WELLBEING BLOG
Capacity and Demand II
Capacity and Demand I discovered this concept while running some frailty prevention events with my wife. It’s a model about physical function, which I translate to psychological function. It emphasises the importance of awareness of our limitations and surroundings,...
Personal Growth in 2024
Personal Growth in 2024 I can’t help myself but hope that this year will be better than last year. I’m a hopeless optimist, or should that be hopeful optimist??? I figured out a few years ago that I’m much better off not settling my resolutions by Jan 1st but in the...
Motivational material
"I think it all comes down to motivation. If you really want to do something, you will work hard for it."Edmund Hillary I have been chewing over my furtive attraction for motivational YouTube videos recently. Embarrassing though this is, I admit it, I’m a...
YOU KNOW…
"it's more than just a thought, it is felt deep within, it's somatic" Deep down within each of us is the belief that we have the capacity to be different, to grow, to develop, to be better, to become more than we are right now. It seems that this belief is more than...
What is Mind?
"MIND" is a familiar word but if you ask someone what it means, you will begin to realise that it is pretty hard to define. We come across the word all the time, in many different arenas. We hear it in everyday phrases such as, "I've changed my mind" or "my mind went...
TENSION
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities Modern life offers many benefits, such as medicine and communications, yet mankind is confronted by its biggest challenges. At one time, we could predict how life might be in...
When good habits turn bad
The 100 reps per day challenge has been a thing for the past few years. The first I noticed was the 100 press ups per day challenge. Videos about how it transformed participants bodies were posted on YouTube, claiming amazing results. A good habit then? Yes! IF...
Self-care: both gentle and tough
There is a lot posted about self-care these days on social media. In an age where stress levels are higher than ever and the to-do list NEVER get completed by the end of the day (unless it's an abbreviated version), self-care is vital. However, some of us have been...
Revisiting Failure
"What doesn't kill you, will make you stronger" is the oft similarly quoted aphorism from the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, "What doesn't kill me makes me stronger". It is one about resilience made popular by songs from Kanye West and Kelly Clarkson....
Capacity Vs Demand
On 22nd January 2019, it snowed for the first time in Cambridgeshire that winter. Being the big kid that I am, I would normally stand outside revelling in this magical meteorological phenomenon. But this time as the huge flakes fell - seriously, they were huge - I...
ESTEEM of OTHERS or SELF
Self-esteem is a subject that often comes up in the therapy room. It's a big deal and can make a big difference in how we experience life. It is expressed in many ways - posture, facial expressions and language patterns. The word "confidence" usually emerges and...
Embrace Who You Are
If you're reading my blog, you're probably interested in personal development in some way or form (or you're my Mum - Hi Mum!). If this is true, you probably have an innate sense that things can be better for you, somehow happier, more exciting or less stressed... You...
New Year Audit
It's the second day of the year and many people will now be checking their list of New Year's resolutions to ensure they don't stumble at the first hurdle. Personally, and I know I breaking with convention here, I don't think those resolutions should be set yet. The...
Happy Tough New Year
Few would argue that 2020 was a tough year, in so many ways. The long-term consequences of the fear, isolation and lack of contact will only become clear with time. For those whose health has been damaged and those who have lost loved ones, 2020 will be remembered for...
You’re NOT SET YET!
Change is one of the few certainties of life. Everything changes, nothing remains the same. Certain objects or systems may take longer to show it but movement is guaranteed if you look long enough. Even Mt Everest is growing - they reckon around 4mm per year. You too...
Work-related Ill Health
The stats are out, the trend is apparent... Work-related stress, depression and anxiety is on the increase. The HSE work-related ill heath report for 2017/18 was published at the end of October and it indicates that mental health issues showed the steepest climb for...
Anxiety and Youth
In the last five years, I have seen an increasing number of people coming to see me about anxiety-related issues. What stands out to me is the large proportion of that are under twenty-year-olds and teenagers. When anxiety levels are high, especially for those...