In today's Mindful Monday we're looking at a simple task you can do at the beginning of your day. This task can help lower stress by redirecting thoughts away from your worries about the day. This task may also be carried out in the bath, or as you wash at your sink. Step 1 Step into your shower, bath, or plunge your hands into the water in your sink. Immediately notice the sensation of the water on your skin. You might notice that it feels very warm at first, but then notice that after a few seconds, the water feels cooler on your skin. Notice the surface underneath your feet, or back of your legs, as they rest in the bath. What else can you notice? Step 2 Some people find it easier to close their eyes at this point, as it can make it easier to focus on your other senses. … [Read more...] about ***READY TO GO***Mindful Monday: starting the day ‘right’
mental health
Relaxation Class
Just a quick thank you to everyone who turned up to our free relaxation class this evening. It's the first time we've been hosted by a school and I'm so pleased that we were able to partner-up to help our local community. If you're interested in joining our free relaxation classes, please contact us with your name, e-mail address and location. This will put you onto our communication list for future events. … [Read more...] about Relaxation Class
Mindful Mondays at Hypnotic Universe
Today, we're kicking off a new self-help programme, Mindful Mondays. This week we're providing some background and next week, we'll start looking at some exercises. What is it? Mindfulness is about living fully in the moment. Noticing things like your breathing, your stomach gurgling, your feet hitting the ground as you walk. These are all sensation-based things which take is out of the hectic thought patterns that bother us in daily life. It takes practice It seems easy to be mindful, on the surface at least. However, succeeding in this task is much more difficult. Practice is required, but it is a skill in which most of us can achieve a level of success. If you think mindfulness isn't working, I encourage you to completely immerse yourself in it, and persist. A recognised form of … [Read more...] about Mindful Mondays at Hypnotic Universe
4 Mental Wellness Activities To Fit Into Your Daily Routine
Living a fulfilled life involves looking after our mental wellbeing. Although this can look different for everyone, there are some common themes, which we can all follow in this endeavour. 1. Take some time to be in the moment. Being in the now(1), also known as mindfulness can help with stress, anxiety and depression(2). Many people have heard of mindfulness, but fewer actually know enough about it to actually practice it, and fewer yet practice it regularly enough to benefit from it. So, where can you start? The first step is to find some mindfulness activities that work for you. Some will find that focusing on different parts of the body at a time works for them, whilst others will find that focusing on their breath works for them. There really isn’t a right or wrong way, so long … [Read more...] about 4 Mental Wellness Activities To Fit Into Your Daily Routine
4 Mental Wellness Activities To Fit Into Your Daily Routine
Living a fulfilled life involves looking after our mental wellbeing. Although this can look different for everyone, there are some common themes, which we can all follow in this endeavour. 1. Take some time to be in the moment Being in the now also known as mindfulness can help with stress, anxiety and depression. Many people have heard of mindfulness, but fewer actually know enough about it to actually practice it, and fewer yet practice it regularly enough to benefit from it. So, where can you start? The first step is to find some mindfulness activities that work for you. Some will find that focusing on different parts of the body at a time works for them, whilst others will find that focusing on their breath works for them. There really isn’t a right or wrong way, so long as … [Read more...] about 4 Mental Wellness Activities To Fit Into Your Daily Routine
How to improve self-esteem
Today we're looking at 5 key ways in which you can improve your self-esteem. 1. Accept yourself Self-acceptance is: The act of accepting yourself and all your personality traits exactly as they are. You accept them no matter whether they are positive or negative. This includes your physical and mental attributes. - Waters 2021 Waters also explains that beyond self-esteem, self-acceptance leads to many benefits, such as: Control of emotions Forgiveness Improvement in self-confidence Helping you be yourself If only we accepted ourselves the way that we openly accept others. I always find it interesting that we often set such high standards for ourselves, compared to others. Don't do it; you owe it to yourself to be kind to yourself. 2. Value yourself If you have good … [Read more...] about How to improve self-esteem
How to value your mental health
Today we're lookng at 6 key ways in which you can promote mental well-being in your own life. So let's jump right into it. 1. End toxic relationships Scott (2020) defines a toxic relationships as follows: A toxic relationship is one that makes you feel unsupported, misunderstood, demeaned, or attacked. - Scott (2020) The term doesn't apply to just sexual partners, but every other sphere too, whether it's your employer, a family member, a coach, or somebody else. 2. Talk to friends You know the saying "a problem shared is a problem halved"? It's said for a good reason, because sharing a problem allows you to get a different perspective, process your own thoughts, feelings and emotions and sometimes just doing that allows you to reach a conclusion or decision and maybe find the … [Read more...] about How to value your mental health
What trauma may look like
Today we're looking at 8 ways in which trauma may present itself. I first came across people dealing with trauma back in the early 90's whilst working at a psychiatric hospital in England. Of course back then, trauma wasn't really something which was understood by the average m'man on the street'. However, fast forward 30+ years later and I don't really have to define it for many of us to grasp what it means. If we haven't endured at least one traumatic experience in our lives, I willing to bet that you know somebody who has. I feel I should start by saying that only a small percentage of people who experience trauma will develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). So that said, what exactly is trauma? Or more to the point PTSD? Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is … [Read more...] about What trauma may look like
10 signs of childhood emotional neglect
In today's post, we're discussing 10 signs of childhood emotional neglect. So, what is emotional abuse and emotional neglect? Emotional abuse Emotional abuse (also known as psychological abuse) is a common cause of low self-esteem and, judging by the clients that we see in our office, it is a significant cause of distress with respect to mental health distress. People who experience emotional abuse may demonstrate distinct personality changes, such as being withdrawn, feeling anxious, depression, or even suicidal. According to Healthy Place, emotional abuse is as follows: Any act including confinement, isolation, verbal assault, humiliation, intimidation, infantilisation, or any other treatment which may diminish the sense of identity, dignity, and self-worth (Tracy, 2021). Emotional … [Read more...] about 10 signs of childhood emotional neglect
Golden rule for taking control over your life (anxiety)
If you're struggling with anxiety and desperate to get your life back, you might be interested in our top tip. Today we're sharing our number one golden rule that you should follow if you want to lead a life feeling a little more 'chill'. A natural response to feeling anxious is to do everything you can to avoid whatever it is that's making you feel anxious. Say, for example, you became anxious about crowded places during the pandemic. And eventually, you might have decided to avoid crowded place completely. And that's ok for a while, but then you might realise that travelling on public transport makes you feel anxious...so you start avoiding that too. And that's ok for a while, but then you realise that shopping in the supermarket makes you feel anxious. So, you start … [Read more...] about Golden rule for taking control over your life (anxiety)
