So, you may or may not have heard of Blue Monday. This is the name given to a day in January (typically the third Monday of the month) which is said to be the most depressing day of the year. The concept was first published in a 2005 press release from the company, which claimed to have calculated … Continue reading Blue Monday- debunked
Category: mental health
Understanding our teenagers’ in the ‘new normal’
At the best of times, becoming a teenager is difficult. However, this isn't the best of times, though. So, how can we, as parents, continue to support our teenager's? What do their actions and thoughts tell us about what's happening to them? And how do we untangle those that are an understandable answer to the … Continue reading Understanding our teenagers’ in the ‘new normal’
Language around anxiety is political
Anxiety has been systematically stigmatised for many decades and has historically settled for discriminatory lexicon. Words like, ‘loner’ ‘weirdo’ ‘loonie’ are all words that we have been bought up with to be perfectly acceptable terms. Stigma is not only an element that people with anxiety experience, but the extent to which it has permeated our … Continue reading Language around anxiety is political
I have changed
Yesterday I was told I had changed. I was told this by someone I am very close too. Someone I trust. The moment the words came out of his mouth I tensed. My thoughts went to, uh oh, what does he mean? What have I done! The assumption in my head was that it was … Continue reading I have changed
What can mental health researchers learn from the COVID-19 crisis?
Since the COVID‐19 pandemic took hold in the first quarter of 2020, children and their families across the world have experienced extraordinary changes to the way they live their lives – creating enormous practical and psychological challenges for them at many levels. While some of these effects are directly related to COVID‐related morbidity and mortality, … Continue reading What can mental health researchers learn from the COVID-19 crisis?
Coronavirus: How to make working from home a better experience
Millions of people need a home office for the first time. Some have perched at kitchen tables or made do with a laptop on the sofa for months. But even if we are all vaccinated from COVID, many people may never go back to the office full time. With lockdown 1.0, we know that the … Continue reading Coronavirus: How to make working from home a better experience
Mindset Matters
Does mindset matter? Yes it does. Mindset acts as an internal template for making sense of problems and responding to them. Whatever the changes you are trying to make, taking time to get into the right mindset each day can make a real difference to results. So how do you work out what mindset you … Continue reading Mindset Matters
Mental health is a political issue
Political uncertainty can be challenging, regardless of our beliefs or where we might fall on the political spectrum. Political change can affect us in different ways and, for many of us, and uncertainty may cause stress and anxiety about the future of our country. Major political and economic fluctuations, such as Coronavirus, may also have … Continue reading Mental health is a political issue
How books can impact our mental health
Ever since I can remember I have used books to help influence my mood, if I’m feeling like I need some female empowerment I’ll go and read some Brené Brown, or Toni Morrison. If I’m feeling in a love mood I will read a book about how we never can stop having hope, such as … Continue reading How books can impact our mental health
Why psychologists are using social media for mental health research
This article contains discussion of suicide and self-harm In 2014, the Samaritans launched what seemed like an innovative new project: Radar. Designed to provide what the charity described as an “online safety net”, users could sign up to Radar to receive updates on the content of other people’s tweets, with emails sent out based on … Continue reading Why psychologists are using social media for mental health research
