First Psychology blog

New Year is often a time when we look to the past, take stock and think how we can improve and build for the future. It may be that we are hoping to improve at a skill, want to take up a new hobby or are looking to get fitter and more active - perhaps run a marathon. Whatever our goals, the best way to achieve them is to emulate the habits of tops sports people. There's a good reason why only some people reach the top levels of sport. It takes a whole range of skills and behaviours, as well as an excellent ability at a sport, to join the sporting elite.  The good news is that many of these behaviours aren't specific to sports. Five habits of successful sports people that could help you achieve your goals Here are five habits of successful sports people, that could help you achieve your goals in the coming year. Motivation: Keep motivated because if you really want it, you are more likely to achieve it. While this sounds simple, it can be hard to keep going ...

Black Friday (also know as 'Mad Friday') is nearly upon us! Yes, you heard right. There is another Black Friday. But this one has nothing to do with shopping. It's been named Black Friday by the emergency services and it's the last friday before Christmas - the most popular day for the office Christmas party. Need we say more! As we mentioned, this day is when ambulances and emergency services are most in demand and this is largely due to the amount of alcohol consumed and the mishaps, brawls and traffic accidents that result from this. While many are out for a good night out and in full control of what they consume, government statistics suggest that one in every 13 adults is actually dependent on alcohol in the UK. This is a staggering figure and shows just how important it is to know the signs of alcohol dependency so you can recognise them in yourself and others. It is not easy to recognise the signs of alcohol dependency, particularly in ourselves....

Christmas is often seen as a time for families. And whatever shape and size a family is there are often complex dynamics involved in interacting within the family unit. Whether we come from a family we perceive as 'happy' or not, being a parent is not easy. We often come to parenting with preconceived ideas about how parenting and families should be. Many people struggle to shake off negative experiences from their own upbringing, which can come to the fore when we find ourselves parenting. Often parenting is as much about what we don't want for our children as it is about what we want. And our partner may have different views from us, to further complicate things. Counselling Psychologist, Flora Maclay who works with many children and families at First Psychology's Edinburgh and Borders centres has been scouring some well known parenting books for some of her favourite parenting tips. Top parenting tips "Once finished, forget it" Children forget...

We know from the questions we're asked that many people find the different types of psychological therapy confusing. So we thought we'd give a brief summary of each type of therapy. Counselling Counselling is a popular therapy that involves talking to a trained practitioner about your problems and issues. It provides a safe place to talk about and think about your thoughts and feelings with someone outside of your social circle. Counselling is usually a short-term therapy and typically lasts from six to twelve sessions. More about counselling > Psychotherapy Psychotherapy, like counselling, involves talking about problems and difficulties. However it is a more in-depth process which involves looking at your life as a whole rather than looking at specific problems. Psychotherapy provides a regular space for clients to talk about how they are and to work through patterns and issues they find difficult. One popular type of psychotherapy is IPT or interpersonal therapy,...

Following on from the spending driven days of Black Friday last week and Cyber Monday yesterday, today is increasingly becoming known as Giving Tuesday, a global day devoted to thinking of others and giving back to the community. Giving Tuesday began in 2012 to encourage people to donate their money, time and services to their community. Some examples include giving blood, donating to a charity, volunteering to help a charity or organisation, the list of how we can give to others is endless. The idea of giving is, of course, one we are all familiar with, particularly at this time of year. The holiday season is a time when we traditionally give to others. However, we often see giving as about gifts rather than our time or services. With many feeling the pinch of the latest government cuts and job losses, it is important to remember that giving something as simple as a smile or a kind act can brighten people's lives in ways that tangible gifts cannot reach. And it is not ju...

We're often asked what counselling is all about and whether it's effective in helping people deal with the difficulties they may be having, so we thought we'd discuss some common issues in this blog post. Counselling involves talking You don't have to be a chatterbox to come for counselling, but the process does involve talking about the issues you are experiencing with a trained professional. Counselling provides a 'safe place' where you can talk openly without worrying what your friends, family or colleagues think about you or your thoughts. For that reason, it is important to work with someone you gel with and feel you can trust. Choosing a therapist There are different types of therapist who offer counselling and this can lead to confusion when trying to decide who to see. Counsellors, psychotherapists and counselling psychologists all offer counselling services and there are different counselling approaches to consider too. At First Psychology, we b...

