With increased anxiety and depression, and with reduced self-esteem, how do we bring about a positive change in self-reflection, self-care and growth of teenagers? Today's blog post asks this very question. Importance of personal growth Personal growth and self-improvement are important facets of life that aren't merely the preserve of adults. Quite the contrary; they are in fact, key life skills that can help us to better understand ourselves, regardless of life stage. And mastering them can help teenagers enhance their career prospects and enrich their lives. Place2be is a is a children's mental health charity with over 25 years' experience working with pupils, families and staff in UK schools, to improve children's and young people's mental health. The state of childrens' mental … [Read more...] about How can we help teens to achieve emotional growth?
Blog posts for clients
How to get rid of Post-Lockdown anxiety
Are you still feeling anxious and overwhelmed at the thought of going out and socialising again after multiple lock-downs? If you are, then you're not alone. I'm a clinical hypnotherapist and I have some excellent tips to help you get back out there, living the life that you want to live. Many of you who are newly struggling with leaving the house post-lockdowns might be wondering how something that was easy and just felt "normal" now make you feel so anxious". But you know, there's actually a very good reason for this anxiety - and it's not because there's something wrong with you. You see, what we do every day becomes our comfort zone - and it's simply that your comfort zone has changed. But, what happens when you try to leave your comfort zone is that your brain is hard-wired to send … [Read more...] about How to get rid of Post-Lockdown anxiety
1 simple thing to do NOW, to sleep better tonight
Are you struggling to fall asleep because your mind is racing with thoughts and worries? You are not alone; many people suffer from insomnia due to overthinking at night. But don't worry, because we have a simple tip that can help you sleep better. What is it? It's keeping a notebook by your bed. Whenever you have a thought that bothers you or distracts you, just grab your notebook and write it down. How much should you write? You don't have to write a lot; just enough to remind yourself of it in the morning. Alternatively, just write enough to help you off-load your thoughts and feelings. How does this help? Writing in a journal can: Help you clear your mind - we have found that often, when people really think about what's keeping them awake, it is because something is on … [Read more...] about 1 simple thing to do NOW, to sleep better tonight
The power of ‘having a try’
In today's post, we're basically talking about the power of 'having a try'. When I first graduated as a clinical hypnotherapist, I am pretty sure I had very low confidence in my skills, despite having had some great results from my clients and, I think part of the reason was that I just didn't have any sense of direction because I just wanted to go everywhere! Though I had no real clue about where to go first. Running around in circles, with no sense of direction was exhausting and left me feealing frustrated. I'd repeatedly ask myself 'am I good enough?', 'do I have enough skills?' and 'can I do this?'. And when I asked these questions to my friends and family, without exception thay would always answer 'yes', 'yes' and 'yes' to those questions. So why didn't I feel as confident as … [Read more...] about The power of ‘having a try’
3 ways to get out of a rut at work
If you feel as though you're stuck in a rut at work, or you feel that your work life is causing you to feel burnout, then this is the post for you. In today's post, we're going to suggest 3 ways that you can get out of that rut, or avoid burnout. If there's anything I can relate to, it's being in a work rut! Indeed, it's a funny place to be really, because on the one hand you're unhappy (or unfulfilled, or whatever), but on the other hand, you're not quite ready to bail. Maybe there's still enough parts of your job that still excite you, or maybe you're eternal optimist and you believe things will get better next week/month/year. Whichever of these sound familiar to you, I hope that you get something positive out of today's post. So, what can you do to get out of that work rut? May … [Read more...] about 3 ways to get out of a rut at work
5 signs of burnout
Here are 5 signs of burnout that we all must know if we want to prevent or resolve it: Sign #1: You feel the need to numb your stress This can be achieved by a number of escapism methods, such as food, illegal drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, sex, gambling etc. Generally, the method of escapism works "too well" for the person, causing the person to keep selecting that as a coping method. Without switching this effective (yet unhealthy) coping method with something just as effective (and healthy), progress is unlikely to be made. The key is to build a list of possible alternatives, which still achieve some kind of escapism, but which are healthy and not relied on excessively. Doing work on confidence and self-esteem, at the same time, can also help. Sign #2: Your memory is affected. Burnout … [Read more...] about 5 signs of burnout
10 things that anxiety can make you do
Here are 10 things that anxiety can make you do: 1. Eat more than usual, either for comfort or energy. 2. Get lost in distraction activities. We're not referring to a healthy amount of helpful distraction here, but something that has become extreme and impacts life in a negative way. 3. Cancel plans at the last minute, if the anxiety is overwhelming. 4. Turn to alcohol or (non-prescription) drugs. 5. Require use of the bathroom more frequently. 6. Fail exams, due to going blank. 7. Eat less than usual, if your appetite is affected, or if you feel nauseous. 8. Avoid doing things because they feel overwhelming, even if you know you'll be in trouble. 9. Decline trying new experiences. 10. Check things repeatedly. Do I need help? If this is something that you … [Read more...] about 10 things that anxiety can make you do
Make May all about change
May is such a beautiful time of year...the weather is not too hot, not too cold...the trees are back in full bloom and everything just feels...lighter. So, in honour of celebrating this beautiful time of year, we'll be sharing a few top tips that should help you lead a more enriched life. Tip #1: Change somebody else's life This looks different for different people, but here's some ideas to get you started. Carry out a random act of kindness (R.A.O.K) such as: Pay for somebody else's shopping in the queue in front of you. Pay for the coffee order of the person in front of you. Give a care package to a homeless person. Donate time, money and/or goods to a charity that means a lot to you. Such as: Dementia UK Age UK MacMillan Dogs Trust Huddersfield … [Read more...] about Make May all about change
11 signs that your mental health needs attention
Here are 11 signs that your mental health needs addressing: 1. Reduced energy. 2. Appetite changes - eating too much or too little. 3. No longer finding pleasure in things that you once enjoyed. 4. Small tasks which you used to find easy, start to feel overwhelming. 5. Your to-do list is expanding as you start to avoid things that need doing. 6. Experiencing higher levels of stress or snaxiety, which makes it significantly more difficult to function. 7. You have become withdrawn from family and friends because sociliasing seems to difficult or overwhelming. 8. You are having trouble getting off to sleep and/or staying asleep and wake on multiple occasions for no apparent reason. 9. You're arguing with those around you more than usual. 10. You're having … [Read more...] about 11 signs that your mental health needs attention
Stuck in a “tug of war”, anyone?
If you're struggling with an unwanted emotion, it's like being in a permanent tug of war, where there's a monster on the other end of the rope and a massive hole in the middle. That monster represents all of the thoughts and emptions that you don't want to have. You expect that, if you just keep fighting harder, the monester won't win and you want fall into the pit. And the more you fight, the harder it gets, because you start to get exhausted...yet the monster stands there a strongly as he did at the beginning. It feels like you just can't win! So, you edge closer and closer to the pit in the middle and the more you try to control the monster, the more the monster pulls back. But what if there was another way? What if you just let go of the rope and just allow the monster to … [Read more...] about Stuck in a “tug of war”, anyone?
