Award Winning Mental Health Blog
The 9 Challenges of January
If December is the ‘season to be jolly’, January is the season to be depressed. Hot on the heels of the ‘most wonderful time of the year’ is the most emotionally and psychologically challenging. At The British CBT & Counselling Service requests for therapy triple in January with people feeling more depressed and anxious than at any other time. So why is this time of the year so difficult?
Christmas has made me depressed
Dear Dr Gray, I am worried that there is something wrong with me. I really didn’t enjoy Christmas, if I’m honest, I never do. I am surrounded by my family, have time off work and pretty much spend the whole time counting the days until I can return to normality. This makes me feel really depressed, everyone else is having
Dry January is a Bad Idea!
Dry January is a Bad Idea! At a glance it seems that giving up alcohol for a whole month, especially after the excesses of Christmas, is a good idea. However, on closer inspection is it possible that this recently popular way of dealing with January is just another version of the feast or famine approach to life that we seem
Christmas Is So Expensive!
It’s the most wonderful time of the year – and wonderfully expensive, too… I was struck the other day by how expensive December has been – my childrens’ Christmas parties and activities, Christmas shopping, food and otherwise. This ties in with a recent news item highlighting that the cost of home-cooked Christmas dinner has risen by 18% compared to last
How to Beat the Winter Blues
How to Beat the Winter Blues It’s that time of year again: the clocks are changing back, the days get shorter and many of us can begin to notice a dip in mood. Whether you simply suffer from a touch of autumnal apathy or veer towards Seasonal Affective Disorder, it’s good to plan ahead in order to beat the winter blues.
Coping with Back to School Anxiety
When we are faced with something new or unfamiliar our threat or fight/flight response kicks in. We have evolved to respond in this way, it’s a survival strategy, if we aren’t sure what awaits us, nature believes it is best to expect and prepare for the worst: In the days when we might have found ourselves foraging for food, if
How to give yourself a springtime sleep boost in ten steps
A good night’s sleep has positive effects for us all, but in modern times with pressurised schedules this is an aspect of our daily living which may not be prioritised. Springtime is an ideal time to kick start some new sleep habits with a view to boosting your sleep, or just trying something new. 1. If possible, avoid using electronic
Why You Should Watch Love Island – Bravado and Bikinis
Don’t Be Put Off by First Impressions The new series of Love Island started last week and with it some quite strong opinions based on first impressions of the Islanders. People can be quick to judge and judge harshly those that put themselves out there. These young people with their bravado and bikinis, who are still working out who they
Back to Work Blues
Back to Work Blues The majority of the working population has started going back to work at some stage this week. And if you were amongst that group of people, you most likely felt a little bit sad and miserable about it… Feeling blue when going back to work after holidays is a recognised phenomenon and has been variously named
Is Sober October a Bad Idea?
Is Sober October a Bad Idea? Sober October might roll off the tongue better than Dry January but the principle is just as shaky. When I sat down to blog about it I realised that I didn’t need to reinvent the wheel. Instead I could re-post my Dry January blog, suggest that readers replace the word ‘Christmas’ with ‘Summer’ and
Not the Grades They Wanted? 3 Things That Can Help
The majority of us get anxious over exams and receiving exam results can be just as nerve wracking. Here are three things you can do when your child doesn’t get the grades they wanted. Actively Listen Active listening is a skill using both verbal and non-verbal signs of listening. Such as positive reinforcement, summarising and clarification, maintaining eye contact, mirroring
5 Tips for Self Esteem
Self-Esteem is the cornerstone of mental health. Low self-esteem underlies most mental health problems, is very common and most of us could do with a boost in this area. So here are 5 tips to help you to do that: 1. Low Self-Esteem is maintained by a self-critical voice, sometimes known as the internal critic. If you can identify yours
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