First Psychology blog

Everybody has good habits and bad habits and often the good habits can be difficult to start and the bad habits can be difficult to stop! But on the whole they don’t tend to negatively impact on our wellbeing in a significant way. However, sometimes we can start to feel dependent on certain habits to make us feel good and whether these were good habits or bad habits to start with doesn’t matter, doing them to excess and without control can cause us serious problems. How do we know when a habit is out of control? Any habit can get out of control or harmful through doing it to excess, even habits that are usually considered healthy, such as exercising or eating. We may notice a habit becoming unhealthy when it starts to negatively impact on our lives in some way. It may impact on your physical health when you start to experience: Difficulty sleeping or not getting enough sleep Tiredness Not eating regularly Becoming ill more often Decreased sex drive It may affect your mental health and ...

It’s inevitable that throughout life we will experience both good and bad moments that will create happy memories as well as emotional pain. If you could travel back in time, are there things that you would do differently? How could the more difficult times be made better? Looking back, what advice would you give to yourself with all the life experience you have now? Why write a letter to your younger self? There are many reasons why writing a letter to your younger self could benefit you. Perhaps there are old wounds that have never healed properly or past relationships that have affected your mental wellbeing.  Heal pain Forgiveness Gain a better understanding of yourself To become a better version of yourself As humans, it’s natural for us to feel a wealth of emotions such as anger, sadness, happiness and resentment, but if we don’t deal with our feelings at the time of the event, they can progress into more serious problems. Intense negative emotions can, over time, create anx...

Take a moment to think about your gender. How would you describe your gender identity? How do you express your gender to other people through how you look or act? How comfortable do you feel with the way that you experience and express your gender? These questions can help you begin to think about your gender identity and how you make sense of this part of yourself. It is natural to question your gender identity, and this can happen at any stage in your life. Maybe you have noticed that you feel uncomfortable when someone uses a particular gender pronoun, like ‘she’ or ‘her’, or that you feel out of place wearing gender-specific clothes at work. Learning more about gender identity can help you understand yourself and figure out how to show your authentic self, which is important for your emotional and mental wellbeing. Tips for exploring your gender identity Understand different gender identities Many people assume that our gender identities match the gender we were given at birth, b...

Shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing as it’s more commonly known, has become a popular way to embrace nature and boost mental wellbeing. Originally practised in Japan, this back-to-nature activity has now caught on internationally. A study published by the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction indicated that it may reduce stress, heart rate and blood pressure, which in turn can reduce the risk of depression, cancer, stroke and ulcers. What is forest bathing? Ultimately, forest bathing involves spending mindful time among nature beneath a leafy canopy where you can disconnect from the outside world and become one with the trees and wildlife. It’s about stepping away from the hustle and bustle, switching off your devices and allowing the forest to heal your mind. Living busy lives in built-up areas can often be detrimental to our mental health and has been linked to anxiety, stress and depression. So it’s important to take time out to de-stress among nature and take care of ou...

The past year has been challenging for many of us. Not being able to travel freely, restricted in how we spend our free time, not spending time with the people we want to. One of the main things that has changed significantly for all of us, is our social life.  Although this element can be challenging in many ways, there are many people who will not be looking forward to our social lives getting back on track. Social anxiety disorder is one of the most common anxiety disorders in the UK, affecting as much as 12% of the population.   Living with social anxiety can impact different areas of our lives, one of these being our social relationships. It can be especially challenging when we want to be able to hang out with our friends, but our anxiety gets in the way. Here at First Psychology, we meet individuals every day who are struggling with this, but are determined to find a way to manage their anxiety and take part in the social activities they want to. If this sounds like you...

There’s no doubt that failure can be a hard pill to swallow, but it can also teach us important lessons that spur us on to do bigger and better things. Often, we create our own expectations and set ourselves unrealistic goals which in turn can lead to failure and disappointment. If we experience failure regularly, it can play havoc with our self-worth, leaving us anxious, stressed and lacking in confidence. So, what can we do to overcome failure and move on with a positive attitude? Accept your feelings If you fail at something that was particularly important to you, such as getting that dream job or losing at a competitive sport, the chances are it’s going to sting a little, especially when you didn’t see it coming. But that’s okay and it’s natural to feel disappointed. However, if you dwell for too long, your initial feelings can turn into more destructive emotions such as anger, resentment, and depression. You might start to believe that you’re a complete failure as you become more ...