Make Sure Your Travels Are Beneficial For Your Mental Health

Travelling, they say, broadens the mind. But is this always true, or do you need to work on it to ensure that you are going to have a positive effect on your mind? If you tend to travel quite a lot, and you are keen to make sure that it’s a positive force in your life when it comes to your mental health, there are quite a few ways you should be able to achieve that. And they could also help you in improving your experience of travel in general as well. With that in mind, let’s look now at some of the things you might be able to do to make sure your travels are more beneficial for your mental health. Even just doing one or two of these could help you to have a much stronger mental health, and much more enjoyable travels too. Know Why You’re Travelling It might sound strange, but it’s really helpful to actually have a strong sense of your reason for travelling in the first place. Before you book anything, pause and ask yourself what you actually need right now. Rest? Stimulation? Conne......

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Why You’re Always Anxious When You’re Tired (and What to Do About It)

It’s common to think of anxiety as a kind of mental loop - a spiral of “what if” that we can talk ourselves out of. But often, anxiety is less about what is happening in our heads and more to do with what’s going on in our bodies. And one of the most common triggers is exhaustion. When we are short on rest, everything feels that little bit sharper, square pegs won’t go into round holes. Sounds, emotions and even little frustrations hit that bit harder. It’s not a sign of weakness - it’s simple biology. The physical connection between sleep and anxiety During deep sleep, the body runs an overnight repair program. Damaged tissues heal, our immune system rebuilds, stress hormones drop, our neurotransmitters reset, and emotional memories get filed away. Miss that window for maintenance, and like any mechanism, there will be an overload before too long. This is why, after a few restless nights, even a minor stressor can feel like a full-blown crisis. Elevated cortisol and adrenaline make ......

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Tips on mental wellness and stress reduction for professionals

We all know how important it is to stay on top of our mental health and try to create a life that isn't constantly filled with stress, whether we do this through lifestyle changes, exercise, and mental wellness activities in the aim to help balance our highly active and depleting lifestyles. In my experience, society as it stands doesn’t seem to care too much about improving mental health in a proactive way, only identifying it when it is considered toxic.  So we often have to take things into our own hands and ensure to find a balance that works and which includes making sure we take a break every now and then. I am not talking about a working vacation or brief getaway that is too short to be anything but symbolic but a proper break from it all when finances allow. We need real time to decompress and let the world wash out of our thoughts. To remain resilient in the workplace, in public, at home and when parenting, we need time away from the constant pressure of life.  Discon......

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10 Things You Can Do to Improve Your Life Right Now

Many of us as focused on making small improvements, to help both our mental and physical well-being and recognise that small, intentional actions can significantly impact our overall health. Each step, no matter how minor it might seem, propels us forward to a more fulfilled and happier existence. I'm hoping this guide will help to cut through the noise, offering clear, actionable steps we can all make to help improve our lives in tangible ways. Whether you're looking to bolster your health, deepen your relationships, or find more joy in your daily routine, the key is to start small. As we grow older we all start to realise the importance of setting achievable goals, prioritising mental health and nurturing relationships. It's something I am constantly working on, even if it's a bit of trial and error, we learn and grow which is always a positive so let's embark on this journey together, with the understanding that every step forward is a step towards a better versi......

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Shifting Focus: Stress-Free Podcasts & Nature

In today's fast-paced world, stress has become a common companion for many. The constant hustle culture doesn't help and many people are now seeking solace and relaxation through various means, which has led to the rise of stress-free podcasts and the soothing embrace of nature and combining them together can offer listeners a break from the manic work and a moment of calmness and tranquillity in our daily lives. The Stress Epidemic and Seeking Respite 1. Understanding Stress in Modern Life With demanding schedules, constant connectivity, and information overload, stress has become a prevalent aspect of contemporary living. This heightened stress has sparked a growing interest in seeking ways to unwind and find moments of peace amidst the chaos. 2. The Quest for Relaxation People are actively seeking ways to alleviate stress and cultivate mental well-being. Traditional methods like meditation, yoga, and mindfulness practices have gained popularity, but individuals are also turn......

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Making the Most of your time Online

Lately, in the media, there have been a lot of stories about the dangers of spending too much time online. The damaging impact all that screen time can have on your eyesight and concertation span and the negative mental health aspects of doom scrolling are just two examples. But wait … not all time spent online is unhealthy and if you can’t peel your eyes away from your mobile, it's better you find something constructive to do whilst you are there! So, with that in mind, here are some of our favourite ways to get some positive feedback and keep your brain in shape whilst online. Sudoku One of the best-known brain challenges is Sudoku, a number-based game that utilises a grid and requires you to place numbers in boxes based on previous placements. It is very good for your short-term memory and it also comes with varying levels of difficulty, so you can progress from a beginner through to an expert, by which point your memory skills will be acute! You can find all the rules and star......

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Ways to access mental health services in 2022

*This is written in collaboration with Responsival Life in 2022 can feel rather overwhelming, we have all been through an incredibly trying time, from lockdowns and coming to terms with living in a pandemic, to being unable to spend as much time with family and friends and now readjusting to this new normal, it can be a lot and for many of us, it's had an impact on our mental health. Unfortunately, the pandemic has also had a ripple effect on our health care facilities across the world, with waiting lists being longer than ever, this has been extended to mental health providers as well and I've felt this first hand. My anxiety has flared up and I felt I needed to talk to someone, my first stop was my GP who was impossible to see in person and again waiting lists for therapy or counselling are months (if not years) long so seeking alternative services has been the only viable option. My son also had an accident earlier this year which has caused him some anxiety so getting the r......

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Accepting and Acceptance of all bodies

Collaborative Post with Affiliate links The modern-day pressures of what society deem as pretty have caused havoc to the lives of many women as what we see portrayed in magazines, TV and social media are not always possible or realistic to most yet we are constantly pushed to achieve this, while still being told over and over again we need to accept our bodies fully. We also live in a world where it's almost acceptable to gossip or lay judgement to others (often publically), yet our bodies are our own right? We should have total autonomy to do what we like if it makes us feel good then why not - if someone wants to wear makeup that's great, if not that's also totally fine, the same goes for body size - all size's are beautiful, big or small and if someone does want to change their body that's their right and not for us to judge or mock because many of our decisions are connected to our mental health and are for us and us alone to decide on. We all have hang ups whic......

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8 reasons to embrace gardening

*This post contains affiliate links  Outdoor spaces, whether in our own home or community based, feel more essential than ever as they can offer us a space to relax and decompress and step away from everything that is going on in the world right now. I have always enjoyed spending time in my small garden, it's brought me a lot of focus over the past 12 months so I thought  I would share 8 ways that gardening can positively impact your life, as well as the people and world around you.  1.It Improves Wellbeing It’s well-known that gardening – plus spending time in the fresh air and being close to nature – is beneficial to mental health . Gardening can help people suffering from anxiety, depression and bereavement, and living near green spaces can reduce mental distress. Some GPs are even starting to prescribe gardening for rehabilitation. This includes community gardens which encourage people to make new social connections and improve their wellbeing. 2. It Let's You Be Cr......

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