With Christmas Day approaching fast, the thought of spending time with your extended family may have started to make its way to the front of your mind. While we are bombarded with advertising images of happy families and couples enjoying the big day, in reality things are often not so rosy. While the thought of spending time with your siblings and their children, or you or your partner's parents may be idylic in your head, it may be that in reality they always seems to rub you up the wrong way and leave you feeling cross or upset. Read our tips to keeping your family on an even keel so nobody ends up in the dog house this Christmas! Parents and parents in-law "Parents can have a powerful effect on their grown up children. While we often look forward to spending time with our parents, being in their company for extended periods can lead to discussions and niggles coming to the fore," says Professor Ewan Gillon, Counselling Psychologist and Clinical Director of ...

This time of year is popular for halloween parties, fireworks parties and, dare we say it, Christmas parties - yes they are not far away! And of course, parties mean social interactions. While many people look forward to a good knees up, those with social anxieties may experience feelings of dread as the party season approaches. What is social anxiety? Social anxiety is a particular type of anxiety that involves extreme shyness and feelings of anxiety specifically relating to social interactions. People with this type of anxiety typically feel self-conscious around others and may feel inferior or judged. Social anxiety is extremely common and may accompany other issues such as depression. Types of social anxiety Specific Social Phobia: While some people may struggle in a party environment, some sufferers of social anxiety are able to mix with people and socialise normally in most instances. However they may struggle with a particular aspect of social interaction, such as ...

Anxiety is the body's way of dealing with something stressful. Feeling anxious in a stressful situation is a common and natural human reaction. There are a whole range of situations that can bring about stress and anxiety: from going on holiday or getting married to a job interview or preparing to perform on stage. Anything that may be stressful (no matter how much you are looking forward to it) can bring about anxiety too. Common symptoms of anxiety Anxiety affects different people in different ways, but some of the most common symptoms are a dry mouth, pounding heart, feeling breathless, fatigue or difficulty sleeping, dizziness and headaches, lack on concentration, needing the toilet frequently, constant worrying, irritability, and nausea. Why do we get anxiety? There is no one reason why people get anxious as anxiety is specific to each individual. Some of the most common reasons include: Feeling out of control - general worries about routine events (often called ...

Mindfulness courses First Psychology is holding a number of courses and workshops on mindfulness this autumn / winter.  Mindfulness is a popular approach which has been demonstrated to reduce stress and improve overall wellbeing. It has its roots in ancient meditation practices and is incorporated in many popular pastimes, such as yoga and tai chi.  Learning to be more mindful will allow you to bring your mind into the present moment and you will start to notice the things that have been passing you by, such as the feeling of the wind on your face, the sound of leaves rustling, and the smell of the air.  As you become more mindful, your mind will focus less on thoughts about the past and the future. These thoughts create stress and prevent your mind from resting. Mindfulness will teach you to calm your mind. For further details or to book a place, please click the links below: An Introduction To Mindfulness (6 Week Course) > starting  Glasgow  ...

In the next few weeks, Sir Alex Ferguson will reveal the secrets of his success in leadership at two talks taking place in Scotland. (Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow on 28 September 2015; Music Hall, Aberdeen on 1 October 2015) The former football manager will talk about the leadership skills he developed during his long football management career and the many lessons he has learned along the way. Can we learn from sport? You may wonder whether the skills required of someone in a high profile sports management role can be transferred to someone who perhaps manages a business or a team of individuals within a large organisation. Interestingly, the sports world has by its very competitive nature, been a key area of expertise in not only sports coaching but also performance coaching. In recent years there has been much written on the subject of what has been termed 'the inner game' and how the way we think can make a huge impact on how we perform. Self belief and confidenc...

It's that time of year when all the hard work of exams pays off and young people pack up their things and head off to university full of excitement about the future. Freshers week, the first week back when 'freshers' or new students are traditionally welcomed to the university, is usually full of social events. It is common for new students to feel excited at the thought of starting something new and meeting new friends. It is also usual to have general worries about fitting in, getting on with new people, whether you are good enough for your course, etc. Whenever we experience change in our lives, it is often a time when we also experience stress and anxiety. This is a normal part of life. However, some people also suffer from social anxiety issues and those people may experience dread at the mere thought of Freshers Week. Tips for dealing with social situations If you are feeling highly anxious about Freshers Week, here are some tips for dealing with social sit...

