We so often hear about ‘self-care’ and its importance. However, frequently this is attached to images of beaches, bubble baths and extravagance, which is not viable day to day. The reality is that self-care is a consistent practice that needs commitment and very often – scheduling. But, why do we need it? Supporting regulation When …
Have you ever noticed that when we see or hear tragedies, challenges or bad news on the news, internet or social media that so many people will leap to comment: “They should have done XYZ and it would have stopped that” “In my day, they wouldn’t have been allowed to do that” “Where were their …
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition. This means that the brain structure is different in those with ADHD in comparison to someone who is neurotypical. ADHD is associated with a dysregulated dopamine system. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with feelings of pleasure, satisfaction and motivation. Dopamine is linked with movement, memory, pleasurable reward and motivation, behaviour …
Are you someone who sees the challenges that others are getting into and finds yourself involved in their worlds, trying to stop them? Are you someone who, when you see someone struggling, you feel an overwhelming need to relieve their struggles? Who shortly afterwards finds yourself exhausted and the other person feeling irritated with you? …
Something that has become more prevalent over recent years is the number of professionals that I speak to who blame social media for individuals (adolescents and adults) seeking a diagnosis. Often, this surrounds needs such as autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit disorder, but can branch out to a number of different diagnoses. This might …
Why we need to stop blaming social media for diagnosis Read More »
When we are supporting the emotional needs and mental health of others, we can find that caring for ourselves can fall by the wayside. When the balance of self-care and working practice is not well managed and monitored, it can quickly fall out of balance and cause a wide number of implications. The nature of supporting …
Gratitude In recent years, research into the power of gratitude has identified the importance that this practice has on our sense of happiness and well-being. When we practice gratitude consistently, and over time, we can train our brain to focus on what is going well, and develop a sense of optimism. It has been found, …
We often hear about the ‘importance of routines’ for children, and their positive impact on child mental health, but why do we say this? Our brains are a complex set of highways, created through millions of neural pathways. The vast array of pathways throughout our brains are connected by neurons which pass signals from one …
A conversation that I have seen more of over the last few weeks resolves around the new Online Safety Bill. The Online Safety Bill is a new set of laws to protect children and adults online. The bill will make social media companies legally responsible for keeping users safe online. The bill is related to: …
Over recent weeks I have had a huge number of conversations about children’s mental health and the increase that parents and professionals are seeing in: Anxiety Health anxiety Separation Anxiety Phobias Emotionally Based School Avoidance Low mood Worries and fears For many, the question is ‘why?’ You may have also noticed that adults are less …
