First Psychology blog

We often have so many thoughts swimming around our heads that it can be hard to work out what is actually going on up there. Journal keeping is now seen by many as a useful tool to help solidify your observations and feelings for the day, as well as capturing your dreams and aspirations for the future. Not convinced? Here are just some of the reasons to grab a pen and paper and jot your thoughts down in a journal. More open to mindfulness There’s a strong link between happiness and mindfulness and as keeping a journal focuses your mind very much on the present, it can make you happier. When you write things down, past frustrations and future anxieties lose their edge and cease to occupy precious mind-space. Programmed to achieve We’ve said a number of times about the importance of writing things down if you want to actually achieve them. Keeping a journal encourages you to crystalise your hopes, dreams and ambitions. Once articulated, they become real – and once real, ...

As we approach the end of January, it's a fact that many of us will have given up on our New Year's resolutions already. So why don't we stick to our goals in life? Professor Ewan Gillon, Clinical Director of First Psychology Scotland, believes that we can become demoralised when our one change doesn't lead to a change in our whole life. "People often believe that when they change one thing, it will 'fix' other parts of their lives too. They may not even realise they have this belief, but people who think like this, often give up when the greater gains don't materialise."  Ewan believes that thinking through why we are setting a particular goal and what we hope to get out of it, is important to sticking to new behaviours. For example, if you want to lose weight, it may be that you associate being slimmer with a better social life, or wearing more fashionable clothes, or it may be that you really hope to be healthier, fitter and more ene...

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 ...

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...

With the Olympic Games having recently begun, there seems no better time to discuss some of the psychological techniques employed by athletes to improve their performance. One such technique is known as ‘self-talk’ which reflects the link between our thoughts and performance. Self-talk uses self-addressed words or phrases to guide action. Different types of self-talk work in different ways. It can benefit both beginners and more experienced athletes when they practise the technique. However, self-talk is believed to be most effective for novel tasks. This is because it is easier to fine tune the early stages of learning, and tasks involving fine skills (such as sinking a golf ball), because it improves concentration. Instructional self-talk (such as ‘elbow up’ for a beginner swimmer) works better for tasks involving fine skills as opposed to motivational self-talk (e.g. ‘give it all’) which works better for tasks requiring strength, endurance, confidence and psyching-up. Another approa...