First Psychology blog

Once the excitement of a new promotion has settled, the prospect of asserting authority over your previous peers can be daunting. Almost everyone interested in moving to positions of greater responsibility will face this problem at some point in their lives and the chances are very few will do it with ease. Whether your new employees continue to treat you like their friend or just ignore your requests, the peer-to-boss transition can be a tough one. However, there are ways to negotiate through this bumpy period and emerge both as a stronger leader and a stronger team. Firstly, do not let co-workers reactions ruin your happiness over your promotion. You worked hard and were chosen for a reason. If you believe in your abilities, others will too.  Be confident, acting like a leader will make it easier for others to accept your new role.  Connect with your team; express your commitment to their success and that of the company. If they believe you are still on their side they wi...

Mindfulness is a popular approach that has been shown to help people deal with stress. Mindfulness focuses on the here and now - how are you feeling internally and externally on a moment by moment basis. Focusing on the present prevents us dwelling on past issues or worrying too much about the future. This allows us time to bring our nervous system back into balance. It's like a rest and reset for the mind. Practising mindfulness In practice, mindfulness often focuses on repetitive action such as breathing or chanting. It can be applied to activities such as walking, exercising, eating or meditating as well as more passive activities such as sitting. For mindful practice the following are necessary: A quiet environment - somewhere you are free from distraction.. A comfortable position - sitting on a chair, lotus position etc, try not to lie down. A focus - something to concentrate your mind. It can be an object, a feeling, some words or an image. Whatever you choose, ...

Today we look at the third relaxation technique, body scan, which can be used to combat stress. Body scan is similar to progressive muscle relaxation, covered in our previous blog, but involves focusing on muscle groups rather than tensing and relaxing them. Technique 3 - body scan Lie down on your back with your legs straight out and your arms by your sides. Focus on your breathing and breathe deeply for two minutes or until you feel ready to start. Focus on your toes on your right foot. Tune in to the sensations you feel there and imagine your breathe flowing from the sole of your foot.  After a few minutes, move your focus to your right ankle and repeat process. Then move to your right calf, knee, thigh and hip and repeat for the left side of your body. From there, move up to your torso, through your lower back and abdomen, the upper back and chest, and your shoulders. Pay close attention to any parts that are uncomfortable. Move your focus to your fingers on your righ...

Following on from our blogs on stress and relaxation, today's blog will look at the relaxation technique known as progressive muscle relaxation. This technique involves systematically tensing and relaxing different muscle groups to gain an awareness of how tension and relaxation feel in the body. This should then make it easier to notice when we become tense and therefore more able to do something about it. Technique 2 - Progressive muscle relaxation Get comfortable, take off your shoes and make sure your clothes are loose. Take a few minutes to slowly breathe in and out. Turn your attention to your right foot and focus on how it feels. Slowly tense the muscles in your foot as tightly as you can. Hold for a count of ten. Slowly release the foot, taking note of how it feels as the tension leaves the foot and it becomes limp. Stay in a relaxed state breathing deeply and slowly. Next focus your attention on your left foot. Follow the same sequence as for right foot.  Con...

Following on from our previous blog on work-place stress, the next few blogs will look at different ways to relax. Being able to relax effectively is an important skill because it triggers the body's natural relaxation response - the opposite of the stress response. Relaxation is not difficult, but it can take some practice to master. Trying a range of techniques is a great way of finding what works best for you. Technique 1 - Deep breathing Focused deep breathing can be a very helpful technique in combatting stress and it forms the foundation of other relaxation practices. The key to deep breathing is to concentrate on breathing from the abdomen, filling up the lungs with air and puffing up the abdomen as we inhale. This process delivers more oxygen to the body and immediately helps reduce anxiety and tension. How to deep breath Sit in a comfortable position, with a straight back. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen. Inhale through your nose. You...

Today is National Stress Awareness Day and this year's focus is on beating work-related stress, something that according to figures from the charity MIND affects half a million people in the UK to a level that is making them ill. So what causes work-related stress? At work we may find ourselves working side by side with people we wouldn't choose to spend time with. Add to that the fact that people often have different working styles, for example, one person may work very intensely for five hours then appear to be 'slacking' for the rest of the day while their colleague may keep their head down all day and work at a consistent, less intense pace. Conflicts can arise with one person perceiving another not to be pulling their weight while the other person may wonder how they can possibly be expected to do more. As a result people may feel under pressure to drive themselves harder, particularly if there is a potential threat of redundancy. Other people's expectations an...