Morency Blog Articles

The key to happiness

What is happiness? This may seem like a strange question to begin with but happiness can be difficult to define and mean different things to different people. Happiness is generally understood to be a feeling of contentment and satisfaction with life. However, it can also refer to feelings of pleasure, excitement, glee and triumph. Some …

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Starting again; avoiding negative relationship patterns

Our adult relationships are based on patterns that we bring with us from childhood. This can mean that we can behave – and unconsciously invite our partners to behave – in ways that reinforce and replicate our beliefs about relationships. For example, a child that was relied heavily upon by her parents may grow up …

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Five tips for mindfulness

What is mindfulness?  Mindfulness may seem to have appeared from nowhere, a new fad for the modern world, full of colouring books and apps. Mindfulness can be difficult to master; however, the concept is simple: mindfulness is the awareness of your current state and the world around you. In our busy life’s we tend to …

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Noticing and escaping toxic friendships

What is a toxic friendship?

Toxic relationships are often spoken about in the media or on blogs, but usually in terms of intimate relationships, or occasionally parental relationships. Emotional abuse is clearly an important topic and one that people find themselves needing support with, however, sometimes toxic friendships can also have an impact on an individual’s emotional wellbeing. Toxic friendships can come in many forms and can sometimes mirror the relationship patterns of an abusive intimate relationship. Signs to watch out for include:

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Holding on to your sense of self

What is the sense of self?

Needing to hold on to yourself may seem like a strange idea, however, people can be so focused and busy that they find their sense of self slipping away. The modern world is so busy and many people have endless to-do list tasks that they can spend a lot of time thinking, worrying and rushing – and little time just ‘being’. This can cause people to lose sense of who they are and what they enjoy doing. Alternatively, having a strong sense of self can lead to self-confidence, high self-worth and overall better emotional wellbeing. Signs that you struggle to hold on to a strong sense of yourself include:

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Five tips for managing your stress

The importance of managing stress

Stress is an important evolutionary tool: it ensures that we get things done! Therefore, every individual experiences stress at some point in their lives. However, stress can soon stop increasing productivity and start having an impact on mental health and overall wellness. Signs of problematic levels of stress include:

  • Feeling overwhelmed, irritable and / or anxious
  • Lacking in self-esteem
  • Psychosomatic symptoms such as frequent headaches or pain
  • Changes to eating and sleeping routines
  • Using substances to manage the stress
  • Avoiding problems through physical avoidance (such as taking time off from work) or emotional avoidance (not thinking about the problem)

(NHS, 2018)

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Looking after yourself: the importance of self-care

Self-careWhat is self-care?

Self-care is the process of looking after oneself. It can be likened to when a cabin crew member explains that in the event of an incident you should put your own life jacket on before helping others with theirs. Without looking after yourself, eventually your emotional reserves to help others disappear and burnout can occur. If self-care is ignored for so long then caring for even your basic needs can become impossible.

Ten ways to engage in self-care

To engage in self-care involves a certain amount of self-discovery including learning what you enjoy, what you don’t and what your limits and boundaries are. You should aim to discover your self-care priorities and which activities ensure your own wellbeing. To ensure your own wellbeing, try the following ten self-care strategies:

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Challenging your inner critic

Inner critic

Who is the inner critic?

The critic, the nag, the bully, the judge. Many people have an internal voice that criticises them. The inner critic might tell someone that they are not good enough, that they have ‘failed’, that they are unattractive or undermine achievements and progress. Some people’s inner critics might comment most during relationship struggles or during working hours. Some inner voices start their attacks with ‘You should…’ and focus on unrelenting high standards, some focus on inducing shame while others highlight weaknesses.

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