How parents manage a child’s emotions can drastically affect how the child manages situations in the future. It can be tempting to plead with a child to stop crying or that there’s nothing to be afraid of. But these words are a double-edged sword, because telling them not to do something is like telling them […]

Childhood abandonment, trauma and emotional neglect will reveal itself in adulthood in one form or another. This article examines the effect of all three and offers some solutions. Abandonment in childhood can affect adult relationships. Abandonment behaviours are a form of anxiety, occurring occurs when an individual has a strong fear of losing loved ones. […]

Burnout is the modern term we use to describe physical and emotional exhaustion. We all get overworked and tired every so often, but burnout is more than just tiredness. Burnout is worse, and it occurs when stress reaches chronic proportions and has a detrimental effect on other areas of your life.  Among the signs of […]

Do you feel someone is manipulating you? If any of the following ticks a box, the answer is probably YES… Do they relentlessly undermine you, or engage in very personal attacks, followed by instructions not to overreact? Fi they do this repeatedly, even over a period of time, then yes, they’re trying to manipulate you. […]

Sometimes life throws the unexpected at us and we are forced to change our plans. That’s when our brains explode into action. Overthinking is part of the survival strategy! We all, from time to time, find ourselves in situations where we have to think of a ‘Plan B’, second guessing our own decisions and making […]

Are you a sensitive person? Maybe it’s time to find out.  If other people’s moods and or their pain and suffering affect you deeply, or watching violent films, or seeing others in distress, and if you need time to process these things or find yourself actively avoiding these situations, then the answer is YES.  If […]

The first thing you should understand about self sabotage is that it is a mistake to set impossibly high standards for yourself. The second thing to be aware of is the temptation to discourage yourself before setting goals or trying new things. We self-sabotage for a variety of reasons, including low self-esteem, lack of trust, […]

Have you ever felt really attracted to someone, or felt that the chemistry between you is just right? The most common first indicators of relationship chemistry that press the ‘long-term relationship thinking’ are of course 1) physical attraction 2) the thrill of the forbidden and 3) some kind of shared traumatic experience. The problem is […]

Stress is now recognised as being the number 1 proxy killer disease today. The American Medical Association (AMA) says that stress is the basic cause of more than 60% of all human illness and disease. Stress affects the entire body and can be the cause of: Chronic fatigue, Decreased energy levels Low mood and Suppressed […]

Some people just can’t bring themselves to throw anything away! Without doubt, some items are worth keeping… but among the precious memories, the special souvenirs, the clothing that will be needed again, the precious books, the spare laptop or mobile phone, the letters, the CD’s and DVDs, are things that really don’t need anymore. We […]

Anxiety is a seriously debilitating condition which affects one in six adults. Anxiety is usually connected to feelings of constant fear and a never-ending sense of dread. Both can be almost impossible to manage. Anxiety affects work, social lives and relationships. Anxiety is more than just an inconvenient human emotion; it evolved to help us […]

Feted as a way to improve mental and physical well-being, Mindfulness has become popular in recent years, but there is no proof Mindfulness is everything it’s cracked up to be. Said to boost happiness, mindfulness has become something of a trend thanks to plaudits from A-listers such as Emma Watson, Davina McCall Katy Perry, Angelina […]