Upregulation is a term used to describe when a child uses behaviours to bring parents or carers closer to them (also called proximity seeking or attachment seeking behaviours). They aim to raise an alert to parents that the child needs help, is feeling uncertain or stressed. Proximity seeking behaviours begin in infancy, when babies will […]
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When we are talking to ourselves, we are always giving ourselves instructions. Our brains are always listening, and this contributes to our internal belief systems. What we say to ourselves is important. So, using affirmations can be a great way to remind ourselves of our positive traits. Sunflower Affirmations Download it here Next steps Want
Children’s Activity: Sunflower Affirmations Read More »
When we experience anything which is very stressful or traumatic, we can find ourselves entering a state of shock or high stress, but be surprised when weeks or months (sometimes years) later we find ourselves, or our children re-living it the event as if it was yesterday, when we believed it was in the past
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This week, I have lost count of the number of conversations I have had about feelings, and the importance of feeling them and experiencing them. Your feelings are a communication system, telling you that you have needs that require some attention. If you are stressed you are overloaded, taking on too much, or trying to
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Colouring has multiple benefits, including; enhancing creativity, promoting well-being, stress relief, increasing a sense of mindfulness as well as providing a sense of achievement on completion. Colouring allows us to unwind and let our minds focus on just the task in front of us. So, we’re sharing a free nature colouring sheet for you to
Children’s Activity: Mandala Colouring Read More »
Overthinking refers to thinking too much about something, or putting too much time into thinking about or analysing something in a way that is more harmful than helpful. Whilst catastrophising relates to the repetitive, negative thoughts that focus on the worst possible outcomes in a situation or seeing a situation as being much worse than
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Friendships are an interesting aspect of life for us to navigate. However, since technology, our friendships have adapted, but have they made us more anxious and intense in our friendships, and limited us from forming healthy connections? When we develop friendships, there are key stages that we normally process through: Research has shown that it
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Doodling Being able to take some time out, to doodle and colour is a great starter for reducing the pressure of conversations, especially if they are emotive. Sometimes, sitting looking at someone across from the table, is too much pressure. Doodling has been found to increase blood flow to the brain and support regulation of
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Avoidant Attachment Styles An avoidant attachments style, refers to a child who has learnt that they are not supported emotionally and therefore has developed hyper-independence as a safety response. They do not lean on, or trust others to help them as they have learnt that people cannot be relied upon. Therefore, they learn to down-regulate
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Anxious Attachment Styles An anxious attachment style refers to a child who has developed a belief that they cannot trust themselves, and are reliant on key people in their lives to help them. The child (or later adult) has a strong belief that they will be rejected or abandoned, and has a high level of
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