How many of us truly know ourselves? Yet we sit within our body every day … we are our thoughts, responses, behaviours, choices, feelings, hopes and dreams, this is us. How many of us avoid situations, people, places and above all avoid looking within and owning our thoughts, feelings, strengths and weaknesses?

How many look outward - maybe if I look different, maybe if I bought more things, maybe if I changed relationships, car, career, house, surely then I would be happy?

Do we convince ourselves that we have no time to get to know ourselves or focus on our own journey of healing and growth?

How many of us seek a quick fix, avoid personal responsibility, develop unhelpful habits, turn to alcohol, substance misuse, self-harm and develop obsessive traits to numb, block and avoid feeling? 

So many hope or expect others to fix them, but the truth is only we can fix ourselves and that’s hard work! Yes, others can support, guide and help facilitate our personal growth and change but true healing and growth must come from within.

Understanding yourself more, raising your self-awareness, challenging your thoughts and beliefs, embracing change, learning new ways to thrive - spiritual growth and healing is tough!

So, what can we do?

Having access to world news, global information and worldwide social media can be empowering, it can help us gain more knowledge and understanding of world affairs, but it can also be a source of stress and anxiety.

In the past we seemed to have more choice as to how much we engaged in world affairs and local news, we could choose whether to read the daily paper or watch TV news channels.  Nowadays, news is hard to avoid, it’s accessible anytime, anywhere and often brought into our awareness without our consent.

I’m sure many of you currently have concerns about our planet, wars, global weather changes, world politics, the financial crisis, cost of living, public health services, our economy etc, as well as your own personal issues.

World news, positive and negative, is available 24 hours a day through our mobile phones, news channels, social media platforms, the internet and newspapers and it can feel increasingly difficult to switch off from the constant stream of headlines. This can contribute to increasing our daily stress and anxiety levels and for some exaggerate intrusive thoughts, increase anger levels, influence lack of motivation and depression and increase alcohol or substance abuse. Therefore, it’s more important than ever to find ways to maintain keeping informed in a positive way.

So how do we manage the impact of world news and learn to manage our stress and anxiety? Here’s a few points to consider:

Social media is part of our everyday life and how we experience it can directly impact our wellbeing and mental health.

Accessing social media platforms can be a real positive, it can help us stay connected with, family, friends, community, network with likeminded people and social groups, keep us up to date with news and gives us instant access to worldwide resources.  With mindful management it can be a powerful addition to our lives.

However, it can negatively impact our moods, self-worth, confidence, self-perception and social expectations. Furthermore, it can increase feelings associated with isolation, loneliness, anxiety, depression, addiction, stress, eating disorders, inequality and FOMO (fear of missing out) etc. Such negative influence can lead to devastating consequences for some.

Everyone is responsible for their own health and emotional wellbeing, but we all need to be mindful of the impact of social media exposure and viewed content on ourselves and how what we share can impact others.  So, let’s consider ways of finding balance and healthy management.  Below are some tips and suggestions to consider, so that you can engage more mindfully and positively with social media:

I think most of us are affected by the seasons, temperature, daylight, weather and events held at particular times of year in one way or another.  Such factors have a direct effect on our moods, emotional state, mental health, physical capabilities, motivation, outlook, energy levels, sleep, eating patterns and general wellbeing.

It’s relatively normal to be affected by the seasons, but if you feel it’s more than just the winter blues and it’s interfering with your everyday life, especially if symptoms are consistent with the same time each year, it may be worth considering if you are experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

So, what is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)?

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that can be experienced during particular seasons or times of the year. Most will experience SAD during the autumn and winter months, but some people are affected during spring and summer too. SAD doesn't mean you 'just feel a bit low in winter'. It can be debilitating and affect us just as much as other types of depression and mental health issues.

It can be frustrating and upsetting if people don't understand SAD and how it makes you feel. Knowledge and awareness are key, if you feel you are experiencing SAD it is worth gaining a good understanding of the disorder and learning ways in which you can support yourself. It can also be helpful if you live with or know someone affected by SAD to have a general understanding, so you can offer the right support.

Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years and is widely recognised as an effective aid for mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing.

Through meditation an individual can learn to achieve a state of deep relaxation to calm the mind and body, centre and ground, feel more balanced and in alignment and feel a deep sense of peace and clarity.  Anyone can meditate, there’s no right or wrong way, it just takes time and practice and finding a way that works for you. However, just 10 minutes a day can have such a positive effect on your wellbeing that you are likely to want to practice it more and more!

There are many forms of meditation which can be practised as an individual or within a group, each bringing their own health benefits.  I explore below some of the benefits of meditation, along with different types of practices for you to consider, give it a try!

The term ‘holistic' originates from the Greek word 'holos', which means 'whole'. Holistic therapies refer to therapies that treat a person as a whole; mind, body and spirit. It is an overall term for a wide range of therapies and practices that treat the entire person and underlying causes of issues, considering physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual states of health and wellbeing. 

Holistic therapies are often referred to as complementary or alternative therapies, which of course can be used alongside traditional medical approaches or on their own. Such therapies often allow individuals to better see the connections between mind, body and spirit and how this affects their mental health, physical health and overall wellness. This approach differs to ‘conventional medicine or therapies’ that often treat symptoms and issues in isolation, without considering root causes or the overall effect on the person. 

Holistic therapies can provide support with:

Christmas can be a wonderful time of year for many, but for some it can be a particularly difficult, anxious and stressful time. You may be finding this poignant time of year especially difficult if you are bereaved, no matter how long ago this was, Christmas has habit of opening old wounds and hurts.  It can also be challenging if you have experienced the loss of a relationship or going through life changes, health issues or traumatic circumstances.  With the current world/financial climate and rising cost of living, many will find this Christmas a worrying time, may feel anxious and stressed about world affairs and managing extra expenditure or adjusting to more realistic expectations.

With the festive season being publicised widely many weeks beforehand and cards and gifts filling the shops, it’s extremely difficult to avoid and not feel ‘pressured’ to be having a wonderful time. Often, powerful emotions, expectations and memories are bought to the surface, making it hard to keep rational and control anxiety and stress levels.

So, if you are amongst those who are struggling with the thought of Christmas, for whatever reason, here’s a few suggestions to help you survive the weeks ahead:

So, we are experiencing a bit of a heatwave! Whilst getting out in the sunshine and enjoying the weather can bring many health benefits, extreme heat on the other hand can adversely affect those with medical health issues, the elderly, the young, the vulnerable and those with mental health issues.

Whilst the latest hot weather is not the usual for the UK, it is predicted that with current climate change these periods of extreme weather are likely to become more frequent and temperatures may increase generally over time.

Let’s explore the impact of extreme heat on our mental health, especially behavioural and psychiatric conditions, and consider some positive strategies that can help you cope with the heatwave.

Most therapists in private practice charge set fees for their therapy services, often depending upon the type of therapy offered, for example counselling, CBT, hypnotherapy etc, and length of the sessions. I am sure many people that access therapy, wonder what their session charge covers and how therapists arrive at their therapy fee.

Below are factors to be considered and costs which, in turn, may form part of the therapy charge:

For some people stopping consuming alcohol for January is just part of a wellbeing drive at the start of the year. However, alcohol can become a real dependency, a habit and lead to addiction.

It can be hard to accept you may have an alcohol dependency and lots of people remain in denial for a long time.  Acknowledging you may be dependent is the first step and talking with family and friends can be helpful.  Sometimes, however, these relationships can be strained and issues simply beyond family help - this may when professional support is needed.  If you feel alcohol is controlling your life or you’re being affected by someone who is struggling with addiction, here’s a few suggestions to consider for support: