First Psychology blog

Throughout our lives, it’s likely we’ll all experience rejection in one form or another, and on many occasions. Whether it’s rejection from your parents, a friend, partner or even a potential employer, it can come as a heavy blow to our mental wellbeing and feel extremely painful. A recent study looked at the effects of rejection on social behaviour of women and how “humans have a strong need to belong and connect to others”. The results showed that the intensity of the rejection was integral to how the person coped following the experience. What are the effects of rejection? Rejection can start from a young age, for example, when you’re a child and perhaps your parents have been to busy to play. Or maybe you’ve tried to make friends at school and weren’t accepted into the group. Ultimately, whatever the situation, rejection doesn’t feel great and can be damaging to our self-esteem. It can make us feel as though we’re not good enough, accepted or even loved. However, if we experience ...

The long, cold, dark nights of winter can leave us feeling drained, tired and, for some, depressed. Studies have shown that when we're less exposed to daylight, our levels of serotonin drop, which can affect our mood and trigger symptoms of depression. The more daylight we are exposed to, the more serotonin we produce. So, it’s not surprising that the moment we start to see signs of spring, we instantly begin to feel in a better mood, with many of us getting the urge to spring clean our homes. But springtime is also a great time to focus on our mental and emotional wellbeing, and reduce feelings of anxiety, stress, or general melancholy. Find out how in our tips for spring cleaning your mind, below. Eat right A healthy diet packed with seasonal fruit and vegetables, and plenty of water, can work wonders not just for our physical health but also out mental health. A healthy diet can help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. Get outside Soak up all that wonderful vitamin D whic...