First Psychology blog

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 ...