You can't step into a bookshop at the moment without coming face to face with a myriad of mindfulness books. From colouring books for adults and children to self-help books and even a mindfulness diet book, mindfulness is the answer to everything, it seems. So what is mindfulness and does it work? Is mindfulness a new thing? Although mindfulness may seem, at first glance, to be the latest fad, it has actually been around for hundred of years. It has its roots in Eastern meditation practices and was first introduced into modern health care by Jon Zabat-Zinn. How does mindfulness work? The practice of mindfulness trains the mind to focus on the present moment: our breath, the cool breeze on our skin, the warmth of the sun, the sound of the birds... In the hectic world in which we live, it can be hard not to get bogged down by the constant 'internal chatter' of our minds. We may travel from A to B without even noticing anything about our journey because we are so foc...

Those of the less sporty among us, may have distant memories of being made to run four laps around the school sports field as a warm up before embarking on the sport for that day. It's not surprising then that these memories may have been pushed to the backs of our minds - sport isn't for us and we are glad we no longer have to do it. But wait, are we throwing the baby out with the bath water? Can we learn lessons from sport that are useful in our lives more generally, and if so what are they? While many people struggle to manage pressure in their everyday lives and perhaps fail to achieve their goals as a result of this, elite sports people manage to achieve their goals despite the pressure. So what can we 'steal' from the way top athletes do things, to use in our own lives? Five lessons we can 'steal' from top sports people 1. Keep motivated If you have one specific goal to achieve, set yourself a range of related goals to keep you motivated along the ...

As Halloween approaches and we prepare ourselves to see some scary sights, we're exploring the wider topic of fears and phobias and ways to tackle some of the most common fears. Fears are our in-built way of keeping us safe – they remind us that certain things, such as snakes, can be dangerous, so we give them a wide berth and stay alive. However, sometimes we develop an intense fear of an object or situation that prevents us from carrying on with life on a day-to-day basis. Symptoms of fear and phobia There are many symptoms associated with intense fears and phobias, such as shaking; feeling confused/disoriented; sweating; feeling sick and dizzy; rapid heart beats; chest pains;  a dry mouth; and difficulty breathing. Some sufferers may also fear losing control, fainting or dying. These symptoms are commonly experienced by those with anxieties such as fear and phobias.  Common fear and phobias People fear all sorts of things, however there are some more commo...

Participants at our Sleep Well webinar yesterday evening received lots of information from psychologist, Jaclyne Di Croce about sleep, sleep problems and sleep disorders and ways we can improve our sleep quality.  In particular Jaclyne introduced the concept of 'sleep hygiene' and ways to improve yours. Sleep hygiene can not only help you if you already have a sleep problem, but it can also prevent any future sleep problems. Here are some of Jaclyne's tips for achieving good sleep hygiene Keep it regular Try to maintain a regular sleeping and waking routine - this includes weekends and holidays too! Your body will get used to this and start winding down automatically as you near your regular sleep time. Keep your bed for sleeping Aim to spend an appropriate amount of time in bed and don't work or do other tasks such as sending emails etc from your laptop or phone in bed or watching tv as you can start to associate your bed with work or entertainment, no...

Not so long ago, holidays were likely to have been a time when we had no contact with work. However more and more people are choosing to keep in touch with work while on their holidays or days off. And people's social lives are coming into the workplace too with many people checking and commenting on social media posts while at work. It is clear that something is happening to our lives in the face of mobile technology - what were once two distinct areas of our lives are merging into one and this has been dubbed 'work/life merge'. So what of this 'work/life merge' and if we vow to keep our working and social lives separate, will that reduce our stress levels? Unfortunately it's not that straightforward. First Psychology carried out research on the impact of technology on work-life balance and found that 89 per cent of participants checked their work emails in the evenings and the figure was an even higher 94 per cent for morning and before work checking. ...

