First Psychology blog

When anxiety rears its head, it can have a seriously damaging effect on your mental wellbeing and can seep into many aspects of your life. From being unable to perform simple daily tasks to heart palpitations and brain fog, the symptoms of anxiety can be really frightening. Causes of anxiety There are many causes of anxiety which can differ from person to person, and it can be triggered at any point in our lives. Physical or emotional abuse The death of someone close to you Work issues Money worries Health concerns Some types of food and drink such as caffeine and sugary foods World events Because anxiety can often creep up on us, it’s important to recognise the symptoms early on before it leads to more serious physical health problems. Signs of anxiety If you haven’t experienced anxiety before, there are several symptoms you can watch out for so that you’re able to recognise it and take action. Feelings of dread Lack of concentration or having ‘brain fog’ Feeling on edge and restless ...

Shame can be an extremely toxic and damaging emotion and more often than not, it’s caused by how you’ve been treated by other people in the past. The perceptions and behaviours of others towards yourself can create a negative voice in your head that leads you to believe you’re not good enough, you’re unlovable or you don’t belong in a certain group. In an interview with Brené Brown , author and researcher in shame and vulnerability, she states that shame is an "intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging". Although feelings of shame usually emerge during childhood, it’s not uncommon for adults to also feel the same emotions. Unless these thoughts and feelings are confronted, the long-term effects can seriously damage our mental health and affect the way in which we live our lives. Shame has been linked to bullying, depression, eating disorders and addiction so it’s important to find ways to deal with it....