Being outdoors can be good for us; it increases our Vitamin D levels (climate and location allowing), and is well known for reducing our stress levels, but if we're an indoor-dwelling types of personality, where - and how - do we get in touch with nature? In today's post, we suggest 2 ways in which you can get in touch with nature. 1. Involve your senses The '5-4-3-2-1 technique' is well-known in psychology, counselling and mindfulness circles. This technique deliberately gets the person to slow down and take in their environment and is often very effective at grounding even the most anxious person. The process starts by first observing the environment and taking in the surroundings. Next, the person identifies: 5 things they can see in as much detail as possible. 4 things they can … [Read more...] about 2 ways to get in touch with nature
Self help Sundays
3 key conversation starters (mental health)
Many of us have been there, where a loved one is showing some concerning behaviours, struggling to know how to react for the best. In today's post, we suggest some ways that you can start the conversation about their mental health. Talking can change lives and yet we underestimate it all the time. Of course, we can't ever say that we know exactly how somebody suffering feels, but we can say that we're there for them, we're listening and we'll do our best to help. So, what exactly do you say? We'd like to help by offering a few suggestions. Go virtual Taking the talk virtual removes some of the barriers to turning up for the discussion. For example, taking the bus, having to shower and wash our hair, or finding money for the cafe are all potential barriers to turning up to the … [Read more...] about 3 key conversation starters (mental health)
8 ways to improve emotional resilience of children and teens
Personal growth and self-improvement are activities that are traditionally associated with adults. However, children are facing an increased need to tackle these skills in order to achieve increasing demands on them from sectors of society, such as educational establishments. So, how can we help children to be more self-aware, have a well-functioning self-esteem and allow them to have the space and time to...just grow? Place2Be (a children's mental health charity) supports children, families and staff in UK schools, to become more resilient to the stress and anxieties of life. We don't know about you, but it does concern us that we're coming across an increasing number of children and teens who appear to be suffering from stress and anxiety related issues. When we first started … [Read more...] about 8 ways to improve emotional resilience of children and teens
The Power of ‘no’!
I wonder what would happen in your life is you started saying "no" more often. Just think about that for a moment :) 'No' is one of the most powerful words in the English language, yet it's a word that many people struggle with, to some degree. However, when we understand how to say 'no', it has the power to transform your life. Truly...just try it. William Ury explains this in his book The Power of a Positive 'No' (and no, I don't have shares in the book). When confronted by a situation where they might need to say 'no', some people can really feel a sense of panic, which can be quite unexpected, sometimes disabling and, often, causes internal feelings of being incapable, worthless, stupid {insert derogatory words here}. But I'm here today to tell you that ot doesn't need to be like … [Read more...] about The Power of ‘no’!
Free Marketing Graphics Tool (Canva)
As a person who enjoys graphic design and have worked self-employed in the graphic arts industry on and off for 20 years, I have always been something of a 'traditionalist' in that I preferred to just create my marketing graphics and promotional materials in Photoshop. Now, although I still use Photoshop, it can take a while to create a mrketing template from scratch and - as much as I'd like to - I don't always have the time, or flexible priorites - that allows the creating of marketing and promotional materials from scratch. So, whaddya do? You use Canva! Now, I'm not a shareholder (does Canva even have shares? LOL), nor am I sponsored to create this post...heck, I'm not even a Pro subscriber. But what I am...is impressed by their tools. So, what is Canva? It is a free … [Read more...] about Free Marketing Graphics Tool (Canva)
3 more ways to improve your self-esteem
Self-esteem is esentially the opinion that we have of ourselves and. if you're human, you're more likely than not, to experience self-esteem issues at some point in your life...after a break up...a job loss...a serious accident or illness, these are all common causes of a 'wobble' in self-esteem. Luckily, there are some simple changes that you can make now, to help you mend your self-esteem and get on with the life that you always dreamed of. In this blog post, we briefly show you how you can turn things around. Step 1: Find something you're good at Knowing we are good at something instantly lifts our mood and eventually, self-esteem. It doesn't matter whether you're a coding-nerd or bookwork, or even a talented musician or artist, or if you have a flair for gardening. We are ALL good at … [Read more...] about 3 more ways to improve your self-esteem
3 simple ways to improve self-esteem NOW!
Self-esteem is esentially the opinion that we have of ourselves and. if you're human, you're more likely than not, to experience self-esteem issues at some point in your life...after a break up...a job loss...a serious accident or illness, these are all common causes of a 'wobble' in self-esteem. Luckily, there are some simple changes that you can make now, to help you mend your self-esteem and get on with the life that you always dreamed of. In this blog post, we briefly show you how you can turn things around. Step 1: Stop with the self-criticism There's a reason this is step number one :) In our opinion, self-criticism is the leading cause of problems with self-esteem, and it's also surprisingly common! We see hundreds of clients each year and we're in agreement that, with the … [Read more...] about 3 simple ways to improve self-esteem NOW!
7 ways to manage stress
It feels like every week we learn something new about stress, whether it's the causes or impact, and that's for good reason, because stress is thought to be one of the leading causes of both mental and physical health issues. With symptoms that can pervade every aspect of your life, it can be difficult to know where to start tackling the issue. In today's post, we provide 7 tips to start managing your stress issues. Check in with yourself daily Many of us know about the effects of stress, but fewer people actually recognise stress in our own life. Get in the habit if routinely asking yourself how stressed you feel and ask yourself whether you're suffering from any of the known symptoms and signs of stress. Common signs and symptoms include: Snapping at people Less patience than … [Read more...] about 7 ways to manage stress
