I recently wrote a blog called Mindfulness and Me. It sparked quite a lot of discussion about mindfulness, living consciously and the ability to relax. Typically people told me that they don’t have time to relax or that mindfulness doesn’t work for them because their brain is too busy. Most of all people said that …
Continue reading “How to Slow Down and Relax – From 5K to Couch Part 1”
Human beings have been telling each other stories ever since we first daubed drawings on a cave wall. As children stories help us to develop empathy, understanding and a moral code (Vitz, 1990). Stories are how we connect with each other, how we establish our similarities and our differences (Chamberlin, 2003). Stories help us to …
Continue reading “The Psychological Importance of Storytelling”
Much has been spoken and written about emotional first aid recently and, whilst it is a useful skill set, I want to take you back a step to emotional triage. In a medical setting triage is used to determine the degree of severity of a wound or illness in order to plan the most appropriate …
My husband is fond of reminding people that “lessons will be repeated until learned”. I completely accept the veracity and usefulness of this phrase – until it is aimed at me! But he is a brave and persistent man and this week I have had to take his helpfulness to heart. The learning in question …
Continue reading “Mindfulness and me – a lesson in living consciously”
I want to talk about the importance of kindness, that quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. Psychological research has shown that empathy and altruism are innate (Warnecken & Tomasello, 2009), and emerge spontaneously in early childhood. And yet, somehow, some of us unlearn that behaviour. Kindness is sometimes seen as softness or weakness. Empathy …
Much of my time as a counsellor and coach is spent working with people whose feelings of fear and anxiety are out of sync with the reality of their situation. I support and help them to see their situation more clearly, to breathe and take stock of their reality. They learn techniques to calm themselves, …
Research has shown that friendship is essential for physical and emotional well-being. A lack of a supportive social network has a mortality risk equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. The last few months have given me lots of reasons to reflect on how wonderful it is to not only have great friends, but to …
This week is International Coaching Week. If you are not a coach that may not mean much to you. This is the week in which those working in the industry come together to focus on CPD and to promote the benefits of coaching. If you have ever wondered “What is coaching and how could it …
Continue reading “What is coaching and how could it help me?”
This weekend I have been soaking up the sun (and eating chocolate) and pondering the nature of renewal. Many religions have spring festivals which celebrate the idea of birth and re-birth and renewal – all in line with nature. The fields are full of spring lambs, the flowers (and weeds!) are emerging and new life …