some people appear to manage to avoid most responsibilities and rely on others to meet their needs. Examples of this, though stereotypical and definitely not always true include the young adult living at home with parents, or the stereotypical male-female marriage where the woman manages and delegates all …
What is perfectionism? Perfectionism is a personality trait where someone strives for flawlessness. It is often accompanied by the setting of high standards and an internal critical voice. Sometimes perfectionistic traits can be helpful, for example when striving to meet important deadlines or help create an organised and productive life. However, perfectionistic traits can also …
What is living apart together? Living apart together is a concept that has recently gained in traction to solve some common relationship difficulties. It is the idea that those in intimate relationships need not share all living and sleeping spaces but may feel more comfortable living apart. For some couples this may mean having separate …
The difference between coaching and counselling There are many different types and models of therapy including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, psychodynamic and humanistic. In addition, an alternative to all types of therapy is coaching. Similarities between coaching and counselling include: Both help you identify goals and consider blockers to these goals Both aim to help you …
What is self-acceptance? We have previously spoken about the importance of compassion and self-compassion in helping ourselves heal. Compassion is the act of being kind, warm and concerned about a person’s, including our own, difficulties. To be self-compassionate we also need to be accepting of ourselves. There can be confusion about what it means to …
What is trauma? Trauma occurs when the psychological stress of a situation is greater than someone’s capacity to cope at that moment. Trauma can either be an acute single event, such as a traffic accident or a sexual assault. Or it can be sustained chronic stress such as war or childhood abuse. As trauma always …