In our final post during Depression Awareness Week, we wanted to highlight a group of people  who are known to be moody as a matter of course - we do of course mean teenagers. Of course, the tendency of teenagers to have mood swings and to be independent is quite normal. As well as hormonal issues, there is a lot of change, anxiety and pressure at this life stage, so it stands to reason that there will be mood swings. However this tendency can make it harder to spot signs of more serious issues, such as depression, in this age group. How can I spot the signs? When it comes to depression, the key is to consider the length and severity of the symptoms. Long lasting, uncharacteristic changes in personality, behaviour or mood are good indicators that something is not right.  Teenagers who are depressed may become irritable, hostile and prone to angry outbursts. They may not take criticism very well and be particularly sensitive to being rejected or to failing. You may...

This week is depression awareness week and in our previous post we looked at what depression is. At First Psychology Scotland's centres we work with people of all ages and from all types of background and we see the evidence every day. Depression doesn't just affect one type of person - anyone can suffer from depression at any point in their life. Men are often overlooked However when it comes to thinking about depression, men are often overlooked. There are a number of reasons for this. Traditional ways of assessing people for depression looked at the symptoms which up until recently had been the symptoms reported by women. That is because women are more likely to seek help. Indeed many men have been brought up to be big and strong and not to cry or admit weakness. They may not share their feelings with their friends, family or even their partner. This can prevent men seeking help. The signs that a man may need help Men actually experience the same range of issues ...

It is Depression Awareness Week this week and everyone will be familiar with the term 'depression' being used in everyday conversation to describe someone who is feeling miserable, but what really constitutes depression and how can you tell the difference between low mood and depression? What is depression? Someone who is suffering from depression will not simply feel a little bit down for a few weeks, they will experience low mood, loss of interest or enjoyment in activities, and low self-esteem over a prolonged period of time. They may find it hard to deal with daily life and may not feel able to cope with day-to-day activities. Common symptoms of depression  There are many different symptoms associated with depression including: Changes in feelings: feeling agitated, irritated or angry; feeling worthless or helpless; low confidence; guilt; feeling you have lost control of your life; and suicidal thoughts. Changes in behaviour: increased aggression towards other...

What sort of communicator are you?  If you find it hard or feel guilty about expressing your view point or feel angry and lose your temper when others disagree with you then you may be a non-assertive communicator. Lacking assertiveness skills, non-assertive communicators may be passive and submit to the dominance of others or they may be aggressive and dominate social interactions.  Often aggression and dominance is what people think of when they think about assertiveness, but assertiveness is not about this. What is assertiveness? Assertiveness is about feeling able to express your view point and feelings in an open and honest way as well as listening respectfully to the views and feelings of others.  An assertive communicator will feel able to say 'no' to the unfair demands of others without feeling guilty or anxious. This may sound easy, but expressing your viewpoint without bullying and dominating others and without feeling guilty later is a skil...

Today is International Day of Happiness 2015 so we thought we'd look at the psychology of happiness. Happiness is a complex and changing state, however there are a number of factors that have been shown to improve our chances of being happy. Personality Although 50% of our happiness comes from external sources, such as personal connections with others, our health and our working lives, research conducted at the University of Edinburgh and Queensland Institute suggests that happiness is partly determined by our personalities. And they found that this is largely hereditary. The researchers discovered that people who are sociable, conscientious and do not excessively worry tend to be happier. If it's in my genes, can I ever be happy? The good news is that while half of our happiness is linked to our genes, we can still experience happiness.  Research by Lyubomirsky suggests that we have the ability to influence 40% of our happiness, with the remaining 10% relating t...

You may have noticed that today is Friday 13th, a day that many consider to be bad luck. But did you know that some people actually suffer from a condition known as 'paraskevidekatriaphobia' or to those of us who have a problem pronouncing such things, a fear of Friday the 13th. Those who experience this phobia, in common with phobia sufferers in general, will go out of their way to avoid doing anything that may result in bad luck on this day. For example, they may cancel/ reschedule appointments or avoid travelling because their fear that something terrible will happen is so great. So is this really a phobia? In general terms, a phobia is a strong, irrational fear that something poses a danger when in fact that thing poses little or no danger in reality.  Some of the most common phobias include: flying, spiders, snakes, driving, needles, enclosed spaces, and public speaking. A fear of Friday the 13th is less common, but it can be a phobia all the same. Phobi...

Today is World Sleep Day, a day that aims to raise awareness of the importance of sleep on our health and wellbeing. How much sleep we need varies widely and depends in part on our age - the older we are, the less sleep our bodies tend to need. However according to the Mental Health Foundation, we now sleep about 90 minutes less each night than we did in the 1920s, so there are clearly many people living life in a sleep deprived state. Why is sleep important?  Sleep affects how we think and behave. Studies have shown that a lack of sleep affects activity in the brain and can lead to low mood, negative thoughts and loneliness. How to improve your sleep  The World Association of Sleep Medicine suggests establishing a regular bedtime and waking time and advises that daytime sleep (naps or siestas) should not exceed 45 minutes. While exercise is generally beneficial when it comes to sleep, the association advises not doing exercise just before bed as it can make it hard to...

We all know from our own childhood (and adult) experiences that being confident greatly improves our chances of happiness and success in life. So how can you tell if your child is confident and are you doing the right things to help boost their confidence and self-esteem? We look at three common myths about confidence in children. 1. Praise is always good right?  While it is true that praising your child is beneficial, overpraising is not. Tip: Think about how often and why you praise your child. Only praise them for real achievements and be specific about your reasons for praising them. 2. If my child can speak in class and make themselves heard, they are confident, aren't they? No, this is not necessarily the case at all. Children have different personalities and some children will be naturally quiet while others will be more outgoing. Tip: Look for other signs that your child is confident, such as them being able to express their needs and wishes in an assertive way....

Reading lots on social media today about the film 'Boyhood' due to its recent Oscar nominations. Boyhood is the ultimate film about a boy growing up - it was filmed over a 12 year period using the same actors throughout. This allows viewers to marvel at each and every change in the boy's appearance and character, as he grows up and reaches manhood. Of course, while the boy is really growing up during the film-making process, the film itself aims to represent the trials and tribulations of growing up.  We all know this comes with many highs and lows. There are birthdays and parties, holidays and new friendships, but there are also numerous instances of sadness, humiliation and loneliness along the way.  There is no doubt that while getting older is a beautiful and necessary process, it can be hard for children to go through the various stages of childhood and adolescence. We know this because we've all done it and no matter how happy your own childhood, l...

Today we celebrate Chinese New Year - the most important event in the Chinese calendar. In common with 1 January, this is a time when families will celebrate and embrace the coming year. Chinese families may buy each other presents, get a new haircut, or clean their homes. Cleaning the home at Chinese New Year is a symbolic activity, which is all about clearing away bad fortune and making way for good fortune. Chinese New Year is considered a spring event and in this respect has much in common with the UK tradition of spring cleaning. While spring cleaning usually focuses on cleaning the home, it is highly beneficial to apply the same sentiment to our lives in more general terms. Read our article with tips on spring cleaning your life >

You've probably heard much talk in the media about mindfulness and how it can be beneficial for a whole range of issues, but what is mindfulness and how does it work? What is ‘mindfulness’? Mindfulness has its roots in Eastern meditation practices and it was first introduced into modern health care by Dr Jon Kabat-Zinn. It can be defined as paying attention to our experience in the present moment, to what is going on in our mind, body and day-to-day life, in a non-judgemental or accepting way (Kabat-Zinn, 1990). How can mindfulness help? Our minds are constantly thinking and imagining. We often get caught up in these thoughts and place too much weight on them, which can have a knock-on effect on our mood and subsequent behaviour. However, despite the significant effect these thoughts can have on our feelings and behaviour, they are simply creations of our mind - not reality.  Mindfulness can help by making us more aware of the mind's processes and, with practice...

We've reached the third week of January and by now have had weeks to work on our New Year's resolutions, so why are we starting to lose momentum? Well according to research evidence, we are most likely to have a New Year's resolution wobble during the third week of January. Our enthusiasm can keep us going until now, but then the hard work of keeping going kicks in. According to researcher Phillipa Lally and her colleagues, the average number of days it takes us to form a new habit is 66 days ( European Journal of Social Psychology , 2009). That means, if we're really serious about what we want to achieve, we need to persevere. After about 66 days, the behaviour should have become automatic, which means we shouldn't have to try and remember to do it any more and that makes life a lot easier. That's because the pathways in the brain actually change when we keep doing the same behaviour over and over again. If your New Year's resolution was to reduce y...